Member postings for Brian G

Was it even manufactured rather than simply made? My first pair of V blocks were made within about 8 weeks of starting training, and only matched each other because they were machined as a pair and even I couldn't mess that up - although I'm pretty sure I could now

Brian G

Marquardt 1010 series. Out of stock at RS though Marquardt

Google image search for 1010 microswitch brings up plenty of them

Brian G

Hi Paul

The boilers are soft soldered brass, either in a polished finish or nickel plated. It isn't unknown for the sight glass flange to come adrift if the boiler runs dry (when I tried to fix one where this had happened I didn't realise it was made this way and tried silver soldering. I burnt straight through it with a propane torch)

Soldering, polishing and plating the boilers starts at about 3:38 in this video

Brian G

I don't think there are many 2.0mm punches around. We used to use Kennedy interchangeable punches in hydraulic punch setups to number parts at the same time as punching holes, so I looked at the Zoro website and saw this set from Pryor. I suspect you would be better off making your own holder, perhaps with a central pin to engage in the holes in the plate?

Brian G

I need to make a 5" diameter backplate like that in the photo (but without the protruding cap head screws) but cannot decide what material to buy. Despite the inevitable mess I'm leaning toward cast iron in case the milled recesses around the rim would affect the stability of mild steel, but have no idea if grey or ductile cast iron would be best.

Thanks for any advice

Brian G

Not that painful on new items if the vendor can sell VAT free for export (although we will also have to pay clearance fees), but could it mean that we will be charged VAT on used items from private sellers?

Brian G

This has happened to me without feline assistance, in fact the car is quite likely innocent (although if I know cats it is guilty of something) . The longer the PLA is left the more brittle it becomes, and it always snaps at the point it enters the extruder drive as this is where it is under stress.

I now watch it starting to print before turning my back it.

Brian G

For anybody who really wants to use Imperial units, Starrett kindly provide a handy drawing of the 2" version, although I would be tempted to take advantage of the +/-1/64" stated tolerance to replace the 17/64" thread with 1/4" or 9/32" (or even perhaps M7, modelling in a scale officially described as "14 to 16mm to the foot" means I cannot afford to be fussy).

Brian G

Watermills and windmills used fruitwood such as apple for gear teeth, although this was running against cast iron. This website has a list of the properties of different timbers for making wooden clock gears, so it might be relevant.

Brian G

Thanks Jason, settings changed.

Brian G

The behaviour of the latest posts list on the right of the home page is different to that of the detailed latest posts list following the "more latest posts" link. When I click on the links to the right I am taken to the last page of the thread (the one with the latest post), which is much more convenient than when I use the detailed latest post list which always links to page one of the selected thread. In the case of "My new lathe a Warco 918" this is seven pages from the latest post. A slight inconvenience on a PC, but a real nuisance on a mobile phone.

Getting back on topic, I can honestly say I have never gone to a topic and looked through the threads, instead using latest posts when I want to see what is happening, and the search facility when I want to find something out.

Brian G

The simplest way to get hands-free operation is probably to add a return spring and connect the hand press to a pedal. Industrial staplers often just use a length of chain for this.

For powered operation, If a windscreen wiper motor isn't powerful enough you could try a mechanism I encountered on a small powered notcher. A pedal pushed the crank that operated the notcher into a continuously rotating flywheel, engaging a gab. As the notcher reached the top of the stroke a cam pushed crank out of engagement, and unless the pedal was held down it stopped after one cycle. With this mechanism the motor ran continuously, making the choice of motors simpler

Brian G

The same question came up a few years back. Perhaps this will help? **LINK**

Brian G

I'm afraid almost everything we have told you (apart from the fact it is addictive and Michael's link to the parts list) applies to the original SL and won't be any help to you. There is some information on your machine at lathes.co.uk.

As the Basic has the same M14 x 1 thread on the spindle and tailstock as the Unimat 3 and 4, you should be able to find additional chucks, drill chucks, faceplates and live centres from either Pro Machine Tools, Arc Euro Trade, Chronos, RDG Tools or eBay. If you want a collet chuck, Arc Euro Trade offer a backplate and ER collet chuck which might be a sensible alternative to the ESX chuck as you could re-use the collets on another lathe or milling machine if you get hooked.

Brian

I think we may be at cross purposes Lucien. Do you have a Unimat SL (cast bed and swivelling headstock, round bar sideways, turns into a milling machine) or a unimat basic (unimat Pc without stepper motors)?

Photos here

Brian G

Double post, see below

Edited By Brian G on 08/06/2020 21:29:18

There is an active group of enthusiasts on groups.io Lucien. **LINK** I'm not a very active member as I seldom use my SL any longer.

Original 4-jaw chucks can be expensive but Chronos or RDG tools sometimes have M12x1 chucks. The group files contain drawings for a QCTP, or there is a piston type available from the US. An alternative approach is to use multiple toolposts. I'm afraid the centre height isn't really enough for a compound slide, but you can fit a 20mm raising block which would let you use a C0 or U3 compound on a thin spacer.

Brian G

Edit: I should add that Ady is right, an SL is a real machine but can easily lead you on to a life of moving bigger and bigger machines. I thought getting a 10x30 lathe upstairs was going to be the end of me.

Edited By Brian G on 08/06/2020 17:45:12

Bradley (Locomotives of the LSWR Vol 2) lists which of these locomotives were painted unlined dark green or unlined light green in 1940-41. I assume these are the two shades of malachite as these are changes from Maunsell lined olive green.

I assume from the picture on Reeve's website that your locomotive is in the 823-847 series. If you are building 841 herself, Bradley says she went from Maunsell livery to dark green with "Sunshine" lettering, and was like all the class repainted in unlined black after nationalisation.

Brian G

The slowest gear on my son's Chester is so slow it doesn't even quote a speed for facing. I assume part of the difference is simply down to the cross slide being on a screw and the carriage on a rack.

Personally, I don't mind too much as I'm pretty sure I would break something if I tried to part off at the same rate as plain turning.

Brian G

Coincidentally, this morning I was measuring up tools ready to start 3D printing storage trays based on these.

Brian G