Member postings for Clive Hartland

The polished shiny powder was used as a trade with natives, another name for it was trade powder. it was well known that polished powder was not as easy to ignite as the matt courser powder.

Re Pyrodex. since been found to be quite dangerous as ignition could become a detonation. I stopped using it and reverted back to black powder.

I used the O/U BP shotgun for hunting and apart from the time to reload was as good or I might say better than a cartridge shotgun. It certainly brought down the birds. Recoil was less as well.

One thing I noticed was that the dog did not like the BP gun but was fine with a cartridge gun.

That can depend on the type of powder, polished or matt type.

Fine or coarse powder.

I read once that a measure of powder for a pistol was determined by pouring black powder of a ball of the caliber of the pistol until a cone of powder was formed.

I had a berretta O/U blackpowder shotgun, loading powder by flask, topped with some paper under the shot.

Old adage, if you want to shoot him dead, ram your power, not the lead.

Bags made of silk are used to hold propellant in modern breech loading weapons like the M109 Howitzer, I have never seen any residual left in the bore.

In fact, ramming the projectile would obviate any left residual in the chamber.

The worst situation is after ramming the shell and loading the propellant, that on elevating the barrel the shell slips back from the rifling and sits on the propellant with dire results.

One rule when using a level, 'Never touch the Bubble'. I had to drum this into the heads of the gunners when setting up the guns.

Finger/body heat will send the bubble flying from the central position.

Direct sunlight has the same effect.

Not done it yet, one case we handled was a jig for the manufacture of Helicopters, Lots of trouble with the frames. A visit and all levelled with a precision level (N3) and off to lunch on the company, back at 1400hrs and the jig was all over the place. The tide had come in since lunch, shifting the concrete foundation of the building.

Conclusion, move to a building further away from the tidal riverbank.

I seem to remember from my Instrument training that a 20sec,. bubble, the internal shape has an arc of 50meters?

In the old days they were ground internally by hand but now by machine.

The collimators i used to use were exceedingly sensitive, levelled end for end at 0900hrs, but by mid afternnon had shifted. This was caused by the South side of the building being heated by the Sun.

The only ones I have seen used and opened had red colour in the Carbon tet! not good for cleaning.

If burnt gives Black smoke and not nice.

I am sure my Smart meter lies compared to the bills I get!

By far the best quick change tool holder system is the Multiquick type. Infinite postion and quick to postion.

A good system of tool holders for round tooling or square type shanks. Perhhaps type 'O' or 'OO' for the new lathe.

So, is it time for, 'Flat tax', one set percentage for everything? If so, what would you set it at?

Thanks Gentlemen, the sacrificial pin of thread diameter seems the way to go. I have over a 100 to do!

As he is a long time good friend I cannot ask him to pay. Clive

I am slotting some bronze screwheads for a friend. He modifies theodolites for non magnetic standards. All ferrous screws changed for bronze. He makes the screws and they need slotting.

I have a 2mm saw mounted on the mill vertical drive and screws held in the vice in a collet in a square johnson block.

What is best method of ensuring the slot is central,in the screw head.

I have a DRO fitted to the mill and readout system.

Hard to get a measuring tool into the setup to check. Any ideas please.

Outrage now at the profit the power companies are making, British gas now paying dividends to shareholders again. EDF in France making a loss though but no doubt profit in the UK.

Importing Electric from Belgium at exhorbitant prices. A news story saying we export gas to Europe? Predictions of £ 2 to 3 thousand a year for power now.

With me it is names, I see the face, fine, but cannot remember the name. This comes of shifting about tyhe world from unit to unit, not staying long enugh to remember a name.

One other thing that comes to mind is, ESP, I could leave Germany, drive to the ferry and arrive at Mothers house and she would open the door, saying, 'I knew you were coming'.

A support close to and long enough to run past the threaded area to be cut, a substantial wooden handle for the chaser and a slow speed. Preferably some pre-cut thread and allow the chaser to follow the thread to clean and round off the crests. Not often used on steel unless cleaning thread. Mostly brass threads chased and fairly long threads (Fine threads) like on traverse screws on an Instrument or a microscope, I have not chased one greater than 8mm diameter.

Having worked on Swiss instruments I noticed that the did not do undercuts on shafts, but did recess facing galleries. These better to retain any lubricant' To my mind an undercut gives a weak point on the shaft at the junction of main body!

Bob, having visited Turkey and Spain onemof the things I noticed that they had solar water heaters on the roofs and in gardens.

These solar panels and tank follow the pattern of the Israeli ones, a sloping panel with tubes against a black panel and a header tank piped down to the house, all very free and neat apart from the initial cost.

Edited By Clive Hartland on 23/07/2022 08:41:48

Late evening and we have some rain, just a spatter at the moment here on the North Downs.