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Member postings for wotsit

Here is a list of all the postings wotsit has made in our forums. Click on a thread name to jump to the thread.

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Thread: C3 Purchased
07/09/2010 20:42:40
Hi, Bob W (Tigermoth),
 
Interesting to read about your new C3 - despite all that has been written about the 'chinamen', there are a lot of people out there who use them.
 
 If you are like many owners, you will find out after a time that there are some shortcomings with the C3, depending on the supplier - I know I made loads of modifications and additions to mine. If you are interested, there is tons of info on mods, improvements etc on the web (Google 7 x 12 lathe) - the two sites below have lots of useful info, and might give you a few ideas.
 
The best improvement I made was (I think), replacing the headstock shaft with better (taper-roller) bearings, but I understand ArcEuroTrade does that anyway with their machines. Another good mod was to put ballbearings in the cross-slide/saddle drive, and also to modify the drive-nut under the cross-slide to take out back-lash - this gets steadily worse on some models, as the nut wears.
 
Keith

Thread: Myford Thread Dial Indicator Plans?
27/07/2010 07:51:43
Paul,
 
There is already some stuff in this ME Forum on Thread dials which might be worth a look - enter 'Thread Dial' in the 'Search For' box at the top of the page.
Thread: Continuing Articles
20/07/2010 10:19:27
Brian in OZ wrote:
 
On that subject, I was wondering when we might see the continuation of the "Minnie" ME Traction Engine series ???

Seconded!! 
 
It seems over recent weeks that there has been little or no subject -relevant change to the website, apart from forum contributions (old magazines still 'current', still selling same old CDS, etc.). I wouldn't go as far as TerryD and cancel my subscription , because we never had a website (as far as I know) until the change of editor, but at least don't let it become stagnant - I for one greatly enjoyed reading the contents of the old magazines published on this site (most of them containing good technical articles and construction features), so I for one would like to see far more archive material made available on the website - how about reprints of LBSCs articles, for example?
 
Thread: Massey Ferguson Tractor on front cover of ME 4382
16/07/2010 20:19:50
Lucky man - I just wish I could get one of my subscription copies on the publication date, never mind one or two days before.- anyway, who reads the cover? - it can be blank for all I care.
Thread: Metal compatability problems?
05/07/2010 21:22:24
Jack,
 
Jeff Daymans remark about casting replacement parts is a good idea - I had a similar problem some years ago,  but I made my castings from aluminium using the 'lost foam' process - I was really surprised by how easy it was (usual remarks about safety when handlng molten metals) - I was so happy with the results, I now frequently cast parts I need, rather than fabricating - I have made things like mounting feet for electric motors, spindle supports for polishing wheels and so on. Corrosion will of course be worse with ali than with bronze, but it isn't going to corrode that fast (unless you live in the sea).

There is lots of info available on the Internet, and you don't need any special equipment for small amounts of casting. - if you are making your own, you also have the possibility to redsign and strengthen to cope with heavier loads.
Thread: Minnie Cylinder block
04/06/2010 13:04:13
HI, Richard,
 
The locals here have a similar identity problems - maybe 50% of our neighbours claim to be Magyars, when in fact they and their forebears have lived in Romania all their lives - the Magyars are a race, as opposed to a nationality - some here have never even been to Hungary, and we are only 40km from the border.
 
As I mentioned earlier, the shop has what they call brass on its shelves, but it is difficult to make any distinction between it  and the material they call PB. I have lots of brass (maybe 50kg of hard naval brass ingots), so perhaps they'll let me compare them when I have time.
 
Hansrudolf - you are probably right about the trumpets in Romanian villages - we have a brass band which performs (?) at every funeral. Not sure I can get them to come into Arad to make a comparison . The size of the PB rod I have is just over 2cms dia, and was bought from a dealer at the Sinnsheim Echdampf Fest for almost nothing, along with some other odds and sods for stock. (It will get used one day).
 
I'll make a check when I get chance, and see what is what.
 
Sorry you don't get on with Vista Richard, but after working with computers for over 45 years (first one was an Elliot 803 serial machine in 1964 - size of a large room - 1 kword magnetic core memory), I would never go back to NT4 - horrible. Try Windows 7 - not perfect (its Microsoft), but it is a reasonable crack at Windows.

All the best.
02/06/2010 18:48:57
Hi again, Richard,
 
 I am near Arad, about 40k from the western border of Romania - as you say, there is some problem with the e-mail (I can see this in the post - ‘lace w:st="on">Hungarylace>’.
 
Google Earth doesn't know where Magyarország is, so I'll take a look at a map later.
 
Sounds like you maybe got a bargain (?) with the metal - how did you get 750 kg home?.

I think maybe I didn't make myself too clear about testing PB - I know about the machining effects, but the stuff I want to test is in a store, so I guess they won't be too happy with me trying to machine it. I was hoping (against hope), that someone knew a simple 'on-site' test.  Maybe I'll buy a bit to test. All the pieces are smooth, apparently not cast, which may be an indication they are not PB, as you say. However, I have a bar of PB at home which is also smooth, bought at a metal dealers in Germany.
 
Keep us updated with your progress, because this sounds like it could be a unique traction engine - stainless boiler, dural cylinders and PTFE pistons.
 
All the best - Keith.
01/06/2010 21:20:24
Hi, Richard,
 
There is a construction article by Rex Tingey starting in the July 1979 issue of Model Mechanics, which is downloadable from this ME site. This uses an engine of Mr Tingeys own design, with a form of 'sleeve valve' instead of conventional gear. This consists of a Dural sleeve sliding in a brass outer cylinder, and the (brass) piston slides inside the Dural sleeve. (Sorry if this is unclear - see the drawings in the mag). 
 
The engine runs at 40 psi, so the use of brass is probably OK, but would not be recommended for the higher pressures in Minnie - however, the information about the Dural cylinder, and a suitable piston may be of some help.
 
Incidentally, I live in Romania, (not too far from the Hungarian border) and have found a metal dealer near me who stocks all sorts of odds & sods. I found a 10cm x 30cm rod of PTFE, which cost me 30 Lei (about 7 Euros). He has some pieces of what he calls 'Bronz' - but unfortunately the Romanian for brass is ....Bronz!. However, he has also some large pieces of what is almost certainly brass, and it is a slightly different colour from the 'Bronz' - one of his employees insists the 'Bronz' is phosphor bronze. If you (or anyone else) knows a way to test for PB, then I will take another look - if suitable, maybe the postage from Romania to Hungary will be less than the piratical British postal system (If Hungary is your location - strange e-mail)
 
 Alternatively - I ordered a 1.2 kg package of metal from UK, and was quoted postage of 'about 30 pounds' - I had it sent to a friend in UK for a fiver, who sent it on to me, also for a fiver. I also order stuff from Germany, at fairly reasonable postal charges, so go figure how the UK companies work out their pricingl  (I know a UK book company selling the latest books at a discount, who mails world-wide for free).
 
Has Hungary got people who can certify/insure boilers for public use? - there seems to be no system in Romania.
 
Good Luck - Keith
Thread: Scale of model traction engines
01/06/2010 21:12:52
Sorry - posted to wrong thread - deleted

Edited By Keith Wardill on 01/06/2010 21:18:29

Thread: Joining a Society - contrasting experiences
25/05/2010 22:13:18
A recurring 'comment' in this thread is the apparent predominance of steam locomotives - surely one way to counter this is to provide 'non-loco' material to the Editor for publication in ME/MEW, then maybe different interests will get a look in, - there are more things ine this world than locomotives
Thread: Home page layout
25/05/2010 22:01:54
Sorry - just got to disagree - the home page is much too large, and much of its content is available on other pages accessed from the green tab bar at the top of the home page (e.g. Albums, Modelmaking, etc).
 
IMHO, it would be better to keep the relevant material on its page, and (for example) change the tab colour to indicate new content on a page, instead of endless scrolling/searching through material which seems to have been on the home page since inception of the site (I know, it hasn't, it just seems that way!). Why have a method of selecting different pages if you are going to stick it all in the home page anyway?
 
 The individual pages are fine - simple, not cluttered , and easy to access - and the content is great, so lets have a home page with a simple index and current  or vital information.

Thread: 2-stroke timing
08/05/2010 19:13:06
Thanks for the additional info (Jeff, Gordon and Ian). It was interesting enough fixing it, and the fault was a bit uncommon I suppose, but onto something new now.  I have a new workshop to finish, all the tools to move (from the garage) and a Minnie to start - who said retirement was lazing away your time.
 
All the best, Keith
07/05/2010 21:05:13
Thanks for all the inputs - Sorry I didn't make the keyway issue clearer, Jeff, but I did mention I could see no sign of a keyway, and until now, I had not removed the magneto flywheel until I had explored all the other possiblities - most of them covered in this thread. Anyway, I finally bit the bullet and pulled off the magneto flywheel, and found the problem.
 
Under the flywheel the shaft reduced in diameter by about 30%, the transition being a short taper, as mentioned by a couple of people. This cone did not extend the full depth of the flywheel, only about 50% of the depth. Cut into the slope of the cone was a Woodruff key slot, but there was no sign of the expected steel Woodruff key, just some very small 'monkey metal' particles (same material as the flywheel). In the hole in the flywheel were two narrow (~ 20 or 30 thou) slots, spaced apart about the same width as the Woodruff key slot (Sorry if this is unclear, it is not easy to describe without a diagram). Between the two slots the metal was clearly broken up and sheared. I think that the key was originally cast as part of the aluminium alloy magneto wheel, probably as a cost saving.
 
This cast-in key would have simply slid into the slot in the tapered part of the shaft when the flywheel was fitted. Since the flywheel had never been off the machine (according to its owner, and it certainly appeared that way), the key must have broken up, and significantly, the flywheel key was not located in line with the key slot - it clearly had moved, hence the spark timing was completely wrong as I originally noted. Possibly the key feature was defective - it wasn't possible to say due to the condition of the thing.
 
It seem possible to me that somehow the engine became 'locked', possibly hydraulically due to the water, but it is difficult to see how this could be present in enough quantities (it was in the petrol, according to the owner), to lock it solidly. A firm pull on the starter cord (integral with the flywheel), could then possibly cause the wheel to move relative to the shaft - the key was obviously very insubstantial, and had slots on both sides - a failure waiting to happen.

Anyway, I made a new close fiting Woodruff key, slotted the flywheel 'right through', and fitted it all back together. It started and ran fine after a couple of priming pulls. I guess the new key is slightly bigger and heavier than the original, but no additional detectable vibration seems to be there (it is a 2-stroke putt-putt after all).
 
Many thanks for the various ideas - lots of ideas in 24 hours.
 
Keith.

Edited By Keith Wardill on 07/05/2010 21:11:03

07/05/2010 09:00:25
Thanks for the comments - I had tried all the obvious things - new plug (even tested the old one successfully in another machine) - no visible cabling faults. Fuel supply appears OK.  (difficult to actually confirm this in the engine - the plug ends up wet if I pull it over with the ignition switched off). There is compression.The 'On-Off' switch must be OK, because I get a spark - all I could find (to my great surprise) was the timing error.
 
As you have noted - I dismissed this at first, because it seemed so unlikely, and I know it was not normally possible to adjust the magneto. However, As I noted, there is no sign of a key for the magneto flywheel - even after I removed the securing nut, so now I am suspicious of this, unlikely as it seems.
 
I like Jeffs comment about the cleaning (i already did this) and mechanical timing - unfortunately there is no means to move anything related to the mechanical timing - the magneto coil is mounted rigidly on a casting extension on the cylinder head (not even slotted boltholes). The other problem is that this is (apparently) a cheapo chinaman from a a box-shifter - technical details on the instruction leaflet(!) are conspicuously absent, and nothing on the engine itself (no plates or timing marks) so I am back to the magneto flywheel.
 
Thanks to all for the interest. If I get a solution, I'll post it for interest (and its such a frustratingly simple machine!)

Keith
 

 

 
 
06/05/2010 19:55:51
I would like to get some advice if possible - I was asked to find out why a weedtrimmer will not start - I know - not model engineering, but it is only a 30cc motor, so model engineers have to be the best source of knowledge.
 
I was told that water had been put in the fuel tank by accident, but it was dry when I was given it. I turned it over without a spark plug fitted - all seemed OK, and a good spark was available at the plug when connected. Filled it with the correct fuel, and tried to start it, with absolutely no result. Cleaned and checked the carburettor (very simple device), and tried again. After much heaving and pulling at athe starter, still nothing, not even a hiccup.
 
Using a piece of dowel as a probe, I tried to check when the spark was occurring - it seemed not to be anywhere near TDC. AFter removing the magneto cover, I found that the magnet poles (visible on the 'flywheel'), are as near as makes no difference at 180 degs from where I would expect them. In other words, the piston is at TDC, but the magnet poles are 180 degs away from the magneto coil.
 
 I can't believe this is correct, and is completely unlike any other 2-stroke engine I have (or have ever seen). I am beginning to suspect that the magneto fly wheel has moved on the shaft, because there is no sign of a key between the shaft and magneto. Before I try to get it apart, I thought perhaps someone might have a better suggestion - please?
 
Thread: Pop-up for digital.
23/04/2010 16:44:06
Just my 2-pennorth - I only get the pop-up once when I log in (and promptly cancel it - keithmart is right about its impact). Depending on what I am doing, I use either the 'back' button on the browser, right-click and 'back', and sometimes the 'home' button to get back to the Home page, and I never get this pop-up. I can't believe I am just lucky, so the only thing left is setup. I have XP on one machine, and use Firefox as the browser (no microsoft rubbish if I can help it), and Vista with Firefox on my laptop.
 
The best answer by far is for someone to have a quiet word with the marketing department and tell them to break with tradition, and stop wrecking a good site with unwanted, unread rubbish - please don't go the way of other good sites, and alienate readers.
 
Thread: Thread dial indicator
23/03/2010 21:19:36
Hi, John,
 
Somewhere I have an old ME bound copy from around 1950 with a detailed article on construction of a thread dial attachment for a lathe (and I would not be surprised if there others around). V busy at the moment, but I will look it out in the next couple of days, and see if there is some way I can get you a copy, if you are interested. I think it was for a Myford (what lathe mod article isn't?) .
 
Note to Moderator: David, this will not contravene copyright I hope?

Thread: 1/12" scale Burrell traction engine Model Engineer article request.
23/03/2010 21:05:18
Maybe be good to see a construction article on a traction engine in ME (if thats the idea). It would make a welcome change from locomotive and 'how to build a kit engine'  articles.  As far as I can check, there have not been very many traction engine constructional articles compared to locos.
 
This is not meant as a criticism of the magazine content, but merely to point out that model engineering covers a very wide range of interests. Try looking at some of the older copies of the magazine, before financial interests split off so many specialist publications.
 
 
Thread: Warco minimill OR SIEG Super X2 OR none of them ?
10/03/2010 20:54:24
Peter,
 
Just saw your note on the controller board - you are confirming what I have also found out the hard way - there are several versions of the controller boards - some with SCRs some with Mosfets. As I noted earleir, I have seen at least three different board types. I wonder if they are interchangeable (connections, ratings, etc). Makes life very confusing if you need to source spares, or replace controller boards.
 
D8010 is a high current rectifier diode. One of the three leadouts is unused.  Sounds like Conquest is the same, but I have no personal knowledge of that one. 
10/03/2010 20:42:30
Peter,
 
You may well be right about the German machine - however, all the information I have ever seen on the machine I bought in Germany (Rotwerk - they have a website), appears to indicate it is an identical machine to all the other 'Chinese' machines sold under various 'badge-engineered' brands the world over - I guess you have seen some of the many websites devoted to modifying, upgrading or otherwise improving these machines. 

It seems a bit odd to me that they would upgrade the gearing somehow, yet leave the slides needing work.
 
Incidentally, there seem to be more companies selling these Chinese machines in England than in Germany. I bought mine from Rotwerk (based in  Stuttgart) because I bought a woodturning lathe from them, then found they also stocked engineering machine tools (and accessories).
 
There is also a large company called Westfalia which sells just about anything you think of - they also sell a range of (apparently) chinese-sourced machines. There is also a very good company called RC Machines at Junglinster in Luxembourg, who sell a wide range of machine tools, new and second-hand. Their website shows very similar new machines to those sold by Warco - almost all available from stock, either 230V or 400V (three phase). I bought my second lathe from them, and was highly impressed by their service, and the standard of the machine.
 
I believe AET in England rebuild the machines (at least the lathes) which they supply, as a customer option. I have not looked at their site recently, but I seem to remember they offered this service. If I remember correctly, this service basically involved cleaning and aligning the machines, but I guess obvious problems would be rectified, but probably the gear problem is not apparent until it actually breaks! I understand they will also install the taper bearings if you request them on ordering.
 
In general, I guess that the state of these machines depends on who you buy from, and the price you pay.
 
Sympathies on the freezing garage - its got to improve soon. So far my workshop is largely in boxes in the garage since the move. However, I have so far built the foundations for a large brick-built workshop behind the garage - another week or two and it should be warm enough to start laying bricks. (sorry, not bragging - buildings are cheap in Romania, so I thought I'd build what I always wanted).

Thanks for the discussion. I guess we should not continue on this thread - poor Marcus must be wondering what happened to his request for info - good to talk to you - model engineers are scarce in Romania!.


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