Member postings for ega

Kiwi Bloke 1:

Nor should we throw stones in glasshouses (sic)! We all make mistakes from time to time.

I emphatically agree with your "In a publication with an international readership, it is important to maintain high standards of English usage, spelling and punctuation. Sadly, the correct use of the apostrophe seems to be a vanishing art...)" but even this may contain an internal contradiction. Look at the actual usage - I'm afraid it's "it's" when it should be its all over.

I also agree with KWIL's points.

PS Just wondering, where is the neither to go with my nor?

Roderick Jenkins:

Thank you! That certainly looks right. I can't answer *your* question but the human memory is a strange thing and doesn't always do what it is bid.

In trying to locate a reference to barrette (without resorting to the internet) I came across the "fusiform" or "cigar-shaped", a double-ended triangular file which would definitely need a handle!

For small files I favour the kind of handle fitted to gravers - a truncated mushroom shape which fits nicely in the palm and whose flat stops the file rolling off the bench.

This is a Stubs. No doubt someone can give the correct name for the shape.

I have often wondered how much torque to apply to these Torx screws.

BSA: I was using one of their counterbores the other day and thinking how good it was.

It is far too late for me to edit my post of 30 July last about Arrand tailstock tooling but, re-reading it, I can see that I meant to say *located* on a short taper. I'm still hoping that a user will come forward with some information.

Russell Eberhardt:

Sheet metal punches have a central pip which I assume is intended for location.

PS I meant to upload a couple of pics of the quick nut - my first attempt at making one of these - but the website was again proving difficult. I have now succeeded:

The second photo shows the thread machined away at an angle to allow the nut to slide on the bolt; half a turn then locks it.

Bazyle:

Those drilling machine clamps are excellent as long as one can be bothered to use them. I found the ring nut rather slow in use and have recently substituted a quick nut which makes installation and removal much quicker and removes the temptation to take a chance.

Apart from its tendency to grab brass can also work harden which accentuates the problem.

Gordon Brown 1:

Thanks for putting me right on the material point and good luck with your turning!

Grant Nicholas:

I have just been reading your post of 2 January.

"Did you grind a flat into the front of your HSS 60 degree threading tool? It needs to be the exact width of that in the fish tail tool you use for checking angle and getting the tool squared up to the work"

I don't think anyone else commented on this advice which I feel needs some qualification.

I assume that by "fish tail tool" you mean a screw-cutting angle gauge eg the M&W No 200. (I have a Chesterman gauge of this kind which does indeed look a bit like the head and tail of a fish). To begin with, these tools don't claim to give the width of the flat (which varies with the pitch where the root is flat) and what you call the flat is, I think, a relieving slot designed to facilitate the manufacture of the gauge; in a good one the gauging surfaces will be ground.

Secondly, whilst I agree that a sharp point is undesirable, it would be impractical to have a separate tool for every pitch and, in practice, I think most single-point tools will have an arbitrary flat or radius which needs to be less than or equal to the specified width or radius.

The OP appears to be cutting an external ISO thread which theoretically should have a small radius at the root and a flat at the tip; details are given eg in the well-known Zeus data booklet. However, most amateurs will not have the equipment to produce a precisely formed tool and will simply cut their bolts to fit their nuts or vice versa.

As an entirely separate point and as one who knows nothing about motor bikes, I did wonder about aluminium as the choice of material for an exhaust adapter.

I swear by PR88 but have a feeling that it is responsible for the damage to the paint job on my Super Seven (which was spray painted with Myford's touch up paint).

I do find gloves useful when heavy lifting and sometimes resort to a waist brace rather like the one that Stirling Moss used to wear.

I recall complimenting a friend on the very neat zig-zag oilway he had milled into his lathe's saddle and asking about his CNC capability only to be told it was a case of HC engineering (human controlled) ie done by the coordination of hands and eyes and, probably, ears too.

It seems generally helpful to keep file sizes down. On advice from another site I am currently finding 600 x 800 pixels a workable size.

Neil Wyatt:

Excellent post on the derivation, etc of "model engineer" - thank you. I did a case-insensitive ngram search on the phrase and got rather different results from yours with the three variations separately plotted.

I took ME for many years but, after a period of reading MEW as well, opted for the latter. It's interesting to compare the slogans on the front cover, the latest being "THE GREAT MAGAZINE FOR HOBBY ENGINEERS" and the first "THE NEW, PRACTICAL HOBBY MAGAZINE".

Martin Connelly:

MT spindle - I wouldn't go so far as to disagree, but the MT spindle does have some advantages and I would guess most new mills today would feature a captive, self-extracting drawbar so there should be no reason to "bang away".

Tractor man:

"I spent a bit on an arrand tailstock quick change tool holder, great if you are doing a fair bit of drilling and threading"

I have been interested in these for some time but yours is the first "live" reference I've seen. Might you, whether in this or another thread, post a description of their working and a photo or two?

5/16" and 3/8" respectively used to be normal. The last MT3 tool I bought was indeed M12 and I promptly converted it to 3/8" BSW.

As requested:

Photo 1 shows my Atlas turret and the potential for conflict with the rear toolpost. (The plain shank at two o'clock supports my Vertex tapping chuck when in use).

Photo 2 is of the JAR tool with centre drill in extended holder on the Myford. On the shelf above the lathe (photo 3) are some additional holders. From the left, the plain shank takes a die holder and the Vertex, and the short pilot drill second from left can follow up the centre drill without the need to move the tailstock. The additional drill chucks can stand ready with tapping, clearance size drills, etc.

The tool consists of an MT shank with short vertical male dovetail onto which are mounted the various holders via a corresponding female dovetail, the vertical location being set by the screwed-on stops visible in photo 3. In use the small ball handle is rotated one turn releasing the holder which is then lifted away, replaced by another and the handle again locked.

Phiip Rowe: I will PM re greater detail

Edited By ega on 04/01/2016 13:04:04

I have a six station turret on my 6.5" lathe which I find very useful, my only problem being that it can interfere with my recently installed rear toolpost.

J A Radford made some reasoned criticisms of tailstock turrets; his solution being his design for QC tailstock tooling which I have successfully made for my Super Seven. JAR's design was published in ME and is in his book "Improvements and Accessories for your Lathe". I could post photos if there is any interest in this.

JasonB:

With diffidence, as I am not a QCTP user, those boring bars in your picture look awfully uncomfortable. Don't they make a dedicated holder for boring bars?