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Member postings for Michael Gray

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

Thread: N.A. Subscriptions in Disarray
25/01/2010 19:05:10
Efforts are being made you know.  ME4364 and 4365 arrived in British Columbia well after New Year.  Then finally 4366 arrived in an ExpressMag package from Quebec.
As advised by David it was at this point I emailed that the only issue missing was ME4363.
I had an email straight back from Heather Morrison telling me she'd put the missing issue in the mail and that I should receive it shortly.
 
It arrived on the following Friday, 22nd January 2010,  together with 4367 from ExpressMags!
 
Considering that thte  mags have to be shipped to New York, forwarded to Quebec then put into the tender care of Canada Post, I don't feel too badly done by at all.
regards, Mike in NorthCentral British Columbia.
Thread: How can I delete........
18/01/2010 19:11:54
Go to "Classified", click on "view my ads", click "delete" beside the one you want to get rid of.
Mike
Thread: ME Centennial
27/11/2009 18:36:02
I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I'd really like to express my thanks for the time and patience you're devoting to this particular project Richmond.  It is so, so much appreciated, especially at this time of the year when there must be so many other projects on your plate - engineering and otherwise.
Somewhat early, but may I wish you and your family, in fact all those who contribute their time and energy to this web site,  a most happy and cheerful Christmas season from North Central British Columbia!
 
best wishes,, Mike Gray
Thread: Anyone done Ed Bertschy's Paper steam engine?
21/11/2009 18:17:23
In an earlier posting <A rather weird collection of hints, tips and fun stuff> I gave a source for the Ed Bertschy Paper Steam Engine drawings and instructions.  I thought that it could be a good project to have (grand)dad and (grand)son  work together OR as a teaching aid for a tyro at the steam game.
Out of sheer curiosity has anyone had a shot at building this, got photos of complete or partial models?  I'd really like to see what you have been able to do with this.  As it is I'm rather limited in my work just at this time  as I'm going through chemo and energy is very low.  Hopefully this will change in a few months and I'll be back to my normal "six projects on the go" self.
regards, Mike
Thread: Can't find what I'm looking for!
21/11/2009 00:06:36
Meyrick, totally agree with you "IMO the BEST gibs are the long tapered gibs, and you have a screw at each end, to push it in or push it out."
And the lathe I bought from the local High School had just that - unfortunately some little twit(s) had unscrewed one end and not moved the other screw appropriately!  Sheared off the metal between the slot which captured the head of the screw and the end of the gib and left too much slop with only one adjustment.
Got it to a place I could work with and left it, it's still working well for the friend I sold it to when we moved into an apartment - not too much space for a 12 x 24 Lantaine, nor a strong enough floor I'd bet.
regards,  Mike
Thread: where did you get your wheels?
28/10/2009 17:42:16
Hi Trevor, where did you get your wheels? or did you build them yourself? seems almost impossible to find stuff like that over here in Canada.
regards, Mike in BC
Thread: Trevithick's Dredger - Part 8 - where is it?
20/10/2009 17:58:40
Richmond, you'll be getting sick and tired of this continuing saga, but -
Part 13 and Part 14 are still exactly the same issue.  21 Oct 1988.
The elusive Part 13 (XIII) must be circulating in cyber-space as I write as it hasn't appeared in Canada yet.
regards, and thanks for your efforts to straighten this out,
Mike
Thread: crap-o-matic
20/10/2009 17:40:44
Posted by David Burns on 20/10/2009 02:48:12:

 (snip)
Unfortunately our lords and masters down here dont allow the oxy bottles to be sold any.more.    Dont know why.
 
 Could be the big industrial gas sellers have pulled some strings.
 
Could be they were ashamed of the huge profit they were making on the itty-bitty oxygen bottles?  
regards, Mike

Edited By Michael Gray on 20/10/2009 17:41:14

14/10/2009 22:06:04
Ian, I bought one of these years ago in the dreaming hope it woudl help me.  All it did was drain my bank account buying new oxygen  bottles.
Finally found a secondhand shop in Prince George that sold me a plumber''s oxy-acetylene set with small tips ideal for model engineering for 200 bucks - and both tanks were full!!   Best buy I ever made.
regards, Mike
Thread: any one in cal thats the usa
08/10/2009 18:37:45
Hi Brett, I'm in centrall BC - that's only a three day drive  
regards, Mike
Thread: HELP HELP HELP - Warco 1224 Gear Head Lathe
30/09/2009 23:38:49
One method which I found helpful, but perhaps not to everyone's fancy is:
 
   Rollie's Dad's method of lathe alignment
 
found at: this site  it's a pdf file, but not huge.
 
HTH. Mike
Thread: Trevithick's Dredger - Part 8 - where is it?
19/09/2009 01:14:02
Still waiting for Part 13.
Part 12 is dated 19 Aug 1988, Part 14 is 21 Oct 1988; can we assume Part 13 is to found around 20 Sep 1988?
Any chance of it appearing?
regards, Mike
Thread: Subscribers only
04/09/2009 22:25:19
Had an email from Lorna this a.m. and lo! and behold this North American subscriber (through EWA) now has access to the "subscribers only" area.  Whoopee!
Mike

Edited By Michael Gray on 04/09/2009 22:26:17

Thread: Trevithick's Dredger - Part 8 - where is it?
04/09/2009 18:59:18
Just d/led the series on Trevithick's Dredger, but found that Part 8 is not there.
Whither you click on Part 8 or Part 9 all you get is Part 9 .
Could the webmaster correct this please.
regards,
Mike
Thread: Sticker shock
04/09/2009 18:39:09
John, even McMaster-Carr want $15.48 a metre for M5 all-thread and they're usually very competitively priced.  So I'd say the prices are roughly comparable - not nice, but comparable.
Cook Fasteners in Mississauga, Ontario must want a fortune too as for their M5 in metre lengths one is instructed to Call for Price.
regards, Mike
Thread: Subscribers only
02/09/2009 18:16:27
A question.
Have any overseas subscribers, either through EWA in the States, or other distributors, been able to access the "subacribers only" section.
I did email MyHobbyStore and got a subscriber number, which I entered, still no joy.
Emailed Lorna again and the techie told her my sub. had expired, so I got EWA to email that my sub had NOT expired and giving all my details to MyHobbyStore.
Still haven't got access.
What gives?
regards,  a patient Mike

Edited By Michael Gray on 02/09/2009 18:17:01

Thread: Home Casting in Mazak
30/08/2009 22:30:08
Meyrick, sorry to disagree with you and not trying to be a smart-a**e, but I did all my casting using "green sand" which is around 8% moisture, just to hold the sand together.  If your mould is properly vented then you'll only have some steam coming out when you break the mould open.
regards,
Mike
30/08/2009 18:12:48
One very important point - do NOT mix magnesium alloys in with any other!
The magnesium can and will start burning and you will NOT be able to extinguish it.
Test each piece with some dilute hydrochloric acid, if it fizzes then run, do not walk, to the nearest large hole in the ground and throw it in.
 
Remember too, that when adding more bits to your melt, that every last drop of moisture must be gone.  Steam occupies 1200 times the volume of water it came from.  Believe me you do not want to be around a shrapnel blast of molten metal.  Don't ask me how I know!
 
Before moving into an apartment I used to do a lot of casting with ZA12 - a lovely zinc-aluminum alloy with properties very useful to model engineers (as well as many others) - and had no difficulties at all, so long as I followed some simple rules.
 
regards, Mike

Edited By Michael Gray on 30/08/2009 18:14:18

Thread: OpenSource CAD
29/08/2009 23:34:32
Posted by Ian Abbott on 28/08/2009 20:41:25:
 " How come there are so many Linux users over there on the West Coast? "
 
   'Cos we can't find double glazed Windoze?
 
"BTW, I'm still trying to get Salt Spring mildew off my keyboard..."
 
   Just think of it as a small reminder of what Heaven was like, Ian.
 
Oh, and Ian, I live roughly half way between Prince George and Prince Rupert,  so my problem right now is trying to breathe without inhaling too much smoke.  Wish they'd put up some of those fan-thingies like they have on the coast of Cumbria that blow the smells out to sea.  
 
regards and sorry you have to live in the East,
Mike

 

28/08/2009 05:14:55
One open source 2D CAD I use when needed is Qcad at:
 
   here   free for linux,  quite intuitive. there is a package for some of the linux flavours, Ubuntu has it in the repository for sure.
 
another which looks great, but needs a "letterbox" screen monitor to use properly is:
 
    here    Medusa 4 Personal available for Windoze or Linux, free license
 and has 2D/3D capabilities 
 
and one I just d/led today and which looks as tho' it has great promise is:
 
      here    gCAD3D again  open source for Windoze or Linux 3D CADCAM

hope this helps, Mike

Edited By Michael Gray on 28/08/2009 05:19:21

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