Member postings for Fowlers Fury

About 20 years ago I dumped the standard 2ndary V-belt on my S7 and replaced it with a Brammer multi-link belt. Apart from not having to dismantle the mandrel etc to install/replace such a belt, the lathe runs very much smoother at higher speeds. The belt is not tensioned too much and will slip in the event of a dig-in yet never slips with fairly deep continuous cuts.

I checked some while back for the availablity of a replacement on the Brammer website but it seems the exact type is no longer listed. Instead the "Nut-T link" belt seems closest. The d/loaded pdf contains a wealth of information on belts as well as illustrated pages of faults and causes of breakage and splitting etc. Well worth a look IMHO.

**LINK**

"Nut-T belt"

Would have been en route to "The Victory Show" over this w/end:-

**LINK**b

"B-17 Flying Fortress – Sally B Flying Sunday 10th only

Europe's only Flying Fortress Sally B defies the odds and flies into her 42nd Season

One of aviation's most remarkable stories continues for an astonishing forty-second time this season as Sally B, the only airworthy Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in Europe embarks on another Air Display season, a feat which has been described as 'impossible'. "

Thanks for pointing out the P-38 vid; I've only watched about 10 minutes so far but the hyperbole didn't seem to tally with other assessments I'd read. There is a "History Net" article entitled "Why the P-38 Flunked in Europe".

http://www.historynet.com/p-38-flunked-europe.htm

It makes interesting reading IMHO........especially that it was thought fitting it with Merlins would have transformed it's effectiveness in Europe. Undoubtedly it operated well enough in the Pacific theatre.

I'll watch the entire vid later and probably find it makes the same point !

Thanks, a couple of minutes first on Google would have corrected my misunderstanding. Herewith a definitive sounding analysis:-

"The characteristic beat of a helicopter rotor is caused by the interaction between the rotor blade vortices, in particular between the main rotor and the tail rotor vortices. As the shockwaves of these impulses coincide, they create powerful (loud) harmonics. This effect can occur at rotor speeds well below supersonic. The vortex interaction can be reduced by surrounding (a smaller, multi-bladed) tail rotor - more like a fan - with a shroud. Such an installation is called a fenestron ("windowed", and actually a trademark belonging to Eurocopter), a ducted fan or fan-in-fin. This development was originally designed for improved safety and performance. Modifications to the main rotor to reduce the impulse from the vortex typically trade away power or economy. On the topic of supersonic speed, helicopters have a theoretical top speed of 417 kph in conventional flight mode because of the problem of the advancing blade reaching supersonic speed over too great an area and the retreating blade losing lift abruptly."

No doubt known to everyone, but I understand the "whump whump" as Andrew describes it, is because the tips of the rotor blades on most helicopters are travelling faster than the speed of sound i.e. mini sonic booms.

I later joked with the navy pilot of that Merlin pictured skimming our roof (previous post):-

He related - whether true or not - that the Merlin was introduced as a 'quiet, stealth' attack 'copter but when put into service it could be heard ages before it was 'in visual'. The spades on the ends of the blades were an unsuccessful attempt to quieten it.

Correction or elaboration welcomed !

"Apparently military helicopters are cleared to gound level over most of the UK" and "The Merlin certainly kicked up a draught and blew all sorts of bits of tree all over the place."

Can confirm both of those statements as this Merlin just about took our TV aerial off !!!

Several years ago I purchased Clupet rings from Alan Smith, who at that time, I beleived to be the only manufacturer. It still seems he does little to promote his business but put "Alan Smith" Clupet rings into Google & you'll find many recomendations and much advice. Alan is (was?) a metallurgist and and offered valuable 'dos & donts' over the phone.

There were two problems; his delivery time was long, very long.....and the wall pressure exerted by his accurate & superbly made Clupet rings was ultimately found too great for my (steam) application.

"I would be grateful if anyone knows where I might source some "On and Off" decals to put on my Fobco Star".

You seem to have been offered plenty of advice. You could d/load a font which resembles "Dymo" and print/laminate your own. This is one from a Google searchf "Free Dymo font" (colour modified)-

(Though why anyone would want to similate the hideous "Dymo" font is another matter !)

Re: "Triumph Motorcycles will be most offended"

As would another phoenix from the ashes: **LINK**

200bhp + @ 12,500rpm !!

<> Do we in the UK "manufacture" or mostly assemble these days? Does it even matter now? If components can be manufactured to spec more cheaply in the Far East so be it. Most of our manufacturing/assembly industry is owned by Far Eastern, German or American multinationals anyhow. "Will China's industrial boom last for ever? " ~ asks 'SOD'. Surely, it will prevail as long as their (and India's) attitude to environmental issues and thus on-costs remain?

<>"However,there is something like one fatal accident every week on farms over here. I doubt if factories could equal that,at any time. Nothing the H/SE can do will correct this" The Health & Safety Executive are concerned with the workplace (as defined) and the public if affected by workplace activities. Agriculture is subject to H&S at Work Regs. The H&SE have just published the latest statistics on workplace fatalities for 2016/17. They dispel some popular misconceptions and is compelling reading:-

http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm

Of the 102 work-related fatalities, more than half resulted from contact with a moving object. Eight were as a result of "contact with moving machinery". Eight too many of course.

Well said, or rather written, Mr Webster.

I have likewise been involved with the H&SE from the "industry side" over many years and found them pragmatic & reasonable people - the inspectorate branch especially. Their approach to workplace risk management was invariably sensible and any enforcement action justified. If only some of the Local Authorities were as rational.

Many postings of wisdom and lateral thinking here but such are apparently sadly lacking in the politicians’ mentality.

I don’t buy that their primary motivation is the toxicity of NOx and particulates. As with tobacco related deaths, cold economics dictate – as we are now finding - that reducing premature deaths from such causes actually costs the country billions per year which can only be funded through unpopular, higher taxation and cutting services. Whilst not denigrating the value of prolonging human life, my cynicism suggests that to keep votes, all political parties subscribe to ill-conceived measures such as this latest one.

I drive a diesel car made to conform to the latest Euro cat 6 emissions regulation. AdBlue is added at minimal extra cost/mile and reduces NOx output significantly. I get about 20 to 30% more miles/gallon of fossil fuel than with my previous petrol engine. Since 1990, particulate emissions from diesel engines have been reduced by around 99 percent, while modern diesels emit some 98 percent less NOx than comparable vehicles from the early 1990s. The “problem”, however it’s defined, is the continued use of old technology on the roads.

Who can foresee that North America or Russia would follow suit? Shale oil extraction and natural reserves in those areas are primary economic activities. Trump has already flagged up his attitude to green issues. Add to that the third world's dependence on old polluting vehicles and the UK & France contribution to improving health & climate change is insignificant and disproportionate.

As for “I do feel that most people should try harder, and am in favour of no-one over (say) 70 being allowed to vote. Not because old people are stupid, but because experienced minds fear change”. I prefer the philosophy advocated by my old prof “Don’t vote – it only encourages them”.

"What about the simple horse and cart? Worked for years Just an idea,is it any more stupid than the others?"

Ah but...."exhaust emissions" from horses are a major source of methane and that is around 30x more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2. Nice idea but a lot of hot air . Maybe though you could have a horse/i.c. engine hybrid, just need a tube from horse's a**e to inlet manifold ?

By coincidence I was today searching for an article in the M.E. from 1968. An editorial included this:-

"Steam cars again ?
According to an article in the American magazine “ Machine Design,” there is still hope that the steam engine will once again be seen on our roads. Some of the big American motor car manufacturers are doing a certain amount of research on steam engines suitable for road use. Ford is awaiting delivery of a reciprocating steam power plant designed specially for use in cars, and General Motors are also doing some research work on steam engines. The view of the manufacturers is that if any new power plant proves more efficient and in particular “ cleaner ” than existing petrol types, it has an excellent chance of being put into production"

50 years later, who knows ?! Since coal fired cars & vans are not included in this ban maybe we should start building replica Stanleys for our kids.

Edited By Fowlers Fury on 26/07/2017 21:59:55

With apologies to the OP and his question about flux:-

Foregoing postings illustrate a variety of personal perspectives on risk assessment of chemicals.

(risk = hazard x exposure e.g. high hazard + infrequent, low exposure means low risk and vice versa).

Major part of lifetime's work was in the heavy chemicals industry with much time spent on risk assessment. May I therefore recommend a little (amusing?) reading on handling of conc. mineral acids and explosives in times gone by?

**LINK**

Why the one-legged stool ? To prevent him falling asleep on the job !.

It's fairly easy to play safe using them in ER collets. Turn down an appropriate sized nut for the threaded cutter so that it will fit inside the ER collet holder. Run it down to sit on top of the collet and the cutter won't pull itself out if you are side milling - maybe I should add "they haven't yet for me" !

"They should be compulsory, every time I dig a bit of garden my neighbours cat thinks I have made him a new toilet, he had to pinch off a bit early when I spotted him the other day and ran at him waving a stick."

Alternatively get a Rottweiler like we did - haven't seen a cat in the garden for years. Mind you, the volume of excrement to be cleared is substantially greater.

[Does this Forum Post qualify for the widest digression ever from original topic ?]

".......blunder badly. As in 'Cold Fusion' for example."

Somewhat tongue-in-cheek.........and more germane to model engineering than evolution of immune systems.....

I used to be an occasional viewer of "Instructables". A website which sometimes contained items of workshop interest. Your reference to cold fusion reminded me of an "Instructable" on how to build a fusion reactor !

**LINK**

Perhaps one of our brethren has already built one to the instructions ??????????

If contemplating a build, please note one of the questions and its answer:-

Martin, as posted b4 - were you MRC-LMB ?

Although conscious of the serious drift here away from the OP's question; asthma is a generic term of course, what is at issue is 'extrinsic allergic asthma' or hypersensitivity. You wrote " Small amounts of intermittant exposure sensitises and then you get an allergic reaction. Continuous exposure habituates and you don't. It's not as simple as you would think". Your 1st sentence is correct, the 2nd not so for an atopic individual exposed to chemical allergens in the workplace. I spent many years investigating hypersensitivity to diisocyanates and once sensitised, a worker could not tolerate exposure to even "a few molecules" of -NCO.

Relevance to model engineering ? Probably minimal, but we may encounter chemical allergens. Twin-pack isocyanate paints are a recognised inhalation hazard, colophony in soft solder flux, numerous adhesives etc less so. An awful lot of hyperbole is written about health hazards but minimising exposure is always worthwhile.

"A very long time ago.......to our lab" MRC-LMB ?

I'll never forget my visits to Porton, also a very long time ago.

Ugh.. those lunches in the "The Mess"....

Re: "All this reminds me of an old joke doing the rounds when i was in the RAF " air force officer and army officer taking a pee air force officer goes to walk straight out, army officer says we were taught to wash our hands after taking a pee..................... "

When I worked in research, the 'gents' was shared between the chemistry and biology labs. The biologists always washed their hands before a pee (& after); the chemists only after.

Being in the former group, old habits die hard. The thought of those tiny spicules of steel which often embed themselves in the fingers after e.g. milling, getting embedded "there" ~~~

But this is getting off topic..........