Member postings for peak4

I wonder if anyone's search engine skills are better than mine, or even better someone who's seen this shape of extrusion before.

I've a little project due to start when some power LEDs arrive off ebay.

It will be an experimental moth attracting light, to a published design, but I'll need some long square heatsink to bolt the LEDs to.

The original used something with this cross section, I guess about 45mm square by about 150mm long.

I'm sure I could find some square tube and internally fit four long thin heatsinks off ebay, suitably milled to the above profile, but can anyone think of a source for a short length of the extruded section please?

Thanks

Bill

Both Facebook groups, and Yahoo groups, allow hosting of files, if you can find a group which has an interest in your lathe.

You can join the relevant group(s), upload the file, and then leave/die at a later date, but the file will remain behind.

I understand that you may wish to put off the latter for as long as possible.

Bill

Cromwell Tools' Engineers Reference Pocket Book is worth a looks for the price as well; unfortunately it doesn't cover ME threads.

See also The larger version.

Bill

Cheers Clive, I've been looking at buying one of these myself.
I'll check it out before plugging in if I do.

Bill

It was even sillier than that, as part of the emergency dangerous structures work, the main power supply was physically disconnected outside the property boundary by digging up the pavement.

Eventually my mate built new facilities for the incoming services, essentially a separate external block built cupboard for gas and electric meters, as the previous ones were in the cellar.

He asked his supplier to move the 2 existing meters to the new location, this was before they decided they couldn't connect a 3rd phase.

They couldn't/wouldn't move the meters, without taking readings first, as he was getting a "new" supply. They clearly needed the readings from the old ones, but unfortunately they were smart meters. Well not that smart, as they were no longer connected to working supply; ergo they weren't powered up so no-one could read them.

It took months to resolve, and delayed the work considerably as he no longer had any power on site.

I appreciate that the VM-E wasn't made in Beeston, but I understood, perhaps wrongly, that they were made in Taiwan and then dis/reassembled by the original Myford engineers.

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 25/07/2018 19:45:54

Oddly, it seems that one doesn't have to get all 3 phases from the same supplier.

Some might remember my tale about a friend quietening my generator down by collapsing his house around it.

As part of the ongoing building works, he wanted a 3 phase supply fitting; He already had 2 phases, generating a synthetic 3rd phase from a dual transformer set-up.

The supplier of his 2 existing phases didn't take on new connections, claiming that adding another phase amounted to a new connection. They suggested that they continue to bill him for the two phases he already had, but to get a second supplier to install and bill him for the 3rd phase.

The saga went on for months, but eventually a different supplier has fitted a 3rd phase and taken on the billing for all three.

Bill

Patryk, From a quick speed read of this thread, no-one seems to have mentioned second hand machines.
Dealers may well charge premium prices, having their profits and shareholders to consider, but private buyers may be more realistic. Some may well have good machines up for sale due to up/downsizing.

Tony Griffith's web site www.lathes.co.uk whist providing a huge amount of reference material, also has a classifieds section

A quick peruse on there might be to your advantage, as I've just spotted a Myford VM-E for a similar price to the Bristol machine. If I didn't already have an ex-university Centec 2B, I'd be on my way to Wales as soon as I'd checked it is still for sale.

Also keep an eye on HomeWokshop

Good luck with your purchase and keep asking questions.

All the best

Bill

Do you keep your tailstock locked to the bed when not in use?

I've found that unless I do, then it's possible to tilt it slightly, front to back, and any oil surrounding the base of the tailstock then flows under it by capillary action, carrying loose small swarf with it.

Bill

Quite dangerous when they work, but also quite dangerous when they don't

No I'm not suggesting either standard is "Better"; it's just that they way I read the quote suggested to me, that the HSS taps were reputed to be "Superior", due to them being made to ISO-529 rather than its predecessor BS-949 (and not the material they were made from, which I don't think is covered in either standard anyway).

The quote then goes on to say that HQS is a "better" alternative to HSS anyway.

Just struggling to get my head round "advertising speak", and not having a dig at either product; I suspect both would do most jobs I threw at them.

Bill

I've no experience of either HQS, or this retailer, but am a little curious as to their marketing.

From their web site. Quote;

Our HSS-GT Ground thread range are made to precision ISO-529 making them very superior precision tools for machine or hand tapping - cuts stainless steel

Our HQS (=Highest Quality Steel) range (sold since 1978) are made to BS-949 are found to be a tougher and better alternative to HSS taps & dies and are lower in price and excellent quality and used for hand or machine tapping - cuts most stainless steel

When I looked up BS-949, it seems that it has been replaced by ISO-529 LINK

Is it just me that feels that this could be a bit misleading?

Bill

Hello and welcome, there's an exploded diagram on a fitters vice half way down this page but I don't know if that helps.

Never heard of an SQ3; is that a swivelling version of a quick release version of a normal No.3??
Is it modern or ancient?

Bill

Could it be a different size TriWing driver? Like these

What make of bike is it?

Not sure what lathe you have, other than a Pultra or similar, but are the bull wheel teeth divisible by 5, in which case a detent on there would do for indexing. If you've a large enough mill, you could even mount a miny lathe, or its headstock, on that and use as a dividing/indexing head.

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 22/07/2018 10:29:58

Never tried it myself (yet) but I'm told Dylon fabric dies work well; the ones in the little round aluminium tins.

Bill

I'm still using mine from 20+ years ago, though the 3mm one died.
My middle sized Manchester Rapidor Minor power hacksaw only takes 9" blades, so I drill an extra hole in 12" HSS blades and grind them down to length; plus it gives me a selection of 3" hard scrapers.

There is still an exhibitor at various shows selling something similar, again with a lifetime guarantee on the bits.

Bill

As soon as I read this, I thought "Crookes Radiometer" and went to look for a suitable article in order to provide a hyperlink

On reading the above link, I then found that what I'd been taught at school seems to be wrong; I do like learning new things.

Bill

A few design ideas for you here at Michael Morris but I think you'd need to temper to save snapping the bottle opener.
Make sure your cutting edge is less than 3" if you want to carry it outside of your own property in the UK.

Bill

Thanks from me too, you might have just saved me laying a load of slabs behind the new garage.
I've already sunk some sleepers to act as an edging, so infilling with this and some gravel might be just the job.
When I priced it up elsewhere, it was a lot dearer than this, and they're only just down the road from me a s well.

Regards

Another Bill

They float in the surrounding concrete when it's being poured. I'm sure your builders know the score; we braced my fibreglass moulded car pit off the roof rafters to keep it in place during the pour, which was in several stages.

I hope you're considering forced ventilation, at least for the one with the paint and solvents in. Ideally for the wine cellar as well in case any welding gasses etc accumulate there.

Good luck with the build; Here's mine

Bill

p.s. Note the concrete delivery wagon; it comes dry and is mixed on site, thus you only need to buy as much as is needed, and the mix can be adjusted according to temperature and required curing time.

Edited By peak4 on 17/07/2018 17:36:19