Member postings for Steve Withnell

Hmmm, IBM haven't made anything in years, not since they focussed on their services strategy, though I am out of touch with their CAD offerings. Doubt they are the right organisation to do low cost stuff anyway, though they did achieve the lowest per unit manufacturing cost for the PS/2 whilst achieving the highest market price. That was a long time ago. Suspect your answer will come from China/India/small startups.

Remember the £1m CNC machines with a Kongsberg/Fanuc/... controller in a 6ft rack? Arceurotrade will ship a KX3 for 5K which I understand is good to 0.01mm repeatability. If it's only 0.02mm you get my point.

3D printing is in small workshops and is generating revenues, so this thing is rolling and will pick up pace. This will drive capability which will drive volumes and price.

There are a couple of guys in a bar somewhere saying "remember when we could charge £4k a copy for this stuff?"

Steve

Hi Allan,

I n my archive:

**LINK**

there is sequence of photo's showing how I made the conrod for the Victoria -

Steve

I have thought about taking a very light skim off the bottom of the die holder just to make sure it's true. Although I do have a tailstock dieholder, I have had problems getting a "clean" start to a thread. M6 and above, I've settled into the habit of taking a first cut with a single point tool, then using a die to clean up. Maybe I should spend some time making sure the Indians made everything square in the first place.

Steve

Just cooked a stack of thick streaky bacon, on a bun with HP sauce and a mug of strong tea.

Bugger the cholesterol!

Happy New Year!

Steve

Edited By Steve Withnell on 01/01/2014 10:49:18

Thanks Roy. I forgot the drawbar. It's just a piece off the 12mm threaded rod I used for the backstop.

Peter - Bear in mind this is for holding thin items, so the backstop is typically not that far into the jaws and can be "got at", obviously being careful with the jaws.

If you look at the example piece in my original photo, I drilled, bored and cut the central groove all in one setup. I think that would have been quite difficult to achieve without some form of backstop to prevent the workpiece moving in the jaws.

Steve

Happy New Year! (ie one that allows much productive time in the workshop ! )

Hi Allan, It doesn't need to sit square on the thread, you just lock it tight at approximately the right place, then take a light skim before mounting the workpiece. So, everytime you change the height of the backstop, you take a light skim so it's always right. That means it's always square and no precision work is necessary in making the thing. You should also think of the cast iron backstop as a disposable piece, if you want to drill through or bore the workpiece for example.

Steve

Merry Christmas Allan. Nice set of photo's of usual.

Saw your use if parallel's to set up for machining the piston. Can I not tempt you to try one of these?

By taking a light skim before setting up the workpiece you end up with a parallel base and there is no chance of the workpiece slipping in the jaws.

It's just a blank arbor, drilled and tapped 12mm, a piece of 12mm threaded rod and a piece of cast iron round as the support.

Steve

PS: The chuck guard as shipped with the C6 has been replaced with one of those highly versatile invisible types.

Very nice - but you have forgotten the blue smoke emission system -

**LINK**

Steve

Merry Christmas!

Does the RED sector get bigger with the age of the machinist?

Cheers Jason, I'll add that to the to do list for my Victoria...

Steve

My Dad still has the Britannia's his Grandfather bought. One is in service, having had new screws cut for the cross slide and compound a couple of years back. The other is in kit form, think the treadle is still about.

So I do Wonder what stories those lathes could tell...

Steve

Duracells from Babz Media -

**LINK**

Is where mine come from -

Steve

For me I'm afraid, Pareto always wins.

The belt has been in service for over five years without issue, never slipped, spun off.

However, I'd agree that the good enough that's not is a problem.

The irony is, in another forum I've just been accused of being a perfectionist...

Steve

I used a Contitech "Poly V" belt for a mod to my lathe. PJ610/240. The grooves on the new pulleys were cut with a 5/8 BSW tap as a tip from John S. Following John's post there was a number of posts pointing out everything that was wrong in the match between the profile of the tap and specified profile of the Poly V belt.

Fact is, the grooves were a doddle to cut this way and the belt is still in good nick years later. Maybe a trick worth considering.

Steve

Ian, you mentioned earlier that you had identified some additional gears that would be useful - do you have the 'tooth counts' (I don't know the technical expression!) for these wheels?

Steve

Sieg SC3 would be my vote and from ArcEurotrade not Axminster. Simply because I reckon Arc are second to none where Sieg kit is concerned. I would go for the SC3 rather than the SC2 because it sounds like the biggest you can afford, and you will have to live with it for a long time, so it will give you some "head room" as you get into the hobby.

Just a few thoughts from a hobbyist. Not a time served machinist!

Steve

Hi Gray,

I can can provide you with a dimensioned photo(s) of the C6B "gearbox" but I'm not familiar with the names you are using. I'd be interested in a screwcutting clutch for my C6B as it can get a bit exciting as it's currently configured...

Steve

2000 triggers every 4 months for three years? Not surprising you have a slightly insane look about you!

The first one I broke was a 6 mm slot drill, it flew 16 feet down the garage and pinged off the fuse box, then ricocheted off the wall. A reminder of what safety glasses are for.

Steve