Member postings for Brian G

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

Thread: Confused ....Advice needed rotary table vs dividing head
14/02/2021 14:35:24

I have a very small rotary table and considered making up a set of division plates and indexing mechanism for it, but found it easier, quicker and cheaper just to add a stepper motor and controller Following the step-by-step (sorry) instructions on HMEM was my first introduction to Arduinos., and there is a similar project in MEW 249.

I will admit however, that I am still tempted to use the stepper driven rotary table to make a set of division plates just because I could.

Brian G

Thread: Roller skate bearings.
13/02/2021 09:48:50

Starting to sound like cycling, fishing, tennis golf or even tools. I suspect he best would still be in a different class to the rest even without the largely psychological advantages of premium kit.

Brian G

Thread: Alternative valve mechanism
09/02/2021 13:56:08

Dou you mean something like the radial gear used on John Turner's Caledonia. a simplified version of Bremme/Klug ,where the vertical motion of the crank is used to swing a link? The close up of the valve gear is missing from the Sidestreet Bannerworks webpage, but is still available on the Wayback machine.

Brian G

Sidestreet Bannerworks article on Caledonia

John Turner Valve Gear

Thread: 00 Gauge Live Steam Locomotives
04/02/2021 10:19:26

I remember seeing Brian Caton's OO9 "rabbit warren" at a show many years ago. The locos were meths fired with a geared single cylinder in the cab. As well as the saddle tank as shown in this video there was a steam tram loco. I think he built some 00 locos as well.

Brian G
https://youtu.be/9ZsjikgGvmg

Thread: Dasqua DTI.
02/02/2021 19:21:09

I just tried the only indicator I have here (a second-hand Starrett) on my wife's kitchen scales. 18-20g for 0.8mm travel but 300g (or more properly just over 3N) to move the lever position. 15 x the force!

Brian G

Thread: Have You considered getting a 3D printer
01/02/2021 09:55:22
Posted by Danny M2Z on 01/02/2021 07:29:54:

I am considering a resin printer for smallish jobs (prototype fishing lures, model,aircraft pilots dummy engine parts and Lewis/.Spandau guns etc. so the ability to reproduce fine detail is important,

A question.,

Is it possible to halt a print halfway or maybe use pre positioned parts (jigged) such as a wire trace such that it is incorporated into the end result? (Fishing lures)

* danny *

I wouldn't want to try embedding metal parts as the printing process for resin involves the build plate coming down to 0.05m from the FEP film on each exposure. Although it is possible to pause the print, the slightest misalignment could cause a tear in the film, or even a broken LCD screen. Perhaps crimp a ferrule to the trace and print the lure with a tapered hole through it to capture the ferrule?

As far as pilots and engine parts are concerned, that is where the resin printers shine. This is my first figure, printed on Saturday. He is to 1:19 scale, hollow, and weighs only 10g. Created, clothed and rigged using MakeHuman, then posed in Blender before exporting to an STL and slicing in Chitubox. The software is all free, and apart from Chitubox open-source, so you can try out modelling before deciding whether to get a printer.

In this case, I didn't even have to do any 3D modelling, just decide on his build and features (everything from ear shape to gender is adjusted on sliding scales), choose the clothes and set up his pose. Unfortunately this was my first with Blender for over a year (I find Fusion 360 better for functional parts), and I didn't quite get his hands resting on his legs as planned, but as things would have it the unsupported fingers printed perfectly with no missing digits.

Brian G

resin printed figure.jpg

Thread: Wild Rose SM32 by Dave Watkins
26/01/2021 16:29:31

There is a very active e-mail /web group for 16mm live steam construction, **LINK** where there is a lot of information on both Wild Rose and Wild Rose Too.

Brian G

Thread: Benchtop lathe with power cross feed, looking to buy
20/01/2021 13:59:54

A digital mike takes out most of the hassle of unit conversion on a lathe. Set it to the diameter you want in the drawing units, zero it and switch to the machine units. Then when you measure the diameter you can directly read the amount to come off. My son's Chester is graduated in mm off of the diameter, so there is no arithmetic at all (yet he still talks about adding a DRO).

Brian G

Thread: Mini lathe feed
14/01/2021 12:58:30
Posted by Darren Keats on 13/01/2021 17:44:29:
... did try to cut a bit too much on the part i was making and thats what made it stop operating properly ....

It might be worth looking at the support bracket at the right hand end in case it is adjustable, as with one half nut the leadscrew may just have been lifted out of place.

Brian G

Thread: VAT changes post Brexit
09/01/2021 10:11:19

Has anybody tried buying books from the EU since Brexit? I am hoping that there would be no problem as books are zero rated in the UK but would rather know before ordering as it may help me to talk somebody into shipping to this apparently outcast island as many sellers appear to have abandoned us.

My own stupid fault, I wanted the book (on Dutch trams) for months but forgot to order it in time despite expecting Brexit to be a total disaster.

Brian G

Thread: airfield white lines - is there a quick way ?
08/01/2021 18:14:35

Not a serious option for 50m of lines, but definitely the lazy man's option.

Brian G

 

Edited By Brian G on 08/01/2021 18:14:56

Edited By Brian G on 08/01/2021 18:15:37

Thread: Metric to imperial
05/01/2021 22:44:27

Make things easy on yourself by simplifying the arithmetic, You could try treating each division as 0.05 mm off of the diameter. That way, you are dividing 73 by 5 instead of 365/25.

As it is even easier to work in tens, you could do the calculation quicker if you double the amount you want off of the diameter and shift the decimal one place.

73 x 2 = 146

shift the decimal one place to get 14.6

Take of 14 1/2 divisions.

Brian G

Edit.  If you are happier with imperial you could switch to thou for a sense check.  0.73 x 40 is just under 30 thou, each division is about 1 thou (or 2 thou off of the diameter), so you are looking to move just under 15 divisions.

Edited By Brian G on 05/01/2021 22:54:38

Thread: Calor gas butane workshop radiant heater
24/12/2020 09:39:41

I got curious about how an oxygen depletion unit like this one from Hamilton Gas Products works, as it cannot be that complex if they can sell it for a tenner complete with thermocouple and spark plug. I'm still not sure, but it appears that the pilot flame itself acts as the sensor, and that at under 18% oxygen the pilot flame separates from the burner, and therefore lifts off of the thermocouple, shutting off the gas valve, which sound like what you are describing.

I would guess that adjustment instructions are not going to be generally available, and wouldn't personally consider trying to adjust the pilot other than perhaps checking for blockages, but according to this article, one reason for the flame lifting off and shutting down the unit can be high gas pressure, so perhaps changing the regulator might be worthwhile?

Brian G

Thread: Which Laptop
22/12/2020 12:13:48

Worth considering that a current core I3 may outperform an older I5, as although it will have a lower base clock, its turbo speed could be higher and it will have the same number of cores and threads as the older processor. My son was very pleasantly surprised with the performance improvement when he replaced his second generation I5 laptop with a modern I3.

The lower power consumption could prevent it throttling and extend the life of the battery (which isn't as easily swapped out as on older machines). As long as you don't often run processor intensive applications like 3D games, video transcoding, rendering or massive spreadsheets, you should find an I3 fine.

It may be worth looking at storage though, as although by the time you get to a Core I3 you should be getting a real SSD and not flash-based storage, the capacity may be limited. Lenovo appear to be quite good in this area, with some laptops having both M2 and SATA interfaces.

Brian G

Thread: Etching brass
18/12/2020 10:41:18
Posted by Robin Graham on 17/12/2020 21:42:02:

...I've had a look around on t'internet and the tutorials I've seen start with the assumption that the tutee has a laser printer. It seems that laser toner can be transferred to the the work to make the mask. But I haven't got a laser printer - just an inkjet...

Robin.

Conventional photo copiers use exactly the same technology as laser printers, (more accurately laser printers use the same technology as photocopiers). Perhaps you can find a copy shop, post office or library that will let you photocopy your inkjet printed image onto either the special paper or transparency paper. Better yet, a copy shop could probably just print from your SD card or USB stick.

Brian G

Thread: Oil proof brush?
18/12/2020 10:25:44

Hog hair glue brushes seem to be immune to neatcut oil, but sadly not to milling cutters. I find they are just the right length not to tip over the oil pot (a small tomato puree tin with a magnet rescued from a fridge magnet glue to the bottom), but long enough that I can use them with the guards in place. Given my habit of collapsing, this last feature is vital

The ones I bought have lasted so long (despite standing continually in oil) that I cannot find the order, but they were similar to these (eBay).

Brian

Thread: Have You considered getting a 3D printer
11/12/2020 17:39:38

I suspect in a few years time the question "Have you ever considered getting a 3D printer for your workshop?" will seem as obvious as "Have you ever considered getting a lathe". I suffer episodes of paralysis and mine are ideal for my situation as they mean I can keep modelling or printing when I cannot safely use other tools.

Brian G

Thread: Carette Stork Leg
28/10/2020 11:37:44

Hi Alan

If your loco has the same valve gear as the one in this photo I found on liveauctioneers.com you may find the naming of parts to be a problem as it doesn't resemble full-size practice but appears to use a slotted rod like John Turner's "Caledonia" to rock its expansion link.

Carette Stork Leg

I would suggest testing the operation of the safety valve before testing the boiler. If you fill it completely it should start to release water long before reaching boiling. Mark Horovitz says in "A Passion for Steam" and online that his oscillating example runs at 10 psi. Perhaps you could contact the person who posted this video on YouTube earlier this year to find if he can give any advice?

Brian G

Edited By Brian G on 28/10/2020 11:39:04

Thread: Advice on Collets
16/10/2020 12:12:42

Hi Chris

Before deciding on MT3 collets for your lathe, I would suggest checking that the carriage will go far enough that a tool can reach the end of the spindle. If your motor is behind the headstock it may restrict movement of the carriage and either make this difficult or require excessive overhang of the compound.

Brian G

Thread: Engineering Sights on Google Streetview
15/10/2020 09:51:12

Another steam hammer, this time in France **LINK**

Brian G

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