Member postings for Ajohnw

Ahh this stuff is MAP's plus. I suspect it should be MAPP's plus but it's a mix of propane, dimethyl ether and propane. They can't use the two P's as it's a trade name. Some say that it has a much higher calorific value than propane. This particular brand states 25% hotter.

**LINK**

What they may really mean is heat content and a some what higher temperature.

John

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I only have a large propane bottle so didn't fancy carrying it around to use my Sievert stuff, The "big middle sized one". It doesn't need refilling very often. I bought my torches from Cousins - all in cheapest at the time and they have always offered a good service.

It used to be possible to get a simple screw on torch for the 400 odd gm bottles. Maybe nearly a 1" dia nozzle that puts out a fairly gentle flame for it's size and didn't flare. I'm in no rush and some plumbers used them. They would cause a yorkshire fitting to melt in one go, no running a pencil flame round them which is what they seem to do these days with some risk of burning the solder due too much heat,

I went for this one due to amazon reviews on other makes. If it holds up as the name seems to suggest they are a bit of a bargain. Often it's cheaper to buy off amazon these days but the reviews are useful anyway.

The ability to run on MAP's might be useful for some other things. Seems to burn 25% hotter than propane.  I bought a bottle of that too from Toolstation - not sure what I will use it for other than quick hardening in the kitchen.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 01/12/2016 19:18:59

Tracey tools can be worth trying for that sort of thing. Reamers too.

You seem to have missed out a link or name so assume it's UkDrills.

John

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Given a decent set of screw gauges it's possible to spot the difference between 60 and 55 degrees by holding the part and correct tpi etc up to a brightish light. It ideally needs sets covering un,bs and metric.

If nothing works out it's possibly un angles and bs pitch or some other combination like that. Usually done to get people to buy something rather than make their own. Some gauges will cover none standard pitches though, What I find is that if it's the correct guage they fit perfectly along the gauges entire length.

John

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I wanted a propane torch to do some water pipe work and found lots of these on ebay

**LINK**

Thought it was worth mentioning as they do work upside down - with a full can anyway but I would have thought that's the worst case. They are also stated as working with maps gas.

The only make that gets decent reviews seems to be Rothenberger. Personally for yorkshire fitting a larger diameter flame would be better but no one seems to do the old style ones.

I do have the usual propane butane mix type but it flares very easily which is a right pain at times.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 01/12/2016 16:05:11

TPS isn't totally pointless. It's cut down UK companies doing the same thing dramatically. There has been a period where they would still phone on the basis that you had previously contacted them and also the agree to this and that terms and conditions. Tell them to take your number of the list etc and they do.

Most scam calls are from numbers that start 00 or display out of area. Call blockers will get rid of those but are a bit limiting in other areas in terms of what calls can be allowed. The only option seems to be to enter all of them fully - unlike the blocking. What I would like to do is only have certain area codes ring and dump the rest to the answer phone instantly. There is also a problem with some answer phones - like the one we have - waste of time picking up any of the phones once it's kicked in. The address books are stored locally too - totally stupid for home use. Some store in the main machine so can be used from any phone.

Some interesting things can be done with business phones that come with wireless handsets but the facilities on the handsets are really crude - punch in 3 digit numbers to do things to the system and no menu's.I believe the BT ones cost £10 to buy new. A 4 phone set also with a router, wifi etc can be bought for under £100 for the single line model.

I did look at usb dongles that can be used for internet connections and ditching the phone like completely. These can be plugged directly into some routers. Then just use a mobile but I'd guess the numbers to these will still get passed around. I am wondering if the bandwidth on the dongles is better.

I don't find junk email much of a problem. It's filtered. The only emails that get into my inbox come from people in my address book. Ebay, paypal and a few others get split off into separate folders. The rest go to one I can trashish. It doesn't take long to scan through those at all.

John

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I had one the other day that may have been the BT one. Longish speal but I couldn't understand a word of it, Not the usual accent so no idea where the call was made from. I just said stop wasting my time and go away. Unusually haven't had any more calls from them.

The reference services do work but only with legitimate companies. Many of these calls don't originate in the uk. A few might but from the ones we have had when I have bothered picking up the phone they were only house insulation people - all houses have to be insulate by a blah blah date. Those have stopped. Another was one of those companies that look at house prices and their rateable value and offer to sort it out if they think something is out of order. I did spend some time talking to her. Caller ID tends to take care of most of the others. So phone just rings and no one answers.

One thing I have done that has definitely reduced the number we get is to deliberately enter the wrong number when companies ask for it. Especially postal come shipping companies. When needed I correct it later. Only car and house insurance and screwfix so far. There isn't any doubt that our numbers are being passed around. There is also the silent call lot - phoning numbers on the off chance that they exist and also to find out when people are actually in. A lot if not all of those now do not originate in the UK.

One day some company might put sensible options in call blockers. I looked around at them recently - to save looking at the caller id before picking up.

John

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I thought Myford always used a proper means of locking the tailstock quill. Photo 2 shows a split casting.

John

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I would name who ever it is as a warning to other people. Chances are this person may sell something or the other and a persons morals can impact that in terms of what they are prepared to sell.

John

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I don't think I would do it the way the instructions suggest because when finished it needs to be parallel to the shafts that will be turned later.

So I'd centre drill each end of the bar stock on centre and then skim the od true between centres. These centres will be needed when the shafts at each end are turned.

Then mount that true in a 4 jaw and offset the bar by what ever amount is needed. You'll need to tap it parallel to the bed on 2 axis but if your 4 jaw is any good that shouldn't be a problem. The offset can be measured with a dti using the cross slide calibration to actually measure it. Strictly speaking DTI's aren't measuring instruments. You'd need 2 DTI's one to check the top is parallel and another to check the side and the offset.

Then turn the what ever the engine people call it. Then machine the shafts between centres. Some people add something to stiffen up the weak spot formed by the offset part. Maybe loctite or super glue a short length of bar in.

I believe one if the intentions of these was to turn cranks on a face plate. If well made there will only be a need to measure the offset,

**LINK**

I'd still do the initial centre drill each end and skim between centres. That way the accuracy of the above can be checked as well. If your lathe turns a taper or what ever include that in the check. Might be your best option and at this price scarcely worth thinking about castings and making one.

John

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How big is the offset from centre ?

John

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I've seen some "small" toolroom lathes with a cantilever bed but the whole lot was supported on an under driive unit casting "pillar" directly under the headstock. Being used in a toolroom anyway. I'd guess that they were production lathes really due to the fairly small space they occupied rather than the usual big Colchester.

Small is a relative term. I'd say circa 30" centres, and say circa 8 centre height. Pretty heavily built and no support on the tailstock end. Can't remember if they were gear heads or not but suspect so. The support casting was pretty hefty as it would need to be. They gave a very good finish on nitriding steel. The aim was to avoid grinding which gives some idea of the finish they could achieve.

I'm estimating sizes relative to a Boxford - bigger in other words in terms of centre height etc.

Bit of a thread hijack but I wondered if anyone knew what make they might be.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 30/11/2016 12:35:19

A simple trick on an ML7 - just set the headstock drive belt way too tight to mask bearing wear. Also but down to me really. I wasn't aware of just how good a fit the saddle needs to have on the bed. I could kick myself for that because I could have figured that out before even buying one. When thought went to a Super 7 instead I did give it some thought. The saddle and bed could be sorted out but the head stock bearings would probably need some work with a hand scraper. The saddle would mean that I would have to find some one with a surface grinder. Bed itself might be ok. If not the best answer at the time was to send it back to Myford and have both done and the saddle refitted. I would have warned them that I might reshim the gibs under the bed rails when it came back 'cause I am pretty sure they would know why I might do that,

However while browsing Ebay I saw my Boxford ME10. It had all of the gear I no I might need especially a fixed steady so I asked the seller to do the usual turning test over 6" on heavy bar. He didn't have any heavy bar but did it and told me the taper was about 0.002" on 1" bar. No one reached his reserve which was £750. I placed a bid of £1100 and some a few seconds before the auction end. I do know what the bits and pieces cost. I didn't have any interest at all in how old it was.

I much prefer to go and use machines or at least get a good look at them. My Dore Westbury came like that. Main problem the person who was selling it thinking he was ripping me off didn't know how to set it up. Same with a small Chinese miller I had before that. The person who bought that off me was very pleased with it.

To me people have a simple choice. Buying used is fine if a machine can be checked over some how. Most people think that if the chuck spins round all is ok. Fact the cross slide and headstock bearings will wear out long before the bed usually does enough to be a problem. May as well throw in one part of the underside of the saddle on Myford 7's as well. It's a weak point of the design.

The other option is to buy new cheap chinese. It's pretty clear that odd pigs do crop up at times so I always suggest buying from a company that provides a test certificate that will show just how much of a pig it should be.

If I hadn't found my Boxford I would have bought one long ago especially now they are somewhat better than they were. When I bought it would have to have been a 918 model and would probably have needed some titivation. My Boxford does too but only new head stock bearing to fix a very minor turning problem. The biggest problem when I got it home was adjusting them.

John

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The condition of a lathe is far more important than it's age. Wear can make any use of a lathe a lot more long winded and difficult than it needs to be.

Wear relates to how well they are looked after but given sufficient use they all show signs of wear and it takes a lot less than some might think. People will find lathes that the original owner has sold because it will no longer do what they need it to do and the lathe may have had several other owners since. I'd guess that could even relate to modern used small chinese lathes. Some like ML10's may have been bought for some great plan that never materialised. Some will have problems. Some sell because they are disappointed and buy some other model. I've bought a couple of items like that over the years and there has been nothing wrong with them - the real problem is the user who doesn't even know how to set them up correctly let alone use them. I have also managed to buy a couple of pigs that needed an awful amount of work done on them. One was brand new and nigh on impossible to fix up without access to equipment I don't have. I was mislead by the used machine I bought like this by the seller who had used a trick I had never come across before. That was a Myford 7. There are far too many well worn examples of those about.

John

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The fiddly bits are finally on. Bit of a problem with the last piece. The wall looked flat but had a lump. Should have checked with a straight edge first but fortunately I can get away with it and the bit that will show is fine. Only problem I have had sticking to an old wall. It's easy to miss remaining plaster and odd bits of mortar sticking out, Unlike the pro's going on video's I have watched since more or less finishing I have whacked it well home - following the builders advice, press it very firmly home. He's one if the good guys. I know from other work he did for us.

One video showed the end of the plaster board resting on the floor - that can be really bad news later. Plaster will wick up water like nobodies business especially plaster board.

Mixing the glue looks to be good practice for mixing plaster. Gauge the water needed then add the powder until the mix is correct. The lumps disappear pretty easily as the mix gets near the correct stiffness. It's easier that way as the water is the critical bit.

I need to do some plastering next. Thick stuff, just to fill the gaps to the main wall and a bit of blending. How that goes may well set what I do to finish it. My main problem last time was not waiting for it to go firmish before using a float and a little water. Very little. 2 coats are usually used too, It seems that helps get a decent finish as the last coat can be very thin and more or less just fills in marks - pass. Not tried it that way but might.

I may have a problem with the plaster board for the ceiling. Bought too soon and can't store it properly so it's warped a bit. If dry wall screws wont pull it flat I'll have to throw it away.

Next decision is the new wall.

Stick 2.7m x 1.2m feather edge to it, joint it and then use emulsion mist coating etc. The cost of the 2.7m lengths is disgusting compared with the 2.4's.

Use the small boards and joint it. That will probably need skimming however when they use these on ceilings they stagger the joints along the longest length. I could do that both ways on a wall. It's messy but easy to chamfer the edges of the boards so the jointing compound will be working on plaster not paper so if done neatly that to can be mist coated etc too. If in the future it doesn't work out it could still be jointed and skimmed. Given there would be plenty of adhesive behind it I can't see why there should be a problem anyway. The big plus is that the boards are much easier to handle.

On the ceiling I will definitely use 2.4x1.2m well jointed feather edge board plus stagger the long length joints.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 29/11/2016 20:22:57

The bed looks too high top to bottom to be an ML to me. It looks like a heavier lathe.

It also looks like the tailstock clamps in a more conventional way. In the V on one side and a clamp on the V at the rear.

John

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Sounds like the OP is sorted.

Small claims has changed. The local offices don't do it any more. A piece of advice I was given by some one that is often involved with this sort of thing. I had some concreting done and wasn't happy - pattern imprinted. There is a need to get a 2nd independent opinion - that's what this person did, usually on much larger jobs. Even so he visited and gave me some advice. If using small claims ask the court to collect the money. It can get very long winded otherwise and they don't mess about. If the payment isn't forthcoming they send the bailiffs in,

As it turns out the person that did it didn't come back for the rest of the money which helps make the job look a lot better. Around 50% discount and the main problem is still slowly weathering out - over 10+ years now,

Turns out he was one of these people that sort of don't exist. Car bought on HP and not a single payment made. Pays for everything with cash. Trying to get info from his bank proved to be impossible even though I paid with a building society cheque. Not sure how he managed to con some early payment out of me but some people are pretty good at that. I went and looked at work he had done elsewhere too etc.

John

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Arceuro do a set of small taps and dies. Not used them but they will have the diameters you need as they needn't be exactly on size just close.

**LINK**

You should be able to get pretty close to larger sizes in ordinary metric. Screws threads are usually used for fixings of some sort so exact sizes are seldom needed so it just means using different drill sizes for holes and different diameters for male threads.

That way is a lot lot cheaper.

The ultimate taps and dies are HSS ground thread. Some are cut thread. Carbon steel will wear out more quickly than HSS but in model engineering that often wont matter.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 29/11/2016 13:07:44

Drilling can put a lot more end pressure on a lathe headstock than turning which will also have an effect on the saddle leadscrew etc.

However I very nearly made something similar to take capstan sleeves on one lathe I had. I sold the lathe instead as it had other short comings. That had 20" between centre but the tailstock was way out. Far beyond reasonable correction.

If some one wants to fit a 13mm chuck to a short centre lathe one option is to adapt one from an electric drill. They screw on and use a secondary screw to prevent them unscrewing but could be loctited on. They will screw up tighter on a lathe anyway. They locate on a short register and the face behind that. Jacob's make some pretty sturdy ones in a variety of sizes. The arbour can be turned up from a morse drill or as I did a morse reamer but make sure there is a sufficient length before the flutes etc. Or use a blank end arbour. The only problem with the latter is getting then out of a morse sleeve if that is used to hold the blank in the headstock spindle. Getting it out can really mess up the end.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 29/11/2016 12:58:04

Many might fit a 13mm drill chuck to a lathe like DB7. Not a good idea unless some very short drills can be found.

John

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