Member postings for Colin Heseltine

Jason,

Thanks for that. At £9.58 plus postage its not worth switching the lathe on. One arbor just ordered.

Thank you,

DC31k,

That's an idea I'd not thought of. Must remember for future.

Colin

Just had another play with it. Managed to find a new No.2 Second M16x1.5 tap and this did eventually thread in. There is a tommy bar hole and also a small threaded hole which both break into the thread before the thread has completed two turns. The bottom tap I had tried did not want to go past this point. I was being too gently. The number 2 tap has left a good witness mark in the spigot bore but got past the break in points and then threaded in nicely.

Just need to put M16x1.5 thread on an R8 arbor now.

Thanks

Colin

Cannot get a M16 x 1.5 tap to thread in. It struggles to fit into the spigot bore.

Today I visited the Clock Fair at Midland Motorcycle Museum. Whilst there I managed to pick up a brand new, still in the box, Arrand 4 1/2" boring head. It is not fitted with an arbor. I am trying to work out what thread it is. This post implies they are M16x1.5. This one certainly is not. The box is marked Imp (I guess for Imperial) and I assume this is for the graduation scale. It would appear to be 5/8" but not sure what TPI.

Does anyone have any other ideas. I would like to fit it to an R8 arbor for use on the big mill.

Thanks,

Colin

Late in 2020 or early 2021 I purchased a partial set of Redwing castings from the guy who used to import them into the UK and also build them. He had made a start on the main casting having skimmed the base, faced the cylinder head end, and machined the main bearing platforms. There were a couple of crankshafts, a used machined piston and a partially machined flywheel and partially machined carburettor.

At the time I had just finished a couple of Alyn Foundry engines and was working on a Stuart 10V. Covid and my Dad passing (just short of his 100th) and various other issues then got in the way and I have finally decided I need to get back in the workshop and try and do something useful. Although I have another 12 or so sets of castings on the waiting pile I decided to try and do the Redwing.

So this week I started to look at the main casting. Checking it on the marking out table, having removed a few burrs/bruises from the base showed the bore to be parallel to the base and the big end platforms at the correct 25 degrees. Checking the height of the bearing platforms I found that the main bearing centre would not be quite in the middle so I need to take a small skim of the platform to move it.

Started by mounting the casting upside down in the vice on previously machined area on top of water hopper. Several layers of thick card either side of the casting, clamp on top of the cylinder and a machinist jack under the free end of the casting. A bit of tapping and jiggling about and all was square.

At this point in time all I wished to machine was the recess in the base for the steel forming the underside of the fuel tank, two dowel holes for lining casting up on a jig plate, 2-56UNC tapped holes for screws to hold the fuel tank base, main fixing holes for the casting and associated counterbore, and the tapped hole for the dummy cylinder water drain tap.

I had to borrow a 3/8" two flute slot mill as for some unknown reason I did not have one. Before starting machining I had done a drawing with all dimensions/moves calculated for the recess , main holes, tapped holes and dowels. I had also marked direction of table handles so as not to cock up. So pleased I have DRO on this mill.

All went well, even the 2-56 tapping. I did not have the requisite 1.85mm tap so stayed with 1.8mm and went very slowly, 1/2 turn forward then half turn back.

I had ordered some .8mm stainless for the fuel tank base and carefully cut and shaped it and drilled holes. Next step is to modify a counterbore to use as reverse counterbore.

This will be a very steady and slow build. It is good to get back into the workshop and actually make something.

Colin

It appears my mate has the same sine vice. He was happy to dismantle it. Two allen bolts hold the fixed jaw in place and this has a shallow key running across the width of the jaw. The main vice plate is held down by 4 pairs of allen bolts and when these are undone and removed the vice plate can be lifted off the upper moving section of the sine assembly. The vice assembly is located by a wide machined key running the full length of the vice. Slides in nicely without any play.

So the answer to my question is yes it can be dismantled and easily put together, the two keys should ensure accurate registration of the main body and the fixed jaw.

Colin

I have a Jones and Shipman Sine Vice. Looking at it it appears that the vice assembly is held to the upper pivoting section of the vice by 6 recessed allen bolts. The vice assembly would appear to be keyed to the pivot section. I am wondering whether the vice assembly can be removed so that I could use the sine assembly on its own with a jig plate fitted to it. If I remove the vice assembly will it still just bolt back on and keep its accuracy. I do not want to dismantle it if it will not reassemble accurately. Has anyone ever done this or know whether it can be done.

Thank you.

Colin

Edited By Colin Heseltine on 07/11/2022 22:49:48

I had a Chester Super Lux and in order to tram it correctly I ended up using Plastishim at the base of the pillar to square it all up. Fitted DRO on X and Y axis. Used it sparingly over next 10 or so years but not heavy use at all.

One day the motor just stopped. It turned out the centrifugal switch had a broken soldered joint. Fixed this and all was okay. About 6 weeks later I was drilling a sequence of holes, had done 5 of them and moved to the sixth. Powered up, the motor started but no movement of the spindle. No noise or anything. Lifted motor off to find the motor spindle had sheared flush with the gear in the top of the head.

Much as it grieved me I bought a new motor and promptly swapped it at my local machinery deals for a Gates PBM2000 (Bridgeport clone). Lot happier with this replacement machine.

Hope you get sorted.

Colin

Daedalus,

I bought my machine second hand. It was 8 years old according to date on plate, but still had the shipping grease on the head. Not a scratch or sign of use on the bed. just a single small circular stain. Bought from traceymachinery.co.uk. He has a lot of Bridgeport type machines in stock.

I also bought the lathe from him. The lathe was significantly older.

Cheers.

Colin

Edited By Colin Heseltine on 23/10/2022 19:41:40

Two years ago I replaced my Chester Super Lux with a Gates PBM2000. This is a Bridgeport sized machine with 3HP main motor and it came with X and Y power feed, two axis DRO, powered drawbar and auto lubrication. I have since fitted it with powered knee and DRO on the knee and quill. Very happy with the machine.

More recently I replaced my Colchester Student with a Colchester Triumph 2000 lathe. I did not particularly have a budget but ending up spending 1/2 your budget. Extra tooling for both have pushed up the expenditure a little (Lot).

Colin

I have just done two welding courses at Burslem College. Did 10 week (one night week) TIG and then the same for MIG. These courses were free of any charge. All tuition, gas, electric, consumables and material were free. Officially 2.5hrs sessions but we were able to start extra hour earlier and made it 3.5hr sessions. Came away with Level 1 NVQ in both TIG and MIG.

Waiting to see if they do any other courses.

Colin

J,

I'm certain it was a genuine Colchester item. I had a quick look as I have one for sale with around 9 holders.

I arrived just after 10, the prebooked queue was still well out of the door. I had not prebooked and walked straight in without any waiting. The queues for food were all long. I only bought a few bits of brass and some parallels. A set of Dasqua (very thin ones) and two pairs of large one set 48mm and other pair 51mm tall. My Bison vice has deep jaws.

Had hoped to see a few more people on the ICE Builders stand. Michael Cole was a bit on the lonely side, but had a good chat to him.

I felt there were not as many displays as previous years. The back end of Hall Two was used as a sit down rest area, whereas in previous years it had displays there.

Still a good day and I felt the attendance was very good.

Colin

Thank you for that Jason. I had not realised they would not be seen.

Colin

I had a similar 10V. If you have a look on Model Engine Maker website you will see the issues I faced and how I overcame them. Follow links below:

https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,10180.msg231644.html#msg231644

• Model Engine Maker »
• Engines »
• From Kits/Castings »
• Resurrecting a Stuart 10V Engine

Best of luck, it will be worth it.

Colin

Andrew,

I started taking my state pension in 2016, 1 had put it off for one year.

I get:

Basic State Pension

Plus Pre 97 additional State Pension

Plus Post 97 additional State Pension

Plus Graduated Retirement Benefit.

The Pre 97 additional State Pension is reduced by the Contracted Out Deduction (COD) which in my case was £64.28.

I worked for British Coal and so had their Pension as well

Colin

I cannot remember the last time I saw an insurance quote less than £150. It must have been at least 30 years ago. Currently one is around £650 and the other £380. The first of those is limited mileage (8000).

Colin

I feel the same as John Doe 2. You cannot beat the enjoyment of swooping along a curvy A or B road. You take all the road conditions (including other drivers, if any) into consideration. The Police have a phrase for it "Making Good Progress". If you have been out with driving assessors then you will have had to give a running commentary of everything that you can see going on around you, and all possible issues/problems along the route, eg. school, kids playing by roadside, cyclists etc. This teaches you to be very aware of what is going on around you, and you are using all your senses, sight, sound, feel of the car.

I have been driving for over 55 years and have gradually seen an increase in the number of people who will not attempt to overtake a slower vehicle, when fully safe to do so. This leads to long queues of slowly moving traffic in many cases travelling at 40 to 45 mpg in 50 and 60 mph areas. Not only are they slow moving but the gaps they leave between each vehicle is very short, leaving no possible scope for anyone to attempt an overtake.

When on Motorways I always try to keep to the 2 second rule, but regularly someone will pull out without signal into the gap I have left.

I enjoy driving and will be doing a 2500 mile trip up to and around Scotland in open topped car (Caterham 420R) in near future. The few Motorway bits we are travelling will be a bit of a pain but this will be compensated for by the N. Yorks Moors, Scottish Borders, Skye and the Cairngorms.

Colin

Can see the part numbers on their spares list and as you say 24, 25 and 26. Also need 39 which is opposite hand to 25. Will give MAKgroup on call on monday and see what silly prices they quote.

Colin

I have just obtained a Narex Vhu36 Boring and Facing Head. Does anyone have one of these units. It is missing the two stops and their associated sliding nuts and screws. I would like some photos and dimensions of these missing parts if possible so I can make something similar.

Many Thanks,

Colin