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Member postings for Stuart Davies 3

Here is a list of all the postings Stuart Davies 3 has made in our forums. Click on a thread name to jump to the thread.

Thread: Fobco motor
02/03/2013 14:05:26

Hi all,

Does anyone have a 1/2hp 3 phase motor that would fit a Fobco Star drill? My one has a 1/3 hp motor and the minimum load on my phase converter is too high for it.

Many thanks

Stuart

Thread: Monodex blades
22/01/2013 18:20:23

Hi folks,

Does anyone know of a supplier for blades to fit the original Monodex cutters? Not sure if the Draper ones will fit.

Thanks

Thread: Thread Dial Indicator positions
30/05/2012 21:36:32

Thanks folks, I have made a small table and put it above the lathe for reference. It is a Raglan 5" and the leadscrew is 8tpi and the dial cog has 16 teeth so i'm sure the comments above will apply. The indicator has 4 main positions (although 0deg and 180deg are confusingly stamped 1 and 2), and 4 half positions. The halfnuts can be engaged inbetween these divisions also, giving 16 positions in total that the halfnuts can be engaged, although i'll think i'll stick to the 8marked positions.

30/05/2012 09:37:08

Hi all,

Does anyone know if there is a thread dial indicator position chart somewhere for downloading? tired of waiting for '1' to come around all the time.

many thanks

Thread: Uses for old brake discs.
29/05/2012 13:01:07
Posted by Clive Hartland on 01/05/2012 22:33:37:

It would seem they are quite high quality and I wonder if some one who has a home smelter could use them and cast big lumps out of them.

Clive

I have smiley thought they might make a suitable source of CI for my Duchess cylinders, so melted a few in a salamander crucible. Had to get it hotter than the sun. The sparks and fireflies from what I guess is magnesium were enough to stop me trying again. I now melt off-cuts of meehanite bar which is exciting enough for me.

Best uses for these are probably at room temperature-chuck backplates/adapters would be my suggestion.

Thread: Static phase converter plug wiring
29/01/2012 15:50:02
http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/albums/member_album.asp?a=19403
 
Photos posted here
29/01/2012 15:45:01
thanks all again, my motor is dual voltage, that is it can be wired for 220 or any voltage between 380 and 415. I have a picture of the terminal box and a copy of the wiring diagram-will try to attach them to this post. I dont believe I have a contactor switch on the machine-the controls for the motor and suds pump are drum type santon switches and dont seem to have any extra circuitry for an electricly assisted switch. It seems from the literature supplied with the converter that L2 is the 'duff' phase as it shouldnt be connected to any contactor switches etc (as I say I dont believe I have any). I will say that this unit was not from machinemart.
L1 is the domestic single phase and should be connected to any machine light or other item requiring single phase, and connected to neutral on the converter-there are no such items to worry about on this machine.
Thanks again folks-anyone who can look at the photo/wiring diagram and give any more info would be greatly appreciated.
 
29/01/2012 12:19:50
Thanks guys, I dont think I mean a VFD- isnt that an inverter with a variable frequency? My converter frequency is fixed at 50 HZ so there is no variable speed (except of course from the wonderfully simple Raglan variable speed pulleys of which i'm proud )
The neutral on the wiring diagram supplied with the lathe is not connected to anything-just a bunch of wires coming out of the motor connected to the motor terminal box but with no wire out of the motor terminal box.
Im inclined to connect ABC from the machine to L1L2L3 in the 5 pin plug and give it a go but as the converter cost over £300 im a little reluctuant...
 
Although the different legs on the converter have different outputs, surely the motor legs are identical? The open circuit voltages on the converter are 400v between L1 and L3; 400v or 560v between L2 and L3 and no volts or 160v between L1 and L2, but these do not relate to earth as they would on mains 3 phase electricity.Incidentally my local electrician first thought it was a single phase motor. *Grins*
29/01/2012 10:56:35
Dear all,

Just wondering if anyone has some experience to share with wiring a 3 phase plug to be used in the output of a static phase converter?
I have bought a static phase converter, and was supplied with a 5 pin plug. My raglan lathe has 3 wires coming out of it, red yellow and black plus earth. On the wiring diagram these are labelled A,B and C. I called the supplier of the converter to ask if ABC should be connected to L1 L2 and L3 in the plug, and they were rather unhelpful, saying that a qualified electrician needed to be called. Yawn. So I got a local electrician to have a look and they seemed to know less than I do...What's wrong with this country?!

As I understand the output from a static phase converter has two 'good' phases and a third phantom phase-does it matter which phases from the motor are connected to the L1 L2 L3 ? As I understand L3 is the phantom phase.

Help please!

Thanks
Thread: LMS Whistles
08/09/2011 11:34:06
Dear all,
 
I am making a whistle for my 3.5" gauge Black five and want to make one with an LMS type hooter sound to it. I have followed the directions in the Martin Evans book and have attached a chamber to a smaller whistle. I bought a 3/8" dia whistle commercially built, and cross drilled a hole in the top near the end, I then soldered a linking tube to a 1&1/4" tube which stands vertically at right angles to the small whsitle.This larger tube is 1&1/4" long. The note I get is very quiet and has no focus to the sond at all.There is no 'ring' to the note. I'm wandering if anyone has built a similar whistle that has been successful that I could copy?
 
Stuart
Thread: Inside cylinder casting patterns
16/09/2010 08:22:09
What a cheek! Thanks for your reply regarding cheeks, I was hoping that I wouldnt have to make a 3 part box, and split the pattern into 4 pieces (maybe just two pieces so that the centre portion could be removed from the cheek, the actual parting lines themselves, I think could be created by the 'oddside method', thus preventing the need for the pattern to be split into 4 pieces. Please keep suggestions coming, I'll post some photos of the final method.
14/09/2010 09:44:06
Hi,
 
I was wondering if anyone has made some patterns for inside cylinders? I intend to produce some for a 5" duchess, they basically consist of a block with four cores in, two small for the valve chests and two large for the pistons. The underside has a bit of shape and detail to it, which makes it impossible to mould the pattern vertically, as this detail would catch the sand when drawn out. I'm not a fan of loose pieces particularly, but any help would be most welcome. The four cores seem to cause the most problems as two parting lines are created-is it necessary to make a 3-part moulding box to create the two parting lines? Experienced foundryfolk please lend advice/photos!
 
Cheers ,
 
 
 Stuart
Thread: Balancing 4-cylinder locomotives
13/06/2010 15:17:07
Dear all,
 
I have just read Edgar Westburys' notes on engine balancing and have been considering how to apply them to my 5 inch gauge locomotive. I understand that all rotating mass should be balanced opposite the crankpins by placing ballance weights opposite them on the wheels. This is quite easily done. Westbury comments that a further 50 % of the reciprocating masses (Piston, rod, crosshead and all other back-and-forth parts)  should be added to the balance weights in order to attempt to cancel this back-and-forth movement. He rightly points out that this does not cancel all imbalance, as the reciprocating parts produce a varying amount of imbalance through one turn of the wheel. The reciprocating masses are not moving at top and bottom dead centre, but must accelerate and decelerate as well as change directions through one cycle. It is obvious therefore that an extra bit of weight in the balance weights will cancel this movement for only a portion of thewheel revolution, and will create an actual imbalance for the rest of the time. You are only slightly better off in other words.
I realised that the reciprocating masses can only be properly balanced by  an equal reciprocating mass moving in the opposite direction at the same time. It then occured to me that many 4-cylinder locos have outside cylinders set at 180 degrees to the inside cylinders on the same frame-therefore the cylinders cancel each other out! Therefore the only extra mass that is required to be added to the balance weight is the mass of the big end of the connecting rod which is treated as rotating mass.
I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on this or knows anything about full-size practise?
 
Best wishes, and good surface finishes,
 
Stuart
Thread: Source of bronze for cylinders
29/05/2010 15:16:10
Dear all,
 
I would like to cast the cylinders for my 5" gauge pacific, however I dont want to pay 20 quid a kilo for the bronze from an ME supply company-does anyone know where I might source some suitable bronze?Maybe a scrapyard is best, but what should I ask for? Car big-end bearings? "your finest lead-bearing SAE 660 bronze please"?!
 
Thanks,
 
Stuart
Thread: Wheel balancing
17/05/2010 14:48:42
Dear Weary,
 
Thanks for this information, I think I have the ME from 2000 that you mentioned somewhere in the loft so i will dig it out. I appreciate your comments about learning greek-I am looking for a simple 'weigh all rods and divide by number of drivers' type of mathematics for novices like me!
 
Stuart
15/05/2010 09:52:59
Dear all,
 
I am wondering if anyone knows how to balance wheels correctly. I appreciate the procedure of two plates either side of the spokes filled with lead, but there is the issue of how much weight to add to the crankpin in order to represent the weight of the rods. Please let me know your expertise!
 
Thanks,
 
Stuart
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