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Member postings for Clive Hartland

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

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Thread: Salvage from defunct inkjet printer
24/11/2011 17:26:34
My work place was recently burgled and thirteen Total Stations were stolen! These were from one Company and the total value was some £20,000/£30,000
Non of them were in a working condition and needed expensive repairs doing.
The workshop was full of equipment but nothing else was taken, niether tools or test equipment.
So far no trace of these instruments has emerged!
The damage done to get into the building has caused us a great deal of financial loss and an expensive upgrade of the security system.
It was almost a ram raid as they pulled the main door off the frame (Steel). They did this by hooking through the letter box!
My first thought was an inside job for an insurance scam, normally the items appear on EBay shortly after and the Police are informed but after six months nothing.
We now have to lock all the Instruments into two large steel safes every night, what a hassle.
 
Clive
24/11/2011 14:40:16
The latest technology now incorporates phase free laser diodes. These now allow contactless distance measurement and can be used in deformation determination such as dam walls and tunnel shift.
Previously you had to use a total internal reflecting prism to return the signal for read out.
 
The Total station is now placed statically and the operator walks around with a GPS/reflector transponder on a pole and the theodolite part of the Total station tracks the transponder/prism.
By placing the pole at the point of survey and pressing a button all the detail of angle/hieght are recorded automatically.
 
You may have seen the system at work when you pass a traffic accident and the Police carry out a one man survey.
On return to the office the recorded detail is put into a PC and the software then prints out a detailed plan of the survey.
This technology is leaping ahead and the power requirements are being reduced by using minature circuitry which can work all day on a Camcorder type battery.
Clive
23/11/2011 20:26:38
Here we go then, what about the WEEE regulations?
 
Anyway, the name for the people old or not who dismantle and store/hoard all the goodies is:- A MAGPIE.
This is in fact my Bro. You have to fight your way through his sheds, seven of them in his garden!
 
Little story here, in the early development of what they call, 'Total Stations', a Theodolite that stores all the detail electronically and can measure distance to a prism using an Infra red beam, Leica rushed their version onto the market to beat the Japanese who were very close to putting their version to market.
Being first was important and we made big sales to Ordnance Survey and other big companies.
So much so that the suppliers of the Japanese theodolites cut their prices by one third and sold at a loss to make market penetration.
Later, when improved versions with less weight and better performance came in we bought back all the first version and rather than put them back for sale as 2nd hand I was told to destroy them!
They were £17,000 new and I had about 20 to dismantle. Thinks, 20 Panalactic telescopes to play with and millions of s/steel skt hd screws, skt drive grub screws and circlips.
I started the job at home and spent 2 to 3 hrs a night and recovered all I could and then reduced the bodies to scrap Alu.
The telescopes I machined the bodies down to a tube and made another tubular body to fit, got them anodised and gave them to the technicions to have.
I mentioned Panalactic, which means the field of view stays the same wherever you focus. Beautiful sharp, and clear optics ideal for bird watching.
I disposed of the scrap to the scrappy and made a bit off it.
I still have a box of screws, so I never have to buy any.
 
Clive

Edited By Clive Hartland on 23/11/2011 20:34:42

Thread: MEW 184
23/11/2011 15:57:28
Wooden polishing sticks or 'Emery boards' are still available, most watch and clock suppliers have them in their inventories.
They come in grits:- 3 (Coarse) 2 (Medium) and 1 (Fine) and a 00 grits.
Very good for cleaning up and graining plate work, Polishing heads of non ferrous and ferrous screws and general cleaning up of metal.
I would not be without them.
As to making your own, it maybe cheaper to buy a few than waste time making them.
Graining is very easy with them as you go down the grits to get a nice finish, particularly clock plates and even gears.
The sticks are approx. 12" long and just under an inch wide and about a quarter inch thick.
 
Clive
Thread: metric taps
23/11/2011 10:07:42
Thread engagement is nominal at 1.5 x dia. I was always told that any further thread depth was of no practical use.
this like all the other constants was 'Drilled' into me by my instructors at Leica. These Norms are used by the Leica manufacturing dept. and I could not deviate from them.
The taps that I was using were the type where it cuts a third of the depth and the next one two thirds and the last forms the true size thread.
I found that these type of taps were far easier to use and keep square to the job.
Now with automation the hand cutting of threads is almost non existant as the machine does the whole body, machining and drilling and threading. We do occasionally have to clear a thread out of debri that is left by cleaning.
The note about the supplied screws and bolts being less than the nominal dia are because they are mostly rolled threads,
I agree that in Stainless steel the drilled tapping hole should be relaxed for easier tapping but I have used taps from Brutsch Reugger that cut stainless steel threads very cleanly and safely using standard tapping holes sizes.
 
Clive
22/11/2011 21:11:12
The constant for Metric standard threads is:- Thread dia. x .8
 
An example is:- 8mm x .8 gives 6.4 for tapping size This is a lot different from 7.1mm quoted. I am sure the bolt would wobble through under its own wieght!
 
Clive
Thread: 'Bristol Handles'
19/11/2011 20:58:45
Look up' Wix Royd' they have an enormous catalogue of bits and handles etc.
 
Clive
Thread: UNregulated DC??
19/11/2011 16:24:56
The term, 'Unregulated', is that only half wave DC, or are they saying that it does not need voltage regulation?
Two different things here I think.
Logically the DRO would need a useful DC at 9V but the voltage coming from a PSU rectifier is usually above 9V to allow for a regulator to work, so a voltage of 13 to 17 V would be OK.
You can give me a kicking if Im wrong.
 
Clive
Thread: Power switch for Myford ML speed 10
19/11/2011 15:44:43

Here is a pic. of my ML10's power switching. The Myford part number is:- 85766

Edited By Clive Hartland on 19/11/2011 15:45:18

18/11/2011 20:25:18
I only use the reverse when cutting threads Norman, I do not use it for cutting in reverse as you have pointed out that the chuck would unscrew
But. I now have a back plate and another chuck with a ring clamp on the back plate so I can cut with the machine in reverse.
I still feel that you need a no volt release and a safety switch device for the stop and start on the lathe.
 
Clive
18/11/2011 10:11:20
The original switching form the ML10 is a box fitted to the left front of the cabinet (Assuming its on a cabinet)
It has the ON switch with reversing and a big red knob for emergency 'OFF
Running the lathe from a 13Amp socket switch is dubious as in an emergency you may not be able to reach it.
Perhaps look on EBay or approach the new owners of the spares etc for Myford.
Be prepared to pay good money, up to £100 for the switching.
I will look later and see if I have any ref. numbers for you.
 
Clive
Thread: A change is as good as a rest
17/11/2011 08:36:25
Ramon, could you not fit a felt pad and just oil the pad occasionally?
 
Clive
Thread: Replacing lost threads
17/11/2011 08:20:03
Hello Ian, Yes, nearly all the old type Theos. and Levels used Cupronickel screws that that over time became brittle and the result was heads snapping off whilst in tension on the instrument.
Then the game of removing the siezed threaded portion with out mangling the bodywork!
This coupled with the fact that the base castings were ductile anyway.
We made jigs for certain places and were then able to drill it out and plug it as described.
 
Helicoils, I use helicoils quite often as we have kit that has to be opened and closed with multi screw covers and the threads get stripped.
Once you start using them many applications arise where they save the day.
 
Clive

Edited By Clive Hartland on 17/11/2011 08:33:07

16/11/2011 22:39:33
Plugging with a bigger threaded bush is the way I repair damaged theodolite bodies in Alu.
It hasnt failed me yet. I do use Loctite to assist the bush stability and normally I pre-thread the bush to the original thread.
For some reason the stainless steel screws and the protective anodising on the bodies do not like each other and sieze the threads.
Clive
Thread: A change is as good as a rest
16/11/2011 20:10:17
Ramon, If you are desperate for some sheet Corian I can send you a few square inches if you let me have your snail mail addy.
I think its just over a half inch thick. A very pale bluey white colour.
 
Clive
Thread: New Blocks on the Block
16/11/2011 16:13:36
my wallet has got that 'itchy' feeling again!
I already have a pair that I use in the surface plate mostly to hold or stand parts against when marking out, long pieces especially.
 
Clive
Thread: russian engine plan!
13/11/2011 15:08:58
If someone is going to make this Russian engine how are you going to get around the crankcase casting?
It has some very complicated galleries inside.
Will it be a lost wax method, from built up sections and then encased in the mould material?
I would be very interested in the method used.
 
Clive
12/11/2011 11:25:36
The crankcase is a casting with the galleries cast in, the crankshaft is seemingly nitrided and then ground.
Some very special treatment on other parts as well.
Also 'Ageing' on the castings was carried out, If you deep freeze them for a couple of days and then heat them up again, the stresses are relieved though on a casting this small I doubt its worth it.
Very interesting read as it seems a lot of them were made.
 
Clive
12/11/2011 10:45:57
This looks like a job for Ramon?
Interesting concepts in porting and rear exhaust set up.
Would the body be cast?
The crankshaft looks a bit of a job to do though with the porting disc.
I also note the drawing is dated 1969.
 
Clive

Edited By Clive Hartland on 12/11/2011 10:50:11

Thread: Milling from a sheet
09/11/2011 22:05:50
my keyboard is a bit diffy and I must replace it as its about 5 years old.
Anyway Bras is not spelt braas is it?
 
Clive, a sensitive soul!
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