Member postings for john jennings 1

Two gentle riposts

In his second posting Wallace the originator of this thread wrote

Basically, I need to fit new doors and frames - so it's locks, hinges and probably tenon joints or biscuits for the frame transoms.

Unfortunately, they're not standard sizes so it's going to have to be diy or lodsa money (My italics/bold) nuff said ?

Why is a bandsaw safer than a table saw

Well my door had all the bits large and small "machined" using the bandsaw cutting into length/ width/ mitering which meant working pretty near the blade and needing a good view and being very naughty removing the guard.

My experience is that it is very difficult to cut your self with a band saw , the only time I have got near was cross cutting rather large logs with a coarse blade which caught them and spun out of control!

Ten digits John

When I bought a Compact 5 mill drill a pressie of its' own two way milling table It had to be mounted on something. After thought I decided a 2 foot square paving slab had a number of pluses. It was tolerably flat (as much as a bench top, it was significantly heavy (but not daftly so) adding to the overall inertia, at the same time it was still moveable and tilt -able ( to aid the cleaning advocated in another current thread ?).

In 25 years I haven't found the need to try another method.

John

There are a number of issues here some are being glossed over in discussion of fairly minor issues.

Of course a router can be used in the construction of a door however:

Hinge and lock fitting , will need jigs as described :expensive (bought) time (homemade)

Shaping with a bearing guided ogee bit and large (preferably transparent) base plate will very quickly shape the panel openings on the almost completed door. The mitred strips to retain the paneling material can be made withe the same kit .

Withe use of specialist bit sets (and router table) you can do much of the carcase jointing of the door. More unavoidable expense here.

Now what other machinery might you need? When I made a ten light internal door a few years ago I used an Elu band saw for all cutting to length and mitring A table saw would be a less safe alternative - I like a full set of fingers! and a biscuit jointer.

All the timber was standard PAR and was about 10% of a big lot bought for a job that was much less critical, wider strips were made gluing side by side and only needed minimal sanding.

Making ONE door may be a lot of trouble and expense but I found rewarding having no large tool purchases.

Finally doors are big and even in pine quite heavy so you will need a biggish working space (two trestles outside when nearing completion was ideal) and possible lifting assistance.

Making a proper door from scratch is surely on any woodworkers bucketlist

Happy Chippering

John

I read this article and wondered why all this "theory" was needed since the solution relied on an experimental test rig on a fail / not fail basis. I didn't therefore start thinking about the precise syntax , The solution for the editor is not to accept that such items are probably OK but is anything lost by omission . Gives a bit more space to fill You cant win them all!

John

John's contributions to this forum are always interesting sometime humorous and sometimes mind blowing.

I get the impression that a lot of thought goes into his activities.

Without wishing to embarrass him, I find it refreshing that having a slight over stock situation he is willing to say

"Guys out there got any bright ideas"

Another John

As you do see items like this there must be a way of making the hole.

There seem to be two options:

Remove most of the waste by drilling and then use one or more broaches. Making a few thousand a practicable, and affordable, method for one or two hmm.

Or drill out most of the waste and file to shape and size, In olden days I guess apprentices practiced doing this and got good at doing it :will need a lot of skill. A home made single stepped broachy thingy might be usable to bring to final size.

Can't think of a reasonable method if you want it as a blind hole -- on wit the grub screw!

JOHN

There are a number of factors you might want to consider.

Firstly what size tools/toolbits do you want to use. I eventually settled on 6mm/1/4" and 4mm square bits normally using a 3 or 4 inch length cut in two. For most work the 4 mm was adequate and minimised griinding.

Secondly you will want to reduce the amount of packing required. A solution here is too make a two way tool post, like the one in the photo above* but with two slots. you might combine 6 mm and 1/4" or 6mm or !/4" with 4 mm. etc.

Thirdly I would determine the centre height by direct measurement over the cross slide top, You will need a centre or similar to fit the head stock bore. preferably with a measureable diameter and then do the maths for each tool bit size.

Another trick would be to use a three or four way post with the registers cut stepwise.

* was a standard item find a catalogue on line to see arrangement.

Hope this helps

John

Can't agree more,.

I wish it had happened more often to me. I always seemed to miss out on the "a friend has given me this old Leica - is it any good" scenario.

Hours of fun ahead!

John

I've a number of the slightly smaller folding benches sold by most DIY sheds with minor variations. They are a useful aid to getting stuff of the floor which gets increasingly far off. Their weakness is the MDF/Cardboard tops. They tend to delaminate (without request) and Screwfix supplied a total replacement for one - no quibble - so not uncommon? Don't leave out in rain either!. The solution, one applied to the 'spare' base unit, is to replace the MDF with 16/20 mm Birch plywood. If I had the energy I would do this with the other 3 ,tailoring the new tops to mount specific tools as well as the standard plastic dogs.. I found it necessary to grind down a cheapo Forstner bit to cut tight fitting holes for the dogs. A flat bit would be easier to modify but more difficult to use.

Still wouldn't use them as climbing frames!

John

Takes me back 60 years when we used this type of plate for lapping and polishing short lengths of glass tube for spectrometer cells.

Two observations:

For small drills the grooves look a bit big .

£97 plus suitable (diamond grits?) will buy an awful lot of small drills even from a decent named manufacturer!

More positively wouldn't a small fine diamond impregnated plate work as well (possibly masking strips with masking tape if you want a non abrasive 'runway' ( I seem to remember buying something matching your description about that time which had a fine strip and a coarser strip both about 1 cm. wide and 5/6 cm. long

John.

The list of closed tool and material shops reads like a commentary on my workshop life. Although there is nothing like browsing boxes of bits and stuff face to face the WEB does provide a different and potentially wider source of items.

Advice would be don't be in an out let when it disappears - you might go with it!

JOHN

I first met aluminium bronze in the form of a tube of rather pretty swarf in practical examination 65 years ago.

The 7 hours task (this was day one only!) was to find out what was in the alloy aluminium, copper, was that it ?? Then to devise methods for determining how much of each. I can't remember the answers but the donuts and mugs of tea distributed by the laboratory staff are still the highlights of a wearying day!

john

We didn't find any of the ALUMINUM that the spell check # is so keen on

# doesn't like spellcheck either!

Still got a box of paxolin sheet offcuts bought at GLR thirty years ago at their shop near Hertford East Rail station (hard by Kennions shop!). Gradually going but will see me out for bits halfway between wood and metal.

Did visit in Hoddesdon after I moved North twenty years ago.

john

I don't know much about guns

I am not over keen on Elfins

I do however wonder a bit about bodging up a currently lethal fire arm.

Surely (Wisely?) either good condition spare parts correctly fitted or dispose of safely .

Angle grinder in to bits or a pressie for local constabulary.

john

Some how I got involved with both Meccano and Juneero.

The latter was a metal modelling system that used up the raw materials used and except on a scrap basis did not provide to reuse and re-cycle all the parts.

The raw was mild steel strip, rod and angle and sheet (including rather nice corrugated metal) and was smaller dimensioned than Meccano. The rod in particular was rather skinny. Gears and wheels (and tyres) and nut and bolts were also available.

The material was worked with a rather natty guillotine/punch/folder that would punch holes and crop strip and angle to length and 90 deg bend strip. A useful tool but eventually mine went blunt and was thrown out. A hammer powered punch/jig coped with holes in sheet metal and a bending jig would bend rod and strip to various radii (I think I have still got this some where!) . Sheet metal had to be cut with rather cheap snips and reallyvneeded more skill than I had. A rather crude die was available to thread the rod (6BA?)

Juneero probably fostered more real skills than Meccano but it was for ever wanting more packs of raw material. The results , although not holely like Meccano , were never super realistic. It was surprising it last as long as it did.

I also seem to remember that there was another similar modelling system though more expensive. It had what now seems a neat feature of its metal processor in that it could punch rows of square holes so that you could cut nice internal holes and trim to a line without much distortion. Does any one remember what this was called?

John

The answer to your problem is in the writings of Gerald Wingrove the great car modeller.

He has described a louvre press , used for making car bonnets.

Bad news is I can't remember where; probably ME or E in M possibly repeated in one of his books.

Probably 25 years ago.

My recollection is that he was making more complex items than you want but this may mean you can get away with a simplified jig.

John

OuBallie has raised the significant question of new types of electric motor that are now available, as has been pointed out it is now possible to drive flying model plane with electric motors: a step similar to the Wright brothers finding a internal combustion engine that combined power and light weight.

We need to be better informed.

I am probably not the only reader of MEW to have read recent articles with items powered by "NEW MOTORS" to have been very disappointed when the final part elapsed with a very cursory description of the motive power source, providing little guidance on how to use such devices (or even what they are!) in designing or modifying other tools.

John

Even in experienced hands carbide tools may be a poor choice even if the lathe is rigid enough to cope.

HSS especially square bits will have the advantage that they are easily resharpened (you will have mini "accidents" and you will learn about cutting edges and relief angles.

You must have a grinder and a grinding rest that is some what better than usually supplied - I am not sure why a grinder is not almost top of accessories essential for a lathe owner!

John

Having moved North twenty years ago the London shows have been to far and too expensive with on costs. The london venues I went to include: Marylebone Baths, Wembley, and Ally Pally, (The Horticultural Hall strikes a memory but it might have been another show) The more out of town venues like Sandown had not then been included.

If I was nearer London I would want to go to a fairly central location like ALLY Pally (my favourite) and not trog out to Sandown although if using the M25 as access would make it more attractive. I guess this would be true if travelling by train from a distance.

Now when I attended, I wanted to see the models etc and stands showing tools and equipment for real.

But I also regarded the entry fee as a mere start on the days spend. I suppose I must have bought a few items as per catalogue, avoiding the bother of post or telephone ordering (this was ye stone age!). The bulk of my purchases however were off catalogue, either special offers, being cleared at the exhibition, (eg a neat little Myford surface plate) a host of one off items and bits of material and items I never saw or saw listed (like refractory, breeze block size, bricks that were friable enough to cut up to make a mini hearth. The increasing size of Web listings may reduce the range of goods becoming available in this way and hence the attraction of the exhibition.

John

Interested to know that a rose tool works on (free cutting ?) stainless.

They are (were?) a traditonal clockmakers tool so apart from brass (running down small screw blanks) would also cope with pivot steel a part hardened carbon steel.

Worth a try as easy to make and set up

John