Member postings for Gordon W

I have a home made forge blower. It started life as a domestic vacuum cleaner some years ago. This has speed control via a knob on a box, this is as it came off the old cleaner. I never looked at how it worked, but have just found it again and will have a look when I find time.

I tried grinding fullers earth type cat litter in a coffee grinder but had little success. May be my coffee grinder is a bit peely wally , its the cheapo blade type and not a grinder as such.

Just re-read the post-- I meant to say use a spherical burr. Bantam engines do tune well, ports + crankcase stuffing. Many years ago I worked with a bantam racer club man, he finished well in the IOM TT 125 Class with all BSA bike. The east Europeans did a good job after Bsa sold them off.

Only thing I can say is that you will need a round one.

Stop press- have ordered deoxit gold- £6.95 for a little tube but should go a long way.

I've always liked the glass half full/ glass half-empty one-- engineer says what you need is a smaller glass.

The remote control is still working after silicon spray, 4 weeks now, used to be cleaned every week. Next time problem occurs will try a dab of copper grease as used on the car battery. Will look up deoxit gold and if practical will try it. Thanks all.

I have the 11th edition, found in a bin about 50 yrs. ago. I still use it and still read it for fun!. Lots of info. about old methods which are still useful for model engs. etc. I would get as old as possible and a general modern book for actual information on fits, threads etc.

Thanks for all the ideas. These devices use different batteries- AA, AAA, and button cells. I agree there are variations in sizes, all devices seem to have good and tight contacts and all batteries have been renewed with top brands. Never used abrasives for cleaning, usually my thumb or shirt lap. It always seems odd to use an insulating grease on terminals, the metal parts must touch to pass current and therefor corrode ? But I always do use grease. On the tv remote I have sprayed with silicon grease and this seems to be working for now. All devices except the remote are in damp air. Reading on the web this seems to be a common problem, suggestions that the plating on battery and contacts have changed, all pretty exotic stuff. Ian- I'm a bit short of gold just now but a good idea.

I just run a small oilstone along the cutting edges and the flutes. Seems to work well and does not seem to affect drilling steel etc.. Also seems to work well for opening holes / reaming, see earlier thread.

I have been having a small spate of problems with battery connections. A new tv remote has to have contacts cleaned every week, multimeter had batteries cleaned and keeps growing a grey surface finish on contacts etc. I won't list them all in detail, but seems to be a recent problem generally. Is there some reason for this ? Does anyone have a cure , eg special grease or material to use as battery contacts ? Switch cleaner spray works for a short time.

I find it best only to reply to messages sent by beautiful women.

I still use a slide rule, near enough for engineering calcs. Calculator for adding up a string. My first tech. calculator had two sections and could do anything. Cost more than a weeks wages and the new puppy ( yellow lab ) chewed it up. Yesterday " repaired" a storage radiator that would not switch on. Just poked about a bit with a small screwdriver and all is well , for now. Have you seen the price of these things, and spares ?

I can still remember my great joy at getting a new plastic slide- rule.

Just think positively- It is the return of the sun ! For us in the north side.

Michael G- That article on the coms' methods is very interesting, and a bit disturbing. I would have thought it would be easier and cheaper to improve the existing mobile network. Instead we will be paying for a " new" system used only by a few. Actually two new systems.

If they decide that we have to be fitted with a smart meter does that mean we will get a decent mobile connection ?

That's where all the bitcoin will be found.

Nothing much to do with M eng. - Yesterday managed to get the car out and up the very slippy icey road (panda 4x4 ) and do some shopping in town. Bought a sink plunger. Came with H&S sticker- use gloves and goggles.

I have used both, but still prefer the old board for my own use. I feel more in touch , scale is obvious, silly mistakes easier to spot. Draughtsmen were expected to know basic engineering and simple stress calculations etc. But when I had to draw a detail drawing for every stage of manufacture of a simple bolt then bring on the CAD