Member postings for Ian S C

I use Eclipse blades, my regular frame is one of the screw tensioned type and I push on that, I have a deep frame spring one, and pull on that(its about Xs 3 the depth of a standard frame. Once when exploring one of the hard ware retailers in Christchurch I'm sure I spotted Bi-metal junior blades (15/20 yrs ago). Then there is this.

Ian S C

You could send the photos to Neil(the Moderator), or at least comunicate that way.

Ian S C

I'v had good reviews on the film "Spitfire", unfortunately I am unable to get to it, I'll have to wait for the DVD.

Ian S C

Spent the morning yesterday making handles for woodturning tools, it's a while since I did any wood turning. I then made the tools.

Ian S C

That 3 jaw chuck was probably the smallest the owner could find, the 4 jaw it a little fiddlelly but at that size you really need the grip of the 4th jaw, I have at times thought that if I could get a 3 jaw chuck about 1 1/2" dia it would be handy.

I have a book "The Simple Lathe and its Accessories" The "Amateur Mechanic & Work" handbooks. First published in 1923, mine is the Australian edition 1943, I thought it had the price, but no, it does say that the stand and flywheel and treadle are available as an extra at less than 3 pounds, I have seen adverts giving a price of ?5 . The 4 jaw chuck ?1 - 12 - 6. 

I bought my Super Adept in Dunedin NZ in 1962 for 5 NZ pounds, with the jack shaft included.

I have 2 other books in the same series"metal Turning Made Easy", and "Small Lathes Making and Using".

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 14/09/2018 13:06:11

Perhaps you want 20 mm/ 30 mm X 3 mm galvanised strip, I think it some times rains in your part of the world, and plain steel 1 mm thick might soon rust away even if you paint it.

Are you going to rivet it at each crossing?

Ian S C

Matt, the life of the tool depends on the material used for the ratchet, brass it will last for ever(well quite a long time), steel a bit less, but I'v fly cut gears the same way as Russell, in steel. I make my cutters from old centre drills, or the shank of broken HSS taps. I use a bar with a 20 tpi thread in the Clarkson Chuck, keep the bar holding the cutter as short as practical for stiffness, my ones are 5/8" dia, although I made a new collet for the chuck

that will take 3/4"

Ian S C

That's the trouble with tail draggers, and big engines, once the tail is down foreward vision disappears.

Ian S C

I think the Full Noise team used that photo mix as publicity a couple of years ago, The Yak is rounding one of the marker pylons at Reno, A group of record breakers, on the left is John Brittan and his own build bike. It is Bert Monro with his bike, it is taken from a photo taken at Bonville. Sthil is one of the Reno racing sponsors.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 13/09/2018 13:26:20

I was doing some reading today on converting a double acting steam engine to IC, the front side of the piston being used as a compressor to supply cooling air for the cylinder.

Ian S C

Full Noise 35 is up there with the big boys in qualification, I think there is a modified Hawker Sea Fury, Sawbones ahead at the moment with laps of 413.511mph and 412.720mph, cpmpared to Full Noise with 356.268mph and362.770mph, and on less than half the horse power.

Ian S C

I think Neil used a hand held power drill, hand power doesn't work too well sideways.

Ian S C

If you are taking a slice off a bar to make the disc, perhaps cut the ratchet first. Centre the bar each end. part part way through the bar at the required thickness, then set up between centres on the mill. After the ratchet is complete, put the bar back in the lathe, bore the hole for the shaft and complete the parting off. More solid than using a mandrel.

Ian S C

What was that old song, "Mad Dogs and English Men Go Out In the Midday Sun".

One night during my time as a nurse in a small country hospital, an assistant and I were laying out an expired patient, it was cold and silent, when all of a sudden there was an all mighty bang, we decided to go out and see what had happened. Not far away was an old oil drum used for burning rubbish in, and someone had put an aerosol can that had had shaving soap in it, and this had exploded, by the time we got out there were clouds of soap bubbles, but big bangs like that at midnight in a quiet rural area do give you a bit of a shake up.

Ian S C

Keep the shims with each tool, or set up the tools so they don't need shims that's my answer, you need max rigidity rather than high speed tool changing, it's a hobby not an industry.

Ian S C

I remember something in ME in the 1990s I think of some(maybe Tubal Cain) built an IC motor using a horizontal Stuart Turner steam engine.

I wonder if it would be possible to make it double acting, I know there would be the problem of sealing the piston rod gland.

Ian S C

I have a cutter by CK Zenzes (? spelling) in among'st Dads wood working gear, it's like a little slitting saw welded on a 1/4" shank, I'v also made one similar by brazing a shank on the middle of the side of a bit of a broken industrial 12" hacksaw blade, and forming a tooth on opposite corners. Both these would work on aluminium.

Ian S C

I wonder if the original owner was an immigrant, and bought it with him as baggage. If you find the serial number, you'll be able to find it's age.

Ian S C

I have not done any anodising (yet), but from what I'v read a good dye is the Dylon dyes normally used for fabric, it comes is little aluminium containers about 1 1/2" dia X 1/2" high. Lots of colours.

Ian S C

There was something in a ME probably early 1990s about a visit to one of the tool and ME supplies dealers, one part of the visit noted that they could only get solid button dies, so they were splitting the with a thin grinding disc.

On a different theme; some of my split dies have a grub screw to hold the split open at a fixed position, quite handy.

Ian S C