Member postings for John Hinkley

Oh dear! What was suposed to be a "dig" at the health and safety advocates seems to have backfired. I'm all for people using common sense in what they do, either at work or at home in and out of their sheds. Without them, there would be no Darwinian Awards. (Google it, if you don't know what I mean!)

John

(with my tongue firmly in cheek.)

I recorded the first episode and watched it last night. Nearly fell off my chair when the bloke donned mask, gloves, heavy boots, big coat - and then proceeded to pour molten aluminium into ingots, wearing SHORTS!!

Health and safety gorn mad!

john

At least there aren't any spelling or grammatical errors. See his other post with a similar thread title.

I've just ordered two bi-metal blades from TuffSaws for my Warco CY90 after the two supplied blades went ping one after the other. Cost: £14.50 each (plus £5.00 air mail), which is about the cheapest I could find through an internet trawl. I just hope they're as good as they're cracked up to be!

John

Bob,

It's not cold, but it is wet! Nevertheless, I've taken some pictures and posted them in my album.

John McNamara - nice idea, I like the notion of having a sash mill. Unfortunately a similar arrangement for me would involve the weights going through a drawer and cupboard, too! I'll work on it.

John

Bob,

I've fitted a more-or-less identical set of DROs and a remote read-out to my mill (an Amadeal XJ-12) - the kit having been supplied by ARC. I chose not to have any splash guards, as I don't use flood cutting/cooling fluid. I clean up scrupulously after each session (believe that and you'll believe anything!) and haven't had any problems, yet. They are at the cheap end of the market, but seem to perform well and maintain positions adequately. They certainly out-perform me and my machining abilities. If it's not too cold tomorrow, I'll take a few pictures and post them in my album for you to see the way I've mounted them.

Only one thing I found - the X-axis scale had to be fitted "up-side down" as it were, so that the mini usb plug doesn't get clouted by the Y-axis table when traversing. I found out the hard way and had to buy another scale! Ouch!! Not a very elegant solution, but with the remote read-out display, it doesn't really matter. Oh, and I removed the built-in batteries and powered it all from the supplied mains power unit. Works a treat and no more run-down batteries 'cos I forgot to turn the DROs off!

John

Bob,

I'm back from my trip to Dunstable, somewhat lighter in the wallet, but with a 4" soba rotary table, tailstock and dividing plates. I decided that the 6" one was too large for my mill, so I didn't get the rotary table document that comes with that. I'd be grateful if you could pm me a copy ofthe on Dias sent you, if that's OK with him. Thanks.

John

Hi, Bob,

That's marvellous! Looks like a trip up the A5 is on, then. Better break out the credit card!

John

Now that it looks like you have the answer - can I hi-jack your thread? Some while ago,I bought a 4" rotary table from a UK supplier, but never got around to using it! Now that it's out of guarantee, I've dug it out and tried it. It seems to have been manufactured using a revolutionary elliptical worm gear, in that it has a couple of tight spots when turning a full circle. I'll try to sort it when I have more time. However, my question to you, Bob, is, assuming you've got one, how good is the Soba one? I've arrived in the UK today and was intending to go to Chronos in Dunstable, on Monday, to pick up one with tailstock and dividing plates. Don't want to spend all that money and have a wasted journey if they are of dubious quality!

John

With nothing better to do while Eastenders was on the telly, I just trawled the internet and found a

"DCP-3 1/32"-1/2" Drill Chuck with 33 Jacobs Taper Mount"

available on Amazon (USA). OK, it's a keyed chuck, but the nomenclature indicates that it is a standard Jacobs (like the originally-fitted one) taper. Over to you .......

John

Get yourself a "driver's mate" and the two of you together could do it from ground level with a couple of poles (wooden - not eastern Europeans!).

Tongue-in -cheekily,
John

Presumably this means that the latest issue is plopping through your letterboxes. PLEASE, no long series. Certainly not about steam engines and the like. Not everybody like coal and hot water.

John

To be pedantic - I think you mean Michael Rennie . Unless you aren't referring to the 1951 classic!!!

John

Thanks for all the useful tips, everyone. I'm working my way through them all!

Doubletop Pete - Terryd is quite right, Orne ain't exactly exotic, but it is relatively warm and dry - at least until tomorrow and the weekend!

Ketan - I hope you're not confusing me (John) with Jon's replies. I have had nothing but excellent service from your company and a rapid response to my query re the missing scales. I've just got to be patient. Parcels and letters (even without any stamps on at all!) normally arrive quickly from the UK but even MEW has sometimes gone walkabout and taken up to three weeks.

John Hinkley

Thanks very much for your input. You both have reinforced what I think I already really knew - but wanted somebody else to confirm. I'll have to live with it. As you rightly say, it's not affecting the accuracy of the remote readout but I will have a poke around and a clean up.

Thanks, again and here's hoping the post lady brings me a parcel this morning!

John

(The title should read problem - not prole!  Sorry, can't edit that bit.)

A few months ago, I fitted a 3-axis DRO system to my mill. I obtained a "budget" system, complete with remote, mains-powered display from Arc Euro Trade. It fitted fine and worked faultlessly until I put the vice on the table and promptly wiped the mini usb connection off the X-axis scale. I removed the offending scale and re-fitted it the other way up - i.e. usb facing down. Gingerly, I plugged the slightly mangled plug back in. Miraculously, it still worked. Then, a couple of weeks ago, the batteries in all three failed within a short while. No problem, I thought, I'll just replace them. (I didn't know then, but do now, that the remote display will power the DROs without any batteries being required.)

If you're still with me, the problem I now face is that the Z-axis read-out (on the scale) has stopped displaying anything except the odd faint hieroglyph, although the remote read-out still registers correctly. I can live with that, but would appreciate it if anyone has any ideas on how I can restore the status quo.

Incidentally, I have a replacement X-axis scale on order, but it looks like it's got lost in the post, having been posted two weeks ago and got as far as Paris CDG airport!

Returning the non-functioning scale under guarantee is not an economic option, as the postage cost exceeds the cost of a new one!

Regards,

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 16/09/2012 20:52:07

Edited By John Hinkley on 09/09/2012 10:23:47

I personally don't have the ability to work to super-fine tolerances. Would it be too simple to use silver steel rods of about 12mm diameter? I can't see why parallels have to have a square or rectangular section - except for stability. No doubt someone will put me right before I try it!

John

Ian,

Yes, thought of that, of course, but it still means I've got to send off for more material! Plus, I get more practice at turning and boring - I'm still a novice, after all - and I can use the pulley in another, as yet, undeveloped project. May give it go. I'll have to see

John