Member postings for Ajohnw

Thanks. I'll take a look Jason. A lot of what I have seen of build threads often seem to boil down to here is a shot of me machining what ever it is and don't pass off much information other than that. The problem with long meaningful ones is that it takes a lot of time to do them and not all that many people will be prepared to do that or have the spare time available to do it. It takes a certain type of person and in some case more time documenting than actually making.

I still think there is a better way of going about producing build threads. If a beginner wants to make something start one before anything even goes in the chuck and be prepared to spend the time that will be needed. A virtual one that doesn't involve making anything would be pointless. There has already been one on here - Brian and his problematic lathe. There is a lot of info in there concerning very basic aspects and on doing something about it. It turned unfairly I suspect into a don't buy Opti thread. Bit stupid really because the same basic design from some one else could well have the same problems so it's more of a don't buy that design unless you are prepared to sort it out. A Seig for instance is different in some respects but may have it's own problems. Actually for some one who has never used a lathe before Brian went about it in a very sensible way - he wasn't making anything in particular just turning.

An observation on these people who want to leave and suddenly end threads - with some glee it seems in that case. As people go though life some develop a degree of intolerance to what other people do to such an extent that anything that departs from their own needs or aims causes a lot of frustration. The answer is in their own court, recognise the fact and grow out of it or put up with it. There used to be a program on the TV called angry old men. Interesting example. The tendency is reached because things change and often not for the better - life in general in other words. Plus the fact that at a certain point in life people realise that things in general aren't as simple as the may have thought in the past. The end result is a certain amount of frustration.

John

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Julian while it might appear that the hobby has been driven by steam loco's and steam engines that isn't really the case. There are way more home machine owners about than makers of either of those and has been since the year dot. That aspect is very likely to increase over time. It used to be pretty easy to buy either ME or MEW. It isn't now. I don't know of a single news agent that stocks it. Even in my time scales ME had to be ordered but odd copies could be seen in some shops.

Model Engineer covered all sorts of things other that steam. Rather a wide range of tooling for instance. Some people were perfectly happy making just that. I have met several people who fall into that category. Even these sorts of people are thin on the ground now. It looks like my DW miller was made by somebody of that nature. The person I bought that off was very disrespectful of his efforts and I would say incapable of matching them even at a trivial level. It's turned in to a buy it hobby, often for what to me looks to be inferior products. Reeve's Marston Green hit the rocks for a similar reason. Shrinking market and some one turning out precision castings that needed very little work and allowed people to build fairly simple engines with little effort at all.

Times change Julian. If people want an engine building forum there is one. I don't think people will be impressed with what it offers in terms of build threads and I would wonder if people would get the degree of help they get on here. I'd love to see a meaningful traction engine or loco build thread just to see how long it would finish up being. Books are available for many things in all of the areas but will suffer from the Myford effect - that is what will have been used to make what ever it is. The Myford effect often results in things being of a certain size too. Fortunately applied to a DW it's not too bad mainly due to weight. If some one designed a machine like that now I wonder what lathe the would pitch it at. I talked to a retailer that bemoaned what he had to do to his rotary table castings to get it one a Myford. It was initially designed to be made in schools. They don't even offer the castings now and I'd guess few would be interested in making one anyway but these days it could go back to the original design.

I do have a very well equipped workshop especially for the space I have available - currently still a problem. As some one put it else where - a lot of wise buys over a long period of time. i have had unwise buys too - 2 lathes in particular. The vast majority of my tooling came with the machines when I bought them. Some tooling often home made was bought off people who for one reason or the other were giving up. At some point when needed I will be doing more work on the rotary table and dividing head I posted shots of - when needed as is always the case with me. I don't mind spending upwards of 2hrs driving to look at something which appears to be ok. I usually convert it to a day out, general nose around and lunch with my wife.

I have a lot of kit for other activities. Largely down to any time I need say some woodwork doing I get a price and then look to see what it would cost to get what ever I need to do the job myself. The price I get quoted will be influenced by where I live. Not a terribly expensive part of B'ham but an area where tradesmen will assume I am incapable of doing anything myself.

I purely make things I need for what ever I am about at the time. This has included tooling especially for woodwork. Bits' for microscopes and telescope, electronics and etc. I've even used a lathe to square up the end of some drain pipe I was replacing. My interests are mercurial - even bits for a guitar at one point but later learned that I had problems learning to play it. I even returned to my model aircraft interest as a child at one point. All the work is as and when needed and mostly pretty small bits and pieces.

I seem to enjoy messing with lathes too. An insane amount of time spent on 2 of them. I currently have 3. A Pultra that may need more work than I think which is an indulgence really. At some point I will enjoy sorting it out. The other one is down to wanting to sort a couple of things out on my Boxford which in real terms are niggles but I will need a 2nd lathe to do it. Bought used, in good condition with it's chucks but oddly no steadies and if at some point I it sell losses wont be much at all. This lathe needs some sorting as well to make it more pleasant to use. I have the bits to do just that and need to make a couple of part to fit them. Later I may make a screw cutting indicator for it or even convert to cnc. I'me getting tired of tidying and sorting things out so have ordered a parting off blade for it so that I can make one of the bits I need on it. The other part will need some dismantling and another lathe while it's in bits.

The last 2 complete things I made, some time ago now was a centring telescope to allow me to set up a particular microscope and a fishing rod ring binding jig. In real terms my kit hasn't been used much for something like 18 months - nothing needed making. I've decided to have a very thorough sort out before doing anything else.

Really it is the people who want build threads who should start them not people who know what they are doing. That sort of person can contribute rather than actually maintain one. I reckon that is the only way any forum will get meaningful ones and mistakes will be made even then.

John

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I meant it in general terms Peter but do detect some interest in the direction I specifically mentioned.

It doesn't really matter what it's a build thread about really just that people need to produce them if they want them. Few do produce them. Bleating wont cause that to change,

John

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If people want build threads the answer is simple really. Start one. One person I am aware of on here did that as he was and in some ways still is a novice. He looks to have received plenty of help on his way to a model and then for some unknown reason deleted all or most of the photo's.

What it looks like to me is that if this site was purely build a steam engine threads no one would be posting at all really - especially now one seems to have come to a rather odd sort of end.

So if you engine people want them get of up of your backsides and start one and maintain it. A forum in real terms is only as good as it's members so if they wont nobody else is going to do it for you.

John

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i only read a few of the early posts but I wonder if people appreciate that many people who own telescopes also own a lathe and it's not all that unusual for people who own microscopes either. And then there are those that make tooling to be used in all fields. There is no saying what people might make with those. Bits for motor bikes isn't uncommon or given there is an aircraft thread maybe even bits for those.

So if this should just be a build a stream engine or loco forum what is MEW doing on here ?

Could it be that some people just want what they want and bugger everybody else ?

The other problem with build threads is having sufficient people about who are prepared to write them. There are plenty of often inadequate ones and odd bits and pieces about on the web.

John

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If you want to change the bearings I collected the info from the yahoo group and put it in a thread here

**LINK**

When people ask Neils usually post a link to the first time they were mentioned. There are other mentions about but Denver who doesn't seem to around there now collected it all together. Yahoo' search is pretty useless so thought it aught to be around on here as well.

Like several people have I found that the Boxford preload setting didn't work out. I reckon that is down to 2 things. More and more grease added over the years and general bearing wear. I used heat by checking the spindle under the rear bearing with a finger. Not just warm but rather warm but well short of hot. It's worked well but now shows that the front outer shell has worn a little oval.

John

AKA Ajohnw - no idea why it's different on here.

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Bang goes a thread I often catch up on. One of the few. Probably unique actually. Just as I saw you do something sensible too - not bothering to face up both ends of a short piece of bar to be held in a 3 jaw. No point doing that what so ever so carry on doing the sensible thing.

Must admit you are leaving me on tender hooks. I wonder just how you will get round the missing "ridge" on the eccentric sheave to match the groove in the strap.

Maybe it's a balls up. We all make them from time to time. Maybe it's not. Maybe it's the real reason for the current reaction. Me if it was a balls up I'd just get another chunk of what ever it is and do it again.

Listening to the parting off video and probably elaborating on what Jason might have said. I would wonder about 2 things with noises like that. Tool maybe a touch to high or a some what faster feed needed. The latter is why I part off and face by hand even though I have power feed. I've no objection to using oil on cast iron at all. It tends to improve finish on any material even brass. The only problem on cast iron is that it leave a messy sludge so generally people cut it dry. Speed, fine but with knob controlled speed I would probably wind it up once the intermittent cut is done.

John

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This one was made for 1/4 sq hss. Not much needs grinding off the tool bit. Just radius the corner with a little off the cutting side width.

Just ate a lovely bacon sandwich and it finished cooking as I was posting before.

John

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Brians lathe has 7.85mm +0 -0.3mm height form the tool seat to the centre line of the spindle and a 12mm holder.

I would be rather surprised if that wont take a 10mm tipped boring bar. Maybe some one could measure the tip height on one for him. It's best to buy that sort of thing with tips if you can. Often works out cheaper. Eg

**LINK**

And if it's a touch too high it's always possible to file some off the bottom or better still mill some off. The Taig vertical slide can often be fitted to a lathe some how or the other. Neil and me will vouch for it's quality and rigidity. The "vice" that comes with it is even good for various sizes of things. Looks crude but works well.

For the sort of work it sounds like Brian will be doing something more flexible will be needed. I used various sizes of these in the past but generally because I was machining cast iron.

**LINK**

There are also some round solid hss bars about with a bent / forged end. They need grinding as the ends are generally too wide. This is the type

**LINK**

Really though round HSS is just as good. Typically grind the cutting top down to 1/2 the dia and then relief along the side. It's possible to make a holder for these on the lathe. Put a block of whatever usually m/s in the tool holder and drill via one in the chuck.

For max flexibility on hole size HSS tool bits are more or less essential. I'd suggest 1/4" sq bits and maybe some larger sized bits for Brian's lathe. I'll come back with an example shortly.

John

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If you look at the ISO extended metric threads here you will see there is nothing odd about M2.6 at all

**LINK**

On the other hand they have been rationalised and I believe this is one is more up to date unless JIS has dropped some of theirs.

**LINK**

It pays to check dia and pitch on Japanese microscope. German too.

John

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For the sort of thing you are trying to do and making some assumptions along that line I think you should look at buying something like this

**LINK**

A lot more flexible than you Proxon and still small and relatively light. It looks like it has a couple of pluses. Depth stop and the ability to tilt one axis of the table - good because you can adjust that axis to be square to the drill, The vice might be junk or on the other hand might not be.

The 16mm chuck is for woodwork really and for the size of drill you are using you will need a pin chuck as per a previous post. The chucks they fit tend to eventually go wonky when small drills are held. On the other hand they often have a 2 morse chuck fitted and that can be changed to say a Jacobs keyed chuck with a capacity of 1/2 / 13mm or less. That size will just hold 1mm drills so a 3/8" or even 1/4 / 5/16 might be wiser just to make sure. The problem with the 5/8 chuck fitted is that there is too much jaw sticking out and not enough inside when they are fitted with fine drills.

There is no real answer to speed. The drill needs to be cutting and producing swarf and not clogging. I'd guess I would try something around 500 rpm or higher with a sharp drill. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the drill took some effort when it was pulled out after drilling the hole especially if it wasn't rotating.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 12/11/2015 13:16:56

Edited By John W1 on 12/11/2015 13:18:42

There is a site that lists metric threads that might be of interest. Topsy springs to mind.

**LINK**

John

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Wind it off by hand. Sounds like you fed it too fast.

John

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I use a pin vice along the same lines as Jason.

You might find the plastic doesn't melt if you up the feed rate - sort of punch the drill through rapidly.

John

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There is also chance of more extreme DIY eg

**LINK**

John

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Thanks for the info. I'm particularly interested in Colin using magnetic read heads. Since I saw the smaller Newall's DRO set up I have looked around to see if anyone has copied it. No, but even the ordinary sort appeals. Costs are similar to other higher res set ups due to the cost of the read heads.

Soldering irons and etc are a busman's holiday for me. After a number of other incarnations I finished up working on ECU hardware and software.

I suspect I would use plain ordinary perforate board rather than a pcb unless these were readily available - not even the vero strip type either.

Many other things to do at the moment. I've read elsewhere that several different machine set ups can be stored away. That aspect is interesting as well but I do like the fact that the ordinary dial and leadscrew can produce sizes to 0.0001" give or take a couple. That's one of the things that has put me off DRO's a bit. However.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 11/11/2015 19:08:03

I've tried several tapping lubricants with mixed feelings about the results. The latest is white tallow for lubrication and etc off ebay. I had to replace a piece of glass in a multifuel fire and when I undid the fixing it just snapped off so drilled and tapped a 4BA hole in where it was. The previous fixing looks like 3/8 whit. It's the first time I have tried the tallow - a nice finish in what is probably rather crap cast iron. It snapped off ever so easily.

At work I always used tallow but there is no way of knowing what was in it. Some one had some sperm whale oil. That in the past was thought to be the best - or so I am told.

John

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Has anyone done this

**LINK**

I might get tempted at some point and using a tablet sounds like an excellent idea to me. I'd wonder about wireless with inverters and speed controllers about but the alternative looks to be USB.

John

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Opti put taper rollers in them - following bad press I feel they should get some good press because I suspect all makes are more or less the same especially at the baby end but they vary design wise, Sieg for instance.

I just picked the next 2 up from baby. They don't give anywhere near as much detail on the baby,

Next one gives the aged bed

However if any one wants easily changed feed rates and the 1in spindle bore they need to go for the 2506 or the even bigger 2807. These go down to 30 rpm. No screw cutting indicator though. These seem to be entirely missing from continental lathes who ever makes them which I have always though is a little strange.

I'd more than guess the price differences would be far less if all sizes had the same features.

John

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It looks like it can be ordered from China still. I liked some of the comments about the major parts and it looks like it's stood up to use well. I had wondered how the Chinese got on with twin V beds - cheats, they mill clearance on one of them on the saddle and locate the tailstock on the other and probably the head. Being fair though the gear needed to make the saddle match perfectly with a twin V bed is specialised and very expensive. I'd guess that the speed change via a belt would put many off especially as it's not so easy to as on a conventional older rear countershaft lathe.

Trust Oz too come up with a good review. If I'm thinking of buying a dslr I generally look there as they don't seem to pull any punches about them. It's all there in the reviews.

Opti has been slated but as far as I know they are the only ones offering a "conditioned" bed. At least 6 months old, enough ??????. Also mention of what bearings they use but this is on a bigger lathe than Brian for instance wants. If I remember correctly it's mini lathe size, maybe next one up. It's in their catalogue anyway. The other thing that struck me about Brian's is maybe it's a one piece saddle - no front bolt on part to carry the feeds etc. If it is like that distortion is far more likely.

Anyway Hopper after what you have done to it I suspect he might find a shereline is a step backwards.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 10/11/2015 23:56:26