Member postings for Cornish Jack

Went shopping and popped into Lidl to see if there was anything of interest. Found a pile of various shaped mdf pieces with 4 heavy duty (apparently) casters attached to each. Grabbed a couple (approx. 2' x 1' )  for use later, when (if) the workshop is finished. ...8-ish quid a piece. Useful for those of us in the 'wrinkly' category for moving heavier things around.

rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 03/07/2015 16:29:37

Edited By Cornish Jack on 03/07/2015 16:30:17

Re. the Bristol gearbox, spent a couple of years sitting between 4 of Bristol's Centauri as they dragged the constant speed, variable noise Bev along the airways. Both the engines and the aircraft were remarkable in their separate ways - the sleeve valves in the Centaurus and the design concept of the Beverley. Heath Robinson would have viewed both with joy!!

rgds

Bill

I'm afraid that your friend is out of luck - probably. Abrafile ceased production some time back. VERY occasionally they appear on Ebay and (for obvious reasons) command ridiculous prices. Prior to the 'surge' I had managed to collect a few but anything that survived was put into storage.

There is really no substitute, because of the small end fittings, but Permagrit (usual disclaimer) do some similar bonded grit blades (plus other items) which have similar cutting power. Their problem is the inability to access internal cuts.

rgds

Bill

Even better than cable ties are these http://www.zeroclips.com/products/Multi-Clip-Range/Multi-Clip.html - used to be sold by Proops at the MEX (2 for 50p!) but now only available in LARGE order quantities (but I managed to get a small order by 'phoning sales). Practically unbreakable, grip adjustable and HUGE! applied force, almost unlimited applications. Usual disclaimer.

Rgds

Bill

"write me some articles, naturally on topics in their area of expertise!"

Point 1. ... If I had the expertise, I would not be looking for a SIMPLE DC speed controller!!

Point 2. ... If you want a treatise on helicopter rescue or 747 technical systems, ask away!! Can't imagine an overwhelming interest.

Simple is as simple does, and that article, whatever else it may have been was NOT, ( for the non Geek-speak fraternity,) simple. One continues to live in hope that someone in the wiggly and straight amp community will write for the non-indoctrinated!

rgds

Bill

A much needed item for workshop use and (in theory) aimed at the non 'geek-speak' constructor? Perhaps not!! An incomplete article - have to buy at least two issues to get the full story ... and the detail!!!

If someone produced an article for constructing a SIMPLE engineering item and waffled on about using EN75369cobalt/chromiumsteel mix in proportions of 3% of one to 5% another and that the production process entailed blah de blah and the ultimate strength could be modified by increasing other blah de blah, I suspect that there might be a little irritation. However electrics apparently are quite incompatible with the K.I.S.S principle e.g. List the required components, show a suggested layout and installation order, test for continuity etc .

I appreciate that to do so would deprive MTM of a second (or third) £4,80 purchase but there is going to be one less of those anyway!

rgds

Bill.

Have built/converted two workshops, one from scratch, one already built, both 'prefab' concrete and corrugated roofs. In both, the floor was covered with a DPM, then 50mm polyurethane ally-backed foam, then 3/4 inch t&g chipboard flooring. Walls and ceiling also poly insulation topped with 1/2 inch plywood. Heating was a thermostat controlled Dimplex oil-filled heater and a medium sized dehumidifier. Both over-filled and over-loaded with medium weight machines (M7, D-W mill, Fobco drill etc.). No rust, and comfortable for 'working'. The second was destroyed in the N. Sea 'surge' and the replacement (double skinned block and brick, in progress) will be similarly constructed. Can recommend the method.

rgds

Bill

Bought one of these a few years back. Thought it might help centring the D-W. Results were not encouraging - difficult to see through and needed extra lighting to illuminate the workpiece. Like Clive's, it was on a MT2 taper so would have suited the M7 as well. Suspect that it would suit somebody with much better machining skills than me!!

rgds

Bill

"Bought it for me new girlfriend"

The last of the great romantics, John!!!

Good to hear your personal life has turned for the better

rgds

Bill

Agree with Russell re. longest-lived (Elora) plus an ORIGINAL Workmate (NOT B&D) also around then. An oddball from the same sort of period - Tridon Multi Clips. These were first bought from Proops at the Seymour Hall MEX - 50p for a pair. After much searching, I recently found the present vendor who sells them at close to £3.00 each!!! with a minimum quantity of 1000!! Difficult to describe but they are heavy duty plastic, operate like jubilee clips but can be joined to make any diameter and IMMENSELY strong. Have used them for all sorts of odd jobs, even securing ladders to scaffolding. Shame they are not more easily available.

rgds

Bill

PS - I didn't buy 1000 - negotiated for 36!!

Watched the canal, glass jug and knife programmes on IPlayer. Enjoyed them apart from the self-indulgent (director) arty-farty knife nonsense!! Some years back I saw a (Youtube??) film of the manufacture of a Damascene blade by a Japanese chap IIRC - brilliant, absorbing and the end result was breath-takingly beautiful. Much better filming and far more detail for the uninitiated.

Looking forward to the bodger's programme. Many years ago I went to the NEC for a model engineering show and watched a chap demo'-ing a pole lathe making chair backs. Remarkable stuff!

rgds

Bill

For me, the main differences/advantages would be the TriLeva for the 7 and the 60 tooth bull wheel for the Super ... and a 3 phase drive system for either.

Rgds

Bill

Christopher - 4" swing or Centre Height??? 4" swing would be Unimat -ish.

Rgds

Bill

The apparent dearth of village idiots may be down to them having been rounded up to operate the addressing service of one of our parcel delivery companies. In the past 3 days I have received two parcels each containing items which I haven't (and wouldn't have) purchased! Neither contained a waybill and there was no indication of the sender's identity. Contacting the delivery company is both tedious and (so far) unrewarding. It does, perhaps, explain some of the non-delivery complaints aimed at these people.

Rgds

Bill

Never seen advertised as such, but left hand wrist watches are available - winding stem at 9 o' clock instead of 3. Fairly rare.

Rgds

Bill

Re. watchmakers glass cutting - there is a trepanning-type tool that is used for varying sized perspex disc cutting. The cutting tool can be micro adjusted for diameter and the 'knife' is driven by a rotating handle. I had one such in one of my destroyed sheds. The recovered items are in shambolic 'storage' at the moment so I don't know whether it survived

Rgds

Bill

IanT - Aaaaah, yes, 'sippers'! On S&R helos, we were entitled to a shot for each crew member each time we went 'wet' winching. Although one was supposed to drink 'sippers' on the spot , we couldn't, so it was totted up and issued every couple of months or so. Nothing like the standard commercial stuff and on a cold winter's morning it turned a cuppa into near nectar!

Rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 19/03/2015 11:37:27

Interesting that so many arrive here from engineering employment. There must be a few like me who never had the opportunity/location to be able to choose. Tiny village, Mid Cornwall, stupidly won scholarship to local Public School as day boy. Classics good, hand crafts BAD!! First paid employment on mobile Fish and Chip shop ... yum yum! Applied to RAF for Aircrew. Graded A1 Pilot and A1 Signaller but no pilot vacancies. Completed training as Siggy and ended up on Valettas as Pilot's Assistant - right hand seat for t/o and landing and take over for Capt's rest break. V enjoyable! Then Beverleys but offered Air Attache's Co-Pilot/Nav/ W/Op in Bangkok - took all of 2 microseconds to accept! Back to UK and offered S&R Helo Winchman - jumped at it and stayed with 'Fling-Wing' , instructing, Test flying etc. for the next 14 years. Then grounded and at 53 saw a BA ad for tech instructors - applied, offered interview, offered job!!! Utterly amazed!! Taught BA pilots Tristar and 747 400. After 9 years enforced retirement but Virgin looking for 747 400 instructors so sidestep for another 3 years. 9/11 brought me to final retirement but part-time clock and watch sales.

Common fact through all of this is that I had little input - Luck, Coincidence, Right Place, Right Time etc but essentially, I just went with the flow ... VERY lucky.

Model Engineering? Totally lacking skills but used 'Auntie Betty's' offer of evening classes to do, amongst others, ME at the local Tech. Expected to be given a file and a lump of metal but no such thing. " This is a lathe - what do you want to make?" What I made was all the errors imaginable, including the spanner left on the Bridgie!!

Built up a workshop with far too many 'boy's toys' (would you believe 12 lathes!!??). Eventually Nature took a hand and destroyed the lot in the 2013 'surge' . House now part rebuilt and splendid new (small) workshop, so gathering bits and pieces again.

Still totally lack any engineering skills but love metal mangling even if nothing useful accrues.

Rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 14/03/2015 13:20:24

"A bench seat usually meant a column change, a bit vague at best."

No, best was the Renault 16, the mechanism was nigh perfect - no loss of movement and as slick as a floor change. Bought by chance when the intended Austin Maxi failed to materialise - someone up there was looking after me! Best suspension, best handling, super seating and that asymetric wheelbase cleverness ... ah, nostalgia!

Rgds

Bill

"Also seen it asked here and also been asked before but what happened to this lathe ?"

IIRC (always questionable!!), I seem to remember that the lathe and accessories were either sold through ME or the auction was covered in the mag. This was fairly adjacent to (months) Mr Cleeves's passing.

Rgds

Bill