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Member postings for Billy Mills

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

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Thread: Was this the birth of CNC ?
11/12/2011 00:32:50
Michael - thanks for highlighting the TH patent, another thread to weave into the story. As Sir John says the addition of a PC into the controler role does add to a simple self-acting machine running from a set in stone stored program and makes possible desirable additions such as backlash correction in software and setting up subs which can be called a number of times.
 
However some of the mechanical machines that are very rarely seen today - such as Swiss Auto's and Britans were very effective in repetition production and have some very clever features e.g. the tool support bar in the Britan or the chucking arrangement in the Auto. They are well worth looking at for those interested in machine tools.
 
Billy.
Thread: The Sandown Park Model Engineer Exhibtion 2011
11/12/2011 00:12:25
Went Saturday, spent a very enjoyable 5 hours looking and learning. Nice to meet DC1 in person and had some very interesting chats with some of the guys on the SMEE stands.
The Cherry Hill works of art have to be seen as do all of the other displays-some of which are a little hidden.
 
Great Show-well done.
 
Billy.
Thread: ME Forum
09/12/2011 23:56:56
When you have a slow ME site issue try connecting to another site or two , if you get straight in then the finger can only point in one direction.
 
Everytime I have been unable to get in or very slow to react every site tried elsewhere has been fine. So I think it is the 17 titles shairing the same server with limited bandwidth issue.
 
If you want to blame your ISP, Browser, Settings or the kids go straight ahead. I went back to BT, get a fast connection 1/2 mile from the exchange, very happy with their service at home and at work.
 
Billy.
 

Thread: Top Slide Self Act?
09/12/2011 23:34:35
Neil, Thanks for the BBC Basic for Windows link, downloaded the free demo version and carried on writing BBC Basic as if it was 25 years ago! Always liked BBC Basic but running on a PC is quite a revalation! That's a very nice tip off, thanks again! Will definitely get the full version.
Would agree with the PIC v AVR comments, the AVR is far more polished and quick. The upper level devices are very capable and nibble at the micro controller definition, they are far more than that.
 
Welcome back Michael!
 
Billy.
 

Thread: ME Forum
08/12/2011 12:45:16
One other little point, when you compose a post it looks like a "Cloud" application, every letter typed seems to go to the server which then echo's back to show you what the server has to date. Sometimes you type away and then nothing comes back when things are slow.
 
So Cloud users beware, you are placing reliance upon the link being fast and there. I will stick to local software applications wherever I can!
 
Billy Canute.
Thread: Was this the birth of CNC ?
08/12/2011 12:37:53
John, the Loom MAKES products which is a substitution for human labour, it does not make errors because of human weakness, it reproduces the stored pattern on the wooden strips in a very expensive material ( silk) whilst being able to make exact copies repeditivly.
That is essentially what we use CNC machines for today. It was very infuential because it was very widely used to make very big profits and had a big impact on hand loom weavers.
 
Making sounds mechanically starts with clocks, they get more complex but never result in the production of tangable saleable products other than more clocks. Although there were a few musical snuff boxes before 1801 the Polyphon really dates to around 1860, not really getting going till 1880's about the same time as pneumatic player piano production starts in Chicago on an industrial scale.
 
Ady- yes the Jacquard loom was on Industrial Revalations, the data was stored on wooden slats with holes drilled (or not) to produce a binary pattern to select threads on a loom. You changed the pack of slats ( which were held together with string) to change the pattern.
 
Michael- Ahh electric! well that changes everything, but it all hinges on what you mean by CNC. If it is a computer controlled machine then Babbage wins as his mathematical table machine computed then printed the results on paper to produce a saleable physical product but it was not electric. CNC does not need electricity, it's just that nearly all CNC machines use it at present.
 
Billy.
Thread: ME Forum
08/12/2011 11:13:49
Normally get 17M from BT copper, use Firefox and Chrome mainly on Ubuntu or Mint ( no AV needed) or XP if I want to run slowly. This site has been very slow lately -even late at night. Have given up posting at some times when things crawl along. No slow down on any other site in UK, EU or USA. The animations are stored on your machine so after the initial download they run without a bandwidth hit, turning them off will not make much difference unless speeds are very low. Time of year when cellular phones run very slowly as well.
 
Billy.
Thread: Was this the birth of CNC ?
07/12/2011 20:59:45
Think that many would suggest the Jacquard loom (1801) as a major step in the evolution of CNC as it was a machine that followed a sequential stored program which could be interchanged with other programs to produce different products.
 
Wedgewood used a series of special lathe like machines which had a stored program in the form of cams for shaping clay. He also used a rotating pantograph follower to reduce the size of large medalion artwork to produce very detailed moulds. This same device is still used in Mints to produce master dies for coining and has prior art to the TH patent in my view.
 
Charles Babbage also devised an array of mechanical devices to compute and print mathematical tables automatically, the difference engines start being built around 1822 whilst the Analytical engines work stopped with his death in 1871. The later was a mechanical digital machine with a central processing unit, punched cards, sequential operation and nearly all of the attributes of a digital computer of today.
 
So I would not say that the TH patent was very significant.
Thread: Top Slide Self Act?
06/12/2011 16:33:03
Mike has a great number of excellent projects on his site. But to answer Hugh's question-all you need to step a stepper is an oscillator driving a counter which then sequences four transistors, costs a few quid. You could feed a standard stepper driver board with pulses from a 555 timer or whatever. No processor needed.
 
Billy.
Thread: MEW, would less be more?
04/12/2011 21:13:09
John Coleman, Thanks for your comment. Martin was talking about MEW not ME so my comment was specifically about MEW. It would seem that not all MEW subscribers know that they have access to all of the back numbers just as some readers of this forum post without reading what has already been said.
 
The back number archive is something that I enjoy using. It is interesting to follow the evolution of MEW. I think that DC1 and DC2 do a great job, the magazines can only reflect what the Authors are writing, that has changed through the volumes just as the rest of life has changed, how could it be any different?
 
Billy.
Thread: Not strictly model engineering but !
04/12/2011 16:02:28
Yep, it really is wonderful, don't know any layout that comes close. I thought that the fire engines are one of the best bits, found a video which details their construction. The moving vehicles run from on-board batteries which dock with charging stations, the on-board microcontrollers carry the lighting program which is uploadable.
 
Thanks very much for the link Eric, we frequently visit Germany so a diversion is being planned.
 
Billy.
Thread: MEW, would less be more?
02/12/2011 11:42:43
Martin, If you subscribe to MEW then you do have access to all of the MEW's ever published. Scroll to the green tab bar at the top of this page, click on "EXTRA" then go down until you see "go to digital archive" then click on that.
 
Billy.
Thread: Slitting saw thickness
28/11/2011 13:20:41
Ady , you might like to read this:-Grinding Aluminium. As far as I know most workshops go the same way as MIT and ban aluminium grinding- too many accidents.
 
With a very thin cutting disk you can still get the melt-stick-shatter process which does not help at all.
 
Billy.
Thread: Moving a lathe
27/11/2011 16:37:33
Alan, my comments about van roof clearance were after I found that you could NOT shorten the chain on a brand new Clarke engine crane but you can remove it.
 
Matt, perhaps the very best advice is to try to find a helper who really has direct experience of shifting machine tools. It might help if you told us the town where your lathe is moving to.
 
Billy.
27/11/2011 14:43:56
Once you load a lathe into a van you have the subtle problem of getting it out unless you load onto a pallet and have a fork lift with long forks. An Engine hoist needs jib, chain and hook height, once you lift the load weight the van body lifts up and the jib might not clear the rear door frame. Ran into this issue moving a much lighter Elliot 10M shaper using a Transit. Solution was to remove the hook and chain and use a sling secured by a pin.
 
A Trailer is a much better bet, you can use rollers or skates providing the trailer floor is strong and firm enough and you don't have that height restriction. A roller crow bar is invaluable for getting the lump into position if you can find one.Don't forget the strong webbing and ratchets to tie the load down.
 
Some while ago I wrote an article about towing large loads which was based on notes from a traffic policeman. People who passed the test in the last decade or so apparently are not permitted to tow a load without passing a separate test which very few people seem know about. Perhaps worth checking for people with newer licences.
 
Billy.
Thread: Salvage from defunct inkjet printer
25/11/2011 18:24:47
Yes the old ones were great, EHT supplies and all. Xerox invented the electostatic process that everyone else uses. But you can also get their update on the Tectronix "Phaser" solid ink printer which uses coloured wax fired through a full page width piezo print head. Very fast and excellent colour but-tale of woe- very few moving parts so not a great scrapper.
 
My fave scrapper at the moment is Hard Disk Drives, I have a few score to melt down for the alloy. Some time in the future I would like to have a go at the Mike Cox DIY foundry concept.
Do use a few ATX PSU's doing various odd things. They must be the cheapest way of getting 400W of low voltage that is roughly stabilised. You can always stack them too for 24V or 48V.
There is also the LV lighting "transformer" which gives out 60W of high frequency AC and is "dimmable" with a light dimmer which sells for a couple of quid at the moment.
 
Billy.
Thread: Motor Switches
25/11/2011 18:00:22
Thanks for the Thanks! Would like to see a THREE PHASE FRETSAW!!! Some BEAST!!
Use CPC quite a bit but it's difficult staying in contact with suppliers with massive ranges such as CPC, Farnell and RS. Fortunate that they have searchable websites.
 
£30 is a massive amount if the NVR switch is like the one on my friend's machine. Cheap Router tables, belt sanders and drills tend to have the grotty plastic jobs which are at the other end of the Universe to the Proper Job as described by Peter.
 
CPC also have some good prices on cables and connectors including a good range of 3 phase tackle.
 
Incidentally it isn't dust in the contacts as the machine STARTS, it can only be an open coil.
 
 
Billy.
 
 
25/11/2011 12:00:37
Most recent far eastern no volt release switches are of very simple construction. It is basically a relay with a single normally open contact. Pushing the green button closes the contact, a coil connected across the output terminals then holds the contact closed until the stop button opens the contact.
 
It is most likely that the coil is open circuit. This can be caused by the output and input terminals being interchanged. The coil is then continuously connected to the mains but the armature will not pull in because the coil is only to hold the armature, not strong enough to pull it in. However because the coil current is much higher than it should be ( because of the much reduced inductance with the armature away from the coil) the coil overheats. The obvious clue is that initially the switch buzzes when the mains is applied but the motor does not run without the green button being pressed.
 
The terminals on input and output are the same size so it is worth checking that the switch is the right way around. As Les says the output pair will read a resistance of less than a few thousand ohms while the input pair will be open circuit. Found out about this issue when looking at a belt sander from a friend. CPC.CO.UK have a small range under "no volt release" for about £10 that look to be of better quality.
 
Billy.
 
 
Thread: Salvage from defunct inkjet printer
24/11/2011 13:57:04
Never got hands on a bombsite computer but would like to see one for real. Thing is that by taking apart other people's work you get a fantastic education in how things can be done and sometimes how not to do things. Starting off with Meccano then moving on to WW2 surplus and radio/TV certainly is a great grounding in engineering and in recycling when you are young.
 
It is only when you try to make stuff work that you are face to face with your real understanding- after that you are learning anew. Perhaps the 60+ people are lucky in having an education that you can't get today.
 
Billy
(Also a bit of a hoarder but feel left far behind by 7 Sheds worth.)
 
Might mention that there is a bit of a secret gold mine in the annals of the HP Journal which was a quite technical monthly journal which reported on HP development of electronic and mechanical equipment- including Total Stations. HP Journal Total Station

Edited By Billy Mills on 24/11/2011 13:58:04

Edited By Billy Mills on 24/11/2011 14:14:28

23/11/2011 18:52:32
Would say that the more recent the printer the less useful it is for bits. Old dot matrix machines often had decent stepper motors,bronze bearings, castings and some very precise chromed rod. The more recent inkjets use little brushed motors and slot sensing of printed code wheels with much thinner rods and plastic bearings. Scrap ain't what it used to be.
 
Billy.
( also grew up with WW2 surplus from Lisle St, Tottenham Court Rd and Job Stocks Walthamstow. It was always surprising how many language lessons you could get in Lisle St.)
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