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Member postings for Ray Lyons

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

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Thread: Digital Issues
07/02/2011 07:16:31
Hi David,
This makes a subscription to MEW an even better bargain than before. I can now use the money to buy another present for the shed.
 
When the magazine thumps on the front door mat, it makes my day and usually set aside an hour for a coffee break and a quite read. I have been buying ME and MEW for over 60 years now and it it only gets better.
 
Many Thanks and keep up the good work.
 
Ray
06/02/2011 17:26:18
When digital issues first became available, although a subscriber to the paper issues, I took out the additional sub for the digital issues mainly because it is more convienent to copy the odd item of interest rather than searching through the stack of magazines. I usually print the item off and then laminate so that the pages remain readable when handling with oily / dirty hands in the workshop. I now wonder did I need to spend that money (£30) or is access to the digital archive free to paper subscribers. Not so concerned about the past but do I need to renew the digital sub this year.
 
Ray
05/02/2011 21:05:28
Thanks for finding the CNC Router issues. Found them myself by looking through the index just now. For some reason , I still can't find the missing archive numbers on my computer although I don't use them much someone else may need them later.
Thanks for your help.
 
Ray
05/02/2011 14:31:02
I was looking for the items on making a CNC router featured in MEW and rather than search through my pile of magazines decided to search through the digital archive. I don't often use the system but find that there are a large number missing. Checked several times but still find that numbers 55 to 145 are missing.
Is it my little knowledge of computing is at fault or has anyone else found this problem. ( still looking for the CNC article)
Thread: Cutting steel plate
27/01/2011 13:37:52
Just got back from Aldi. I wanted a small saw like the Xacta saw but cutting up to 22mm. The new mini saw from Aldi cuts wood to 35mm and mild steel to 6mm. I bought one but not tried it yet as my use will be for fitting a wood floor but thought to pass on the info to anyone looking for a saw which shou;d be OK for sheet metal.
Thread: Chinese lathes
29/12/2010 15:23:54
Has anybody had any experience of importing direct from China?. I was thinking of upgrading my cutter grinder to one of those Universal Grinders as advertised by some of our tool suppliers. On downloading the specifications, I found that although the same, the prices vary considerably from £655 to over £1200 including the accessories.
I contacted the manufacturer in China and was quoted £471 including delivery by sea. Added to that would be import duty and VAT which I calculate to £579 total. £1200 is quite a mark up and would make the effort to buy direct worth while.
The accessories show the biggest difference. Each attachment cost £16 ex the factory with the diamond wheel costing £13. I have not seen any of the attachments buy they look similar in the specifications. For instance, the price of the endmill sharpening attachment in UK is between £80 and £100, compared with about £20 from China. They also supply a higher specification machine, the GD-U3 for an extra £100 which now has me wondering if to this is the route to take.
If anyone has experience of dealing direct I would like to hear their comments.
I wonder how much a lathe or a mill would cost buying direct.
 
Thread: Myford puzzle?
27/12/2010 16:32:48
Try RDG Tools. I bought both the tap and die about 2 years ago. Not cheap but well under £20. 
Thread: Over the Counter
12/11/2010 08:05:09
Hi,
On the subject of saw blades. Does anyone know where I can purchase pinned metal cutting blades for a scroll saw. Using the old coping saw blades is great for wood but the only metal cutting I have found are for a fretsaw but they don't fit. I would like to be able to cut up to 5mm mild steel.
 
Thread: Why is everything you buy such rubbish!!
11/11/2010 17:19:13
During the 70's my pride and joy was a Rover 2000TC in British Racing Green. I felt so proud seeing it standing in the car park outside my office. It was a good car, perhaps one of the best and certainly the most comfortable cars I have ever owned. One day, I had a visitor who had just bought a new Datsun. Rubbish to look at but with all the whistles and bells lacking in the Rover. Heated rear window,tinted glass, fitted radio with built in aerial and shipped half way around the world for a reasonable price.
Although I still felt that mine was the better car, would it not have been nice for Rover to produce what was a high quality car with all the accessories built in and therefore present better value than similar imported cars. I had to pay extra for the radio in my car but even now I still look back those days, maybe with rose tinted specs but what a treat it would be to have another Rover 2000 in the garage
Thread: Cast Iron welding Sticks
05/11/2010 18:14:45
I picked up an all "singing and dancing" milling vice at a car boot sale recently. (I mean it swivelles in all directions) It was cheap at £25 because one of the securing lugs on the base was missing. The seller said that it could not be welded but it could be repaired by carefully  bolting a piece of plate on the bottom. I had a piece of scrap casting which was just the right thickness and cut several pieces for test welding.  The thickness was about 3/8" and I V ground the sections to be welded.  Using the stick welder on DC current negative earth, I did some passes,gradually increasing the amps to 90 where I obtained a reasonable fillet. The test pieces were then placed in the corner of a concrete step (very technical) and hit with a lump hammer to breaking point. In each case the parent metal broke leaving the weld intact. One piece I kept to test in the milling machine and had no problem cutting off the weld to a nice level surface.
I then went on to weld the vice and then mill to match the undamaged side. 
As a total amateur, I feel that so far it is an achievement but how long it will last I don't know.  
Thread: plastic containers
05/11/2010 17:48:10

For storage, I bought a few metal filing cabinets from Lidl at about £20 each. In two of the drawers, I fitted 1" thick timber, drilled to take my end mills and other small cutters.

Another tip is a plastic container, useful for storage on the shelves are plastic boxes from the £1 store. They measure about 7"x5"x11/2" complete with lids and you get 10 for £1!!. Being greedy, I bought 2 packs which look good on the shelf. Contents can be written in marker ink or stick on labels.

Thread: Clarke CMD10 Mill
28/10/2010 14:04:48
I came across something like this recently. A friend called with a sprindle from a bench drilling machine and asked me to check as he was sure it was bent.  I checked it Ok but when he reassembled the machine and fitted a chuck with a drill, there was a definate "throw" at the tip of the drill. My immediate and totally wrong impression was that someone had used a hammer to remove the chuck.
Another friend with more experience than me, removed the chuck and as best he could, cleaned out the taper socket in the drilling machine sprindle resulting in a much improved performance. When I saw this, I went into my tool store and extracted a No 2 MT reamer. Using hand pressure only, the bore was cleaned in seconds. The macnine now works well.
Never too old to learn.
 
Hope this is of some help.
 
Ray
Thread: Midlands Model Engineering Show at Warwick
23/10/2010 18:39:23
I went with my son to the Midlands show for the first time last year. We went our separate ways once inside only meeting up for lunch and the metal casting demonstration. In the evening, we sat in the car to discuss our day and we each saw things which the other had missed. We decided that this year we would make it for two days and planned well in advance booking up B&B and making lists of things to see and buy. Unfortunately, my wife became ill (not serious and OK now) so we had to cancel.
I was sorry to see so many negative comments about this year's show. Could it be the "sign of the times"and we are all feeling the credit crunch. I also go to local vintage shows where there is usually a fair number of full size steam engines and many models but all seem to suffer from a poor turnout this year.
I spoke to one trader at the Bristol show who was very dispondent saying that Friday was good, Saturday dead and when I left him he was not looking forward to Sunday. Perhaps the organisers should respond to these difficult times and either reduce the number of days for each show or reduce the entry fee on the final day(s) to encourage more attendance.
 
Ray 
Thread: Desperate ! Need parts list for Warco WM-240 lathe
23/10/2010 18:15:49
Hi  All,
If there is a negative comment on my Warco lathe is the quality of the manual. It looks like a copy of a poor copy in A5 size. The diagrams are awful and enlarging does not help. Going back a bit on this tread, Chris Stephens suggested looking at the Grizzly site for parts lists. I have just copied the manual for their G9249 lathe which is the same as the Warco BG900, the same as my lathe only with the longer bed.
The manual is great, 92 A4 pages packed with information including a detailed wiring circuit, changing drive belts and adjusting bearing clearance.
 Many thanks Chris, that tip is much appreciated.
 
Ray  
21/10/2010 18:17:11
This is strange. Not the Warco I know. I bought a BG600 from them about 4 years ago and the service has been excellent. I guess that the MD has been away at the Midlands Exhibition recently. I would give it a few days and then try to phone Mr Warren. My experience when speaking to him and indeed any of his staff, they have been polite and most helpful.
 
Ray 
Thread: Diamond tool holder.
08/07/2010 22:06:31

Hi Everyone,

I saw the item in No 156 and when visiting the Midlands Exhibition last October,bought a suitable piece of metal and put it in the stock rack when I got home. Forgot all about it until last week, when looking for something else, this piece of bar popped out.

I immediately pulled the item in 156 and copied it for use in the shed. I did make some changes, increasing the length to ensure all clamping screws on the toolholder are gripping, Cutting a V instead of a channel to hold the tool and threading the bolt direct into the tool rather than using a bolt. I also made a square washer to act as a clamp on the toolbit.

My 1/8" toolbit which I pulled from stock is something other than HSS, much too hard for the purpose, something special. Could be something I bought some time ago but forgotten now, so I had to use the next nearest, a piece of 3/16" HSS,

When I tried the tool in the QC tool holder on my Myford S7, it would not fit, too high by about 1/4". The only way I could use it would be to remove the toolholde and go back to the old clamping method so I tried it on my Warco BG600. It fitted perfectly and I was impressed with the trial cut on a piece of 11/2" MS. I then tried a deeper cut only to find that chatter set in when the toolbit was pressed back into the tool. On examination, it was obvious that the 3/16" was relying on the grove for location only so tonight, I cut a deeper V and again tried it on the Warco. I made two cuts, one about 1/16"  followed by another much deeper. Very impressed, this time it was an old piece of heavy gauge galvanised pipe, not the best of steel but the cut was clean and without cutting fluid, the swarf was very hot and discoloured.
I now intend to make another tool for the S7 but with the head set down by about 1/4" and a slightly greater width of body to take the extra depth needed for a 1/4" toolbit.
 
Putting this on the must buy list for the Bristol Exhibition next month. 
Thread: MyHobbystore ME Archive Articles
19/06/2010 17:16:01
Hi, If the ME archive is anything like the MEW then it is not worth subscribing. Although I have an almost complete set of MEW, I took out a subscription for the archive only to find that the format offered changed and is almost useless for taking off prints. It has however, allowed me to scan through the editions and note the articles of interest. I did this with ME many years ago when the home photocopier became available and I copied all the articles on workshop projects, putting them into 3 ring binders. These make interesting reading during the Winter when it is too cold for the workshop. I now intend doing the same with MEW articles but it would have been easier to print off direct from the archive. I think the subscription  is a waste of £29.
Thread: Poor surface finish using Myford
29/05/2010 08:58:16
Steve, I have owned a few ML7/Super7 lathes, all pre 70s. The problem I found with the older models is that the saddle bears on the front shear of the bed. This is a little unstable and causes a poor finish no matter how well the jibs etc are adjusted.
I know it is difficult for the beginner but the saddle needs to be removed and a small amount milled off the inner side  thus allowing the saddle to bear on the front and rear shears of the bed. After reassembling and adjusting the improvement should be substancial.
I know because it hit me recently when I bought  an old Super 7 and did not realise that  the problem existed on this model as on the straight ML7.
I got this tip from an article in Model Engineer in about 1972 by I think PJ Radford.
Don't forget to buy a new felt wiper and holder from Myford which covers rhe rear shear.
Ray
Thread: Digital editions of Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop.
19/05/2010 21:05:54
Hi,
I have been buying MEW from day one and now have two tidy piles of magazines in my cupboard. However, after sampling the free on line versions, I subscribed to the full list.
It is great for looking back on articles of interest but I find that the printout is not so good.
I have downloaded to PDF, free articles from Model Engineer archives and these are good. Is it something to do with the scanning method to put the MEW on flexipage?.
 
 
Ray 
Thread: TIG welding sets
31/10/2009 08:46:46
I have had several MIG welders and my advise would be to buy the best you can afford, staying away from the DIY market. In my opinion, these small welders are made to a price and do not have the fine controls available on the more expensive machines. You could try buying a secondhand professional machine from a reputable dealer which would be more than adquate for home use and produce good welds easily.
 
Regarding the"three in one" welders as seen on EBay, my advise is to stay clear of them. I have one which will do MMA,TIG and Plasma cutting, none of them well. Like all combination machines they don't do any function well and it is better to spend the extra money to buy individual welders.
 
Ray
 
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