By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more

Member postings for Fowlers Fury

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

<< First < Prev 18 19 20 21 22 23
Thread: Milling machine speed range
04/01/2012 23:47:10
I purchased a 1290E Wabeco mill a few years ago. It had the round vertical column and was atrocious for flexing under any sort of cutting. Consequently I contemplated what sort of 2nd hand price I might get for it in order to buy a Chinese job with decent vertical column with dovetail slides etc. However I then discovered I could buy such a column from Wabeco - expensive but I'd at least keep all the table clamps, DRO stuff etc I'd fitted.
When this column was installed, it was quite a transformation and for a small mill, it gets very regular use now for the 5" loco under construction.
 
However . . . . my opinion of the German electrics is another matter
After some use the motor began to 'stutter' and a strip down revealed that the pcb is exposed to the flying carbon particles abraded from the motor brushes and this caused tracking. The pcb needed thorough cleaning and then encasing in polythene sheet. In addition I fiited a pc case fan just in line with the motor brushes to extract the carbon particles & add some cooling.
Shortly after this, the electrics started to play up again and this time the linear pot which controls the speed had failed. I purchaed a replacement from Maplins but this caused new problems. After more aggravation I found it necessary to use a log pot rather than a linear one and this is a continued annoyance when changing speed. (I'm no expert on electronics so don't understand about the linear/log potentiometer issue).
A little later the plastic knob on the pot literally fell to bits, but a better replacement was easy.
 
Another irritation is the X axis locking key for the table. If you happen to leave this in the down position it will shear off or bend when advancing the table in the Y direction.
 
Yet despite the trials & tribulations, mechanically the mill is superb. Just comparing the feel of the X, Y & Z handwheels to those on Chinese mills at exhibitions shows it's a quality product IMHO.
 
 
Thread: This months MEW are 3 CNC features two too many
30/05/2011 18:20:34
I took the trouble to write twice to the editor about too much CNC and to support another complainant about too many CNC and Dave Fenner articles, but received no reply. The final straw was the July 2010 'Scribe a line' where 8 letters were shown "Reasons to subscribe" and this was followed by "Reasons not to subscribe 1". David Clark wrote under this heading ". . . . . but as the gentleman concerned was not renewing his subscription I see no reason to publish it here as he won't be able to read it".
OK, that's his opinion of open discussion but it's not mine.
I didn't renew my subscription and I know of others who took the same action.
I'm expecting neither support nor sympathy, but just offering a personal reflection.
If the circulation figures for MEW are going up then the content must appeal to new readers.
 
Thread: Lathe Drive Motors, 1ph or 3ph?
01/05/2010 20:59:55
NJH - snip "Question then for S7 owners. With  variable speed drive fitted where do you put the drive belts? Can you get all the required speed / torque requirements without moving belts or do some operations still require belt changing? I guess backgear may still be needed for some applications but I don't envisage a need to exceed the placarded top speed."
 
Transwave (usual disclaimer) told me straight off, "don't think you can just forget to change the drive betls with an inverter. You have to consider motor heating (as 'harold' points out) and  also that your chosen spindle speed should really be about the half-way point on the potentiometer" ~ or words to that effect.

I chose a big 3 ph motor (1.5 hp) and have never found any overheating even at low speed.
And, if I'm honest, I only change the belts if I'm turning small stock held in a collet at high speed.
 
The other hitherto unmentioned advantage of 3 ph running is that I can carry on lathe work after SWMBO has gone to bed without hearing complaints later of her being kept awake by the noise
 

30/04/2010 22:49:02
Attn: John Haine.
 
Just put "Fenner drives" into Google and find a stockist near to you.
On the Myford website, they list a Fenner-type belt but it's expensive at over £42. In addition it has much less thickness than a real Fenner.
I run my Fenner belt a just little slack and a dig-in will cause it to slip yet no problems with a heavy cut.
This is what Myford say about their belt:-
 
Power Twist Plus V Belt to fit the primary drive on all ML7-R and all Small Bore Super 7 lathes.  This belting is particularly useful for eliminating inherent single phase motor vibration which can be transmitted via the primary drive belt upto the countershaft.
 
I can't remember what I paid for the Fenner belt a few years ago, but it was nothing like £42 !
30/04/2010 01:35:40
Have to agree with CF's reply.
I've just installed a Transwave kit & 3ph motor and cannot in all honesty say that the surface finish is improved. However, I don't think that's the main issue.
I also installed a Fenner (breakable link) drive belt on the mandrel and that combined with the 3ph motor has made an unbelievable improvement in smooth running & quietness on a fairly new S7.
The new set-up makes me run the S7 at a speed more suitable for the different materials & diameters I am turning. That improves the finsih because I was usually too lazy to keep changing the 2 belts to run at the 'correct' speed. Anyway at the fastest speeds, the S7 used to sound rough & it vibrated with the 1ph motor & original belt. Not so now, it's a joy to use at high speed.
I'd put the change-over as one of the best workshop  investments I've made.
(Transwave provided excellent service at a good price)
Thread: Brazing Pickle
08/04/2010 18:54:54
Don't forget basic chemistry if using sulphuric acid in an attempt to remove limescale.
Whilst hard water is a very complex subject, our primary problem is calcium carbonate created by the boiling water. We need to convert this to a soluble calcium salt and using sulphuric acid will convert it to insoluble calcium sulphate. Furthermore, this will form on the surface of the scale and prevent the acid attacking the underlying carbonate.
 
If you want to use a strong mineral acid, then hydrochloric is the choice because it will convert the calcium carbonate to soluble calcium chloride:-
CaCO3 + 2HCl → CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O.

I don't like citric acid for removing scale or pickling oxidised copper because the calcium citrate formed is only partially soluble in water and if left to dry, the particles of calcium citrate (and copper citrate) are irritants to the respiratory tract, eyes and skin.
 
One of the best articles on hard water and model engineering is in EIM vol 21, No.2 p 34 et seq August 1999 (well worth reading IMHO)
 
<< First < Prev 18 19 20 21 22 23
Magazine Locator

Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!

Find Model Engineer & Model Engineers' Workshop

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.

You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

Latest Forum Posts
Support Our Partners
cowells
Sarik
MERIDIENNE EXHIBITIONS LTD
Shopping Partners
Subscription Offer

Latest "For Sale" Ads
Latest "Wanted" Ads
Get In Touch!

Do you want to contact the Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop team?

You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.

Click THIS LINK for full contact details.

For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.

Digital Back Issues

Social Media online

'Like' us on Facebook
Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
 Twitter Logo

Pin us on Pinterest

 

Donate

donate