Member postings for lfoggy

My favoured micrometer is the Mitutoyo QuantuMike. These are of the highest quality and are a joy to use. One unusual feature is the 2mm pitch spindle which makes moving from one end of the measuring range to the other very quick.

Hi and welcome. I live in central Birmingham. In spite of Brum's engineering history there don't seem go be too many model engineers here so good to hear from you.

I would heartily recommend one of John Wilding's books which include comprehensive plans and building instructions. There are a few things in horology that even a seasoned model engine builder may not be that familiar with. Took me ages to fully appreciate the low power and hence low friction requirements of a clock.

I too am a metric guy but I managed with JW's Imperial dimensions easily. I convert to metric as I go along. Sometimes I convert to nearest metric equivalent, e.g. a 5/32 arbor becomes 4mm, or for critical dimensions I just calculate the metric and use my digital micrometer and DRO to get me through. Easy really.

I have one, purchased from Chronos a few years ago. Mine takes 5C collets. It is definitely not limited to single lip grinding. I find it very useful for all manner of grinding tasks. I use it regularly to regrind the axial teeth on slot and end mills which is very easy. I also sharpen the radial spiral teeth and this works well with the supplied attachment for cutters down to about 6mm diameter. If you have a selection of different shaped wheels, you can sharpen all manner of other cutters as well. I reground a set of ‘rotabroach’ annular cutters last week. There is an attachment for square lathe tools that I don’t often use as I have a Worden grinder as well, but the attachment does work.

With a bit of ingenuity, you can grind radii as well.

Stefan Gotteswinter has a good video on YouTube demonstrating the utility and versatility of the grinder.

I would certainly recommend it for the home workshop.

You are entering some treacherous philosophical territory here. What's "the point" of building a model of an obsolete steam locomotive and chuffing aimlessly around a small circular track ? As has been said, asking why is not really a valid question in this context....

'Complications' are generally regarded as an attribute in horology, reflecting the imagination and skill of the constructor. Next you will be pointing out that the same outputs can be achieved more accurately with a cheap microprocessor.....

The September issue of The Horological Journal carries a detailed description of "The Astronomical Skeleton Clock" conceived by the American collector Mark Frank and built by Buchanan of Chelmsford. The clock has been described as the most complex clock built in our lifetime, and if you watch the YouTube video below you will probably agree with this assessment. Utterly amazing.

Anyone interested in horology needs to look at this.

**LINK**

This is my setup with a Bison QC toolpost and a rigid mount replacing the topslide. The hole is used for an extra M6 bolt to prevent movement.

If you have three axis DRO on your lathe (x, y and topslide) you can set the topslide to 30 degrees and engage 'vectoring' such that the radial movement is displayed when you move the topslide. This gives the depth of cut. Works very well and is what I do....

The Hoglet is primarily a display engine and I think the kick starter is a visually interesting addition. I've built lots of differnt models of various kinds over the years and the Hoglet probably gets the most interest from visitors.

Some constructors have added an enclosed crankcase with enhanced lubrication which enables the engine to run for longer and maybe even power a model motorcylce, but in its orginal form you can only run it for a minute or two. Makes a great Harley-like sound though.

Good luck with your build.

Here are a few pics of my Hoglet kick starter. The sprag clutch and chain and sprockets were purchased from one of the on-line bearing suppliers. Can't remember which one, but not difficult to source. If you can't find anything then I can rummage around and find the supplier.

Incidentally, the engine does not start easily on the kick starter. To demonstrate the engine I remove the crankshaft sprocket and replace with a hexagon which then fits into a socket on a drill driver. Engine starts almost instantly like this.

From your post it sounds like you are loking for a new machine but if you are willing to consider a used lathe, as has been said above, a Myford 254 fits your requirements very well. They did produce a variable speed model which is rare, but it is easy to fit a variable speed system to the standard lathe, as I have done.

For your budget you should be able to source a good used 254, fit the variable speed and a DRO and get all the accessories you mention.

If you do go for a 254 I would recommend one with the D1-3 Camlock spindle as this makes changing chucks so much easier.

I have had to remove the gearbox on my Myford 254 lathe and now need to reattach it. The gearbox is an open design, as below, which mates with the lathe bed to create the oil reservoir. The original gasket material from the Myford factory was some thick brown stuff. No idea what, but it worked as it never leaked a drop of oil. What should I replace it with? The hassle of removing it is such that I want to get it right first time.

If it's considered necessary to put this warning on an inert steel clamp, then any item made of steel, or just containing steel, must carry the same warning. Thats virtually everything in a workshop and beyond. I would guess every person in the UK has physical contact with steel every day.

The value of warning labels then becomes nil....

Do all steel alloys contain lead?

I don't often order directly from America but when I lost a 'snug' for a nice Starrett set I had, it was the only place I could find a replacement. Imagine my surprise when the item arrived in its nice red Starrett box but with a label warning me that the clamp can cause cancer. On closer reading this risk seems to be limited to Californians and, as I live in Birmingham, I think I am safe.

Should I be taking any precautions?

Edited By lfoggy on 08/06/2021 17:36:17

Great stuff. You sound like a man with a plan!

Be sure to let the forum know how you get on and what you make.

If they are .pdf files you just need a programme that will open them. Adobe Acrobat is the most well known but I use Foxit Reader. Download and istall a pdf reader and see if you can open the files that way?

When I purchased my 254, I specified both the solid and quick-change rear toolposts as below. To be honest I rarely use them. Sometimes useful for screwcutting backwards but otherwise they just get in the way. With the advent of indexable parting tools, the advantage of rear mounted parting tools seems to be minimal. I wouldn't bother. A better mod is the solid front toolpost..

I made the saddle stop soon after purchasing the lathe and it is very useful. I drilled and tapped the mounting holes in the gearbox case which was quite easy and has caused no problems.

There is also a DRO fitted, with the magnetic track concealed within the cross slide.

The toolpost is solid and does weigh a bit, but it's a great mod to the lathe. The height is exactly the same as the original cross slide, which enables me to have a QC toolpost mounted permanently on both. The tools in their holders can then be fitted straight onto either, with no height adjustment necessary.

I recently purchased a very similar setup for my Myford 254 which has a D1-3 camlock mount. I went for a Bison 5C chuck and Bison backplate with a set of metric collets. Chuck fitted straight on the backplate and, once the mounting screws were evenly tightened, the accuracy was good. Radial runout on the tapered part of the chuck is barely discernible using a gauge with a resolution of 0.01mm so probably less than 0.005mm. And its very consistent when the chuck is removed and refitted to the spindle nose. The Bison collets are good too and radial runout of test bars is around 0.01mm near the chuck and 0.02mm 5cm from the chuck. All better than expected really....