Member postings for Mike Poole

Sets of drill are widely available that go in 0.1mm increments from 1mm to 10mm. When you take into account that you will probably want tapping sizes that give a different engagement for different materials, clearance holes for bolts and undersize holes for a reaming allowance a set can be a worthwhile investment. Some may never be used and others will be reground until they are too short and need replacing, some people have a policy of just replacing rather than resharpening and this is a personal choice. Mr Dormer would probably make me stand in a corner with a pointy hat for my sharpening efforts but they cut well enough and the size is near enough for Jazz.

Mike

In the event of a crash it is nice to only have to replace something cheap and easily replaced. Although Myford do not fit an actual shear pin in the leadscrew drive train there is usually a weak point that will let go first. The pin drive may well let go first on the ML1-4 and the fibre gears usually strip on the 7 series. Although the fibre gears may not have been designed as the drive train protection it is useful that they do fail before anything else. Some people claim that the quadrant for the drive train should be not tightened too much so under an overload condition it will move and unmesh the gears, I would think trying to judge this could result in an unexpected disengagement that will ruin the job. The fibre gears do make an expensive shear pin compared to the simple pin drive on the ML1-4 series.
Mike

A trip to our stores as an apprentice was likely to result in being enveloped in a cloud of French chalk or a soaking, there would be trouble these days. The world seems to have had a very successful sense of humour bypass.

Mike

Flange, growler.

Mike

I always thought prick out was a gardening term but context is everything.

Mike

Before the World Wide Web arrived the slogan “If Typhoo put the T in BriTain who put the **** in Scunthorpe “ was often seen scrawled in various places, I think I first saw it on the graffiti wall in the gents of the Chequers on the High in Oxford.

Mike

The wear marks on these cups usually show a thin line so the curve of the race does not match the ball. The commercial items would seem to be ground after hardening but getting the hardening right is probably the most important thing as if too soft the Brinelling effect will occur and the bearing will be rough. Steering head races where this has occurred are scrap as it ruins the steering. A fine turned finish without any chatter is essential but the long cutting edge of a form tool can make this a challenge.

Mike

I watched this video a couple of days ago by Stefan Gotteswinter describing his use of a toolpost mounted drill chuck and how it is very practical for speed of working.Toolpost Drilling

Mike

The switch can certainly be removed with soderwick, I have found that it can be useful to add fresh solder if the wick does not remove all the solder. It would be worth getting the feel for using soderwick on some scrap boards before getting into trouble on the board you need to use. It would be worth verifying the configuration of the switch before it’s possible destruction by the desoldering operation. It looks most likely to be a double pole changeover DPCO switch.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 08/05/2022 10:26:05

Edited By Mike Poole on 08/05/2022 10:27:26

1/4 Whit head size is .445” , 7/16 AF is .4373” and 11mm AF is .433”. They can often fit each other if the tolerance on socket and nut are not too tight.

Mike

I have moved an MF4 mk3 twice, the first time in one piece with help to load but unload was a solo effort. Very top heavy and great potential for disaster. The second time was to collect a damaged machine but the prize was the table with cranking mechanism. As I was on my own with this one I dismantled it into the head minus motor, the table,the foot and the column. If the weight is not a problem the table and head can be lowered down the column as far as possible and the machine fixed to a stout pallet, the column will stick out the top though. I think I would go for a two pallet crate solution with the head in one and the table, foot and motor in another. I would remove all the handles and the star wheel as these are always vulnerable and lock the quill. The sheet steel belt cover is easy to damage and may be worth removing. Due to the weight of the components they will need very secure fixing to prevent breaking loose if roughly handled. I think I would band some battens to protect the column from any dings and stop it rolling around. Good luck with the move.

Mike

1BA taps and dies are widely available in the UK but probably harder to find and expensive in the rest of the world. Unless you are making both parts then it’s probably best to stick with 1BA if possible. Using non standard sizes will be setting a trap for anyone who has to work on the machine in the future.

Mike

I would not really call any lathe a beginners lathe as the operation and the skills required are broadly common to all lathes. The so called “Training” lathe is a simple plain lathe without screw cutting or self acting feeds, these are rare but I would avoid buying one if you should find one. The various machines described as mini lathes are popular as they are affordable and capable of good work and the skills are transferable to other lathes. If you have some idea of what work you are likely to be interested in then this can be a factor in selecting a large or small machine. Larger scale models can need large machines to handle components like wheels and flywheels. To an extent small work can be done on a large lathe but large work will not be possible on a small lathe. Two fit people can manhandle a small lathe like a Myford or mini lathe but larger machines need more care and equipment to install safely. I would say be prepared to upgrade if you choose a small lathe and then your interests roam into larger work. Emco machines have a good reputation but are not so common as other makes. Used machines can often be sold on without losing much money and even the depreciation on a new machine is not usually very severe if you find that a machining hobby is not for you or you want to upgrade.

Mike

Your first post was 4036 days ago so 4-5 posts a day Michael.

Mike

I once had a Sugden Connoisseur turntable which had a very simple but finely machined shaft and plain bearing, the shaft had a very fine ground finish and the brass or bronze bearing was a smooth running fit, in the bottom of the bush was a ball bearing that took the weight of the platen and provided a single point low friction bearing. By all accounts it was a well regarded concept and gave good results. The finish of silver steel is decidedly rough compared to the finish of the Sugden spindle.

Mike

I would fit the VFD in an enclosure anyway, you may find that is does not run too hot and fans will be unnecessary. If it does get too warm then a fan extracting the air from the enclosure and a filter on the other end of the enclosure will keep the inside clean. Heat exchangers are available for control panels that keep the interior air separate from the outside air but they still need filter maintenance.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 03/05/2022 10:41:49

When I was a hairy 1970s apprentice we had to wear a snood to avoid being scalped alive by rotating machinery, ‘snood’ seems to cover a variety of garments, the version we had to wear was a hat with net bag to take care of our treasured locks, it seems now to be commonly used to describe a neck and head warmer.

Mike

How about threading the end of the bar and loctite or solder a nut. If removal is required for dismantling then loctite may be favourite.

Mike

Page 56 is a Proxxon advert so no vital content is missing, Proxxon may like to have their advert available though.

Mike

A sensitive feed is an important part of a high speed drilling spindle, sub millimetre drills need a high speed and sensitive feel to avoid breakage, the sensitive feel is probably more important than the optimum speed which can reach extremely high levels for non ferrous materials.

Mike