What did you do Today 2024

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Found that I didn’t have any ‘one-size smaller’ M4 nuts, only some rather ill-proportioned commercial ones, so made some..

I didn’t have any 6mm hex. so ‘hexed’ enough 8mm round-stock to make 6 nuts plus cutting allowance in a collet block, transferred that to the lathe and drilled 3.3mm with a stub drill followed by a 4mm tap, ‘scored’ a witness with a 1.5 grooving tool before cutting off with junior hacksaw and facing-up the next- I didn’t feel inclined to part off 6mm stock with a 4mm hole in it at that distance from the collet.

I already had a small ali. billet with a 4mm thread that I’d used to face the studs to length, so locked a stud into the back of that to make a small arbor on which to face the sawn side of each nut before knocking the corners off each face with a file.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Just in from the workshop concentrating on trying to make the rope knurls that Clickspring did on on of his videos. Not too bad but I think the cutter needs to be a smaller dia to get a more pronounced curve to the knurl. Perhaps Ill make a smaller cutter tomorrow.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I’ve not watched his video but is the cutter radius not related to the radius of the bead that you are trying to cut the rope knurl on? Too big a radius on the cutter and it won’t wrap around the bead, too small and it will be deeper at the sides.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Frank Ford Rope Knurls;

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Projects/RopeKnurl/ropeknurl.html

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Thanks Diogenes I had not seen that one and yes Jason you are right but surely you can have the bead as prominent as you wish. I have recorded the depth of cut to make the wheel so now know how deep the lands need to be for the wheel to go full depth. Yes and as it is a forming process it should give me a bit of wriggle room.

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

I had a first go at spiral cutting on my Pittler lathe, this requires the leadscrew to be run from the tailstock end and it’s not something you can do on many lathes.

I am using a 1/2″ ball nosed endmill, there are 4 drive belts running on 7 pulleys so it make a racket!

https://youtu.be/wOrPeptvLJ4?si=ZC2fWVRvwE6_bQTK

[Coggy CParticipant @coggyclapsaddle]

Spotted another crack in the ceiling.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

My wife usually does that…..

Can I say that?
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Will I be the next Greg Wallace?</p>

[Andy StopfordParticipant @andystopford50521]

Finished profiling the pawls and support plate for a Minnie lubricator using the DRO Holes in an Arc and Linear Holes – slow but the results are good, and the parts are so small I didn’t fancy marking them out. It was also useful practise for this method, which I’ve only used a couple of times before:

It also gave me an opportunity to sort out a way of dealing with an irritating problem

Because I have the DRO x and y scales with one fixed and the pick-up moving, and one vice versa (the only way they can conveniently be mounted), the start and finish angles aren’t what you’d expect, likewise the display (shown above) is mirrored – I have drawn a circle on the workshop wall with the positions of 0, 90, 180 and 270 marked in the positions the machine expects – it saved much confusion, and in future I’ll also make sure any drawings I make have the angles marked from the appropriate datum.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Once you get into the hang of it you will do less and less marking out.

DRO unit looks interesting, what make controller/display?

Also, what is a ‘smooth arc’?

Ian P

[Andy StopfordParticipant @andystopford50521]

It appears to call itself “ToAuto”, though the manual gives no name at all – I got it (and the scales) from ebay a couple of years ago.

Smooth Arc is just what they call an arc where you can specify the start and finish angles, as opposed to “Simple Arc”, where you can’t – judging by the display, you just get 0 to 90 degrees, but with XY, XZ and YZ options, I haven’t had any reason to try this as yet.

It has a number of other functions – bevels, network, etc, and PCD of course. The thing I’ve never got my head around is the calculator function, which you’d think should be the simplest – the Chinglish manual just gives up on that one and says it’s used the same way as a general calculator.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

That’s useful, Andy – I’ve not explored the DRO on my mill to that extent yet but you’ve certainly showed the possibilities, so thankyou!

….

Meanwhile back on the ordinary twiddly-handles with those miniscule die-cast dials on my Myford ML7…

I completed four special screws for securing the new drive-sprocket to my steam-wagon’s differential.

I’d originally modified an ex-BMC car using (front-wheel drive) for the traction-engine type through-shaft axle, and screwed a pre-loved motorcycle sprocket, suitable bored out, to its former crown-wheel seating. Years ago… Then recently found the chain, also objet trouve as the arty ones do say, would not fit. Metric sprocket, Imperial chain – and the latter knackered as well.

So bought a brand-new, sprocket-plate and chain, trepanned out the centre and pitch-circle drilled it, using the BCA jig-borer; and have just finished the screws to hold it to the differential case.

I machined them as a “stick”:

Make a guide-bush for the steady, use the tailstock centre for more accurate centering.

Set the parting-tool by lead-screw hand-wheel and steel rule to cut marker grooves in the stainless-steel hexagon stock; turn and screw-cut (finish to profile with a die), part, repeat.

HSS knife and parting tools at moderately high speeds and gentle feeds; carbide insert threading tool on back-gear and low motor speed. Neat cutting-oil.

 

The early-pattern, second-hand gearbox I fitted a couple of years ago really comes into its own for this sort of task, and one tiny, simple, five-minute modification I made to it, has proved its worth too when swapping between fine-feed and screw-cutting ranges.

Note the top-slide angle. That is mainly to clear the tailstock but is also at 30º, not for screw-cutting feed although these screws have 3/8″ X 24 UNF threads for compatibility with the original car unit, but for the half-distance effect.

 

In the photo, staged by moving the steady back for visibility, the first one is ready for its thread. The “extra” notches on number-three are a whoopsie – I turned the handle the wrong way.

 

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Diogenes –

(Going back up-thread a bit)

Comparing your making those special M4 nuts with my screws, I’ve approached a similar task in a slightly different way.

I turned the “witness” grooves first, to a shade under A/F diameter, on the still-round bar; then milled the flats. In this way the parting-off was by steady, not interrupted, cuts.

I think I was making squares that time, not hexagons, but the principle is the same.

 

(I did make my differential screws from hexagonal stock, so the lathe and tools had to put up with a bumpy ride this time.)

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Today I found out that I don’t have prostate cancer!  Results of the biopsy were clear and I can crack on with projects now.

It does mean that unfortunately I won’t get to meet the Davinci robotic laparotomy machine, but on the bright side it does mean I haven’t wasted money on a 5 year rust warranty on the new car lol.

Mick

 

[Taf_PembsParticipant @taf_pembs]

Fantastic news Mick, that must be one hell of a relief! 👍🍻

 

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Great news, Plasma!

….

I completed the mechanical parts of the steam-wagon differential – had a worrying time with the chain not wrapping round the sprocket properly (both parts bought new) until I realised I need turn the mounting down a bit more to give the links room.

It now needs a cover making, for fitting after I have replaced years of ancient grease, accumulated muck and deceased invertebrates, with clean new grease.

The original cage is open-sided as it operated inside a car gearbox.

Oh – and a good use found for the disc of steel (EN8?) trepanned from the middle of the sprocket stock plate-wheel.

[Plasma]

On Plasma Said:

Today I found out that I don’t have prostate cancer!  Results of the biopsy were clear and I can crack on with projects now.

It does mean that unfortunately I won’t get to meet the Davinci robotic laparotomy machine, but on the bright side it does mean I haven’t wasted money on a 5 year rust warranty on the new car lol.

Mick

 

I know the relief you must be feeling. Good news, congratulations. 

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>It’s a huge relief thanks gents, I had built myself up to receive bad news and when they said the biopsy was clear I just wasn’t ready for it. But now it’s sinking in that I won’t have to undergo treatment and everything that goes with it.</p>
On with building the Armortek Landy now.

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Been carrying on with the rope knurls and have had a light bulb moment, why not make a pair so that  they can be used in a pinch knurler so no real strain on the H/stock bearings. I have managed to cut a pair they just need hardening and testing but thats for another day.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Look good, Bernard – keep us posted, never seen them done as a pair, but have thought about rope knurls for the odd job..

No power since yesterday lunchtime – hope everyone is okay, I’m sure I’m getting off lightly compared with some poor souls..

[Andy Stopford]

On Andy Stopford Said:

It also gave me an opportunity to sort out a way of dealing with an irritating problem

Because I have the DRO x and y scales with one fixed and the pick-up moving, and one vice versa (the only way they can conveniently be mounted), the start and finish angles aren’t what you’d expect, likewise the display (shown above) is mirrored – I have drawn a circle on the workshop wall with the positions of 0, 90, 180 and 270 marked in the positions the machine expects – it saved much confusion, and in future I’ll also make sure any drawings I make have the angles marked from the appropriate datum.

Hi Andy

Do you have your Cutter Axis movements conforming to the “Right Hand Rule”?.

Even though you have the Scales and Reading Heads mounted differently on each axis, there should be a setting in the DRO Display Setup Menu, that allows you to reverse the Reading Direction of each axis, in order that the CUTTER MOVEMENTS conform to the above rule, as the DRO is expecting.

Nick

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Scanning through my photos I came across this little beauty of a distressingly from my good friend Gillian.

She had employed a local firm of builders to carry out extensive alterations to her home. They were unfortunately poor at time management,  poor at cost management and in short, pretty poor at building.

She eventually sacked them off the job after months of disappointing excuses and outright lies from them.

She called me to have a look at her outdoor light, which had been working prior to them doing the electrics. But was now dead as the proverbial.

No power to the fitting,  couldn’t trace the wiring easily. A new consumer unit had been fitted but no labels attached to the circuits. By a process of elimination I found a breaker that didn’t affect any other circuit in the house, ergo this must be the outdoor light. It was powered up and operating, just no power getting to the fitting.

The wire exited the consumer unit to the left side, I don’t know what made me think of it but I took a hole saw and cut out a plug of the newly installed plasterboard wall right at the side of the fuse box.

And there it was, a fused switch turned off. I turned it on and the outside light worked.

They had fitted a completey needless fused switch, turned it off and plastered over it!

Cowboy doesn’t quite cover the operation these lads are running…

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

By the way, I removed the switch and put a cover over the surface mount box before repairing the hole, which is what you see in my post.

[Coggy CParticipant @coggyclapsaddle]

I see far more cowboy jobs nowadays then I use to and what really gets me about them is I usually find the people responsible are on the “competent” person schemes.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

“competent” person really gets me, we are never going to stop the cowboys.

In 1962 after 5 years day release I passed C&G 51, FTC in Electrical Installation work, which was the highest available at that time. Worked all those years, never knowingly electrocuted any one, now retired and apparently are not  “competent” person. I’m told if you fit kitchens you can be.

[Author]

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