Member postings for Cornish Jack

Ady

Re the Poundland batteries - proceed with caution!! There are AG13s and AG13s! The less good variety will deteriorate very quickly and start to 'salt up' and leak. This is based on a few years part-time watch and clock shop experience where I lost count of the number of watches brought in for repair with corroded battery holders and the watches beyond economical repair because cheap 357/ag13s had been fitted. Similarly, watches which had been left in drawers, unused, with discharged batteries. The 'real deal' batteries are not that expensive nowadays but, at all costs, avoid those packs of multi batteries - just problems waiting to happen!

Rgds

Bill

RobC - the TriLeva is an excellent device, even more so when coupled to a VFD 3 phase motor. Probably with that configuration you could dispense with the back gear.

One point to bear in mind - if you ever need to fit a new belt, you really ought to do all three at the same time - the hassle getting one fitted is a bit of a pain so do them all while it's in pieces!!

Rgds

Bill

Norman, Ian, Terry many thanks.

That advice seems pretty conclusive and to be acted on! The set was an Ebay buy and the seller will accept it returning at no cost, so I think that has to be the way to go. Still a niggling background thought that it might have been do-able but the more I am involved with this metal mangling game, the more I realise my limitations.

Rgds

Bill

Thank you Ian

I see what you mean about the grub screw. Looking down the 'mouth' of the body, there is a definite difference in colour between the body and the end of the shank. I'm now considering sawing off/drilling out the shank and boring the body to take a 2MT shank. Any thoughts as to feasibility, anyone, please?

Rgds

Bill

Thank you Keith, Kwil and Nigel.

The thread sizes mentioned are, indeed, for the drawbar.

Looking down the 'throat' from the front, the shank and body are distinctly different (colour and material) with a definite joint line. I have tried lightly applying a 'Birmingham Screwdriver' but I'm reluctant to give it lots of 'welly' for obvious reasons. My limited engineering intelligence would think that an interference fit join would make most manufacturing sense but would much appreciate info from anyone who knows for sure.

Rgds

Bill

G'day all

Just purchased a Pozilock collet chuck, as pictured. It was supposedly 2MT shank but is actually 3MT. Does anyone here KNOW how to remove the shank, please? There is an easily removed grub screw but, even looking through a loupe it is not clear whether the fixing is screwed or intererence or, if screwed , LH or RH. It appears this was originally purchased from Chester so, probably lots around.

TIA

Rgds

Bill

PS What a truly awful, awful piece of software this forum is

Edited By Cornish Jack on 27/10/2012 14:22:09

Oh come on, chaps!!! The new Fred Dibnah??

I had the misfortune to sit through GM's previous series on the Beeb. Enthusiastic? Yes; Involved? Yes. Knowledgeable?

Sorry, but to compare GM with the one and only Fred is comparing gold with pewter. Fred had both the skills and knowledge to turn his hand to almost anything engineer related - including the most exquisite draughtsmanship. I'm sure GM is good at what he does and I KNOW that his Superbike racing skills are quite brilliant but a replacement for Fred? Not in a million years!

Those who enjoyed it will, no doubt, continue to do so. I'm afraid the combination of GM PLUS those ^%$**&*%ing adverts is more than I can cope with.

Rgds

Bill

I have been subjected to the unremitting 'trails' for this series and it appears that the presenter is Guy Martin. Nice chap, no doubt but I'm afraid that he should stick to what he's good at - Racing motor-bikes at insane speeds and angles ... TV presenter ??? No, No, No.

Rgds

Bill

Michael Williams - Your Nav tale brings back memories of my Valetta conversion course back in the 50s. One of the course exercises was a night Navex around the North Sea. Navigator's charts and logs were handed in for inspection after flight and marked for accuracy/activity etc. One chap produced an immaculate track plot which showed remarkable accuracy all the way round with the major plots coming from 'running fixes' on an MF radio beacon (I even remember the callsign - MQI!!). The oddity about this beacon was that it was (according to the Nav's plot, in the MIDDLE of the N Sea!. Further investigation revealed that it didn't exist and that all the fixes were 'back-plotted' i.e. drawn in to 'agree' with where he should have been. This was ultimately ascribed to hypoxia - 8000', not on oxygen ... hmm!

Said Nav aquired the nick-name'Mike Queenie Item' and was posted to El Adem as ...Station Navigation Officer!!! The ways of Auntie Betty's Flying Club are, indeed, weird and wonderful

Rgds

Bill

JS - that 'smoke-screen' device was rather impressive!!! Bet the stall-holder behind it enjoyed it as well. Not a mo'bike nut personally (Excelsior 150, Honda 75 and 90) so don't know much about the Jones - TT machine, presumably?

Rgds

Bill

IF I misunderstood what was written, then an apology is due and unequivocally offered. However, given this quote ...

"Actually it's worse than that. If I get a TV with the intent of watching everything else that is broadcast OTHER than by BBC, I STILL have to pay the license fee that supports the BBC.(my editing) That is like having to pay a sub to EIM just so I can read (and pay for) MEW." ...

I have considerable difficulty in translating that into other than a rant at the licence fee. Maybe, in addition to a spoil chickenthe forum needs a device to generate "What the general really meant to say was ..."

Rgds (and no further input)

Bill

I note that Mr Jeffree propagates the same nonsense that many others do - viz. one pays for the Beeb but the commercial channels are "FREE"

What a terrible load of tosh - it may have passed his notice that what passes for independent programming is CONSTANTLY interrupted by prolonged repetitive rubbish attempting to inveigle the watcher to purchase yet more unnecessary 'things' or 'goods'!!

Perhaps he would care to enlighten us as to how he believes this invasive claptrap is financed??? One might hazard a guess that the various advertisers extract the cost FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS via the purchase price. Could, of course, be that the generous and open-hearted owners, directors, shareholders, whatever, pay for them out of their own pockets! Which, do you feel, is the likeliest option? Still, Beeb-bashing is a jolly good sport and one shouldn't let the facts get in the way of a populist rant.

Ther IS a choice as regards paying the licence fee - if it offends you, don't watch TV. Heaven knows there are enough intelligent alternatives available nowadays. If, however, you consider value against 'goods' received, just one season of the Proms does it quite nicely for me, thank you.

Rgds

Bill

Just an interesting follow-up in respect of 'cheque book model engineering' - Full set of Myford 7 collets just sold on Ebay for ... £322.00!!!!!!!! NOT a misprint. Product of a bidding war, no doubt, but I would think that they were somewhat cheaper when new!!

Am I jealous?? ... you're bxxxxy right, I am

Rgds

Bill

Bazyle - read through that correspondence just a couple of nights ago. Similar sort of furore and (I can't be bothered to buy a ME to check!) probably just about as relevant.

This is a HOBBY! ... just like Golf, Cart racing, Gliding etc., etc. Vast variations in costs involved - check parental input to the various teenage passions - horse riding et al. Likelihood of a continuing interest in ME by subject youth?? ... who knows and, frankly, who cares, other than those directly involved.

The young Appleyard(??) mentioned by Bazyle hasn't (as far as I know) featured heavily in the hobby recently so maybe yet another passing enthusiasm? Each to his/her own and "lots of dosh does not an engineer make" to paraphrase someone or other!!

Rgds

Bill

NJH -

Norman, totally OT, but where exactly do you do your workshop activities??? Obviously not in that demonstration hall in your photo - or is that your dining room ( eating off the floor, of course!!!) I was teetering on the edge of taking an (out of focus) piccy of my shambles for another current thread but I'm not sure that I shall ever venture into it again. Such exquisite squeaky cleanliness is very disheartening to we mortals!

Rgds

Bill

Ian and Jason, thank you.

Re. Rappahannock, I've been in contact with them and purchased some replacement bits - excellent service. Unfortunately there is a dearth of build info on this engine but your pointer to HH's Stuart guide is most welcome - hope it will explain, if nothing else, just WHY this valve thingy is shaped like Toblerone

Rgds

Bill

Trevor - thank you for your suggestion. As I understand it, it appears to be similar to Michael's corner drilling (for which, also thank you). If I ever manage to find out what the fitting requirements for this valve are - i.e. sliding, surface contact, interference etc., I will give it a whirl. The engine is intended to be a twin vertical cylinder and there are TWO steam chests. However the plan sheet specifies only ONE of the 'Toblerone' shaped valves. Being a 'bear of little brain' this leaves me much confused (state normal!) The probable moral of this tale is - don't buy part (badly) machined casting sets for items which have no web access references. The only info I've found on the web for this engine are a couple of small pics - not a lot of help.

Onward and, probably. downward to the rubbish bin!

Rgds

Bill

Thank you Jason - caveat noted, so preferred option No1 is no good!

Neil - that sounds encouraging ... do you know of a suitable primer (on line) which explains the principles of steam valve operation?

NJH - you, Sir, are a man of impeccable judgement and to be heartily commended for your pragmatism

Rgds

Bill

Many thanks gentlemen. Lots of food for thought there. I like Bruce's suggestion - 'cos i was thinking along those lines already ... maybe a couple of pieces of gauge plate, hardened?

Michael - Ah, yes I actually have a die filer but haven't yet ventured into using it!!!

Jason and John ... More blushes!! The answer is ... I don't know!! I haven't built one of these previously and the plans are simply individual components with dimensions. I'm not at all sure how the bits fit together, leastways the 'internal' ones. I'm just making holes and swarf one bit at a time, to end up with a 'kit of parts'. It's good machining practice but not likely to end up as a thing of beauty - or, necessarily, functional! I have managed to 'lose' what I assumed was the valve casting (sort of bronze 'Toblerone' type thing) - presumably that shape is significant but I cannot see why

If I manage to generate the required shapes and fit them together, I'll post piccies (suitably out of focus!)

Rgds

Bill