Round ‘Tuits’, Best Laid Plans and Sod’s Law

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

After quite a break through the Summer I got back into the workshop on Friday.

 

Having decided to finally make a larger handwheel for the saddle on the Myford – something I’ve been promising myself for some time – I actually got round to it and its finished and fitted and a pleasure to use. At the same time several other little jobs were tackled – a new dead stop for the mill vise, at last a proper handle for the mill down feed dead stop to replace that old bolt and along with one or two other small items I finally – finally, after just a short 31 years of prevarication turned up that small boss to fit the tool post spindle to locate the Dickson tool holder. Did I need it after all that time – I guess not but only use and time will tell if I ‘should a done that years ago’. Could this be a record or does anyone else actually dither like this ?

 

I have recently been preparing the base for a small extension in which to fit a small bead blasting cabinet and in order to beat any potential price increase decided to order a new compressor as the current SIP one is rather small for that task. Less than twenty four hours later the existing one kicked in and ran continuously with that ominous sound of escaping air. After best part of twenty years sterling service the bloody tank has become porous and the pressure has punched a small hole through one end. Though I was hoping too I’m just so glad I had’nt sold it to anyone.

 

So an inauspicious restart but the heater’s on and the long nights are here so it’s time to get into the swarf making. To begin with I intend to progress the Waller engine that has languished for far too long – the piston is already under way. To that end then I sincerely hope you all have as good a winters machining as I intend to.

 

Kind Regards – Ramon

 

 

 

 

 

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

[DoddyParticipant @doddy]

Just had a day in the workshop like that ~ while trying to make head way making an “OldBoatGuy” beam broke a 10BA tap ! agh! so called it a day. That was a week ago and not been back since.

 

So decided to get back in there and have a really deep down clean and sort out, ~ Found some channel iron off cuts and made six different milling table clamps, started them last year, milled and squared up a base block for the dividing head tail stock, started that last year too ! Made a new base plate for my vice, fixed its handle, modified an old grinder into a buffing mop polisher with two pigtails I found, and fitted a diamond cup wheel to the disc sander and modified the table to make a lathe tool grinder ~ changed a light bulb, mended the shower extractor fan and made the wife her tea as she came in from work !

 

“Had a good day” she enquired “Yes” I said and told her all about how hard it’s been mending the shower fan ! ~ fun I never mentioned to her I’d had the most productive day in the shop, even worked out how to get around the broken 10BA tap ~ but thats for another day

 

 

 

 

Edited By David Dodwell on 01/11/2011 10:30:06

Edited By David Dodwell on 01/11/2011 10:30:47

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I took about 22 years to finish a model boat. It wouldn’t be quite so shameful, except it was a Vic Smeed beginners design… By gum it went well with a 540 motor instead of the limp monoperm that originally made me lose enthusiasm.

 

I have many other projects that are years in the making. Sometimes it’s fun to finish one; the things that hold you up can be rather odd. One boat waited three or four years waiting for anew battery cargher. Made the battery charger and the speed controller was duff…

 

Strangely plans for this little shunter are racing ahead, only live for less than a week. Just started marking out the second set of frames (don’t ask…)_

 

Neil

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Cor! Thank Gawd, There I was thinking I was the only one.

 

Nothing like a bloody good clean up to lift the spirits when you get the workshop blues eh David?

My good friend Lee whose bead blaster I use put me onto that vein of thought some time ago – when it all gets a bit too much have a really good ‘huck out’ – certainly works for me.

 

Hang on in there Neil – when I was doing the Diagonals conrods I made a cut a bit too deep on one that rendered it useless – it was about half way there. Fortunately I had another block pre milled (it’s times like this that ‘work’ will really be missed) so set to and soon got back to where I was. Went in and had a cup of tea then came out and finished it off. Trouble was it wasn’t until It was near finished I realised I’d picked up the scrapper

 

Regards – ramon

 

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