What did you do today? (2013)

[russellParticipant @russell]

i spent a couple of hours making 'mothers day' (next sunday in Oz) gifts for my girls (7yo) to give to mum.

They are acrylic 'stamp holders' for her rubber stamping hobby. (think our toys are expensive… ) involved cutting some acrylic sheet with my contra-rotating saw (google 'dual saw&#39 which sort of lives up to some of the hype), and routing finger grooves in some thicker acrylic offcuts to make handles. I used a woodworking router bit in my mill. A few minutes on belt sander, to get more or less square, then a quick file to get more or less smooth, then onto the polishing wheel and they are ready for glue.

next type will use thicker acrylic sheet with finger grooves directly in the block edges.

hopefully well received.

russ

[Derek DroverParticipant @derekdrover32802]

Spent yesterday public hauling with my little 3 1/2 Netta. She's a girl with pulling power!

[Anonymous]

Never mind engineering, the sun was out today! So a nice jaunt in the glider instead, from Cambridge to Oxford, Melton Mowbray, Bury St. Edmunds and back to Cambridge. About 375km in a bit under 5 hours. I'll get back to engineering later in the week when the weather is iffy.

Andrew

[NJHParticipant @njh]

That's a good flight Andrew. I had a glider for a few years and spent some happy hours pootlin' about around Oxford – then we moved! Five hours strapped into a small cockpit today would be too much for my aging bones! ( Heck 5 hours in my armchair would be pushing it!)

Envoiusly

Norman

[Anonymous]

Norman,

I reckon a 500km flight will take me at least 6 hours, so it's all good practice! The weather is now distinctly iffy, so work (engineering) today.

Yesterday was underwhelming to start with; 'square' thermals, weak climbs and a low cloudbase. Things didn't improve until we got to Milton Keynes. Even then it took us a while to realise that the tatty looking clouds often produced good climbs. Our low point was Oxford (Headington roundabout), surprising really what with all those wannabe politicians reading PPE, one would have thought that there'd be a surplus of hot air. The car factory at Cowley produced the required thermal. The best run was from Melton Mowbray to Bury, 120km in about an hour and twenty.

Regards,

Andrew

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Rather mundane today, I'm afraid. First cut on the rear garden including electric lawn raking part of it to get rid of (some of) the moss and dead thatch, took youngest son to work (his car was in for repairs), washed a rather sticky camping chair cushion (hope it will dry out) and started looking at SWMBO's solar garden lights to see if any are repairable. Right now am trying to load openSUSE12.2 on to a laptop as a dual boot with Windows XP – and failing miserably!

Also made an appointment to have a hair cut, confirmed a new sleeping bag was ready for collection, and arranged for some keys to be sent in readiness for some caravan repairs in 10 days time.

Tomorrow should be raining, or windy, or both, so back to the garden lights and making a D bit.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Rather mundane today, I'm afraid. First cut on the rear garden including electric lawn raking part of it to get rid of (some of) the moss and dead thatch, took youngest son to work (his car was in for repairs), washed a rather sticky camping chair cushion (hope it will dry out) and started looking at SWMBO's solar garden lights to see if any are repairable. Right now am trying to load openSUSE12.2 on to a laptop as a dual boot with Windows XP – and failing miserably!

Also made an appointment to have a hair cut, confirmed a new sleeping bag was ready for collection, and arranged for some keys to be sent in readiness for some caravan repairs in 10 days time.

Tomorrow should be raining, or windy, or both, so back to the garden lights and making a D bit.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> SWMBO's solar garden lights

I understand the cells lose efficiency with time, but a major problem with some I salvaged from old garden lights was that the epoxy encapsulation had gone opaque. It came up nice with a bit of metal polish.

Bear in mind that the cells inside were probably from the bottom of the quality control barrel and a daily partial charge/near total discharge cycle isn't conducive to long life.

Neil

(Why do I only see the spelling errors after clicking the button!)

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 07/05/2013 20:09:37

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> SWMBO's solar garden lights

I understand the cells lose efficiency with time, but a major problem with some I salvaged from old garden lights was that the epoxy encapsulation had gone opaque. It came up nice with a bit of metal polish.

Bear in mind that the cells inside were probably from the bottom of the quality control barrel and a daily partial charge/near total discharge cycle isn't conducive to long life.

Neil

(Why do I only see the spelling errors after clicking the button!)

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 07/05/2013 20:09:37

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well my biggest job that I did this afternoon was replace the two track rods on my shopping trolly, AKA a 3 door Corsa. Bit of a fiddly one but got it done OK.

Regards Nick.

P.S. Isn't MOT time a wonderfull thing to look forward to, lots of potential big engineering jobs to do.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 07/05/2013 21:31:04

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well my biggest job that I did this afternoon was replace the two track rods on my shopping trolly, AKA a 3 door Corsa. Bit of a fiddly one but got it done OK.

Regards Nick.

P.S. Isn't MOT time a wonderfull thing to look forward to, lots of potential big engineering jobs to do.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 07/05/2013 21:31:04

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Cleaned my motorbikes then took the Scrambler out for a run. I swear I won't have another bike with spoked wheels because they are a pain to keep clean… If the weather is fine I will ride up to Harrogate on one of them for a look around the show, that will stop me buying anything big . Spent a couple of hours in the workshop earlier this evening.

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Cleaned my motorbikes then took the Scrambler out for a run. I swear I won't have another bike with spoked wheels because they are a pain to keep clean… If the weather is fine I will ride up to Harrogate on one of them for a look around the show, that will stop me buying anything big . Spent a couple of hours in the workshop earlier this evening.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Progressing with making a new cross slide made from flat stock. These two pieces will eventually form the dovetail.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Progressing with making a new cross slide made from flat stock. These two pieces will eventually form the dovetail.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Pulled apart the heavy duty impact drill I got at a garage sale for $2 because it was not working.

Found a loose wire on the trigger switch, and a broken terminal. Plugged wire into the next terminal and away it went.

Eureka! Sometimes you have a win. Now I can bolt my lathe bench to the floor to stop it wobbling when I crank the manual leadscrew handle.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Pulled apart the heavy duty impact drill I got at a garage sale for $2 because it was not working.

Found a loose wire on the trigger switch, and a broken terminal. Plugged wire into the next terminal and away it went.

Eureka! Sometimes you have a win. Now I can bolt my lathe bench to the floor to stop it wobbling when I crank the manual leadscrew handle.

[1Participant @1]

Needed to bend some 5/32 copper tube into a right angle and my first 2 attempts failed miserably as the tube predictably collapsed. After some head scratching and lunch I remembered a technique learnt about 50 years ago at HMS Fisgard naval apprentice training school but never used, or seen, since. One end of tube plugged with soft solder, tube filled with dry sand ( a bit tricky ), other end of tube plugged and "Hurrah" a successful bend. Don't you just love it when a plan works.

Jim

[1Participant @1]

Needed to bend some 5/32 copper tube into a right angle and my first 2 attempts failed miserably as the tube predictably collapsed. After some head scratching and lunch I remembered a technique learnt about 50 years ago at HMS Fisgard naval apprentice training school but never used, or seen, since. One end of tube plugged with soft solder, tube filled with dry sand ( a bit tricky ), other end of tube plugged and "Hurrah" a successful bend. Don't you just love it when a plan works.

Jim

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Ball-turning tool(s) still progessing according to plan. Oh, hang on, there wasn't a plan… OK, well just still progressing then. Better to make it first and then construct the plan afterwards anyway.

Made the leadscrews:

Then cut a T-slot in the slide for the tool holder:

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Ball-turning tool(s) still progessing according to plan. Oh, hang on, there wasn't a plan… OK, well just still progressing then. Better to make it first and then construct the plan afterwards anyway.

Made the leadscrews:

Then cut a T-slot in the slide for the tool holder:

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Ball-turning tool(s) still progessing according to plan. Oh, hang on, there wasn't a plan… OK, well just still progressing then. Better to make it first and then construct the plan afterwards anyway.

Made the leadscrews:

Then cut a T-slot in the slide for the tool holder:

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Pardon my ignorance here Chris but why are you making TWO ball turning tools? Are you anticipating making a lot of balls? They certainly look to be well made – far better than the cheapo unit I purchased – although that does seem to work reasonasbly well and I don't need it often.

I must confess I very often make two of something though – but only due to making a b***s of the first one!

Norman

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Pardon my ignorance here Chris but why are you making TWO ball turning tools? Are you anticipating making a lot of balls? They certainly look to be well made – far better than the cheapo unit I purchased – although that does seem to work reasonasbly well and I don't need it often.

I must confess I very often make two of something though – but only due to making a b***s of the first one!

Norman

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Pardon my ignorance here Chris but why are you making TWO ball turning tools? Are you anticipating making a lot of balls? They certainly look to be well made – far better than the cheapo unit I purchased – although that does seem to work reasonasbly well and I don't need it often.

I must confess I very often make two of something though – but only due to making a b***s of the first one!

Norman

[Author]

Posts