Member postings for bricky

Hi

As Peter has explained it does not matter which.To find your lathes centre height scratch a piece of flat bar supported upright with a square across the centre that you have mounted in your mandrel and then measure with your calipers.

Frank

Dear Niel

I don't know how to add images to my posts.I saw a post the other day and you explained the process,I didn't have time to copy this and I can't find the original post you replied to.Could you please tell me which post to look for.

Frank

A QCT that Is totaly different from the dixon type and is easy to make.I designed this after seeing a toolpost by Pratt Burnerd.I do own a Dixon type but my holder is quicker and more versatile than the one I own.The only draw back is that each individual tool has to be packed to height but once done it's the most useful tool I own.Idid send anconstruction article with a disc of photographs to D,Clarke and asked if they were suitable for publication.After varius emails and phone calls the only response I got was that he hadn't had time to look for it.This took well over a year and put me off trying to get anything I have made published.

Frank

Having read a letter in ME or MEW some years ago about a cutting fluid used by an old toolmaker.This he called Angels Breath,made up of 1 part genuine turpentine 2 parts white spirit 3 parts olive oil.This is the the dog's whatsits.I have used it since reading the article and have not broken a tap or drill since,it als gives a super finish on finish turning.

Frank

I have cut numerous gears,but I always had to concentrate on the number of turns as I was sometimes unsure on the count.I solved this by getting a hand held number clicker.

Frank

I agree with Ady on this issue of health and safety.I was a small builder and was happy to train apprentices.I always insisted that they followed my advice and used common sense as I was trained to do 54 years ago.They have all survived without an incident.I was working in a kitchen with an apprentice when the college supervisor arrived to assess him on the job.I was told that he must wear a hard hat and a viz jacket in the kitchen and that I must display a notice on the kitchen door stating that this was a building site.Lunacy.To pass his modules I was to take photographs of him wheeling a barrow ,posing on various tasks to meet the targets set.Lunacy.No wonder the trades are diluted as they are .There is no longer a decent appreniceship in any industry to be had .Why does one need an apprenticeship to be a shop assistant,nonesense.Like the interpretation of health and safety.Common sense is needed.

Frank

The building trade converted to metric in the early seventies ,and is in metres and millimetres always.We still got windows in imperial and tried to fit them to a metric gauge for brickwork 75mm bed and brick ,it could be frustraring until all suppliers got their act together.I still order timber as 3mt of 4" by 2" and metrication has given the suppliers of building products an excuse to reduce the thickness of timber ,screws,nails and others to numerous to mention.Try matching floor joists in an old building with metric materials .

Frank

Robin

Why not remove a section of the floor and fit a concrete base low enough to take the mill and the cabinet that fits the mill.Quicker than building a bench.

Frank

I missed the bit about drilling through into the wood to take the dowel.

Frank

Lay your rod on a length of wood long enough to take your rods,drill your hole and fit a dowel as previously stated,reverse the timber and drill.Hope this helps.

Frank

Thank you for your rapid reply Jason.

Frank

Just completed the cylinder of a Centaur gas engine.The cast iron casting was chilled at both ends and two opposite chilled seams ran from one end to the other.This has tested me and it's a good job I have little hair or I would have torn it out.The 1" boring bar was centered both ends but was flexing over the chilled seams giving an oval bore.The lapping could not remove this and I ended scraping these high spots and grinding them with a rocking motion over a 1" wooden dowell with grinding paste,and then finishing on the lap.Could someone tell me how much smaller the aluminium piston should be,it has cast iron rings.

Frank

I have just obtained the full set of castings from Reeves for the Centaur gas engine.I had not unpacked all of them so after reading this post I checked the supplied gears and found them to be excellent,nothing like those shown.I think that they had a bad batch.

Frank

Hi Russ

I am building a Centaur gas engine and have been looking for fuel resistant gasket.Reeves sell Hylotyte in a tube.I have found Loctite 5922 at Halfords which is resistant to fuels.Hope this helps.

Frank

Graham

4 jaw ML 10 chucks come up on ebay, and considering the cost of an adapter if availiable a ML 10 chuck would be the better option as the larger register on the spindle would give more ridgidity .

Frank

My best buy was my Mk1 Myford Super Seven bought in 1987 made in 57.It has been a joy to use and after a regrind

in 2005 is as accurate as new.I have a large bore Myford I bought at the Myford sale but don,t get the pleasure of using it as much as the old girl.My worst buy was a set of taps and dies ,the die wouldn't cut brass .Cheap.

Frank

The use of cling film will be used on my machines when using cast iron, it will save me time on cleaning the dust off everything.Thanks Martin for the tip.

Frank

If I can get the work in the fridge I get to a very close fit ,cool one and heat the other and this has worked for me.

Frank

My super seven plus is 42.5*2mm and I do have a lot of duplicates of the metric chasers ,as I didn,t have amongst these chaser the two mm internal one I had to rely on my threading ability.More luck than judgment it worked well.This was the first metric thread I have cut and I was pleased with the result.

I have spent the last two hours sorting out roughly 100 plus metric hand chasers, given to me by a friend.They are stamped with the war department arrow and one is dated 1944.they range from .5mm to 5mm ,some internal but most external.I asked my friend for a 2mm internal chaser to tidy up the thread I cut for a backplate to fit my large bore Myford, and he gave me all of these.I am going to have a go at cutting the smaller sizes as I have never tried this.

Frank