What Did You Do Today 2021

What I did today is a little understatement phoned Warco and now am on the road to starting this hobby in ernest. Lathe and mill ordered along with quite a bit of equipment that I will need just to do the basics from there I will buy as needed. I did go for a 3 axis DRO for the mill but not power feed. The only thing I still need to buy is a vice but first need the new workshop to turn up after I have moved the existing one further down the garden.

First run of my Senft engine

Edited By DiogenesII on 25/07/2021 18:55:16

Did some workshop improvement by making a new drill bits box.

This is the beast still empty. The size was given by the drawer of the cupboard under the mill.

And now a bit more populated and in the drawer it has been made for.

Even it was woodwork and not metal work I am pleased with it...

Hi Derek,

Have you come down yet?

Another stage in turning the upper part of the venturi for my steam-wagon's chimney, out of cast-iron billet.

... Errr, step back a bit.

I'd set it in the 4-jaw on my Harrison L5 and gently turned a central band to take the fixed steady. Only found I could not move the steady back far enough to engage it as its clamp-plate was jamming on something under the ways.

Step back a bit further.

I'd acquired this much pre-loved lathe complete with a fixed steady for a diffwerent machibne and no clamp-plate. So by dint of some rather awkward setting-up I'd modified it to fit and made a simple clamp out of thick mild-steel flat. So why was it jamming?

Excrescences in the bed casting, so yesterday I filed them down a bit, and put some chamfers on the plate. Then found pushing the steady back enough for the work-piece put the clamp out into the gap. Only, if I put the gap-bl0ock in th eplate would not enter that.

So this afternoon's task was fettling the gap-block and putting bigger chamfers on the clamp. Now it fits!

Right, now I could turn the billet's end diameter and face it! Why do so many model-engineering tasks need so much workshop-engineering?

Finished in time to close up, unearth myself from the oil and graphite, have tea and settle down to...

The First Night Of The Proms!

With a proper audience too, socially-distanced BBC Symphony Orchestra (on an enlarged stage), and in the Royal Albert Hall's 150th year. The presenters told us this season will mark that with a goodly set of programmes for the RAH's magnificent 9999-pipe organ. (You'd think the organ builders, Willis I think, would have managed one extra note somewhere!)

The two main pieces were among my favourites too. Oh I am spoiled. Poulenc's Organ Concerto, and Sibelius' Second Symphony.

.A complete change of tone for tomorrow's Prom, with an evening devoted to the big Broadway musicals.

Alas, Poulenc's Organ concerto was too discordant for me. I had been looking forwad to hearing the Royal Albert Hall Willis and I was not disappointed but aside from hearing the range of pipes I could not enjoy the music.

John

Oh, I am sorry to read that. I assume you were in the audience!

It can't be easy matching an orchestra to a huge instrument whose player cannot alter the volume of any but the Swell ranks, and (he explained in interview) cannot see the conductor except by a mirror above the console!

The festival also includes some organ recitals I believe. There is one tomorrow morning.

Yes Nigel, I noted the mention of other organ music.

John

Why is this locomotive wearing a mask?

It's worried about the Deltic variant...

(Not my joke...)

Neil

Obviously off to the testing station.

:O)

.....For a little injector attention.....

Oh Dear!

Time I went to my workshop....

My soft jaws have run out of space:

Spent the afternoon making some new tops

Ready for action

Cheers,

Rod

More toymaking - finished a hopping rabbit toy in brass for the grandkinds:-

...and tested it

Run Rabbit Run...

One day I'll make one that runs straight.

Edited By Mick B1 on 13/08/2021 19:36:18

Hi Rod

Did you do the conversion on plain soft jaws ?
Well worth doing I believe.

Emgee

First meeting in person this evening of the Exeter and District MES for quite some time, though the track laying team have been in action for months.
A couple of evenings ago St Albans also had their first face to face meeting too with a good turn out of members and models made over the last 18 months. However the club is continuing with two zoom meetings a month to keep everyone in touch.

.

That’s brilliant, Mick

MichaelG.

Emgee,

The jaws were advertised in ME back in July 1987 together with a puff article in the editorial:

As you suggest, the chuck jaw would be easy to make from a standard soft jaw. The slots in my hexagons are 1/8" and the jaws fit a 4" Burnerd. The company still appears to exist but I made no enquiries about replacement hexes.

Regards,

Rod

I don’t often share cartoons … but this one made me laugh today

.

MichaelG.

Edited By Frances IoM on 14/08/2021 16:26:45

MickB1 are the details of bunny published anywhere or do you fancy telling us more….looks fun!