Member postings for The Real Ron Skingley

It's about 100 miles away by car and ferry(across the Shannon).
But not having a car might make things a bit tricky.
There's a bus to Limerick, but ....
Thanks for the info.

Ordered some from Macs Models.
Strange situation.
No oil listed on their web site, but using the link to the German eBay site, and changing the 'de' to 'co.uk' gave the same item but on the UK eBay.
So bought some from there.
Shipping of course was almost as much as the oil.
So we'll see what happens with customs.

Thanks Brian.
Will give them a try.

Ron S.

Dear all,

Search engines don't really hack it do they?
I'm looking for a supply of steam oil, in Ireland.
That's because:

A: I haven't got any.
B: On the Reeves (UK) web site it says "PLEASE NOTE: At this time we are unable to ship this item overseas as is deemed hazardous (well it has a couple of warning stickers on the pot so customs get excited and throw the whole parcel away without notice ):

Having had big problems with customs in the past, and oil suppliers in Ireland that come up on searches only being interested in commercial markets, I wonder if anyone has any clue as to where, or if, steam oil is available in Ireland?

Regards,

Ron

I think it has become find some material first, then decide what you can make from it.
Luckily the tip/recycling centre in Bantry, or just outside it, has a skip into which people throw scrap metal.
They ought to set up a webcam aimed at it .

Meanwhile I'll start searching for materials from Germany and other EU places......

Yes same here.
Getting my old banger going by climbing over piles of old cars (literally) and unbolting the parts I wanted myself, was quite the norm. Then.
Our local sailing club here have regular scrap collections to help pay for sailing instruction for the local kids.
And it's quite staggering how much money they make even after the scrappie chappie has taken his cut.

When I was an apprentice I could order almost anything through the company, or just nip down to our stores for a foot of ⅜ brass, no questions asked, or a handful of 4BA brass cheeseheads.
Different world now.

There's Evans Engineering in Skibb, well a brisk walk out on the western side anyway. But they really only do spares for farm equipment.

Ah, James Healy. Yes.

The two new busses are actually on time, which upsets many people.
But the timetables give you space for a Murphy's in the pub.
Sure what else would you be doing?

Edited By The Real Ron Skingley on 30/09/2023 10:49:48

Thanks Howi, and everyone.
Yes things here are very 'Irish' as you would expect. And I wouldn't have it otherwise.
Wonderful people.
But just as an example.....
We now have two new bus services. Excellent we all cry. One even comes through the village.
The other goes through Bantry from Skibb, then on up country a bit.
Great says I, I can get to Skibb now!
Well..... Only if I've got all day and take some sandwiches.
Bus through the village gets to Bantry 20 minutes after the Skibb bus has gone.
Next one is a three hour wait.
And so it goes on.
If I leave home at 7:45 to walk down to the village, I won't get back, after the walk back up the hill, until half seven in the evening.
It would be quicker on a tractor......

It is very difficult.
The population density of Ireland as a whole is less than a tenth of the UK, and West Cork is lower than that.
Model engineering is not one of the traditional rural pastimes.
Sending to the UK for stuff used to be the norm, but since Brexit increasingly it's Germany or Poland, just because of the import difficulties.
I recently had an innocent small box of bits stuck in customs for three months, with no explanation of course.

Edited By The Real Ron Skingley on 30/09/2023 07:35:05

Edited By The Real Ron Skingley on 30/09/2023 07:36:03

Edited By The Real Ron Skingley on 30/09/2023 07:36:37

Thanks Michael, I'll try them.
There is a small place on the edge of Cork City where I used to get offcuts. But that is an hour and a half drive away, and I no longer have a car. Which makes driving difficult .
And getting there and back by bus is an adventure to say the least.
And there's no saying they will have a suitable offcut.

Now if it was tractor parts that would be a bit different.

Not in Bantry, Skibbereen, Clonakilty, or even Kenmare in Kerry.
Cork city may be a different matter, but even model engineering friends who have been here longer than my 20 years say the same. And end up sending to the UK for stuff.
And since Brexit we now pay not only transport charges, but vat and import duty too. Oh and a charge by AnPost for collecting the duty.

My family still live in Cornwall and they have a good metal supplier in Penryn/Falmouth.
But they won't send outside the UK after Brexit.

Nice idea.
But this is the west of Ireland.
No engineering firms, only building, wood, and glass windows.
And one local firm that makes cableforms for the electronics industry.

Thanks Dave,

Yes I keep looking round the kitchen at all the ally things and wondering......
I just like the look of brass, though I agree it may be a bit heavy for this.
Getting any materials in Ireland is a challenge in itself.
But maybe a trip to the tip, oops sorry recycling centre, will yield something I can recycle personally.

Edited By The Real Ron Skingley on 29/09/2023 18:37:43

Thanks for that.
I did look for round stock, but the only thing that came up was 70mm dia bronze at 990 quid a metre ha ha.
Will look at M-machine.

Hello from Ireland

I have the plans from Jan Ridders of a coffee cup Stirling engine.
The flywheel is 6mm thick, or could be made from thicker than that, to about 12mm, to allow for turning a centre boss.
The flywheel is 65mm dia. so a 6mm thick piece of brass 70mm square would be fine.
Or alternatively a casting of roughly similar size.

I have hunted all over without success.

If anyone has any suggestions as to a source of suitable materials I would be very grateful.

Ron

OK, have found a simple looking spark eroder.
Not very quick, but it gets there.

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/a-spark-erosion-apparatus.html

I did wonder about it being silver steel.
Obviously it's isn't then.

Have you, ot can you get, a link to the circuit for that spark eroder?
Into electronics too, so might be interesting.

Thanks Tug,

Yes, everything will be held rigid as I drill on the Emco vertical mill.
Found a piece of steel that I think is silver steel as it's only slightly magnetic.
So going to have a go at a hollow cutter.
Best solution if I can make it work.

Ron

My son, a boat builder, suggested grinding a drill for left handed and running the drillgun backwards.
He's been there before
But only in wood with broken drills.
So a hollow cutter I reckon is today's job.
Haven't got a pillar drill as I use my Emco vertical mill, and not sure that will run backwards.
Nor will the lathe.
Thinking cap on.......