Member postings for Stephen Harris 5

Colin.

I live near Droitwich, Worcestershire and if you can get to me I have welders, a lathe , various pullers and an hydraulic press. Should be able to get it apart somehow.

Steve Harris

Colin.

I live near Droitwich, Worcestershire and if you can get to me I have welders, a lathe , various pullers and an hydraulic press. Should be able to get it apart somehow.

Steve Harris

Colin.

I live near Droitwich, Worcestershire and if you can get to me I have welders, a lathe , various pullers and an hydraulic press. Should be able to get it apart somehow.

Steve Harris

The correct primer for painting a galvanized surface is "Calcium Plumbate". It's available at some DIY outlets as I have seen it.

I live near Droitwich and the DIY place "Wigleys" near Stourport used to have it on their shelves.

How do I know about this primer??

Well, I used to work at a steel fabricators/ erectors and Dave , the boss, would take on anything.

The Severn bridge taking the M50 over the river was galvanized steel and when first erected it was just painted over.

The paint came off "in sheets" he said. So he took on the job of stripping and repainting said bridge.

Calcium plumbate was the primer specified for the job.

Thanks Noel.

I will certainly get a reader when I get towards firing the furnace up.

Have you any recommendations for a particular reader or should I just troll e-bay and google ???

If I get to melt iron, is there a need to check its temperature ?

Have made notes of all the detailed stuff in my book.

Thanks again.

Hi Everyone.

Thanks again for all the comments, and Noel and Luker for your detailed words.

I will now get on and finish the furnace and set up for some trial melt/pour practice,

It will be some time before I can get this done but will come back (eventually) and report my results.

Thanks again all.

Hi, Thanks for the replies.

I asked the question because I had watched a few You-Tube videos and seen the zinc evaporating in a cloud of white (dangerous) smoke. I can operate outside and keep well away from the zinc fumes and I don't have people living close by.

I quoted the percentages from the book but realize I can only get an approximation of the mix. I want to try for gunmetal to make loco cylinders and parts, plus a bit for the Quorn. I've got plenty of copper and brass (from plumbing work) so buying scrap bronze seems pointless if I can make it.

And no Noel, I don't have much foundry experience (yet !!!) but am ok with the woodwork and the furnace is taking shape. It was me who gave you the small sample of "Bromsgrove sand" some years ago at the model engineering show, Leamington. Will you be there this year ??

I think the brass plus some tin and a bit more copper may be the way to go as I have quite a lot of brass without the chrome plating and it's old stuff (not Chinese!!)

So thanks again for the comments.

I'm away now till Monday so won't be able to reply straight away.

Hi Everyone.

I want to do some small castings in iron, aluminium and bronze.

Is it possible to make your own bronze?

I want gunmetal which is approximately 86% copper and 11% tin + 3% zinc according to the machinerys handbook.

I've got plenty of copper and can get tin and zinc.

BUT, looking at the vastly different melting points of these metal, will the molten copper vaporize the tin and zinc??

Maybe the makers of such alloys use a special process.

Can anyone advise me please.

Hi again.

I lied.

I was looking in the wrong place on the machine.

It looks to me like the one in the link but very slightly different.

The actual serial number is 2843 ATR

Can't get much sense out of google with this.

regards.

Hi All

Bill, the one I have is almost certainly the one shown in you "Use of Diaform" link. There's a serial no. which starts with M1885 and if you google this, "diaform M1885" it brings up various pictures the same.

I think it's complete as it came to me when I bought some stuff in a job lot from the college where my wife worked.

I can't send any pictures to this site as our broadband if useless (very little upload capability)

Regards. Steve Harris

Hi All

In my shed, and it's been in there over 20 years, is a thing called a "Diaform" (think that's how you spell it).

I know roughly what it's used for but my question is: do they still get used or is it obsolete??

If it's any use to anyone, when I've done enough posts, (how many do I need), I will stick it in the classifieds.

Regards. Steve Harris

Hi Keith.

Thanks for taking the time to look.

Don't worry, I will fix it back on with some small screws, tapping the headstock to suit.

I've found some of various sizes of hammer fixings on e-bay but I don't fancy buying a bag just for two fixing as I've never needed any before and I won't live long enough to use any in quantity !!!!

As I said, due to the difficulty in removing them, when I clean up my Colchester student for sale, I will leave any plates in situ.

Regards. Steve Harris

Hi, Keith.

Thanks for the offer. They are 3.2 mm dia x 5mm long.

I only need two to put the plate back on the CZ scrambler. The one that came off are a bit second hand now.

Regards Steve Harris.

Hi. My original question was due to me taking the data plate off the headstock of my CZ motocross machine prior to having it powder coated. I was able to get behind the fixings and lever them part way out with a bar. Then an old wood chisel under the head.

I will NOT now attempt the data plate on my Colchester lathe when I refurbish it, after reading the comments above, it's too risky.

Well, it certainly provoked some comments and thanks to everyone who joined in.

Regards.

HI, Does anyone know the correct term for the rivet headed, knock in fixings used to hold the ident and data plates on machines.

And, where I can get them from.

Regards. Steve Harris

Hi, Once again, thanks, for the information.

Didn't realize so much knowledge was out there.

Regards. Steve Harris.

Hi everyone.

First , I must apologize for delay in replying. Our Broadband is VERY poor and I can't always get on-line. It's been very bad for the last few days.

Thanks for all the very useful advise. I will be stripping the motor shortly and overhaul it with new bearings etc. seeing as it is now very old.

This student originally had a two speed motor, 1400/720 ish, so I will really need the slower workings the a VFD can provide and I also take on the comments about running the motor/ machine faster than its original design speed.

Clive. My question had a two fold meaning.!! I also have a Denford Triac miller which I am converting to Smooth stepper and Mach 4 and this will require the motor to run a bit faster then its rating. If I ever get towards a finish on that I will report back, If I live long enough.

Once Again thanks for all your time and advise.

Regards, Steve Harris

Hi everyone.

I have recently joined this forum and find it very useful.

I am a retired maintenance fitter (73) and like to try my hand at any skills, although not always with the best results !!!

I have a reasonable workshop set up, Colchester student, Tom Senior, pillar drill and am fairly proficient at using them. Plus a fair amount of small tools.

I live near Droitwich , Worcestershire, and not far from the Bromsgrove society of engineers, where my mate is a member, so I will have to go along and meet them.

I am not a specific "model engineer" as such but just like making things.

Hi, All.

I have a Colchester Student (roundhead) lathe which I want to fit a replacement 3 phase motor and use an appropriate inverter to drive it.

Is there a rule of thumb for how fast maximum the motor should run ??

The motor I want to use is 1400 rpm and for best results would want to go up to 1800/3000 rpm. It is a squirrel cage induction motor.

I will strip the motor and renew bearings etc. if needed .

Just want to get some idea or the potential.

Regards.