Member postings for Brian G

I wonder if an MT1 fitting ER20 collet chuck would give you enough extension? As the small end of the collet is larger than the big end of the taper it would have to protrude at least 35mm from the spindle.

Brian G

Would R-clips work?

Brian G

I like the name of the Atlas "PICK-A-GEAR" even more than I like its simple but effective design. It reminds me of Select-o-matic and has a real Ronco feel to it.

I must be getting old.

Brian G

I wonder if she has Sirius Cybernetic's "Genuine People Personality"? Personally I would prefer the Nissan Pivo's friendly little dashboard robot as "Your plastic pal who's fun to be with".

Brian G

The answer may be in "One Good Turn: a Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw" by Witold Rybcznski. He describes how the Romans cut male threads in a similar way to your description, but the nuts didn't have a thread, instead wooden pegs were inserted radially to bear against the flank of the thread. This was much weaker than a proper female thread and could only be used for light loads.

The book states that the female thread was invented (or at least first described) by Vitruvius, who used it to replace the weighted lever of earlier olive presses with a screw. He temporarily fitted one of these nuts to the crossbeam of his press (in which a tapping diameter had been bored) and attached a metal cutter to an extension of of the screw, so that by repeatedly turning the screw and advancing the cutter, a helical thread was cut in the beam.

Brian G

You could take a look at this thread from a few days ago Biggest portable lathes . On a good day even I can (just) lift a 7x mini lathe in full working order from the floor to a bench, but a 10 x 30 is hard work for two, even with the chuck and tailstock removed, mainly because so much of the weight is at the headstock end. Not impossible though, just hard work, and with two of us, not worth hiring an engine hoist.

Brian G

How strong am I really? Well, it varies. I'm partly or completely paralysed about half of the time and it comes on suddenly, so we had to keep the weight down to what my son could safely stop from sliding down the stairs if I collapsed. I don't think the two 90 degree turns in our staircase helped, a problem that seemed relevant as the OP mentioned spiral staircases.

Brian G

Having taken three lathes and an X2.7 mill upstairs, I can recommend my Unimat SL

More seriously a 7x mini lathe is portable in one piece although not an comfortable one man lift. They do come apart easily though and all the components are easy to carry.

As far as larger Chinese lathes are concerned my son and I got a Chester DB10 long bed (10 x 30) upstairs after removing the chuck, tailstock and motor, but it was a struggle and could have caused serious injuries. We mounted it on a bench, fortunately the cabinet stand was light enough to be carried up the loft ladder for storage. We will have to move the lathe again when the new workshop is finished but next time it will be without the carriage and headstock as well.  (edit) As well as reducing the weight, this should make the lathe bed far better balanced to carry.

Brian G

Edited By Brian G on 15/02/2023 22:59:50

Hi Colin

Looking at this parts list Colchester Triumph 2000 it appears that the tripshaft (P15) only operates on the apron gears and has no connection to the half-nuts (P13). This would make it work only on the feed, and not when screwcutting when you might want to keep the half-nuts engaged to cut non-standard threads.

Brian G

Same here Robert, batteries are cheap compared to the equipment they power. I used to use Duracell industrial batteries but since watching this video <Edit and suffering some leakages> I have switched to Amazon basics low self-discharge NiMH cells, charged in their own overnight USB powered charger.

Brian G

Edited By Brian G on 04/02/2023 22:38:44

Online, try Disused Stations (Link to Easton). The cheapest copy of the Middleton Press book "Branch Lines Around Weymouth from Abbotsbury, Easton and the Quay" I can find is £10 (used) on Amazon and would probably be a good starting point. Incidentally, I'm pretty sure there are the remains of a stone tramway (a tramway made from stone, as well as to carry stone) on Portland.

Brian G

Edit:  If you really want to dig deep, Oakwood Press published a series of (I think) 3 Volumes which you can find using bookfinder.com and the title "Isle of Portland Railways". 

I'm afraid I haven't got these books, but I spend way too much time shopping for out of print railway books, and searching for somebody else's wants saves me spending

Edited By Brian G on 29/01/2023 10:15:57

I knew the opposite happened with sun and planet gears but had never considered this - always something new to learn here.

Brian G

Warco and Amadeal both offer more powerful brushless motored mini lathes with back-gears, which (if the drive is properly implemented) sound a lot more appealing than the older 350W brushed DC motored type I am used to.

Brian G

I suppose it is because, like smith, wright or fitter, I associate the term maker with particular crafts and skills that its use as a general term for hobbyists like myself annoys me.

Brian G

My linguistic bête noire is the term "Maker" (which my son uses just to wind me up), which may be even worse than the misuse of "Enormity" (I have even heard it used to describe size on the BBC - perhaps their transmitters are powered by the subterranean rotation of Lord Reith), a word that seems to be on the same trajectory from pejorative to praise that "Sophisticated" has already taken.

Brian G

(This may however just have been replaced as an annoyance by the near impossibility of typing a circumflex with a tenkeyless keyboard that doesn't have a numlock button).

To me "reach out" implies groping in the dark (but not the fun kind).

Brian G

My parents' house was renumbered when their road was extended at the '1' end. Amongst the deeds was a document relating to the renumbering, giving a deadline by which time the new number had to be displayed, and stating the penalty due under the town's byelaws if this were not done. If local councils have the power to do this, why don't they?

Brian G

A quick look at the dreaded Facebook throws up a Jersey model tug association and a Jersey model railway club. The tug operators might include steam builders, and as the model railway club has a live steam SM32 layout it might be worth making contact?

Brian G

Kite Packaging do 75 micron and Rajapack 90 micron.

Brian G

(No connection to either except as a satisfied customer).

If I cannot open a webpage I try downforeveryoneorjustme.com

Brian G