What did you do today? (2013)

Ah. Anticipation... of making a b***s up with one and still having the other to work with Should both survive the entire process I will sell it or dispose of it some other way. Half the work is in setting up the machines for the cuts so it's not much more work to make two than it is for one - and far easier than starting again from scratch.

Made a superheater for a 31/2'' brit.

Mark P.

Never got round to making the D bit, but did continue on SWMBO's garden lights. What a mess! Corrosion all over the place.

Wrote one off whilst dismantling the solar cell part to see how the wires were connected. Still can't see how they are connected, but now know not to dismantle that part. Anyway, the fancy multi-coloured slowly flashing LED and other bits MCI. (Might come in). Discovered they consist of single AA NiMH cell, solar cell, diode (turned out to be a Schottky diode), resistor type thing which turned out to be an inductor, small ceramic capacitor, this fancy LED, and a black oblong thing with 4 legs on it, bit like an ic on it's side. Started wondering how it worked because LED's required rather more oomph than a 1.2V cell can give. Back to t'internet.

Examined/tested the rest:

One had corroded away legs on the 4-leg device. Obviously a scrapper. Two or three others had badly corroded battery terminals. Three of the LED's had one of the legs corroded away halfway inside a plastic leg guide (strange that). Some of the connecting wires came off in my fingers.

So it's now a case of seeing how many I can actually get up and running by cannibalisation. So far, out of 7, I've managed 2 with a third well on the way except that it's LED won't show green. Shows Red & Blue ok, but not green. So this is an internal failure and is the first component failure I've found, all the rest being due to corrosion or my cackhandedness. It does seem that two or three may have duff solar cells or duff connecting leads but I daren't pull them apart 'cos that is very definitely terminal.

Carry on Tomorrow. (Now why didn't the Carry on team ever produce such a film?)

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

Hi Peter,

They work with a buck circuit, a bit like a spark coil. Tiny current in inductor, break circuit, current keeps flowing, voltage builds and then discharges though LED. Like a miniature spark coil, except at low voltage. Google LED boost circuit. Great way to get the very last out of a cell for long life, low current uProcessor applications.

Neil

Just for the record I'm confused by the charge pump in MEW - I thought they were a way of increasing voltage using capacitors.

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 08/05/2013 21:07:42

A rather miserable evening weather-wise, so still tucked up in the workshop. Made a tool holder - which was an interesting machining exercise. I know - it didn't have to be this shape to be purely functional, but I wanted it that shape because it was more fun to make. Locks up firmly with just one screw.

made a carburretor float from balsa. 5/16" diameter by 3/8" long with a bit of sewing needle through the middle (tip ground off). Gave it a first coat of 15 year old fuel proofer.

I have no idea if this will work, but I might as well try!

Started work on No. 4 cylinder head.

Do you ever think that some parts are cursed?

This time I'm taking it slow and steady.

Drilled the holes for the head studs from the bottom. Not sure why I drilled any of them from the top before? After drilling the paper template with drilled holes (made from the cylinder block) looks like a perfect fit, hopefully won't need to ease any of the holes this time.

Recess over the piston 1mm deep with 11mm slot drill, then with a 3/4" dovetail cutter (dont ask, it works) then another mm larger with the boring head.

Over each valve a 3/8" ball end mill in 0.165" - an extra 5 thou over last time to get a slightly larger cavity.

Tomorrow blend the three cavities together with the ball ended mill, then set the block up to make the fins and mill the seats for the cylinder nuts/glow plug.

Neil

Well took delivery of castings etc for my B1 tender guess what 5 wheels not 6 what was that silly old song "5 wheels on my wagon"!!! No invoice, no paperwork, will not mention the company but Fri afternoon wacky backy comes to mind. There are items in the parcel that have no relation to a B1 tender. or a B1 loco come to that.

Bob

Stub/Neil

Google actually came up with a circuit for the 4-leg device used in these things (52521H) which was almost exactly the same as mine. Difference was a ½wave rectifier & smoothing capacitor for the LED. Found an explanation elsewhere which said it was an oscillator, confirmed with oscilloscope. Actually got 8V across the capacitor before I found that one of the LED legs was corroded away. Normal voltage a lot less.

Anyway, I've now got the third working: the remaining two look as if the solar cells have given up as there is no output even when disconnected.

Discovered this am that SWMBO bought them for about 50p each. Not only that but she has another box of them. Think I've probably spent more in lighting/soldering/oscilloscope power/heating than these things are worth. I suppose the best I can say is that a) I've found out how they work; and b) I've proved that the 40 year old skills haven't yet left me.

Regards,

Peter

Peter

I recall that you are another ex-BT man so you should know that, when faced with a serious problem, you should always alert higher management - I guess, in your case, she also performs the role of logistics support - so, when things go wrong, blame the storekeeper!

Your story of a little venture into the world of electronics brought back a few happy memories- from a lifetime ago. I still think fondly of BT - but I'm glad I'm not there now!

Regards

Norman

Norman,

Yes, well, I've made the point that it wasn't really worthwhile repairing them other than for interest. I've also refused to give a guarantee.

I'm actually an ex_Strowger man who taught himself limited electronic design following a TXE2 course. And yes, I had some good and interesting times - and some bad times. And like you, yes I'm glad I'm not there now, but sometimes certain things happen which cause a certain amount of nostalgia such as passing what are recognisably old UAX buildings such as the one in Glen Dochart. Google Street View has a lot to answer for, sad old git that I am.

Anyway, should I make this D bit, or should I carry on with installing Linux? Decisions, decisions, decisions. Let's see now, SWMBO is out, and the workshop, er garage, is quite cold with the ½gale blowing under/over the doors. Right, Linux it is.

Regards,

Peter

I keep droning on about these cylinder heads, so I'd better show some evidence they really exist. This is the state of play with number 4 as of tonight. Still plenty of cleaning up to do, as ell as skimming about 2mm of the top , shaping to fit the block and shaping deepening various fins.

Neil

Prompted but the arrival of the ignition for my Hoglet during the week I decided to cut the cams today. I used the method described in issue #7 of MEB which gives a curved flank and was very easy to do.

First set the boring head to the flank radius, bring the tool upto the work so it touches and then feed in the cam lift, in this case 0.065, do this in stages of 0.010" using the quill to move the tool up & down

Then start turning the rotary table in small stages, I went for 2deg which is half a turn and just pump the quill up and down and the cam starts to appear

After 226deg the cam is done except for a bit of hand filing to round the top of the lobe

Then just reset the start point and height to do the other lobes

J

Nice cam. Very nicely done Jason

The Hoglet is a lovely engine, looking forward to seeing more of yours.

Jo

Hi Jason,

I did mine using a table of angles and heights and a milling cutter. I worked out the heights to give 'sine wave' motion to flat ended tappets - easy with excel, rather than constant acceleration.

It was hard work wincing a milling cutter back and forth 720 times with the handwheel (well a bit less as I settled for 2 degrees for some of teh back of the cams).

I can see 2 degrees all round would have been fine. My tables would have worked just as well with your method and up/down with eth capstan handle would have been a LOT easier on my thumbs!

Are you going to harden them?

Neil

Warco BH600G.

Made a start on the big T-nut to replace the existing one, so that I can fit the Dickson (Correct spelling this time) QC.

Used the Boxford shaper for the first time in real anger, and oh boy, do those chips fly off hither & thither, smoking to their heart's content. "Ouch!" or some such word/s as they hit bare flesh!

Tomorrow I will make a chip deflector to stop them polluting everything in sight.

I have a cunning idea for hinges.

Geoff - Massive downpour earlier, but carport roof repairs appear to be holding. Fingers crossed chaps.

Neil I've used both methods, the good thing with this is you don't have to set the x axis 360 (or 180) times per cam just an arbitary half turn of the Rotary table so can almost do it without thinking.

I've hardened the followers so will leave the cam as is, once I have proved its a runner it won't get ru much after that though I expect Jo will want to have a play with it. I have drawn up a different crankcase for when she gets round to making hers.

Thanks Jason,

Your drawing is a good starting point but watch this space plans are a foot: I will be looking forward to your valued input to my thoughts for "Jo-glet" .

Jo

Hi, well first thing, after a pot of tea of course, wandered down to my local garage to fetch me shopping trolly, after having put the new tie rods on it the other day. I got them to check and adjust the tracking while it was in for her MOT yesterday, which passed OK.

Then after breakfast done a couple of maintenace jobs about the house and then put me new belt, which I collected from the Chester stand at Harrogate yesterday, on my Chester Champion mill/drill.

I then tried it out and milled a short length of 10 X 16mm keysteel to make four T nuts for my mini mill, two with 4mm tapped holes and two with 5mm tapped holes, haven't decided which two I want to use yet.

I've got to cut them off yet of course.

Later after the rain, I managed to wash my proper car after going to Harrogate in it yesterday.

Regards Nick.

P.S. not as good looking as Jasons bits, but it fits in the T slots a treat.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 11/05/2013 20:53:32

Spent most of the day fitting a continuous ink system ( Nine inks) to my photo printer. Fingers are now multi-coloured. This qualifies for inclusion on this forum as I took it all out to the workshop and did it there. Just as well too! On advice I first covered my bench with dustbin bags - again just as well! I dread to think what might have happened if I had done it in the kitchen ( which was my first choice)

Anyway prints are now printed, mounted and ready for an exhibition on Monday. I can forget about photography for a bit and hopefully progress a few workshop projects.

Regards

Norman

I watched F1 qualifying and then did a few hours in the local museum BUT I then came home and watched the FA Cup Final and cheered on Wigan. Not bad for a geriatric Scotsman but I always support the wee team. I'll try to get back into the workshop tomorrow after F1.