What did you do today? (2013)

Hi Ian, yes I have the box. My brother bought it on a visit to a toy museum. he also sent me Seamus Heaney's Beowulf, an intriguing illustration of our common but varied interests!

Neil

Good show, the box increases the value of these things quite a bit, they tend to get discarded when the toy goes to a child. I almost think it would be good to buy two of some toys (or would have been 40 + years ago when there were good British toys), one as a gift now, and one to save, and have later in life, Or flog off to the highest bidder.

Ian S C

This morning I picked up what I thought was to be a new photographic project and a motor for the Rapidor. Bought on a whim from an auction house having just seen one picture (how risky was that?). Turns out to be a tool cutter/grinder but of unknown origin. I certainly will not be hack/modding this one but would love to hear from any one who is able to identify the beast. There are no makers marks appart from the motor which is Czech. All threads and bearings appear to have no play and I only paid double figures. It was listed as "belt driven machine" and I paid only double figures for it, just above half way to treble figures! There are no other parts with it but I am sure these may be made. One happy bunny today

I hope it's not significant that it's sitting on the recycling wheelie bin.

Andrew

Hi Davy

That's the STENT

( Looking unloved, abandoned and neglected I'm afraid!) Maybe a little TLC will revive it!)

Castings were available HERE  - I don't know if they are still. I have one 80% (ish!) complete ( a long term project!  which I return to from time to time)

Bit sad to see it in that state- it took hours and hours of work to make. Well worth spending some time on it now to breath some life back into it.

Regards

Norman

Edited By NJH on 23/11/2013 12:47:23

Andrew/Norman, please be assured this lady will not be in next weeks recycling. New home and new owner, she will be cleaned and fettled over the winter with a nice new coat of paint. I have emailed Blackgates to see if plans are still available, if not we I will see what I can do myself. I think just inserts are missing so will have a go at these. Thank you both very much for such a speedy reply, greatly appreciated

Regards

David

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Neil,

It might be a split field motor

See Fig. 9-79 here

MichaelG.

I got a bit more done on my Cart wheels, started by roughing out the hubs from 1" bar

Then out with the ball turner to cut the two concave sides

Followed by the convex middle

Then over to the mill for the spoke holes

Made a start on teh spokes but have come in to watch F1 qualifying

J

Thanks Michael,

I didn't realise that DC motors with field windings were made so small! The high torque will be useful when your only power source is a single D-cell - especially if it's a weedy 1960's zinc-carbnon one.

Jason, looking good.

Neil

Spent most of the day fitting audio control units into electrical cabinets for a friend, for use in his local church hall which is undergoing major renovation.

But I did get time to cut the splines on the traction engine crankshafts using my home made cutter:

Regards,

Andrew

G'day.

Made a set of these : -

To hold jobs like this : -

A most productive afternoon's work

Regards from the land of the kangaroo

* Danny M *

Those do look handy, Danny

MichaelG.

Errr, today I over-tightened this pin chuck.

Gary

Looks like its a Bin Chuck now

Made the other 18 spokes for my cart wheels, only had about 48" of 5/32 steel but found a length of 4mm chromed brass for the last few

Then made the 24 threaded nipples, hubs are now lkooking more like the real thing.

J

Chromed spokes eh these cart wheels are going to be a bit like 1800s Ross Styles lol

Very good, Jason. I'm treating it as a "learning opportunity". There seem to be rather a lot of them.

Gary

Building my new flash steam hydroplane hull out of ply and spruce as the 2013 model had been in the wars ( a few flying boat episodes at 120mph plus).

Thought of making it out of carbon fibre after some advice at the full size Coniston Speed Week but do not have enough information on weight saving, strength, reinforcing and attachment of various mountings plus the effect of heat on it.

Are there any suitable books on using carbon fibre composites please bear in mind there can be a great deal of heat that can weaken conventional epoxies on certain parts of this type of model.

Useful advice always welcome.

Paul

Paul, perhaps a ljning of stainless steel shim to protect the CF from direct heat, possibly mounted with an air gap between it and the CF of the hull. Ian S C

Paul

In Formula 1 they use this to protect the carbon fibre but it may be OTT for you!

Richard

Carbon Fibre composites come in many variants

... The brakes on Aircraft and MotoGP brakes seem to handle the heat pretty well.

MichaelG.