Member postings for Paul Lousick

You can machine the entire surface and bolt a plate over the slide area with countersunk screws. Use a gasket sealant between the plate and the steam chest.

Hi Dave,

Water gauge glass can be purchased with a red stripe down the back which makes the level of water visible. Much like that on a thermometer. (do an internes search for a supplier)

The other option is to add a backing plate with lines at 45 degrees. The water in the glass refracts the light and makes the lines appear in the opposite direction. (see image below)

I would not use a float in the glass, it may block the flow of water and give an inaccurate reading. Also take care adding anything to the water as it may cause foaming.

Paul.

CLEAR COLUMN                    CHEVRON BACKING                 RED STRIPE

Edited By Paul Lousick on 23/09/2014 01:38:48

Hi Biil,

I don't rely on the fixed angle stops. They are not that accurate and I always set the head angle square with the aid of a dial indicator attached to a swing arm on the spindle.

Paul.

Hello Neil,

I am also in a similar situation and only have a print subscription. Can I upgrade to print+digital now, or do I have to wait to January, 2015 when my current subscription expires ?

I live in Australia, so a bit costly to ring the service team phone number.

Regards, Paul.

For thin packers I use pieces of "Band-it" strap. Metal straps about 0.6 - 0.8mm thick. Used for wrapping around large industrial size packages. Usually thrown in the bin at warehouses.

My lathe chuck is bolted to a backing plate and secured with 4 bolts and is centered by a spigot on the backing plate. When I move it to the rotary table, I unbolt it from the lathe backing plate and bolt it to the rotary table with T-nuts. The rotary table also has a spigot to locate it on center.

If you only have one rotary table chuck get a 4-jaw. A 4-jaw chuck can be used to hold round bars and is more accurate than a 3-jaw. Does not take long to find the center with a DTI. It can also hold square, rectangular and odd shaped components.

I have use an adaptor to take my lathe chucks which allows me to transfer the job from lathe to mill without removing the job from the chuck. Keeping the job on the exact same center.

Why does everyone knock these these lathes. They were probably leading edge technology in their day. Any lathe is a good lathe (especially if you do not have one).

Found this one at our local machinery supplier in Sydney. It is treadle powered with your foot. Not sure what type it is. Will find more details next time.

Hi John,

I imported the model into Solidworks. Downloaded it from:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-205444.html

Regards, Paul.

Good luck with your projects Bill,

There are a lot of knowledgeable members in MEW who are more than willing to share their experiences. Don't hesitate to ask a question..

Regards, Paul.

Hello Bill,

The hexagon slot at the side of the mill is not a screw, it is the end of a pinion shaft and the locking pin has a rack machined on its bottom side. Sometimes it may stick and jamb. To tilt the head, loosen the 2 clamp screws and apply a turning force with a hex key while jiggling the head to loosen the locking pin. The imaqes below show the internals of the mill and may explain how the rack and pinion lock pin works.

Regards, Paul.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 23/06/2014 11:11:13

I am upgrading the budget DRO which I fitted to my mill to an Easson SE-10 with glass scales but it does not come with an operating manual. I have found some instruction videos on Youtube but would like a printed manual. Can anyone help ?

Paul.

Hi Chris, I would use a chuck that has 4 bolts to match the 4 slots on your rotary table. I have a 150mm chuck on a 150mm rotary table. It is held by tee nuts and a disc which is located on the rotary table center.

If you are buying a chuck just for the rotary table I would go for one which is the same diameter as the table. A 4-jaw chuck is more versatile. It can hold odd shapes and is more accurate for centering round parts.

Bought one last year. Good value. My eyes are not as good as they used to be.

Best modification I have done. Saves hours of set-up time for non precision milling.

The fit between the key on my vice and the table slots is an easy slide fit, so always push against the side of a slot to locate key before tightening bolts.

I still check alignment with an indicator for precision work.

Paul.

Sieg make a power feed for their mills. I have one on my SX3 which was purchased with the mill in Australia from Hare and Forbes. It runs on 240 V. You should be able to get one from your supplier in the UK.

The power drive is the best accessory which I have for my mill. It saves a lot of wear and tear on your arm. BUT it was sent back to the supplier 3 times with a fault. It did not accelerate smoothly, making cutting difficult. Thankfully it was replaced, free of charge and has worked perfectly for the past year,

Paul.

Why not water pipe ? Cheap from local hardware shop or cheaper from a scrap metal agent

If you do not want to make your own tangential tool holder, get one from Eccentric Engineering. Comes with a simple sharpening jig which is easy to use on most grinders.

Your lathe is never big enough. There is always something that will not fit in it. One option for turning larger diameters is to fit riser blocks under the headstock and tailstock to raise the centre height. This will place bigger loads on your lathe so only take lighter cuts. Machining accuracy depends on how good you make the blocks.

Getting showered in "gooey black stuff" is part of owning a steam engine. Wearing a white shirt is not recommended. As Fizzy has said, all steam engines should have drain cocks to drain any condensed water in the cylinders. Water will not compress and if it is inside of the cylinder will jam the piston, stopping the reciprocating motion of the engine. The energy in the rotating flywheel will either bend the piston rod or push the cover plate or gland off the end of the steam chest.

Condensate forms in the supply lines and cylinder when it is cold and not up to operating temperature and the drain cocks should always be open when starting an engine and slowly turned over until there is no water or moisture coming from them. Then they can be closed and the engine brought up to speed. It is good practice to always leave the cocks open when stationary and only close them after checking for condensate when starting.

Paul.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 26/12/2013 11:01:46