What did you do today (2015)

Today I burned out my nice maktia grinder while building a engine crane I've been working on, bugger. And no I wasn't giving it what for just light cutting. Still at least with them I can get a new armature for it for 12 quid.

Have you checked if the brushes have simply worn out? Are you certain the armature is u/s?

The first day in the workshop for 10 days did some cleaning up and put things away then I found the 2 BRASS flip top oil cups that I got at the show.

I had to modify the thread and to my surprise when I started turning them they was aluminium plated with brass they looked like brass and sold as brass.

They was marked up as brass and cost more than the mild steel ones so you just cannot trust anyone so check what you buy

Kevin

I'm still playing and seeing what these new toys can do. The last couple of sessions I had a go at grinding a turning tool and using it, same with facing and yesterday was parting. Today I reground the first tool which honestly worked but didn't look too nice and made a much better looking effort. I honed it up, did my first centre drill and live centre and then hogged a bit more off the cold rolled test piece. This time it happily took 3mm of the radius with short curly chips and threw them all over my newly swept floor. I'm not sure how far one can push these things but that looked quite efficient if one needs to chop something down fast.

Bob - cleaning bilges, what sort of a boat did you sail on to be detailed off to clean bilges? We just waited until the ship was rolling nicely then poured a load of oil dispersant type swag down the bilge and with a bit of water sloshing about the ship soon did the job for us. Quick pump out, hose down, pump out again, job done, well not pristine, but what bilge ever was? Avoid all jobs below the bottom plates if at all possible was our motto!

Chris

Chris,

I did not mean cleaning bilges with a mop and bucket, more retrieving bits of wood and other stuff that got dropped below the bottom plates, mind you it was always a good one to get first trip cadets with by offering them a tooth brush! All sorts of tools end up down there from shifters to torches and even the odd mat (used to clean prop shaft).

A Captain is known to have dropped a torch into the intake of the gas turbine when it was being cleaned and wrecked the engine, rule was no tools etc take into the plenum chamber.

If you want a really dirty job try cleaning the scavenge space on a big marine diesel.

Bob

Re angle grinder- mine went in a similar manner, the brush connections were just spiral springs pushed on to a terminal and had burnt out. Worth a check.

The large radiator in the lounge stopped heating up, examination of the Thermostatic valve head looked as if the wax stat had failed. Bought a new valve complete from Quick Fix and replaced the head only and now works OK.

The valve plunger operated by the wax stat worked Ok so logic says it was the head.

Clive

Bob, tools dropped in the bilges, always a toss up between would it rust because of the sea water there or not because of the oil! Retrieve it quick was best idea, cadets very useful for that.

Scavenge space cleaning, what a dirty horrible job that was, but essential to reduce the fire risk. The engine room ratings always got a 'job and finish' on that one, and deservidly too.

Chris

The oil hole in the Tom Senior Overarm bearing I recently made was way to big so soldered it up and drilled a No.70 hole. Too small so went to enlarge it and the solder plug promptly fell out and disappeared down that black hole every Workshop has.

OK I need to use 'proper' solder so got the spool of Fry's, cleaned the hole, heated and plugged it up.

Filed inside and out smooth and drilled No.65 but still no oil getting onto the Spindle spacers so opened it out No.60 and oil getting through.

Has anyone done any experiments to determine the hole size to feed oil to shafts?

Photos of the rubber sheeting covering the tables on the TS & Boxford;

Geoff - Mill keyways in vices tomorrow.

Geoff - you've probably said already on more than one occasion but what is the material and source thereof? Looks like a handy hint to avoid unnecessary cleaning.

Murray

Today I decided to pay a visit to the Newark Classic Bike Show. It is the first time since I packed in motorcycling around 23 years ago that I have felt interested enough to bother going to a bike show of any sort.

The show seemed a bit lacking and was very disappointing, particularly if you were interested in sorting through lots of piles of spare parts for something you needed, or a complete old bike, although there were a few. But not even a single, solitary BSA C15 anywhere. But then it wasn't all that expensive to get in.

Maybe the poor weather we have been having is to blame. There were four Myford Super 7's on offer, and JB Cutting Tools were also there.

Edited By Lathejack on 03/01/2015 17:50:42

Edited By Lathejack on 03/01/2015 18:09:24

OuBaillie, what you do is to "plug" the hole with a suitable permeable plug (cigarette filter tip!!). I learn't this dodge from a plumber when the gas pilot failed in a stove of mine, not enough gas coming through to actuate the safety system. So being a bright spark I poked something through the tiny hole only to have too much gas coming through and a pilot 4" long. My plumber friend told me the dodge and it worked perfectly. Oh yes and it has worked for at least a couple of decades.

Frank

Murray,

EPDM sheet offered on eBay, various thicknesses and sizes.

For the mill and shaper I used some of the 3mm thick sheet I have.

I will try 1mm on the Marlow and see how that works, as the magnetic bases don't work through 3mm.

Frank,

I did think of using a wool thread but decided against.

Cigarette filter!

Amazing how people come up with solutions.

Doesn't the filter need a good reservoir/head in order to get oil to filter through?

Now where to find an unused ciggy filter? Ah next door smoke.

Geoff - Lazy day.

Geoff

That might still be an expensive solution.

I've not smoked for over 40 yrs now but I was stunned recently when I saw the price of my once favourite brand. If I was still smoking at the rate I was then I would be spending more on cigarettes than we do now on a weeks groceries for two!

Norman

Norman,

I gave up in 1989 and have never regretted it, and have absolutely no intention of starting again.

The price of a pack now is mind blowing.

Did an exercise, some years ago to see what I'd saved, and it stunned me as it paid for most of the equipment in the Workshop.

No wonder Food Banks are needed.

Geoff - Smuggling and cross Channel shopping are here to stay.

Went out to the work shop after lunch, looked at the thermometer outside, 33*C, then the one inside 39*C, gave up on the idea of any work in that. Fire is becoming a real danger, a honey processing plant down south was burnt out yesterday. On the fire danger map, I'm right in the middle of about the biggest red area.

Ian S C

OuBallie - a cheap source of filters is the ones used for hand rolling cigs, they come in 3 or four sizes, if you want some samples, PM me your address and I'l send you a few, I've got some left over since giving up.

Graeme

Spindle sensor feedback on my new CNC mill - so when you ask for (say) 500rpm, the LinuxCNC program figures out if the mill is set to high gear or low gear, and adjusts accordingly, so you do get 500rpm!

Fun stuff - and once again, LinuxCNC makes it all possible. Here's the blog link, for anyone interested: **LINK**

John.