Member postings for Samsaranda

Shouldn’t be a problem discharging from the pumps into the canal as canals have their own discharge spillways strategically positioned along their length to discharge excess water and prevent said canal from flooding.

Dave W

First job I always read and then re-read the drawings so that I am familiar with how the parts affect each other and where possible check that dimensions on the drawing will mean that parts will fit together. In a previous life I carried out complicated modifications to aircraft structures, it is surprising how many drawings for aircraft parts have wrong dimensions on them, and these are supposed to have been thoroughly checked before being signed off. Any drawing can have an error, better to find it before you cut metal.

Dave W

I have a positive distrust of needle roller bearings since an experience with one back in the 60’s. I was the proud owner of a Triumph Herald Estate with only 28,000 miles on the clock, I backed it out of the garage one morning and it was ticking over nicely when there was a loud graunching sound and the engine stopped. On investigation it appeared that a gearbox fault was the problem so it was gearbox out and strip. The problem was that there was a needle roller bearing which was between the input and output gear-shafts, the end of one ran inside the other courtesy of a needle roller bearing. What had happened was the bearing had disintegrated and the rollers had exited from the bearing and fallen down between the gears rotating in the box, jamming it solid. It was a complete mess and a recon box was the only remedy, but there was a three week wait so I reassembled the box minus the bearing and the debris and managed to use the car for three weeks with no bearing between the shafts, just to get to work, I was not worried about doing any further damage as the box was effectively scrap anyway, surprisingly it ran ok although I didn’t push it hard. So I am very wary of the strength and desirability of needle roller bearings.

Dave W

In the vain of cycle related issues, our middle daughter suffered meningitis when she was a toddler this left her with epilepsy and the wife and I were always active in keeping her safe but without stopping her partaking in a full range of activities. One day when she was about eleven years old she was out on her bicycle and was stopped whilst cycling on the pavement by our local bobby, we used to have them in those days, and he proceeded to lecture her about cycling on the pavement and that she should stick to the roads only. She apparently waited until he had said his piece then calmly said “well I suffer from epilepsy and my Dad said that it was safer for me to cycle on the pavement in case I have a seizure so I wouldn’t get run over”. The bobby was apparently stuck for a reply when faced with her logical excuse and told her to be on her way.

Dave W

In the 70’s I had a later reincarnation of the Dauphine, a Renault R8, similarly rear engined with a very boxy body and four disc brakes which was quite a novelty in the time for a small family car. The R8 served me well for a couple of years, never let me down and having graduated from a VW Beetle I found its roadholding to be above average for cars of that era. They seemed to have conquered the rust problems that afflicted the Dauphine, the only mechanical problem that I had was a squealing clutch release bearing which I replaced, an engine out job, so I de coked the engine whilst the engine was on the bench. All in all a very pleasant car to drive and I regretted moving on to a bigger car, increasing family dictated a large car, the replacement was a Ford Zephyr 4, now that was a rust bucket.

Dave W

Why is everyone’s workshop so much tidier than mine ?

Dave W

I always use HPC for anything to do with gears, good products and excellent service.

Dave W

He retired a multi millionaire on the proceeds of his scams, there’s plenty of mugs out there.

Dave W

. Just had a scam phone call, recorded message stated that it was from BT and that due to unusual activity on my number I needed to press1 or my line would be disconnected within 24 hours. Just hung up, recognised it as scam anyway I am not with BT. Took the number off my caller display and out of curiosity rang it, apparently the number is not in use, seems strange as it had just rung me. The number if anyone has caller display is, 01373250841 if it calls you just ignore it.

Dave W

Is the kitchen radio in close proximity to house wiring, could be that the interference from the inverter is causing a field effect around the house wiring, try moving the radio away from any wiring and see if that makes any difference. My IPhone chargers can cause interference if the wire runs close to a radio, I have an alarm clock/radio on my bedside cabinet and I charge my IPhone on there as well, have to make sure that the charger cable is not near the radio otherwise it causes interference.

Dave W

Michael G, what language is “verisimilitude”, is it Latin?

Dave W

Certain aircraft that were in service in the Air Force used a liquid mono fuel in a starter to get gas turbine engines going, the name of the mono fuel was Avpin. Being a mono fuel it contained its own oxidiser and would support combustion without any oxygen being present, understandably you needed to take great care with said liquid. I was working at a large maintenance unit in what was a very large scrap compound and we heard an almighty bang from the other side of the salvage compound, it transpired that a civilian contractor had tried removing the end of a large steel drum with an oxy acetylene torch unaware that its previous contents had been Avpin. No serious injuries resulted but I think the person concerned checked very carefully any future containers that he encountered. In respect of Acetone, freely available from Ebay in litre bottles, very reasonably priced, also I think available from Amazon.

Dave W

Nicely put Mick B1. Dave W

I spent 14 years as a governor of a very good Primary School and the longer I was there, the more it became obvious that our educational system is seriously flawed. The politicians impose constraints in the form of (academic) levels that must be achieved and league tables are used as a metaphorical stick to beat those establishments that do not do well. This has very little to do with ensuring that children are fitted to take their place in the world at large. Some children achieve brilliantly at academic subjects whilst others really struggle but have strengths in other areas. Under our current system those who achieve poorly in academic subjects are cast aside by the system which strives to show ever improving academic results in the league tables. A good school, and the one I was governor at was one, will make every effort to include all pupils in making sure that all have a chance at achieving in some form or other, be it sport, drama or other non academic activities which unfortunately are not recorded as academic achievements . I am very disappointed that the system still focuses on producing at the end point, pupils who have achieved the requisite number of GCSE’s and there is no account taken of other activities that contribute to making young people fit to take their place in the world of work. We need to get away from teaching subjects at school just because we have always taught that subject, we need to focus on what engages youngsters and contributes to making them better citizens, we need a more holistic and vocational education system. It is evident from some of the experiences in this thread that many of us would have benefitted from a radically different education that focussed on our abilities that were not academic. If I had my way I would burn all the Latin textbooks, but that is just born from my excruciating Latin lessons that I was forced to take.

Dave W

Neil, the three instances you quoted apply to me as well but unfortunately our second freezer lives in my workshop so the wife visits frequently and I am constantly nagged about my obsession with hoarding, she keeps tabs on me. Have suggested alternative locations for the freezer but it didn’t work although wife suggested another storage shed next to my workshop so if I make sure that there is power laid on perhaps the freezer could migrate.

Dave W

I spent a lot of my formative years in the Far East and attended a British Forces School in what was then Malaya, returned to the UK at the age of 13 and attended the local grammar school where I was subjected to Latin, French and German along with Science subjects. I enjoyed the sciences but hated the languages. Had problems with fitting in with my peer group as I joined the school in the third year and was considered somewhat of an oddity having come from halfway round the world, this was the early sixties, consequently suffered a fair amount of bullying so schooldays not all that happy. Could not concentrate on school work so only achieved three O levels much to my parents displeasure. Made my mind up that I needed to get away from home life and so joined the Air Force in 1964 and served just over 22years as an Aircraft Technician, wouldn’t have swopped it for anything else thoroughly enjoyed it and left at the rank of Chief Technician having travelled widely and had many enjoyable experiences. Never had to even think about Latin ever since leaving school and only used French and Latin on visits to the continent. Was keen on completing a degree via the Open University but severe depression and PTSD in later life put paid to any thoughts of that.

Dave W

Spent today tidying my workshop, the wife gave me a hand, she is fanatical about tidyness, we are about half way through the workshop at present, it is taking on the aura of super tidy, problem is I doubt whether I shall be able to find anything now, not sure letting the wife into the workshop was a good idea. The garden has a growing pile of items destined for the dump, I am a hoarder so there is plenty more to join the pile, I never knew that I had so many half empty paint tins left over from previous decorating projects, be glad to see those go because I hate decorating with a passion, I decorate only under extreme pressure nowadays. Hopefully will finish the tidy up by tomorrow evening and can then get on with some modelling.

Dave W

Thanks for that Jason, worth remembering.

Dave W

Thanks Dave, I think I will go for a made up assembly instead of turning from solid, not sure about brass or aluminium although should be easy to turn even with a large overhang of the tool. I think webs and shaft made separately, in steel, and then pressed together with interference fit or maybe loctite.

Dave W

Thanks Dave, I thought it would be too easy to use cast iron, looks like I need to persevere with steel, I find that rigidity of the lathe is the problem when turning crankshafts with any degree of overhang with the tool.

Dave W