Member postings for Brian G

I just bought the e-book as well as the software. There is a preview here. It looks like good value, and easier for me than a printed copy as I normally keep one monitor free for documents. One of the first things I found is that a 2-point line can be started by typing LI. There are plenty of others such as LH for a horizontal line.

I'll let you guess the command line for a vertical line

Brian

Thanks Neil

I asked this morning but they don't have the information. Unless anybody with a C6 reads this he will have to make his own backplate.

Brian

EDIT:  Even without a positive result, getting a same-day reply from a supplier has to count as good service.

Edited By Brian G on 26/03/2019 15:52:16

I would REALLY like to claim that 33/(3 x 99) = 1/3 was a deliberate mistake and not the reason I rely on CAD and Excel so much

Brian

I will put AutoCAD R14 on hold for a bit as Longbow doesn't work on dongled versions, and I am not that keen on going back too far on Windows. I have just used ODA File Converter (formerly Teigha) to convert everything to DXF (remarkably simple as it does a complete folder as a batch job) so I can guarantee access to them whatever I do.

Having done some testing, QCAD free opens the DXF files with a few linetype issues, but FreeCAD doesn't seem to handle the dimensions and text. QCAD Professional will open and save DWG, so I'm about to bite the bullet and pay EUR 33 + VAT for a lifetime licence and a year's updates. Even if I buy a new version every three years, it would still only cost 1/3 as much as Draftsight.

Brian

My son wants to buy one of the self-centring 4-jaw 125mm chucks from Arc and as his new Chester uses the same mounting system (A rotating collar and 3 plug bolts) he wondered if he could use (or adapt) the Arc Backplate?

The Chester has a 50mm spindle nose and three 20mm holes on a 75mm P.C.D. Does anybody know if the C6/SC6 dimensions are the same?

Thanks

Brian

Looks like I will have to hurry up and convert all my drawings back to AutoCAD R14. I'm pretty sure I can dig out my dongle and a spare XP licence to run it on.

Brian

I must admit to thinking that there would be dozens of YouTube videos, but perhaps they are just too basic a technology. There is a thread elsewhere on this forum, but to be honest I have no idea where I saw the idea of using ballraces, but they are just used as a shortcut to avoid the need to turn, harden and temper buttons, not rolling like on a filing rest.

Brian

There are drawings available through the 16mm association, either on the website (2' gauge unless you scale up to 7/8" which is now a popular option) or by buying back numbers of 16mm today (which has a number of dual gauge designs).

Brian

Rather than buying a rotary table before you are certain which one you want (I made that mistake and haven't actually needed to use mine yet as for many jobs a file is quicker), you might be able to make filing it easier. After spending hundreds on machines, it was quite disheartening to realise that hand tools can be less work.

Perhaps take off most of the metal with a couple of angled cuts, either on the mill or more easily with a hacksaw (where you don't have to do mulitple set-ups or worse still reset a rotating vice to straight) and then file it between a couple of steel buttons. If you can't harden them put layout fluid or Sharpie on them and try not to file it off. If there is a hole, bolt them through (which would let you use cheap ballraces as buttons) otherwise clamp them.

Brian

EDIT:  If you do go down the motorised table route, take a look at Arduino Rotary Table for Dummies on HMEM.  The whole project costs less (much less if you use an Arduino clone) than a set of division disks for a rotary table, and assembling the electronics was a fun introduction to Arduinos.  I might even get around to fitting it to my rotary table one day should I need it... (EDIT2:  If I can find it that is, I have a horrible feeling I nicked all the components for other projects, Arduinos are seriously addictive).

Edited By Brian G on 21/03/2019 08:21:54

Edited By Brian G on 21/03/2019 08:24:20

Video on the BBC **LINK** Brace yourself for a Disney moment

Brian

To be fair, Microsoft offer a free compatibility pack for earlier versions of Office software, and there are plenty of free online file converters (although with many .docx and .xlsx files all you need to do is change the file extension to .doc or .xls to open in earlier versions).

I wonder, does everybody who objects to the fact that Microsoft's (and for that matter Adobe's and Autodesk's,) proprietary standards are becoming the de facto standards for documents refuse on principle to use Morse, Jacobs and R8 tapers, Brown and Sharpe cutters or ER collets?

Brian

Ancient? My Acer 7720G was ten eleven years old last month and is quite happy running and updating 64-bit Windows 10. I had a few driver issues updating to Windows 7, but 8, 8.1 and 10 all went smoothly. Only downsides are the lack of multi-touch on the trackpad (the hardware is just too old) and a core duo processor, although since adding an SSD as boot drive, the overall performance is better than a cheap modern machine.

Brian

EDIT:  I evidently can't do subtraction.

Edited By Brian G on 17/03/2019 08:39:10

Seig still list one: **LINK** . I would imagine that in many countries being able to use standard hacksaw blades is quite useful.

Brian

Cooling may be worth considering. After each tooth of the bandsaw passes through the metal it has plenty of time to cool before re-entering as perhaps 90% of the blade is shedding heat. In contrast a hacksaw blade spends its return stroke passing through the bar it is cutting and only gets a short time at each end of the stroke to cool.

Having said that, I certainly don't have room (or the need) for either a bandsaw or a full-size donkey saw, so a compact powered hacksaw is more attractive. (I have Myfordboy's drawings and a spare motor, but need to get a round tuit, until then the cold saw or a "manumatic" hacksaw will have to do).

Brian

I once received a phone call from an aeronautical engineer complaining about our supplying him with an aluminium greenhouse equipped with galvanised and stainless steel fittings. I agreed that there should be electrolytic corrosion, but that I had never encountered it in 20 years, and that I had seen 30+ year old buildings without any problems. The only reason I could think of was that the 6063 aluminium formed an oxide skin before this happened. Are there any metallurgists out there that can come up with a better explanation?

Brian

Yes Bill, it is in book 1.

Brian

Edit:  Not as bad as some authors, at least both books are still available.  My pet hate is "full details are in my earlier (out of print, hard to find and frighteningly expensive) book" (or article in the case of LBSC!).

Edited By Brian G on 14/03/2019 17:23:17

Hi Bill

He explains why in chapter one of Building Simple Model Steam Engines: "I don't recommend the use of galvanised or zinc-coated steel, as the coating will react with any adjacent copper or brass and cause corrosion. The same applies to aluminium."

Brian

This thread "Bending Cast Gunmetal" suggests that bronzes don't like being hot worked **LINK**

Brian

If I understand correctly, the dog clutch doesn't have to be on the spindle to allow re-engagement in the thread, but it does have to have a 1:1 relationship with the spindle and a constant relationship to the leadscrew and one of these wouldn't happen if the tumble reverse is used to disconnect the drive. In this design which takes advantage of the output gear from the tumble reverse having the same tooth count as the bull gear, the clutch is mounted after the tumble reverse which has to stay engaged to maintain its relationship to the spindle. www.gadgetbuilder.com/Dog_Clutch.html .

Brian

EDIT: .com not ,com <FACEPALM>

Edited By Brian G on 12/03/2019 13:36:06

A proper vertical motion could double as a filing machine. It looks as if the Hemingway kit comes close to the ideal apart from its limited cutting width.

Brian

Edit:  And it would be less expensive than selling my fretsaw and buying a better one - I'll have to think about that.

Edited By Brian G on 11/03/2019 12:06:27