Member postings for Tomfilery

Bill,

Your first proposed design is awful - made literally from a soup tin - don't even consider it!

Your second one looks a much safer bet.

Regards Tom

Martin,

Stick with it as it will work!

I use Ubuntu with VirtualBox running Windows Vista, so I can run my TurboCad 16 Deluxe and my FInale Guitar software without having to run up my "normal" Windows. TurboCad gets loads of use with no real problems. I allow my VirtualVista to access a specific directory on my main drive (i.e. outside of the virtual environment) so that I have easy access to the data I've been working on (e.g. if I've saved a drawing as a pdf to pass to someone who doesn't have CAD).

You can download (for free) Musescore for Linux - but would need to check compatibility with your existing files. TuxGuitar is another Linux app which allows you to read ProGuitar Tab (for free).

Regards Tom

James,

I don't think the Proxxon saw would work well with brass that thin and, if it were me, I'd be worried about the blade grabbing the brass and throwing it back at me, or pulling my fingers into it! I don't have one of those saws, but a friend does and I've used it a number of times for cutting wooden strip. Additionally, you'd have to find a slitting saw the correct diameter and with the appropriate sized hole for mounting it (10mm IIRC).

You might be better off looking at the Proxxon Scroll saw (or similar - effectively a motorised fret saw) and using a piercing saw blade (also called a Jewellers saw).

If you need to make quite a few of the tangents (so that hand cutting is out of the question) you might be better off looking at getting a guillotine - which would be less likely to distort the material than shears.

Regards Tom

Bandersnatch,

I should have realised!!!!!!

Yes - I completely missed the sarcasm - sorry!

Regards Tom

Bandersnatch,

My experience is somewhat different. As Neil says, you are on your own if you go with Linux. I've asked a grand total of 3 questions (on AskUbuntu) and, in the end, managed to sort it out for myself - eventually! The magical help you allude to was simply not forthcoming!

I have a dual boot machine (Ubuntu and Win10) though very rarely use Win10, unless I have to. That said, after an Ubuntu upgrade went wrong, I was very pleased I could still use Win10 to search for answers to my problems. Although I didn't find them, I did find sufficient clues to effect a repair on my own. Having a backup of all your datafiles is definitely recommended.

Quite a few users seem to want to hang onto Windows for certain specific programs. Providing you have a legitimate copy of Windows you can load, you can install it in Oracle's VirtualBox and so run Windows on Linux. I use it for my old version of TurboCad and some music notation software which I run under Vista. I believe that you can download a legitimate version of XP to run under the virtual environment, but haven't tried to do that myself.

So, in a nutshell, I much prefer Ubuntu to Windows, but when things go wrong you are probably on your own.

Regards Tom

Hi,

I think you'll find it is made by Toyo. I've had one on my Cowells for about 35 years. Had to replace it as one of the teeth broke on one jaw a few years ago. You might find the Proxxon one is similar.

Regards Tom

David,

Great.

Many thanks.

Tom

David,

Was that 0.5mm off the horizontal face only (as seen in your photo), or did you mill the corresponding short vertical face as well (to the left of the cutter in your picture)?

Just asking for future reference as I'll need to do similar.

Regards Tom

Petro,

Many thanks.

Tom

Petro,

So how did you machine the faulty toolholder? With an endmill, or do you have access to a surface grinder?

Have been following the thread with interest as my parting tool holder suffers from the same problem, so I'll be looking to do the same (obviously once I've checked measurements, etc.).

Regards Tom

Brian,

Unless you are desperate to do them yourself, why not use one of the commercial suppliers who do loco nameplates and the like (including bespoke)? You could try Rhos Helyg Loco Works LINK who act as an agent for MDC plates - the page I linked to gives an idea of costs and shows some examples. These are etched, rather than engraved, so the detail will be quite shallow. I know of them but have never used them.

Regards Tom

Andy,

I think you are over thinking things!

The Cowells lathes don't have any felt in the oilers and it is described in their literature as a "total loss" system.

I don't know what you expect in terms of "oil flow". The cups only hold a drop each and you don't need to fill them every 5 minutes. The oil does run out (and gets sprayed around), but as already stated, the quantities are very small. When you look into the cups you can see how well the spindle is lubricated. If using the lathe on the dining room table, you would definitely need a splash guard behind it and on the floor where you sit/ stand in front of it. I also used to wear a lab coat to prevent getting oil on my clothes.

Providing there isn't too much work involved, the felt wicks might prevent the spraying, but in a workshop environment it isn't really a problem.

Regards Tom

Paul,

Don't over think it and get hung up on it!

Just do it.

With small drills you have to make sure the swarf clears, so pull it back regularly. It seems that the "conventional wisdom" is for sub-millimeter (or thereabouts) drilling to be done at ridiculously fast speeds, but I think people get mixed up with drilling printed circuit boards where the material demands high speed. I have just finished making a dozen components where each had 6x 1mm holes through them (3/16" square brass) with no drama. DO NOT try to do it in one go, similarly, pecking isn't necessary - just ensure the swarf clears and doesn't jam the drill.

If you do break the drill in the hole soak the brass in citric acid overnight and you should be able to get the (now corroded) drill out with a needle, or similar.

Regards Tom

Dean,

It's really nice to see you back - hope you won't drive yourself too hard this time.

You are doing a lovely job - as usual!

Regards Tom

Dave W,

In 2012 I had 2.2kW of solar PV panels fitted to my house in Hertfordshire - I only had room for 8 panels, on a south facing roof. A delay in fitting them (whilst the local council messed about re planning permission) meant I got a reduced return (as the government assistance paid to generators reduced in the interim).

When I moved in 2016 I was getting 17.4p per unit generated and roughly 5p per unit for half of the total generated. The return I received all came to the grand total of around £250 per annum.

I looked on it as money which offset my fuel bills, but as to whether it was a good return on the capital investment, I think your wife is quite correct (even if there isn't something she's not telling you)!

Regards Tom

Andrew,

In that case don't bother with the dieholder.

Assuming your tailstock has an MT2 socket (or larger) remove your tailstock chuck and push your normal dieholder against the workpiece using the tailstock handwheel. OK you have to juggle a bit to do it, but the front of the tailstock barrel makes sure your die goes on square and stays square as you turn the die.

Regards Tom

John,

I regularly use TC16 (though not in "architectural mode" ) to do what you want. Usually (as others have told you) you need to "send to back" the image in order to have your drawn lines displayed over it. One thing no one has mentioned is that to get the desired display you need to ensure that you do not have the image selected (via use of the pointing tool) as selected items automatically come to the front. Simply click on a blank space (away from the image) to deselect.

Hope this helps sort you out.

Regards Tom

Edited By Tomfilery on 19/06/2018 09:11:06

Bob,

It depends on the kit used by your laser cutting people!

I had some wagon axleguards cut in 1.2mm steel with 0.9mm holes centred about 0.75mm from the edge of the job (iirc). The size and position of the holes were pointed out to the company, who had to experiment a little to make it work. They were delighted to find that they could do it (as was I). I subsequently tapped the holes M1.2, though think I probably ran a 0.95mm drill through the holes first, without any breakages, or ill effects. Perhaps I was just lucky!

Regards Tom

Robert,

Don't agonise over spacers!

For my lathe (a Super 7) I drilled the worktop then passed long coachbolts (M8 I think, or or pos M10) through it, with the heads underneath. I then used the 30 mm long hexagonal spacers you get for joining lengths of studding together as nuts. I then screwed on a normal nut followed by another hex spacer, Next you put the lathe in position (on temporary wooden blocks) and screw short bolts through the feet into the top hex spacer, which you can now use to adjust the level of the lathe. Once done, you tighten the normal nut up against the top spacer (to lock it) and screw down the short fixing bolts.

My lathe had been bought with a badly drilled (in several places) deep drip/swarf tray which I replaced with an oil drip tray from Frost Automotive (meant to be slid under a vehicle to stop oil stains on the floor and approx 1200 x 600 x 15mm deep). Its a bit flimsy, but has been Ok for the last 5 years, or so ands tops most of the swarf from dropping on the floor. You might want to consider something similar.

Regards Tom

For Colin H,

Apologies for the delay in responding, but yes it is a right hand thread, so anticlockwise to release and raise the tool.

Regards Tom