Member postings for john fletcher 1

You haven't given any indication of your location, but if you did, you may find a Model engineering club close by, who would give you some help as to the value of the workshop contents and clearly identify the model of the lathe. John.

Maybe, a year or two ago there was an article in MEW on making a taper turning attachment, for I think, a Myford lathe. Can any one tell me which MEW number it was, or am I dreaming. John

When my friend and I made clutches for our Myfords lathes we used Evo stick impact adhesive with the smooth side of the leather to the aluminium. We didn't do any skimming left things as they were. Both of us found the clutch incline to slip, so I bought a block of Violin string resin, crushed it up a bit, then with the lathe running and the clutch partly open, I dribble some of the dust into the clutch/place. It's only needed one further application of resin after all the 29 years, can't believe it. Many thank Alan Burttolph you did a good job..

Don't seem to get such articles in MEW any more. I've re read my early collection from number one, it would appear that some of us just buy what ever we desire from PRC via ???. John

After reading the discussion here about vfd and filters, I wonder whether one from a scrap washing machine might fit the bill there are plenty around or are they just a luxury we don't actually need or require.. John

Several of my friends have bought cheap Huanyang Chinese inverters and I am pleased to say no problems at all. We watched a video on youtube and soon had them working. One came from Leicester, others from Germany for around £80/90 and more recently one friend bought one for £45.Why pay more, and perhaps as VW are having cars built in China, maybe some of the German sounding names on VFD are the same, who knows. Incidentally, I have kept a paper copy of the program and should any one like a copy I'll send them one. As hobby workshop enthusiasts, I don't think we require all the bells and whistles some of the more expensive vfd offer. In my case, I have a very old VFD sold by RS many years ago, programmed via dip switches, does forward reverse and speed control every thing I need. John

A friend bought a Drummod M type yesterday, and would like to know what type of grease or oil should be used in the headstock. Also some of the gears are missing, particularly on the tumble reverse, are the gears the same as on Myford lathes 20DP ?

Rodger, check that your wiper motor will reverse, some won't, wiper motors are really durable. If you send me a PM, I will send you a copy of the simple electronic speed control which I used. For forward and reverse I use a double pole double throw change over switch. The dog clutch dis-engages the motor drive, so that I use the mill manually. John

Aye up ega, I got Brian's book and have done the same as you regarding the tumbler reverse and it fit OK no problem oiling up either. I like your handle idea, as I have a spare one that is the next mod to do. I've made the two gears 33/34 and the 21 so all set up. Glad to have a workshop with the shut down. John

Some twenty or more years ago I made a power table feed for my Naerok bench top mill, using an up and down car window motor, g/box gears from a redundant photo copier, dog clutch and home brew speed controller from a circuit in ME. I have forward, reverse and speed control, at almost zero cost as I think all the electronic components came from a washing machine speed board. and it has never let me down. If any one has any ideas on how to power the up down of the head or making the machine into a boring one, I would like to communicate with them. John

HPC at Chesterfield 01246 455500 and Davall in Hatfield might be able to help as both have an extensive catalogues, with a large range of gears I haven't a phone number for Davall sorry to say, as their catalogue is very old and they might have moved, been taken over by now, .or even closed down. John

If you are not going to need speed control, then two old car batteries will be adequate. But if you need speed controller then one of the PWM units from Ebay together with the two 12 volt batteries. Charge one up for say 4 hours then the other for 4. Most folk have a car battery charger. John

The Ni-cad batteries in my Bosch 14.1 volt cordless drill are failing fast, should I buy a couple of replacement batteries from our usual site or cut my loses and buy a new drill with say 24 volts with Li-ion. Also are the Ni-cad charges the same as Li-ion charges. Your comments regarding make or special offers and experiences would be most welcome. John

Hello Brian, you are only concerned with those four terminals ( those connected via the two links) which i mentioned, disregard all the others. Connect the 240 volt supply to 1 & 3, Run pair to 5 & 7, start pair to 2 & 6 as shown in Steve's diagram and know doubt in Peter's leaflet. May i suggest your friend get himself a proper motor starter fitted with No -volt release and use it to stop and start the lathe motor, and only use the Dewhurst switches for changing direction of rotation when the motor is switched OFF.. John

I find the terminal markings very hard to see, and not familiar with a Tyco motor which took over Brook and several other British makes. If you have access to a multi meter then you can locate/decide which pair are the run and which pair are the start windings, then wire the motor a per Steve's diagram.

Remove the two links and using the multi meter on the lowest Ohm range measure the resistance of the lower pair of terminals, then do the same on the upper pair. The run winding pair will have the LOWEST resistance, maybe 4or 5 Ohms, obviously the other pair will be the start winding which has a short time rating. Don't forget the EARTH wire and if the motor is a resilient mounting type, a link between the base and motor body. Let us know how you get on. John .

I've been running pre owned ebac dehumidifier in my home made wooden workshop for more than 25 years. I switch it on early September and leave on to next May. They are not expensive to run, create a bit of warmth and more importantly he workshop is rust free. I responded to an advert for my dehumidifier, but they are often sold at Auctions and house clearance sales John

I'm amazed at people who think electric cars is the answer to our pollution problems. Where do they think the electricity comes from and how is it produced. Also, the capacity of under ground cables are just not big enough to power all the car battery chargers which will be required. When our house, which was typical at the time it was built, it had a light in each room and one socket in the hall. Now most home up the road have a washing machine, dryers, fridge, freezer, immersion heater the list goes all on a 1920 cable and there is just one joint per pair of semi's. Just imagine how much energy is required to make a wind turbine and how long will they last, also consider the amount of energy to make PV panels and how long will they last. Then we have the biomass power station, importing the pellets from the US, apparently it just as polluting as the coal power station ever was, and what about the ship bring the stuff from US. As for hydrogen what a dangerous substance to have a train. John

Back again sorry about the spelling. John

An 88 year old friend has had a DECO inverter for more than 6 years and recently it will occasionally shuts down, the fault code oL2 says excessive load, but the lathe is hardly working. I would like to help out but I'm not familiar with these inverters. Would some one who is familiar with TECO inverters and have the time to help out, would they please send me PM with their phone number so that I could have a chat. John

PS. It's its not me I'm only 86.

I remember going from Warkly tram terminus to another one in Sheffield for HALF A PENNY.. Also being machine gunned by a German fighter plane whilst potato picking with my mother. Hearing the Lancaster bomber going to Germany from Coningsby and other aerodromes in Lincolnshire and seeing them on the way home, when walking to school with bits dangling down underneath them. Air sea rescue boats going to sea, seeing the army bomb disposal digging out bombs. The policeman attempting to keep us kids out of the way, I could go on.

I would like to solder some small pieces of stainless steel together. i have some a liquid Fluxite, and some paste flux as used by plumbers, will either be OK, or will i need some thing more active. John