ME Exhibition at Leamington

I went with an experienced friend. And have had a very enjoyable time at the exhibition. Bought a couple of T1 QC toolpost holders and an angle plate for my cross slide.
Being my first visit to an exhibition of this nature I was enthralled by some of the exhibits, showpieces and working engines. One company had a turbines for helicopters, which ran up to 14K RPM. That drew a big crowd.
I spotted lots of things on different suppliers stands which i was able to discuss with my friend, and gain a better understanding of lathe and mill work.

For me, as a complete beginner and novice, it was a very worthwhile day out. And judging by the numbers attending the 1st of the 4 days, I suspect that it will prove to be a great success.

Well worth a visit, in my opinion.

Went today. The place had been rearranged from previous years. The building appeared smaller but there seemed to be more inside, excellent exhibits and more traders. Shades of Dr. Who perhaps? or just my imagination.

Yes I thought the area was smaller but all the trade stands I remembered were there. As always got nearly all my list plus some. Can anyone help me find some 10BA steel stud looking for two 8 inch lengths

Hi Paul,

I think 10Ba studding is hard to find. there is a way to make it, I'ev made 6" lengths as follows:

Get some plain welding rod, unfluxed, nice and soft and just bigger than 10BA.

Make a travelling steady by fitting a bit of bar in the toolpost and drilling it a close fit for the rod.

Now the hard bit (it can be done) clamp a sharp HSS bit to the back of the steady bar so it just shaves enough off the rod to bring it under 0.067". you should be able to run down lengths over 8" with this support in one go.

Manually start a 10BA die on the end of the reduced rod, then, with plenty of neat cutting oil, hand guide the die along the rod with the lathe turning slowly.

OK the result isn't up to being a leadscrew, but I was able to cut lots of shorter studs from it without having to make them all individually.

Neil

Gentlemen,

I usually go to the Exhibition but I'm laid up with suspected broken bones in my right foot, can a kind gentleman take some pictures please, particularly of boats.

Thank you.

Martin P

Unfortunately I do not fit into either the gentleman or kind category, but I have put a few boat photos in my Midlands MEX album from a visit on Thursday, you will have to excuse the poor quality of my photography though.

If the time is available I upload some other photos over the Weekend.

My sympathy about your foot, hope it gets better quickly.

Edited By V8Eng on 17/10/2014 21:51:52

How is the car park holding up? Not been for a few years but I recall being glad I took hiking boots last time and it seems to be rain all day tomorrow.

I've put a few more photos in now, Car Park was good on Thursday.

Edited By V8Eng on 17/10/2014 22:38:59

Thanks for the pictures, I particularly liked the distressed Gronk.

Martin P

A 'Gronk' never heard that one before, is it the Boat or the 08 Shunter?

Edited By V8Eng on 17/10/2014 23:09:55

Milton Keynes metals do 10BA steel studding, £66 per meter though.

Mike

Just a heads up for anyone wanting to do a show this weekend, it's the Stafford Classic bike show at believe it or not Stafford.

Very big show and usually some good stuff on display.

V8,

I was reffering to the shunter, re your road steam, a couple of weeks ago the National Traction Engine Trust had their 60th Road run and the short route was through my village so I spent an excellent afternoon photographing fifty three of the one hundred and eighty engines http://s47.photobucket.com/user/martinperman/library/?sort=3&page=1 which took part on the three routes.

thanks again

Martin P

Edited By martin perman on 18/10/2014 07:57:36

Paul,

Ian T Cobb sells both brass and steel 10BA studding. £12.50 for a 12" length in steel.

http://www.clockmaking-brass.co.uk/miscellaneous_items%202.htmL

regards

Graham

Martin.

I worked on quite a few 08s (amongst others) during my Apprenticeship. Being the skinny short bloke I was usually sent into the awkward places on them, and still have a small scar on my forehead from an unexpected encounter with one of those big side doors!

Your road steam pictures are great, that must have been quite a sight.

You look to have been getting a bit close for a quick escape on that foot of yours, or was it a tele lens?

Ive only had the aircast on since last wednesday week, when the engines came through both feet were working correctly, I do have a telly photo on my camera but did get close when required.

Martin P

Went to the Stafford Bike show today, talk about busy, no idea what the gate was but made the average ME show look like a church fete.

JB cutting tools was there with a satellite stand plus some other vendors selling the usual ME tooling as opposed to the spanner stalls.

Some very nice classic machinery and the more exotic presented by a talk and then under power.

One of the more impressive ones was the NVT Challenger which was the UK last ditch stand to produce a world beater.

It consisted of a 1/4 of a Cosworth F1 engine but very top heavy and unreliable which was also admitted by the entrant, The British Motorcycle Museum at Birmingham.

Contrary to popular opinion this establishment releases bikes to appear in parades and demonstration laps at key circuits during the year to highlight the fact that it's not all about static exhibits. Of the bike on show and under power this one had the absolute most awesome sound.

Highlight of the show for me believe it or not was a Ford 400E van on the Villiers stand. This was stunning in the work that had been done to restore this if that is the right word because the van had only done 27,000 from new.

It looked to be an early model, possibly 1959 / 60 ? the guy was busy on the stand so didn't have a lot of time to ask questions.

Might sound a funny vehicle to latch on to at a classic bike show but these vans [ pre transhit ] were iconic as virtually all the racing lads had these as being the best tool for getting racing bikes around, sleeping in etc

It was not unusual in pre motorway days and lower top speeds to put 50,000 miles on one of this in a year.

The van in question is also featured in this months Classic Van [ yer I'd didn't know that one existed ] but first thing Monday your intrepid hero will be stood outside W H Shmitt and Co [ GMBH ] clutching his money to get this.

Anyway, well worth attending if you are in the Stafford area, last day is Sunday.

Gratuitous old ford van shot (not 400E)

Neil