Member postings for Peter G. Shaw

It should not be allowed to render simple repairs to keep a vehicle legal -such as replacing a failed lamp - impossible for the motorist or breakdown-assistance at the roadside on a dark Winter night.

Nigel,

I do not understand what you are saying here. Given that incandescent bulbs can fail without warning, and that generally there is no warning to the driver, and therefore the driver may be unaware of the defect, then assuming spare lamps and a torch along woth suitable tools are carried, then why should the driver be legally prevented from changing it at the roadside?

Peter G. Shaw

Design C Max v.17.3 dating from about 2006. Ok it's old, probably not up to date, no CAM (as far as I know), nothing to do with the cloud, and registration is built in to the software so no contacting the producer.

But it does what I want.

Peter G. Shaw

I have to say that both my wife (nothing wrong as far as we know), and myself (severely immuno defficient due to chemotherapy) have been called into our GP's surgery by telephone. I have had all three & SWMBO is up for her third next week. And it worked like clockwork - a team of people outside to assist with parking, a team of people inside to assist with seating/coordination etc, and three people inside the surgery, one doing the paperwork, another administering the jab, and a third doing I know not what, possibly preparing for the next patient.

Plus, when I asked I also got the annual 'flu jab in the other arm.

Not so good though for attempting to see a doctor. Our surgery is operating this triage system. Not impressed. And indeed, after seeing the last three GP's, I'm not impressed there either. 10 minute appointments, and the door is then held open whilst you are still getting dressed. And only one symptom at a time. And I'm not impressed with one of them - "Carry on using the cream, it won't do any harm!" It may well have worked to start with, but it actually caused a further side effect which I realised after I stopped using it for a couple of days whilst I went to a consultant about the rash it was causing!

So, full marks for the anti- Covid organisation. Not so good otherwise.

Peter G. Shaw

NDIY,

Sorry, I obviously came to a wrong conclusion.

Peter G. Shaw

My lathe manual recommends a grease type with many letters, dashes etc. I queried this with Castrol, and was told that their standard lithium grease, type LM, was a suitable equivalent.

Peter G. Shaw

Michael,

No, the ones I have are Part No. 360-4059 and still available, but note that their name appears to have been changed since I bought mine.

Peter G. Shaw

NDIY,

I do agree with you as regards the cost of heating the equipment. However, you do not know me, or indeed I suspect the OP. In my case, the costs of insulating what is actually a garage would far outweigh the costs of heating the equipment during what's left of my life (I'm 78 & have lung cancer).

I actually have three nominally 10W heaters, two on the lathe bed and fastened to it, whilst the third is fastened to a large lump of aluminium plate which in turn is wedged into the base of the milling machine. Now I have measured the current draw on the lathe, but not on the mill, so I'm assuming a similar current draw. Given that, I am taking about 57W. I admit to being shocked when I discovered just what the lathe heaters were taking, yet according to the specification, this within the parameters, their full title (at that time) being Self Regulating Cabinet Heaters. (It would seem that RS has changed their name.)

But, in fairness, I have had no more problems with rusting; no more gentle cleaning with WD40 & a bit of dead wet&dry, so all in all I think they are worthwhile. Also, looking back at my records, I first fitted them in 2005.

Cheers,

Peter G. Shaw

Mark,

I cannot argue against you about the usage of Linux, but what I can say is that ever since I migrated to Linux, I have had very little trouble with my computers. Furthermore, with one exception, an ageing HP printer, I was, until relatively recently, using old equipment, some of which Microsoft said wouldn't run on W7. In other words, scrap your perfectly good equipment, buy new, and then install Microsoft's rubbish.

Over the years before moving to Linux, I used Windows 3.0, 3.1, 3.11, 95OSR2, W98 & 2000. All of these at various times gave me the infamous BSOD. XP, I found very good, and worked well as long as I did not go poking about too much in the Registry.

However, I objected to being told by Microsoft that my equipment was too old or that my software was out of date, especially when it was doing all that I needed. Also, I did not like Microsoft's business practices, something which the EU and others with more clout than me, also appeared to dislike, witness the hefty fines sustained by Microsoft.

Thus, when XP stopped being supported, I seriously started looking at Linux, and eventually ended up with Mint 13 which met all my requirements. Prior to that, I had dropped Internet Explorer in favour of Firefox, Outlook Express in favour of Thunderbird, I had never used Microsoft's Office Suite for the simple reason that I could see no reason for paying for facilities which I would never use, hence opted for Lotus Smartsuite as being a cheaper option, but then dropped Smartsuite for Open (later Libre) Office, all of these being the Windows versions. In effect, I did a partial transfer to Open Source before fully migrating to Linux. Doing it this way, made the transfer much easier as the major components were already compatible in that all I had to do was download & install the Linux versions followed by transferring the data across.

Since then I have watched, and read about, all the shenanigans caused by Microsoft's updates. With one exception, a kernal upgrade, none of my Mint upgrades have caused me any problems. With the duff kernal upgrade, I think I ended up reloading the OS.

I have had problems, caused in the main by my refusal to change two programs to Linux versions. These are a DOS based database which even Microsoft won't allow to be easily used on the home versions of W10, but I've now got running satisfactorily via DOSEmu under Linux; and secondly an ageing, eg 2006 version, of a W32 bit CAD program which initially had problems under Wine, but now runs almost perfectly since Wine was upgraded to v.5. In both these instances, the programmes do everything that I want, and I cannot see any justification in scrapping them in favour of something more modern.

The final comment is that under Windows, I was forced to run security programs for the safety of my machines and data. This no longer happens, in part due to the method by which Linux works. I do, now, use GUFW (Graphical Uncomplicated FireWall) but only because I was given Facebook's Portal last Christmas by my elder son, and having a deep distrust of Facebook, I took steps to prevent it accessing my computers.

I don't like Microsoft, or indeed any of these American Corporations, I simply don't trust their motives. Linux may not be perfect, but in my opinion its a darn sight better than the alternative.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

My cure for rusting metalworking equipment is a small electric heater underneath the lathe or whatever. This works by keeping the equipment slightly warmer than ambient, hence no condensation. I use some 10W cabinet heaters from RS, but others have used self-heating tape and/or small incandescent lamp/s. There is, of course, a downside in that there is a cost, but what the heck, it saves all the messing about with WD40, slideway oil, waxes etc.

Also, especially in winter, I keep a cloth cover over the lathe (and the milling machine) and on top of that, a large piece of plastic (ditto for the milling machine). Don't know what the material is - it came from my parents many years ago. Anyway, it works for me.

Peter G. Shaw

Just a few more general comments.

I haven't got a so-called smart phone, tablet, ipad, or anything of that ilk. I don't want one either. Furthermore, when I leave my house, I wish to be incommunicado. I certainly have no wish to walk the streets with a "thing" clamped to my ear. I do have a small mobile 'phone, but in the main it is there in case I need to call for assistance. FWIW, some years ago, whilst driving I developed Menieres with the commensurate vertigo and were it not for having a mobile 'phone I would have been in extreme difficulty. (Just as a matter of interest, I eventually had two operations involving the use of gentamycin to stop the vertigo. This was successful although the downside is that that ear is now just about useless, a small price to pay to get my life back.)

I use laptops, three of them at the moment. I have had desktop boxes, large, noisy devices. But the main advantage of the laptop over the desktop is their portability. Plus, their screen size puts the so-called smartphones etc to shame.

Cheers,

Peter G. Shaw

Nick,

The option may be there, but I do feel that any software author who decided to charge for their (Linux based) software would end up cutting their own throat, so to speak. One of the attractions of Linux is the number of different versions, and should the authors of my favourite distro, Linux Mint, try it on, then I for one would immediately go elsewhere. Indeed, although I don't know what the current situation is, there has been an attempt by Canonical, whose software Mint is based on, to force users to use a locked down software system. However, Clement LeFevre, the, I suppose you could say, controlling author of Mint, has said that Mint is absolutely NOT going down that road. I'm sorry, I don't know the correct terms for what I am saying, you may know better, but it is sufficient for me that LeFevre has said no. What will untimately happen I know not, but as I use the Mate version of Mint, perhaps I may have to go over to Debian.

Removing the software from the public domain is indeed a problem. I mention in my first post that I was using a DOS based database. In order to run this programme under Linux Mint v. 19.x, I am currently using DOSEmu, an emulator which has not been updated since 2013 (I think). Effectively it is Abandonware, yet it is still downloadable and works satisfactorily on all versions of Mint from v.13 to v19. Unfortunately, it is not downloadable in a ready-to-run format for Mint 20+, although I am given to understand that it may work if specifically compiled by the v. 20 user. That, I'm sorry to say, is currently above my paygrade!

Peter G. Shaw

I find it so bad that I have to resort to subtitles in order to follow the plot. And if subtitles are missing then it becomes very difficult. To be fair, I do have hearing issues, but it's noticeable that for example Rob Bell is usually satisfactory whilst Tim ??? is often drowned out by the background so-called music.

As it happens I do like the Morse/Lewis/Endeavor series which tend to use classical music which I quite like, but in general in this series of programmes, I find the background music is usually unobtrusive.

Soaps? Frankly I couldn't care less! Make it as loud as you want!

Historical programmes don't usually interest me so programme errors don't bother me, but one non-historical programme we do like to watch is the Heartbeat serires, and here I find it quite interesting the number of mistakes in regard to telephones, eg pay tone (the beeps that arrived in the 60's with the grey telephone boxes) being used on the Button A & B boxes. Unfortunately, as a telephone technician of that era, I find this particularly grating.

Peter G. Shaw

I cannot for the life of me see why an owner of a computer should allow an organisation, an American organisation at that, to control what I may, or may not, do with my computer. To me it is like buying a car, and then being told by the manufacturer that you must use this brand of petrol, and no other. Anyone trying that on with me would be told in no uncertain terms to "xxxx xxx".

I use Linux Mint, and whilst there is a problem in that the latest version doesn't allow me to easily run a DOS based database system, I can, at the moment work around it. But, as far as I know, the suppliers of Mint do not know that I use Mint. There may, of course, be a "backdoor system" that I know nothing about, but at least I haven't got Microsoft demanding that I set up an account with them.

Ditch Microsoft: Go Linux.

Peter G. Shaw

We are with BT for internet and landline, O2 for my mobile 'phone, whilst herself is with EE.

We get a small number of spam calls on the landline, few enough to be ignorable, none on our mobile 'phones, and occasional spam emails, again few enough to be ignorable.

Years ago, I used to get a large number of spam emails: using Thunderbird, I simply set suitable message filters, and at the moment I have two set, one of which is for what looks like a genuine mistake somewhere in Argyll County Council.

We used to get a large number of spam calls, so as our cordless 'phones included the facility of incoming call barring, I set it up to bar up to 30 calls. Today we have 4 set, and I cannot remember the last time the system barred a call (it usually shows the caller with a red x against it.

I did, on one occasion try to lead them on, but lost interest, and now we simply say "Not interested" and clear the call if a human voice. Otherwise we just hangup.

Peter G. Shaw

FWIW, a few months ago I bought two new laptops, both partially setup with W10. The first thing I did was to complete the W10 install. The second was to create backup pendrives, just in case, you understand! The third thing was to complete remove W10, and replace by Linux, along with Thunderbird.

No problems so far, and no nagging by Microsoft. And best of all, no Microsoft restrictions!

Go to Linux, you won't regret it.

Peter G. Shaw

Yes it can indeed be done.

Although I never submitted it, (couldn't see any reason for it as someone else had done more or less the same thing), I found that a cheap cycle speedo could indeed be set such that it assumed a wheel diameter of about 4 inches, and as such it showed the lathe speed more or less correctly. There were a few idiosynchronacies (have a spelt that correctly?) in that the least significant digit appeared as, I think, a small character (usually a decimal speed at normal cycle speeds) and at high speeds, it seemed to go a bit awry. But it worked. For calibration checking, I used the (free running) lathe which has nine fixed speeds. From that, I was then able to get some indication of the speed of my milling machine which has an electronic controller but no speed display.

Also, someone did recommend another cycle speedo which actually had an rpm range built in. I have the device, but never used it, indeed, I think it is still in its original packaging.

Cheers,

Peter G. Shaw

Most of our timepieces are manual, and require manual resetting which in most instances is dead easy. My watch is manual and unfortunately, is a right pain to alter the time requiring a large number of key presses to change it. As it is quite accurate, it means that in 6 months time, I will have forgotten how to do it and will have to resort to the instruction sheet again! Our oven has a clock, and the only way I can reset the time appears to be to switch off at the switch outlet, wait a few minutes, switch back on whereupon the oven goes straight into time set mode. Computers do it automatically, but the landline cordless 'phones wait until a call is received before resetting. The VCR (yes we still have one) involves going into the menu to reset it, but it's usually straightforward. The car, however, appears on the face of it to be straightforward - unless one waits a bit too long in which case it times out and automatically moves onto the next setting. Otherwise, the most difficult thing is putting the wall clocks back on their locating screws - miss the hole, and the clock ends up on the floor!

I suppose the most awkward point is trying to remember where all the timespieces actually are, and which do need changing.

Peter G. Shaw

I always had rusting problems until I fitted a pair of 10W self regulating cabinet heaters from RS Components inside the lathe bed. Used to spray the lathe with WD40, and then had to wipe it off before using the lathe. Since fitting the heaters no more rust.

Downside, especially in this day and age, is that the heaters actually take about 38W so there is a constant electric current drain. But what the heck, it works and prevents all the messy cleanup I used to have to do.

The heaters keep the lathe at a temperature slightly above ambient, whatever ambient is, thus preventing condensation. When I bought my mill/drill, I wedged a piece of aluminium, about 200mm x 100mm x 13mm into the machine base, and screwed a 10W self regulating heater onto it. And again, no rusting to date.

Other people have done similar things, eg a small incandescent bulb under the lathe, or some of the self-regulating heating tape, designed, I believe, as a frost prevention device.

Peter G. Shaw

When I digitised my 35mm slides, I created a lightbox using 1/8inch white faced MDF board and containing 2 x 25w candle lamps. The viewing window was a translucent screen salvaged from an old 35mm battery operated viewer. This was used to backlight the slides. My camera is not the best, it is a Canon A640 so I experimented until I found an optimum distance at which the photgraphed slide almost filled the A640 screen. I then made a chipboard adaptor to hold the camera at a set distance, and using macro mode, once focussed, I found that I could whip through about 15 or so slides very quickly. Anymore than 15 or so and the light box started to get hot.

Once loaded into the computer from the camera, I used a software programme named The Gimp. First, I used a mode to correct the barrel & pincussion distortion introduced by the camera. Then I used a crop command to remove the black borders. Next I used a colour correction mode, to overcome the obvious deficiencies in the slides. Usually I used an "auto" mode. Finally, I used a paintbrush clone mode to overwrite those areas where there was dust, hairs, or in some instances, litter on the ground!

Occasionally, I found a photograph which was too far gone to be able to be retrieved. These had to be scrapped.

I did buy one of those fancy devices which allowed you to download onto the computer, but found it very poor in that the back lighting appeared to be a single source in the centre of the photographing area. This produced too much light in the centre of the downloaded copy which was not acceptable. The method outlined above, although not without deficencies caused by the camera, was overall much better.

Peter G. Shaw

Edited By Peter G. Shaw on 22/10/2021 21:18:40

2nd edit.

Guess what, I've more or less repeated what I sadi in the thread Nick has referred to. Sorry about that.

Edited By Peter G. Shaw on 22/10/2021 21:26:09

I bought one of these in 1995 when I lived in West Yorkshire. A few months later I moved to West Cumbria and managed to shift it by myself. I used a small trailer as transport for what was left after after having removed as much as I could first (tailstock, gearbox cover, possibly compound slide & possibly leadscrew & apron, chuck & chuck adaptor plate - these items being reasonably easy to remove). All these bits & pieces, along with accessories such as changewheels, chucks, faceplate all went in the back of my car. I have to say I don't remember how I got the bed into the trailer, only that I found that I was unable to get it into the car by myself. I assume that I used the Haltrack hoist.

At the new address, I set up an overhead runway system using some scrap parts bought from work, mounted the Haltrack hoist, manual by the way, and managed to lift the bed from the trailer, run it along the runway and place it in position on a pre-built wood (possibly a mistake) bench upon which it sits today. All the bits & pieces were then re-installed.

I haven't moved it since, other than to install a pair of cabinet heaters for rust protection, and given my age, late 70's, I doubt very much that I will ever move it again. Mind you, I do have a pair of hefty grandsons living reasonably locally if necessary, and a pair of hefty sons living about 100 miles away!

Peter G. Shaw