Member postings for Philip Rowe

Just settled down to read my copy which arrived earlier but I can't detect any strange odour. Phil

I recall when Sinclair brought out his first calculator in the early seventies it was around £60 - £70 if my memory is correct. Browsing the stationery alise in a local supermarket the other day l spotted a perfectly respectable scientific calculator for less than £4! Phil

One thing that I believe a lot of contributers may be overlooking, is that for many years a Myford lathe even when new was not supplied with a motor, it was always an extra. Consequently a lot of machines that are around today only ever had an owner fitted motor and who knows what sort of standards where applied in those instances. Phil

Forging a piece of silver steel was the very first exercise I did as an apprentice nearly sixty years ago. Under the tutoring of the apprentice instructor four of us had to produce a fairly basic screwdriver from 1/4" dia silver steel, the end being flared out to maybe 3/8" wide. The other end was forged into a tapered square section which was later burnt into a file handle, lots of smoke and smells! The blade was then hardened and tempered, polished and I'm sorry to say never ever used as a screwdriver but it did teach me quite a lot about silver steel. Phil

1. Direct replacement, just make sure you buy the correct motor shaft size i.e. 5/8" or 20mm dia.

2. Axial adjustment isn't needed, just slide the pulley along the motor shaft to line up with the counter shaft pulley.

3. Can't comment, mine came undone easily and tightened easily with a long ball ended allen key.

4. I used a crow bar to tilt the lathe to enable me to insert some old gas barrel under the stand and rolled the lathe forward on that. Beware of over tilting the lathe as it is very top heavy.

5. Although I used a Transwave system, the principles are the same. It really is a very simple operation and you will wonder why you hadn't done the change years ago as it makes a tremendous difference to using the lathe.

Phil

Andrew, are you sure about this? I have LBSC designed models, an 0 gauge "Sir Morris de Cowley" and a 2 1/2" gauge "Annie Bodie" built by my grandfather in the 20s and 30s and they both use 32 and 40 tpi threads. Phil

Peter, this is indeed the serial number stamped into a raised machined pad. I can't help with it's manufacturing year but I had an ML2 passed to me by my father who bought it new in 1934/5 and its serial number was L277. I sometimes regret selling it some 30 years ago when I got my Super7 but you can only keep so much in a small workshop.

Phil

Posted in error, deleted.

Edited By Philip Rowe on 12/12/2021 15:54:12

I had a ML2 passed onto me by my father who purchased it new in 1933/4. It was originally fitted with flat belt pulleys but I later converted it to v pulleys as it suited my drive system and I was able to squeeze four diameters in the space of the original three to give a greater speed variation. This is something that I know quite a few owners have done over the years. It's serial number was L277 which was stamped into a small machined pad on the left hand side of the bed below the back gear. To the best of my knowledge Myford never used separately attached number plates and as Lee says the cast numbers will fry your brain.

One thing that easily identifies a ML1 is the headstock and bed are one casting, whereas with the ML2 and onwards the headstock was a separate casting bolted to the bed. Also the ML2 had a centre height of 3 1/8" not 3 1/2" which further aids identification.

As to colour my father's was originally a very dark greeny blue which by the time I had it had become almost like black. Hope some of this helps.

Phil

I grease my Fobco with my original Myford supplied oil gun, filled with grease. As its pretty useless as an oil gun it has at least redeemed itself in lubricating my drill. Phil

It looks like an ivy to me and in all fairness it does grow very rapidly but not overnight. Seems you do need to spend some time out there if only to clear your visitor. Phil

Also check that the high/low gear selector on the top of the gear box is either in high or low, the mid position will give you another neutral. Normally I keep mine in this mid position as it allows me to turn the leadscrew with it's handwheel without all the added friction of turning the gears in the gearbox. Phil

That was truly amazing, not only for the skills that were available during WWl but for the devotion of this chap in producing the video. I'm also in awe of the manufacture of the component parts some of which I wonder how they were produced without the benefits of today's cnc manufacturing. Phil

The first mobile phone l had was a company one for me to use at the Farnborough Air Show in the mid 1980s, can't remember the exact year. It comprised of a battery pack the size of a briefcase, the handset not too dissimilar to conventional phones of the day with the keypad on the back of the handset. Weighed a ton and l was threatened on pain of of death not to use it because of the high charges, it was effectively just to look good in front of prospective customers. How times have changed! Phil

I also have gone through the problem of an extremely stiff push button on an Eclipse base. I tried various methods of easing, paraffin, clock cleaner and WD40. Nothing worked so eventually I put it in a club auction and bought a new switch type, vastly superior can now turn it on and off with two fingers.

On the subject of remagnetising, many years ago as an apprentice I was given the rask of constructing a magnetiser for magnetron magnets. This was at a division of GEC that manufactured valves and cathode Ray tubes, a laboratory lash up had been made to prove the process and my job was to make the whole thing into a workable device in a cabinet that could be used in production. The details are now quite hazy but basically a simple power supply charged up a huge bank of capacitors and when they were fully charged the charge was released via a device called an ignetron into a length of very heavy copper braid which had been tightly wound around the metal shape that was to form the magnet. The one thing that has always stuck in my mind was that the magnet being charged would leap 2 - 3 feet in the air as the charge was released. I can't recall exactly what was done in the production process to stop this happening, the only thing I do remember was the whole process was carried out on a wooden bench in a fairly substantial wooden cupboard. Phil

I suppose its like any insurance policy, a waste of time/money until you need to claim! Phil

One thing that a lot of folks seem to be unaware of is that oilite bearings are deliberately made oversize and the action of pressing them into the housing will reduce the bore down to the correct size. Phil

Anybody remember the the round pressed steel container oil dispenser with a screw in nozzle? I seem to recall they were supplied with bicycle tool kits, the nozzle had a screw on brass cap which prevented oil from leaking - always assuming you didn't lose it. I always had one of those in my saddle bag and I don't recall them ever leaking. Phil

Edited By Philip Rowe on 09/06/2021 11:23:35

There were two filing machines in the toolroom when I started my apprenticeship nearly sixty years ago. I never remember them ever being used for a "proper" job, but as apprentices we all had instruction in their use followed by a short period of practice just so the appropriate box on our progress cards could be ticked off. There have been a few occasions through the years in my own workshop when I have thought that one would be useful but I've always found another way to do the job.

Phil

A very interesting article, l was diagnosed with B12 deficiency as part of the testing carried out when I had a TIA (mini stroke) some 12 years ago and I also have to have a booster injection every 12 weeks. I have never felt any different before or after the booster jab and have always wondered if it was really necessary in the first place. However reading Michael's link it has made me wonder if the supplement in my case is sufficient for me as most of the symptoms listed l still experience and l had assumed it was just an age problem. Oh well, something else to worry about!

Phil