Member postings for Nicholas Farr

Hi, I made one from a piece cut out from an old lorry engine piston, it is a three step one, the largest being 44mm diameter and the smallest being 30mm and the overall length is 34mm. The vee's in my case though. didn't have to be absolutely critical, as they drive a round belt on an old Bonds Maximus Drill. It's held onto a 10mm motor shaft, with a small grub screw in the large and middle Vee, and has never come loose. Like Dave, I used a form tool to cut the Vees.

Regards Nick.

Hi, I have two nut riveters, the first one I bought off ebay several years ago, which do 3, 4, 5 & 6mm nuts, but only aluminium ones. Several years ago I used it on a 3mm nut and had a senior moment, where I was expecting a snap, like you get with a pop rivet, and yes, that's exactly what happened.

Although I was rather annoyed with myself, I set the piece up in my collet chuck on my mini lathe, parted the broken piece of thread off and then drill and tapped it for a new piece of silver steel rod and thread-locked it in. Once set, the rod was cut to length and threaded.

This worked was just as it did from new.

My other one is an MFX 360S Blind nut riveter kit, which is much more robust and easier to adjust, and will do steel nuts.

I have used an 8mm steel nut, by using a socket head bolt with a nut a couple of washers, with plenty of oil on the threads, but it was slow going and a bit awkward to do, but it was successful.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 18/04/2023 08:21:02

Hi, like Andrew Johnston, I've only ever used the Edwards type industrial ones, but as Duncan Webster has said, a long Vee block can be used, and that is exactly what I made which is 500mm long. Different length blades can be used for box folding, Sheet metal block & blade I've only made one blade so far for this, but I can use my Vice-Brake blade that Waco sell, Vice-Brake which I made a block to hold it in my flypress Folding Tools which were adapted for folding small parts.

These tools can also be adapted for use on a hydraulic garage type press.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 18/04/2023 07:32:55

Hi David Halford, Taper locks can be used on any pulley and many other shaft mounting things that have a corresponding taper in them, and are not limited to all things that turn. In industry most V pullies are made of cast iron and more often than not, use taper locks. Not all timing pullies use taper lock though, the ones I've seen on cars haven't used them.

Taper Locks

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 17/04/2023 11:02:10

Hi Sonic Escape, Looks good, but I would have rounded off those corners of your top plate by about a 6mm or so radius. They will hurt an awful amount if you happened to catch them, as well as tearing any clothing as they are.

Regards Nick.

Hi Bill, yes I understand they could also be used for soldering irons, I was just saying the one I have was for my Pyro kit, and it came flat like the one in the photo that Hacksaw posted.

Regards Nick.

Hi, what you need to search for is double coil rectangular section spring washer Double coil spring

Regards Nick.

Hi, I knew I had one somewhere, and came across it while looking for something else, and it is for holding a Pyro craft tool. There is a picture of it on the box in its almost flat state, and I had to bend this one up, when I was perusing the tool and reading the instructions, as you do.

I haven't even used this yet, I think I bought it from Maplin electronics when they were selling everything at a big discount price in the last days before the local store closed. It was cheap enough for a maybe have a go with it, but haven't got around to it yet.

Regards Nick.

Hi, I bought my DRO display and two glass scales from ArcEurotrade when they were selling them at a discount price, and I made my own brackets, which I didn't find that difficult, and I wanted to mount my X axis one on the front and still be able to use the stops.

There are more photos DRO's for the Major

Regards Nick.

Hi, as the frequency of the mains is concerned, measuring mine it fluctuates quite randomly between about 49.9 to 50.9, but it is mostly just either side of 50, this is over a period of about 15 minuets.

Regards Nick.

Hi MichaelG, the idea that undesirable parties can view one's name and address on the open electoral register, is the reason I opted out of being put on it, I've opted out for many years now, and will continue to do so.

Regards Nick.

Hi Robin, yes that is a fuse, and they do normally have a seal.

Regards Nick.

Hi, after reading MichaelG's post, I now know why there is a plastic coupler inside the house in the pipeline to the outside tap, and it does make sense. I don't have any gas pipes coming into my place, so don't have to be bothered about that one. The water main is blue plastic pipe, which is then connected to a section of copper, which is soldered into a lead pipe, which is mostly out of reach, but is bonded via the section of the copper pipe.

Regards Nick.

Hi, in this Electrical Apprentice all the systems show that metal water and gas pipes are bonded to earth without any plastic section.

Regards Nick.

Hi, I found out what Martin is saying about the RCD tripping, during the time I was wiring my garage (this was before all the current rules about who can install what/where etc.) I had put in my consumer unit and laid out all the cables to where I wanted sockets etc. The first thing was to get some lights working. As I progressed and the cables were connected into their places around the garage, but none of the fuses/trips were in place, however when making of one end of a cable ready to go into one of the sockets, I dropped the cable on the steel floor and the bare end of the neutral wire was the only one that touched the floor and duly tripped the RCD, the only things drawing any current were the lights.

Regards Nick.

Hi Dave Halford, a few of us have studied this, and I think we've all come to the conclusion that Paul's one is a Major and not a Minor. The fact there seems to be some change in the way the head is clamped to the column over the years, is irrelevant, as it's possible that the casting suppliers may have changed things.

Regards Nick.

Hi Thomas, have you not tried contacting Clarke's service for the correct part Clarke service & support ?

Regards Nick.

Hi Paul, I think you got your machine at a very nice price, and your tramming is very good and probably better than it was when first sold. The one in the link, is I think a bit over priced for its age, plus the fact that the original start/stop has been replaced with a domestic type of light switch, which isn't a good idea in my opinion, the price on it is almost what I paid for my brand new one just four years ago, and is two thirds the current price of a new one, but I guess someone will buy it.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 07/04/2023 08:14:45

Hi Ian, plenty of tube wire brushes around, e.g. Wire brushes drilling

Regards Nick.

Hi, I believe no dwarf was injured or abused in the making of Martins post above.

Regards Nick.