Clarkson Horizontal – Redefined in Metric

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

While most of you seem to be entrenched in the tea room I’ve been out in the workshop.

Having felt for a long time that anyone looking for their first casting kit will get lead down the imperial route even though it may not be familiar to them I decided to redraw the Clarkson 1″ x 1.5″ Horizontal in metric and while I was about it sort out the few anomalies and missing details that the original drawings suffer from.

An updated metric drawing set should soon be available from Blackgates, the castings are available now. It’s not a bad buy when compared to a similar size Stuart No 8 and the cost of materials and fixings is still not going to bring the cost up to that of the Stuart. Build should be in ME at some time in the hopefully not too distant future.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Looks good and sounds even better. Should be popular among those with modern metric lathes and mills. And the younger set for whom imperial is a complete mystery.

[Martin Johnson 1Participant @martinjohnson1]

“While most of you seem to be entrenched in the tea room I’ve been out in the workshop.”

Biting, but too true.

Martin

 

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

While imperial on metric machines might not be the end of the world, it may possibly spawn a new saying.  “measure thrice, cut once”.  Not to mention, reading the drawing more than once.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks for the comments

At least with the new drawings you should actually have dimensions to read as many times as you like rather than them being completely missing or simply not possible to achieve from the actual castings. But as my lathe is imperial and does not have a DRO I can confirm that the world is not going to end but I should inform you that it is not flat.

I’m not quite sure yet whether Blackgates will supply both sets of drawings or give the buyer the choice of the old imperial or my new metric ones so those with old iron need not have to take their socks off.

As Hopper says more of the hobby machines are coming with just a metric option and the same goes for tooling and equipment with metric being more readily available at reasonable prices.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Just a quick update to say that Blackgates are now able to supply a set of my metric drawings which comprise 14 A4 sheets, one GA one with 3D views, and the remaining 12 of the individual parts. Just mention you want the metric ones when ordering a set of castings.

I’m also half way through writing up the build which will go into ME Mag and I will also give Blackgates permission to include that with any future kits sold.

In time I will also do a set of drawings for the vertical as I now have a set of castings for that, not sure when as another little Clarkson has caught my eye and is now nearer the top of the list.

[Author]

Posts