Member postings for Ian P

Ketan

I did not mention who supplied the caliper that did not quite bowl me over, but you guessed right!

On the good side it is better made and finished than many other of the Chinese calipers I have bought in the past. The LCD itself has beautifully clear definition and why the designer chose to have the last two digits smaller really baffles me. I think your catalogue description states 'Large LCD display' (which it has) but its legibility is limited by the height of the smallest digits so the large display is wasted. I mentioned need to zero at every switch on but I can live with that, (it probably means that OFF is really off, so helps battery life). The buttons are in the right place and have a nice feel but are definately fiddly to operate.

I have some knowledge of the way the Chinese manufacturing and marketing works so I know a company like yours has little or no influence on a mass produced item like these calipers. My remarks really were aimed more at the designers of these modern electronic devices. they have the ability to design and make outstanding and exemplary products (importantly, for the same manufacturing cost), as a product with shortcomings. Either they do not do market research or maybe it is as I thought earlier, that they keep something back for the next 'improved model'.

I wonder if anyone actually buys, or is influenced to buy, calipers because they display fractions? American woodworkers are the only people I can think of.

Anyway I will have to wait now before I can get left handed calipers with large digit orange display!

Ian

The last ones I got from Aldi were as you describe, except not auto-on or 'memory'. Accuracy wise they are the same as and as good as all the other ones I have bought over the years.

I dont have any precision metrology gear but all I can say is that all the Chinese calipers I have agree with each other, including the one I got yesterday and that came with a calibration certificate.

Ian

Dias

I use crap cleaner already but my problem is knowing which cookie to keep and which to get rid of. Many of them do have sensible filenames but on my PC the majority do not.

Ian

I have just bought a new 6" caliper and am impressed with its build quality for a low cost tool but ergonomically its a disaster.

I have always felt that product manufacturers do not make the best thing they possibly can for the price, but instead leave off features so that they can bring out a (slightly) improved model later.

The features I think they should have is;

Auto switch on (as soon as you move the slide)

Auto off (may as well)

Well separated tactile buttons (with click)

Thumbwheel

Lithium coin cell (rather than button cell with short life)

Memory! (ie it does not need zeroing every time it is switched on)

The caliper I now have has a large LCD screen (orange, and very clear) but the two least significant digits are smaller than the rest. That's acceptable for metric but looks silly and is really confusing in imperial mode. Its buttons too are very close together and its easy to press the wrong one. Also, why on earth the designers included a fractional display defeats me, its just a waste of resource.

I've bought this one now and I will use it but I would not have done if I had tried it first rather than just seeing it on a catalogue page. Actually though its becoming the norm these days not to be able to try before you buy but to be fair shops do take thing back usually.

I will keep looking for my perfect measuring tool...

Ian

Wolfie

For a completely different reason I cleared the cache and cookies a few days ago following 'official' guidance given on Google's own help pages, (it was to make Google search remember its settings). Basically the advice did not work and I still cannot turn off 'instant results'. Since deleting the cookies, cache etc I have re register and login on many of the sites I use so its something I am going to avoid in the future.

I am reasonably proficient in using PCs but I still don't know how one is supposed to clear the cache and cookies without losing the ones that are useful.

Ian

Mac

The restriction I placed were not quite tongue in cheek but were prompted by the innumerable (and conflicting) nuggets of 'advice' given in connections say with the 'adverts overwriting text' subject. I know the people giving the advice do so in good faith and with the best of intentions but often completely irrelevant.

As a matter of fact I have tried both the browsers you mentioned less than two weeks ago but after using them a few times have gone back to IE.

Ian

MAC

You are entitled to your own opinion but I dont agree with it.

On reflection, are you saying that my login problem is caused by IE and if I use something else I will have no problems?

Ian

Len

IE9, I would if I could, but I run XP not Windows 7.

Oddly if I open and close IE several times in succession and check to see whether this site remembers me, it does, but not every time!

Ian

I am used to the quirks and foibles of this website but one thing I have never had problems with is logging in automatically.

This morning, out of the blue. I can log in, click the 'remember me' box, view posts etc. If I then close IE8 and use the same desktop shortcut I always use, which takes me to the latest posts, its forgotten me!

I know logging in on a different computer will log me out of my main one but normally I can stay logged in for weeks.

Any suggestions (not to try Mac's, Firefox etc, please!)

Ian

Thought I would balance the comments. so this is not a bit of a complaint but rather a more of a compliment.

I like the new website 'look and feel' and did mean to comment last week, however today I was pleasantly surprised by the postman who brought an Arc order I placed yesterday (Monday morning, less than 24 hours earlier).

Arc's T&Cs state they ship within two days so I really did not expect it until later in the week.

Happy customer here!

Ian

Being an optimist I usually hope companies try to do their best

I dont want to drag this topic too far away from the original question but, my question is relevant.

If one was going to cut a thread on the end of an existing pin, how do you hold it to turn a parallel section? Bear in mind its only really a one time job so its not worth making a fancy jig.

Ian

ts relevant to this topic

Are we talking door frames, window frames, or something else? Oh, since you mention rivets and working to a drawing I presume its not woodwork.*

If you gave a bit more information it would be much easier for people to help.

Ian

*Actually I ones knew someone who had built his own hardwood conservatory and he told me it was held together with 'STEEL DOWELS'. I later found out he used nails!

As Michael says, PolyVee are the way to go. I modified the drive of an X1 size mill using one.

They are available in a wide range of lengths and the width (number of ribs/grooves) can be what ever you want. Two stockists I have bought belting from just cut a band to the width I wanted from a (relatively) long 'sleeve' of the stuff. One belt I currently use is only 3 ribs wide and runs round a pulley about 20mm diameter withou any problems.

The belting is worth considering as a replacement for a flat belt, Some machines, high speed toolpost griders for example, run much smoother with a flat belt drive but replacement belts are often hard to obtain, The backside of Polyvee works just as well.

Ian

Strange, when you remake a part it never seem to take as long!

Bri

That has given me a eureka moment.

Make the second part first, it will speed the whole job up!

Ian

Some time ago when making some parts out of 316 stainless steel, l broke the tip off a 3/16" diameter centre drill (Slocumb bit). The broken bit was jammed in the bottom of the cone and as the part had already had a lot of machining time spent on it I was keen to reclaim it.

The method I used was very simple and did not even require me to take the job out of the chuck.

Using one of the thin abrasive disks in a Dremel type tool I ground a clearance slot (same width as broken tip) across the diameter the into the broken end of the centre drill leaving the conical cutting edges untouched.

I then used the same cutter to cut a bit deeper into the material until the broken tip had no metal l left around it (it fell out by itself).

Not an earth shattering revelation but it might prove useful one day.

Ian

Well spotted Michael!

Whilst this is a forum serving two magazines, my feeling is that a lot more than 50% of the subjects are engineering rather than model related.

As to the original question, two words... Mole Grips

When I have had to remove one of the blade retaining bolts I use mole grips every time, far better to put slight serations on a couple of flats and know it is going to undo than take a chance (especially with the sometimes supplied plastic spanner!). Wear gloves too.

Ian

Ian

Clive

I was really referring to plain shaft and journal (sleeve) type bearings. Rolling bearings are a completely different animal.

Tapered (and parallel) roller bearings are more resistant to Brinelling than ball type purely because of the larger areas in contact. All types can suffer the same problem though.

Ian

I too have learnt something today.

My first thought whan I saw the post was, why would anyone want to use a taper spindle? a conventional parallel spindle looks the obvious solution. Having followed the link I now know that a taper spindle is absolutely normal for a clapper box. I can imagine a variation of the idea using shims to change the axial relationship of the two parts to eliminate the need to have a reamer whan adjustment is required.

I would have though that a clapper box bearing arrangement would not be in the least critical. In use any backlash or play would be taken up the moment the cutter tip hits the job. The clapper box will be pushed back against whatever stop it has, and as long as it hits the same stop every cut, the cutter tip will sit in the same place for every stroke.

My curiosity is aroused now ! if a taper pin in tapered hole makes such a good spindle, why isn't the technique in much more common usage?

Ian

Is there any more information available for those not familiar with the SCMES.

What time? Postcode? Website? etc

Ian

Have you replaced the motor or the pump, or both? I know the guarantee had probably run out but what actually failed?

Ian