Member postings for mike T

Merlin

Sorry no radial engine.

But I do have a part completed Revell Visible V8 which can be yours for a donation to your favourite charity, plus the cost of the postage. Send me a PM

Mike

Gray, Barrie and everyone.

Thanks for the advice regarding the plastic gib plates on the Compact 5 and other Emco machines. It is good to know that design is basically sound and does not need to be 'fixed'.

My machine is the CNC version with the lathe bed bolted to a sheet steel structure, it's not easy to remove the lathe to get access to the gib plates to make adjustments. So I attempted to make the adjustments in situ.I shortened a standard Allen key to fit, and with the aid of spot lights, inspection mirrors an a lot of rude words, I was able to reach up into the lathe bed to adjust the gib plate screws. Getting the Allen key to line up with the screw heads, when everything is upside down, back to front and barely accessible, was an interesting challenge in itself.

The three screws under the rear flat bed way, were already tight and did not need adjustment. The four screws for the forward gib plate, under the 'V' bed way, were a different story. One of the screws was missing completely and a replacement had to be found. The remaining three screws all needed about 3/4 of a turn to tighten the gib plate under the forward bed way.

These gib plate adjustments were difficult to do with the lathe bolted down, but possible; just. A complete transformation was achieved, the lathe and carriage are now correctly adjusted (for the first time in years) with no discernable play, even when I push and pull on the overhanging stepper motor. My Compact 5 CNC lives to fight another day.

Jobs a good 'un.

Thanks again for all the help, advice and encouragement.

Mike

Edited By mike T on 29/12/2018 20:39:06

Thank for your ideas.

I find the plastic keep plates will bend under load and the carriage rocks forward. It is quite noticeable on the CNC version when you push down on the stepper motor.

Has anyone tried replacing the plastic keep plates with brass or bronze keep plates

Mike

The carriage of the Compact 5 does not have adjustable gibs like a conventional lathe, instead it has a pair of plastic keep plates which clamp ((loosely) the carriage to bed ways. There seems to be no provision for adjusting the play between the keep plates and the bed ways. As a result the carriage can rock slightly spoiling the accuracy and surface finish.

What do you guys do to reduce the free play between the carriage and the bed ways?

Have any of our Compact 5 experts found a better way of providing adjustment for the carriage to the bed ways?

Mike

Edited By mike T on 28/12/2018 18:45:52

Lanolin is a very good long term preservative for bright steel and other metals.

And you don't have to go to Arc to get it.

Mike

It's easy, once you have the answer

https://assets.catawiki.nl/assets/2017/9/13/4/a/1/4a19a2bd-7867-45d3-b725-b7c2e1571854.jpg

Other than the colours, the only difference is your guy wears a beret.

Mike

Edited By mike T on 20/11/2018 20:03:35

I would go along with the choice of EN8 for the Gypsey crankshaft. It is a good compromise between strength and machinability. It is also readily available.

Totally agree. Both the organisers and the exhibitors need to lean how to work more closely if there is to be a future , otherwise there will be no tango

We could always admire the organisation team if there are no exhibits

Derek, you would not believe how difficult the show management make it for an exhibitor. If they decide to accept your request to exhibit a model, they insist on the exhibit being there for the full duration of the show. If you do not live locally, that can mean four nights in a hotel on top of your fuel and food bills. They do give you two entrance tickets, you are expected to buy the tickets for other two days. That's not much of an incentive for an exhibitor.is it?

Mike

Edited By mike T on 21/10/2018 22:24:43

Dave,

Now that the Bristol Show has gone, like so many other shows; you and I and some others are all looking for somewhere else where we can have our own table and a chance to run engines.

Good hunting

Mike

Very sad news indeed. Roy was always a perfect gentleman and a pleasure to talk too. He will be greatly missed.

Mike

I have been using DesKAM 2000 by Carken for the last 18 years and would not change it. DesKAM 2000 creates G code toolpaths with a backplot from a .DXF file. It's old software which runs well on my Win XP machine. If, you can find a download of this rather old software you will not be disappointed.

Edited By mike T on 02/10/2018 17:08:11

I was once clever enough to flatten my thumb with a hammer blow, made a right mess of the thumb nail.

A medic at the local RN base treated my injuries. He had a small glass bottle of chloromethane which expelled a jet of the liquid as the liquid inside the bottle boiled off. The medic directed the jet ot liquid chloromethane at my damaged thumbnail. Intensely cold at first but I soon lost all sensation, moments later he removed the complete thumbnail. All over and done within a few minutes, I did not feel a thing.

He said I was lucky, in a previous era I would have been given a piece of wood to bight on instead.or perhaps a tot of rum.

Hello Bernard,

This is what I use on all my machines

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7Sizes-Universal-Car-LED-Halo-Ring-Lights-Angel-Eyes-DRL-Durable-Headlight-Lamp/223015314547?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Da162edbc64be4e19968ff6f73d80a3a7%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D132200509432%26itm%3D223015314547&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Aa62f74ac-976c-11e8-bf69-74dbd1804ddb%7Cparentrq%3A01e8b8881650a9e8318380c5ffeab070%7Ciid%3A1

I use the 120mm diameter version and drive it with a 12 volt 'wall wart' power supply. I glue on some aluminium brackets and magnets.

Mike

Howard,

Thanks for your uninformative post.

You had a problem, now you and Gary have fixed it.

Well done.

I have used this company several times when I have upgraded my Emco F1 mills.

http://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/cnc-components/cnc-driver-kits.php?cat=7

They supply all the necessary electronic components as CNC kits which contain the steppers, controllers PSU's and the all important 25 pin breakout board. The kits contain almost everything you need for the electronic installation other than the wires.

Very pleased with their service and the equipment has given many years of reliable service.

Mike

Here is a video of my 1/6 scale STUG 111, a German anti-tank self-propelled gun.

You will need to cut and paste the address into your browser

The gun uses 50 cal cartridge cases. The gun made to be incapable for firing live rounds or blanks,(Home Office Rules) so the simulated firing is achieved with compressed air (or CO2) and a small quantity of baby talcum powder. It smalls sweeter than cordite. The recoil and recuperation are also powered by the compressed air supply

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Edited By Neil Wyatt on 27/12/2017 16:35:29

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 27/12/2017 16:36:28