Member postings for Rex Hanman

If it works the same as on my Bantam, lever 3 should be down. Up engages the half nuts. Don't go bashing it. It should move easily and "click" into place.

Correct, but you can only access from one device at a time.

If one hole is adequate, why would the manufacturer add others? There must be an advantage other than convenience.

Hi Thomas,

I am not surprised that you are experiencing blocked tubes in your boiler. My Rob Roy, built to the published design, has always suffered from the lower four tubes blocking after a while. It's easy to tell when it happens, the production of steam suddenly decreases.

Last year at the Andover M E S we held trials of Ecoal 50. This is a fuel made from coal and ground up olive stones. It comes in briquettes that have to be broken up into pieces to suit the size of the loco. This is quite easily done with little wastage.

I found it burnt well and the engine liked it. More importantly, everyone who tried it, from 3 1/2" to 7 1/4", all commented on how fine the ash was and how clear the smokebox was at the end of the run.

I had no problem with blocked tubes at all using this fuel.

There is, of course, a down side. Many of us found the fumes a little acrid, streaming eyes and runny noses were the result, even though it is claimed to be "smokeless"

Ecoal 50 is readily available, Wickes sell it in 10kg bags, a quantity that would last for a long time in a Rob Roy. For the sake of £7 I would recommend that you give it a try. If you do, please let us know the result.

Good luck!

In the early 1980s I suddenly found myself in need of a car. I was offered a 1965 MGB cheaply as it had nothing left below the sills, rather like Fred Flintstone's car.

After many hours of welding and a respray I drove it for a couple of years. Then, around 1984, someone made me an offer of two and a half times what I paid for it.

Last year, on a whim, I googled the reg no. and found pictures of it being raced at Brands Hatch! I contacted the new owner who confirmed it is still largely the same car.

Wish I hadn't sold it now!

Never case hardened mine and it still runs just fine after about 30 years. Some things are decidedly slack now but so what? No harm in case hardening, Just a matter of choice.

Oooops! Shoot the cat! I was in a rush this morning when I measured the leadscrew on my 1984 BUD. It is 0.750 thou. Specsavers appointment booked for tomorrow,

My apologies to Kim and everyone else for misleading you.

I hang my head in shame and hope that nobody at tonight's club meeting has seen this!

My metric BUD leadscrew is spot on 20mm diameter. Sorry, I can't help you with the core diameter or thread angle.

Hi Tris,

I happen to know of a lathe for sale (probably cheaply) in Gloucestershire, maybe near to you.

If you are interested send me your email address or phone number and I will pass them on to the relevant person.

I don't know details other than it has the overhead milling/drilling attachment similar to a Chester Centurion 3 in 1.

Rex

It will certainly take the lustre off your cluster!

Well done Phil, progress is progress!

I dripped a spot of Harpic 100% Limescale remover on a stainless steel knife. Next day there was a neat matt finished mark. It even says on the container not to use it on stainless steel.

Try dropping your balls in some of that.

With the easing of covid restrictions the 2022 Rob Roy Rally is set to be held on Saturday 17th September 2022 at Bromsgrove Society of Model Engineers.

Hopefully, a report on last year's rally will be published in ME in due course.

For further info contact me at [email protected]

Hopefully, yes. Details to be decided but will be posted at some point.

Sorry but there's no dedicated info page. Details will be posted here, on the Model Engineering Clearing House website, Andover and Bromsgrove society websites, and in Model Engineer and Engineering in Miniature magazines.

A write up of the 2021 event will be submitted to the magazines' editors in the new year.

Hope this helps

Both of my lathes have fold down chuck guards and generally they are a pain. I kept them on but bypassed the micro switch. Now and then I use them to catch flying swarf but mostly I rely on good quality eye protection.

Worse than that.......the guy was actually smoking in the work place! H&S would be furious!

A hub assembly from a trailer spares supplier might be cheaper. They come with a choice of stub axle etc.

Edited By Rex Hanman on 20/09/2021 18:32:59

Edited By Rex Hanman on 20/09/2021 18:33:49

My VM30 gets very warm if used for long periods. Had it (and it's sibling) since new in 1984. Now and then, when it has been running for a couple of hours or more, I get the odd drop of semi liquid grease drip from the spindle onto the table. I just squirt a bit more grease in once in a while.

I rarely run it at the high speed (3000rpm, later machines were derated to 2000 I believe) as the noise from the straight cut gears is deafening!

Lovely little machines though. Just wish it had a quill.

Edited By Rex Hanman on 12/09/2021 21:15:24

When uploading some pics to a photo hosting site, one refused to appear the right way up. Attempts to fool it by deliberately uploading a rotated view failed, I could get it in every orientation except the correct one. In the end I took a screen shot of the photo and uploaded that. Worked a treat!

Edited By Rex Hanman on 02/07/2021 13:38:38

During my youth, my first car was a Mini. Not knowing a thing about car repairs I called into a local main agent to ask what a new clutch would cost. I was given a stupid price for the bits, but when I asked about the cost of fitting it the nice gentleman said "Oh, I'll have to check the hourly rate for that."

That's when I found out that main agents charge differing hourly rates depending on how expensive the car was originally! I fitted a new clutch myself.