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

Member postings for alan frost

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

<< First < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next > Last >>
Thread: Moving a lathe
27/11/2011 19:16:15
For completeness mods needed to engine crane, not necessary for 650Kg but useful are
1. Shorten jib support tube at an angle (makes it fold tighter) get top brace rewelded professionally unless you're good. Mark support tube up with deratings.
 
2. Make a set of shorter bracing legs mit casters (timber will do with angle iron reinforcement) , for when you're lifting < 2 tons in a confined space. Put a shelf in the back space where you can permanently store heavy objects to help counterbalance crane. This is self safetysising, wen you lift if the short legs/counterweight are not enough and the back of the crane starts slowly lifting, stop pumping and add longer legs or more counterweight.
 
3.Make a second ,shorter pump lever from old tube for use when space confined.
 
4. Shorten hook chain (to give higher lift under van roofs.)
 
 
t5. Timber , rope and slings will groan and give you a warning that steel won't.
 
6.Use shims, spacers to tighten sloppiness between structural members of crane, particularly to center jib on ram. This as a guess will increase the safety factor of the crane by another 25 % and decrease buttock clenching by the same factor.
 
7.Clarkes make the biggest range . They are not cheap and IMO there is not a decent design among them. I think it might be possible to get a 3 tonner which is a good design and folds tightly but I've never seen one. You need six casters , a top brace and leg locks for when they are folded. If a leg falls on your head due to a sudden move you'll know all about it.
 
8 a 6 foot preferably pry bar is almost essential. When you've got a ton and a half suspended those easy rolling multidirectional csters won't be . A six foot gentleman's persuader will return the casters to compliance so small slow moves are possible. A ton and a half swinging is impressive but not good for maintaing the colour of the trousers.
 
Most of the above can be done at leisure and will not be de rigeur for 650 Kg.
EDit-Lots of helpers are not good unless you are an ex-sergant major and they are used to working as a team. Two reasonably strong men, used to working together, can move practically anything with the right equipment and much more safely. Watch riggers, theres not usually a bunch of them but they know what they are doing and work as a team. Steel toecaps and gloves are good but I must admit I rarely put mine on.
 
best of luck and regards.

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 19:27:53

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 19:29:41

Thread: Making darts
27/11/2011 18:05:07
Neil,
 
Death by bullet counts as death by "ingestion of a foreign substance" usually via the skin. This is what a lot of pop stars die of . The foreign substances are usually water (well known r.stones member ), lead (well known beatle ), drugs ( a very popular one ,this) , smoke (Steve McQueen ) ,earth (often selected by plane crash or car crash devotees ) ,Turkish coffee, genuine i.e.non- westernised Japanese food. ( any of it) . Oh genuine Mexican food if its folded wrongly can be lethal too.
 
Many pathologists would however agree that death by bullet is more serious than the others.
 
Keef Richards has tried most of the above along with Doctor John ,and has proved they are not necessarily fatal. In fact Keef may well be immortal, he certainly has the constitution of an Ox. Jerry Lee Lewis was for many years an official tester, both actively and passively.
 
Mark, thanks for asking original question. It has expanded my medical and machining knowledge and unearthed our last defender on the NW frontier : and I loved Stewart's reminiscences.
 
Regards.

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 18:12:52

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 18:15:38

Thread: Moving a lathe
27/11/2011 15:28:41
Just read your last post. If you are going to use a tail lift someone has given you not good advice and I would suggest you read the posts I suggested, Particularly Richard Shutes and P.J.'s. That is unless you like buttock clenching.
Gantry crane excellent , pallet dubious , tail lift bad , van dubious.
Gantry crane excellent, trailer excellent.
 
OOOOer. I ve just read some of these posts. IMPERATIVE you read the posts I described altho Billy and Andrew above IMO are on the right lines. AS a for instance a 2 ton engine crane (a well designed one ) will lift most machines we will ever own at least 4 feet and probably 6 feet clear of the ground.How high do you want to go??  A van roof is a problem usually avoided by the mods to the engine crane I mentioned in my first post (shorten the crane hook chain) but as I say trailer excellent ,van dubious..

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 15:32:14

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 15:43:13

27/11/2011 15:24:14
Matthew, I have n't got time to read all these posts and I'm sure there's a lot of good advice there but I should read the thread "moving a mill" (or similar ) on Homeworkshop.org.
 
I read all those posts and can guarantee it was all good advice including some from a guy who moved 10s and 100s of tonnes for a living.
 
650 Kg merits care, concentration,plenty of time, and ideally a helper who can be as weak as a child, just as long as they can run for help if you are not cautious enough and get pinned. BUT 650 Kg is not a lot for one man on his own with the right basic equipment and attitude. The right basic equipment would be a well designed folding 2 ton engine crane with the right mods , a 6 feet prybar (3 feet at a push), some rollers as small in diameter as the surface you're rolling over will permit (scrapbinium rod or tube ), properly rated slings (chains are stronger but if they do fail you won't get groans as a warning ), and some substantial wood blocks. A comealong (as the Ozzies and Americans so graphically describe them) and some strong rope. Also realise "the gravity shadow" as a friend of mine recently descibed it must be kept out of and extends beyond the area under the machine----try and imagine where the machine and you would be on its second roll. All of this equipment will be useful to you time and time again and is not expensive or space consuming.
 
The problems come when you get used to well over a ton and then have to move a mere 5 cwt and get cocky as I did about 6 months ago very,very, luckily with no or very little damage to me or the machine.
Rgds Alan
Thread: Learning something new..
27/11/2011 04:42:24
Hi, Hansrudolf.
 
I think your high regard for the English sense of humour is a little misplaced these days judging my some of these replies. By the way I hope thats a Dutch Hans-I would hate to think a German reindeer was teaching the English about humour These days I think the old Italian proverb "People who live in Turin should not wash their face in the local river " applies too often. The trouble is it seems to be English tourists who are doing this,not the locals..
 
I took your point (and English apologies for those who did n't ) about the cross slide movement although I have owned lathes that did not reduce the diameter by 2x when the crossslide was advanced x. Its called non-deliberate decorative turning and avoids the need for an elliptical chuck but not the need for a new lathe.
 
I'm not going to knock the author of the beginners series though. It really is leading with your chin as we've all got our own ways of doing things. At least the man's writing, and on the whole its pretty good, and probably a brave thing to do.
.
Best regards Alan
 
A PS. Hey, I just read "back into the woods". Please confirm my suspicions of paragraph one are incorrect.

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 04:49:23

Edited By alan frost on 27/11/2011 04:51:21

Thread: Making darts
26/11/2011 14:52:09
Tel,if I am am correct in my assumption (from your dashing headgear) you are writing from,and defending, the NW frontier you will probably be buried upright.
26/11/2011 12:33:42
Looks like DU's out then although you could still induce a bit of wobble into the other players arms by telling them they are DU and saying "Oh! They've got a bit dusty and blowing them as you take them out of the case " What's more they'll think you have n't played for ages and get a bit cocky.
I think you could clean up until you are banned.
After the ban get reinstated and casually tell them " Yeah, could n't use the old DU so I got these heavy metal ones " 9/10 will probably still get the wobbles and away you go.
 
Told you everyone was helpful. A simple question and I've certainly increased my knowledge a lot. Everyday's a schoolday.

Edited By alan frost on 26/11/2011 12:37:10

Edited By alan frost on 26/11/2011 12:44:50

Edited By alan frost on 26/11/2011 12:48:38

26/11/2011 02:45:55
There you go-have a read of this
 
Harder than you would think reading this lot-but you'll probably find something better and more encouraging. I like the depleted Uranium idea-you could make some really slim ones.
 
I don't think the other guys thought the DU suggestion was serious. I don't see why not. Most people don't realise its not radioactive, well not enuff to worry about-, its just very heavy.A weapons outfit that sold weapons guaranteed to kill your own soldiers handling it would n't sell a lot.  Also if you announced loudly your darts were DU (even if you end up using brass) you might find your opponents dart arm got a bit wobbly and you could do well.

Edited By alan frost on 26/11/2011 02:51:43

26/11/2011 02:23:47
Mark, Got a feeling there are websites detailing guys who've made their own darts, the sort of guys who can put three in any bed from 12 feet. The materials are difficult to work and you'd ideally have to cut an internal thread, tricky but not that difficult ,in the barrel to screw the flights on. You could always use a tap for this, in fact thinking of the diameter ,you'd probably have to.
. You don't have to use titanium and you'd learn knurling and a lot of turning skills. A minilathe or maybe even a microlathe would do the job (if you go for one a minilathe would be the better choice as the bigger you get the more other useful things you can do on it. but beware-I don't play golf anymore because I find machining much more interesting-you might end up not playing.)
 
In theory you'd need a v.good lathe to really accurately match the darts but do you need them that accurately matched ? -Bristow used to be pretty good well before darts went hi-tech. and hi-tech clubs never did that much for my or anybody else's golf. Its the singer not the song.
 
Learning machining is not that difficult especially if you are pretty practical. There's a guy on another forum I use who bought his first lathe six months ago, dived in and got on with it, asked us a lot of questions-and I would say he's pretty good now ,and giving good answers to other new guy's questions.Nearly every one is this hobby is unusually helpful.
 
Try Googling " Darts DIY" that might find you something.
 
Thread: Back at last !
25/11/2011 01:14:30
If what appears?
Thread: Miller vertical travel
23/11/2011 02:34:44
Just checked my memory by re-reading Guy Lautard. Sure enough he gives 3 ways of making this triangular keyway , the second of which is the cheapest namely "chip it out with a cold chisel and finish by filing". He does go on to say "few men today have the skill to do this "
I do have a 4th way of achieving this which I detail in a post entitled " CNC help-non-urgent" on the Homeworkshop.org forum.
For the curious the other 2 ways Lautard lists are
1. With a shaper,planer or slotter
2 Broaching with a special broach
 
Neither as interesting as chiselling, or my method.
 
Rgds, Alan
Thread: metric taps
23/11/2011 02:08:59
I think it was H.Hall or Tubal Cain who pointed out that for all types of common thread 60% engagement gives a fixing of about 95% of the strength of 100% engagement. I can't remember the exact figures but the above are probably pretty close.
I do have strong wrists (sign of a mis -spent youth -?-) but am lazy and much prefer tapping at 60% or thereabouts engagement-gives you a bit more choice on tapping drill size too as I'll accept for 95% of my applications any engagement between say 50% and 80%.
And remember every time you use a commercial nut and bolt you're probably around 75% engagement. Not much point killing yourself tapping the rest of the machine at over 85%.

Edited By alan frost on 23/11/2011 02:14:29

Thread: 'Bristol Handles'
20/11/2011 18:54:47
Could members please stop using misleading titles for threads. I keep getting excited and it almost always ends in disappointment.
Thread: Unmitigated Woe
20/11/2011 18:47:21
Worth investing in a cheapish mitigator too.
Thread: How is DC1 ?
18/11/2011 15:52:00
Never mind" health OK."
 
I need a bit more than that, I need to see you back to full strength, more specifically
in the jaw muscles so that by the time I renew my subscription- if no putter is included with the subscription gift ( I shall again opt for the set of golf clubs -last years are dirty )- you are capable of getting a firm bite on someone's leg.
Don't worry about whats going on here--the unusually high a------e to good guy ratio on the site resulted in a fight on the block which special constable JS has sorted-apart from that all has been well and nurse Carney has had everything under control.
 
By the way the welding book arrived in well under 2 months (about 58 days ), in itself an indication all is well and normal. Next year I shall tell them there is no need to rush it.
Thread: Milling from a sheet
10/11/2011 16:48:59
If anyone is after a goscut the ebay set noted well above looks a fine set although I don't know that elfin pastry would be too happy about the box being untested.
Len, nibbles were, alas, not so easily obtainable in the late 50 s.

Edited By alan frost on 10/11/2011 16:50:45

10/11/2011 15:59:31
Clive , I think you'll find the spelling braa is used for especially fine big girls as Eccles would have called them. Wish the Goscut had been around when I was courting.
10/11/2011 15:30:36
I don't usually join in these reminiscing sessions I'm far too young at 68, but I never throw anything away and as cutting large sheets is a perpetual challege I have a working Goscut (mit all blades and instructions), a monodex, a nibbler, two reciprocating saws , several angle grinders and of course the usual array of machine tools with relevant accessories. Which one gets used depends on thickness and size of sheet ( or young plate ). I'm not a model engineer and sometimes need to cut big sizes from thick sheets altho my full size Titanic has been put on hold until I can get some bending rolls able to tackle 3 inch plate in very large sizes (they did exist ).Firm in I think Kilmarnock made them and probably others too. Legend has in when rolling a 3 inch thick 10 feet by 10 feet plate the rumble was held and felt in Australia (I made that last bit up).
Agree with Billy about nibblers and its the very devil to clamp a straight edge to a large sheet to work against. The vibrations always loosen the clamps (although they can only be heard in S. Liberia ). I made that last bit up too.
The reciprocating saw is amazingly good for sheet/Plate thicknesses over say about 2 mm , the thicker the better really altho also slower. Zero distortion too and almost zero heat. Does loosen your teeth a bit.

Edited By alan frost on 10/11/2011 15:32:06

Edited By alan frost on 10/11/2011 15:39:04

Thread: Thanks for 183
05/11/2011 12:13:21
Agreed. The point I was making was that we don't have an equivalent to HSM and MW as far as I am aware. Not that I don't enjoy MEW , and ME and EIM on the rare occasions I see the latter two. HSM and MW I think are quality mags.( except the ads. are naturally all US based) but expensive in this country and I only buy them occasionally. I think Practical Mechanics (have I got that right ?  was also American but I have n't seen a copy of that for years.

Edited By alan frost on 05/11/2011 12:16:08

05/11/2011 00:18:16
As a sarcastic critic from time to time may I say how much I appreciated issue 183. Like a lot of us I am more a home workshop type than model engineer (much as I admire good model engineering ) and altho I have 4 lathes none of them is a midgetford , but one is pretty tiny..
Issue 83 had very little on midgetfords and a lot on human sized engineering (pressbrake, workshop floors, pillar tool, rivet shear ,QCTP carousel,
Usually there's a couple of articles of interest to me but this month , practically every article was of interest.
The Americans have The Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop but in the UK our equivalents all seemed linked to models so it was nice to get an issue with an unusually high percentage of the bigger stuff.
<< First < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next > Last >>
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