What did you do today? (2014)

Just needs ten thou of case hardening

Hi, I made a start on a beam trolley for my overhead traveling beam in my garage. I've started with the wheels, which I've made from bearing housings, which were salvaged from 3 1/2" rollers that we used to make up for use in Flexowell horizontal/vertical elevators, similar to some of these, **LINK**.

I first mounted them on a three jaw chuck, with the jaws in the well where the bearing is fitted (after removing the bearings) and just lightly faced the back to remove what was left of three short welds that held them into the rollers.

I then chucked a suitable size piece of (rusty) BMS and turned up a mandrel to fit the bearing well, snugly and drilled and tap a hole in the end. Then tidied up and drilled a 6mm piece of plate that was a scrap piece that was cicle cut from a job at work.

The housings where then mounted on the mandrel and the outside edge was turned down to remove the disc cut, which was a result from removing then from the worn out rollers. The one with the deepest cut was done first and then the other three where tuned down to the same size. No particular size was aimed for, but they are all now 79mm O/D.

They were then remounted on the three jaw as before and the hole in the back was then bored out to 30mm to make room for a spacer.

Next job will be to make the spindles and spacers.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 30/03/2014 00:11:28

> Just needs ten thou of case hardening

I was thinking of pack hardening it overnight with charcoal in the fireplace - the getting the top and bottom surface ground

> Really need to get myself one!

Shall I be honest? I use a home made straight knurler.- 3/8" bar about 2 1/2" long with a slot cut in the end of it for a knurling wheel. I use the shank of a 3/16" drill as a spindle, held in place witha few twists of insulation tape... just a stop-gap until I find a bit of phosphor bronze to make a proper one.

Neil

"Nice (k) Nurling Neil" - Sorry I couldn't resist that!

Spurred by your efforts I dug out my ancient attempt - it's nowhere near as pretty as yours. I remember now that it's not finished in that I have not drilled the holes in it. I also remember that this is because I have never been able to make up my mind what size holes to drill. My final conclusion is that, since it must be 40 years since I "started" it then probably I don't need any holes at all and your assessment of the project as a useful paperweight is maybe its role in my workshop. I shall now, however, be very conscious of the inferiority of my paperweight.

Norman

I guessed the hole sizes from the picture on the Chronos website. Mine are 1/2", 1/4" and 1/8" in the vee and the others 1/8", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16" and 1/2". The very astute will see my holes are arranged as a mirror image of the Chronos ones! I wonder if that will affect its operation?

It works quite well as a pen holder, but the smaller holes need to be at least 5/16" to maximise its capacity.

Neil

No only the inverse patent rights.

Unless you use it as a drill or tapping guide don't you want the holes a little bigger than nominal sizes. The only times I use my squareish lump with holes in (nothing even vaguely pretty like yours) is is when a pin is inconveniently projecting and stopping me lay something flat or to press out a pin. Mostly I end up using something else anyway as I can't find it.

Hi Bazyle,

The sizes are, I can't see myself trying to machine or press something 1/2" diameter using it so there will always be a bigger hole available. I should have reamed them all for extra prettiness . Just out of interest, the central hole was done with a 1/2" MT1 machine reamer that i found in a bootsale for 50p and de-rusted electrolytically..

Funny how something so simple can generate such comment!

Neil

Tried out the Analogue Snow Depth Gauge - we've had snow since early November (end of October) and so far today we've had "up to the belly" snow.

I'm sure the elevated track is still covered, and the ground line will not see the light of day until August, the way this winter has been going!

Two years ago, at this time, we had the grounds cleaned and I think we were running trains - oh well.

(note - 3D printer printing "demo" Big Boy locomotive wheels, and the better half had the Depth Gauge out for needed walkies&hellip The nice thing about CNC or 3D printing is that one can do other things while the machines are doing their stuff.

Seeing that many of you are doing the Stevenson tail stock mods, how can I get the details and join you?

Terry

Hi Terry,
John has put pictures of his modification and a description of what he has done earlier in this thread. All models of lathe will be different but the principle is the same. The others have just adapted the idea to suit their own particular type of lathe.

Les.

For what model lathe Terry ?

jacked up a bearer under the house to stop door sticking, needed 1/2" of packing for 1/4" of lift so i suspect stump is failing

ripped up 35 year old carpet on the stairs, it was getting so threadbare it was becoming a trip hazard.

and some workshop time - did some panel beating on aluminium cake pans that suffered a mite while forcefully ( ) opening a jammed pot drawer...hopefully sufficiently restored to regain the approval of the head chef...I was opening the drawer to get to the ducted vacuum outlet which was blocked preventing me using the vacuum on the dirt under the carpet that isnt there any more..which is why everything takes twice as long)

Here you go, my latest creation - the File Pile (pat pend) created from leftover water pipe and a bit of glue:

These are all my smaller and needle files, some sitting in 18mm tubes.

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 01/04/2014 21:11:16

Have spent the last 3 days chopping plywood and soft wood on the sawbench to make Swarm boxes, I have an order for 6 of them. Most of the wood I use is scrap wood I get from the wood yard. Also making 4 Hive stands to order from the bee shop. It gets very busy this time of year. The bees are flying well and I have sold 2 overwintered Nuclii. I understand that they are in short supply and the prices have gone sky high, I have seen one advert for £195 for 6 combs of bees!

Clive

Hello John, it is for a Toolco 1130GV which is the same as the Warco WM 280V, but with a head stock bore of 38mm. All this for less than £2 grand.

Terry

Hi, made the spindles and spacers for my lifting beam trolley.

The two washers were 3/4" which were stacked and skimmed for a close fit on the 20mm spindles and will space the wheels from the trolley frame. The middle spacer is just a suitable piece of tube which was drilled out to clear the spindle and was faced and then parted off to length.

Have cut and marked out some steel for the trolley frame.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 02/04/2014 00:42:02

Clive, I think the rest of the world as well as here in NZ, and in UK are going to have problems breeding and keeping a large enough supply of bees, just for pollination alone, let alone the supply of honey for us honey lovers. All this down to Verroa mite, and other diseases killing off the wild bees. Must get some more honey, there is a hobby bee keeper just down the road. Ian S C

Over the past couple of days, started to remake the tailstock of my lathe. Cut through it horizontally and machined flat both cut surfaces. I will insert two 10mm plates to raise up the centre height and I also want to add in an adjustment for taper turning/alignment. The headstock will have a similar height rebuild.

Hi, made the frames for my liting beam trolley. Two pieces of 3" x 1-1/2" channel are used either side of the wheels and two pieces of 2" x 1" channel hang down from them below the beam, long enough for a pin to tie them together, which will also be for hanging the chian blocks on.

The two pilot holes at the bottom of the 2" x 1" channel is where the pin will be. Below is a photo of the trolley on the beam excluding the pin and side thrust pads.

Regards Nick.