What did you do today? (2013)

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Chris, will the cutters work well on bronze castings? I always end up with a burr on the run out edge that i have to file off.

Bri

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

I've only sliced 1" aluminium with them so far and that was a clean cut with no burr. They should be OK on bronze as long as they can keep their edge – if the castings are sandy they won't stay sharp very long though. Biggest advantage of these blades are they can cut deep(er) and clear the swarf more effectively.

Chris

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Ok thanks for that. I will have to get one or two and have a go.

maybe the ones i have are dull!.

Bri

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Well I was feeling fairly chuffed having snagged a few large endmills/slotdrills on that auction site for a couple of quid each. All unused too. That was until I reached for my trusty ER32 collet chuck only to find it doesn't actually hold a 25mm cutter… Doh. My only method so far has been to use a small 4" 4-jaw chuck attached to an R8/Myford-nose adapter. Not ideal, however good enough to prove these rip through alloy without throwing chips everywhere (like a flycutter does). So wanting to find a better solution I looked for any sort of R8 chuck that will hold these threaded shank cutters and didn't find anything suitable other than the larger ER40 chuck (I don't like side-lock chucks), so that's what I'm aiming to get unless someone has a better idea. The 4 largest cutters all have 1" dia threaded shanks.

Chris

Edited By Chris Heapy on 27/06/2013 17:54:33

Edited By Chris Heapy on 27/06/2013 17:55:23

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

After many years of not using it, I decided it was time to dismantle my belt-driven lathe overhead drive, I couldn't envisage a use for it these days with compact toolpost-mounted motors so easily available. In its place I put another box-section tool rack, this time for 2MT tooling, and using the timber side arms from the overhead as support.

Chris

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Not ME, but I spent all of yesterday afternoon attempting to resuscitate a cold water tank valve that was leaking.

Only saw the leak whilst cleaning out the gutters a couple of weeks ago, and saw water dripping from the overflow.

No idea how long that has going on for though.

Into the loft to check, and sure enough, water dripping from the water deflector on the valve, which is covered in lime scale. It's probably been up there from day one of the bungalow build in the early '70s.

Took the normal procedure of pushing the float down a few times to move the plunger in the valve, but to no avail.

Ok, time to dismantle, so down to shut water off.

Collect two shifters, adjustable pliers, and back up, but before taking the vale off, took the float/arm off and gave it more of a bend than it already had, but to no luck.

Remove float, disconnect water supply, then undo the plastic nuts, both of which came undone easily.

Down again with the offending valve, and close inspection made me realise that all that gung needed to come off before any attempt at dismantling, so the diaphragm end was dunked into a jar with a mixture of proprietory lime scale remover, lime and lemon juice added.

Wow, the stream of minuscule bubbles issuing forth was a good sign.

Left it in the solution for an hour whilst I had something to eat and a coffee.

Said hour later, the valve came out almost looking like new, with ALL the scale gone!

Now to do battle in removing the end nut that keeps the plunger housing/float fixing thingy in place.

Into the vice, and quite a heave on the adjustable pliers needed, and relief when it moved. Unscrewed and found the rubber diaphragm in what appeared good condition (This assumption was incorrect).

Reassembled and re-installed, water on, but still leaking!

Water off, valve removed and plunger end removed, and a walk to my local plumber supplies, and it's drizzling. I didn't take the plunger bits with me!

Show the valve and diaphragm to the guy, mention its possible age, and get the usual sucking through teeth response, but he soon find a pack of five diaphragms that appear the correct size trying to compare with them whilst in the plastic bag, so £2.06 later I remove one and they fit!

Back home I go feeling very very confident that the leak is now history.

Repeat assembly, reinstall, water on, into the lofty with said total confidence that I would be calling the fix a success.

Well the air turned a very very deep blue, and to say I was, by them, well and truly pi55ed off is an understatement. It was still frigging leaking!!

Sod this for a lark says I, new valve time and no more up and down the ladder.

Valve off again to take with me to check thread, and by then it's a near deluge outside, but need to get to supplier before they close for the weekend.

New sparkling valve produced, but no float, so ask for one, as knowing how this valve rescue was going, the old float would not fit, so £10.00 later I had new everything.

Pushing the plunger in on the new valve revealed much more travel compated with the old, and with much more give, and only then did I notice the ring indentation on the old diaphragm made by the water inlet 'jet' that it's pushed against. Rubber gone hard.

Back home in the downpour, into the loft, and about to put the new valve and mains pipe in place, and thought I'd better give the float arm a tweak to get the float into a lower position.

Water mains on, into the loft.

NO MORE LEAKING!

Tidy up, replace tank cover down for hopefully the last time, ladder back up into the loft, trap door closed, end of saga.

By now I'm cream crackered from those trips up and down the loft ladder, so a calming cup of 'Calm' tea called for.

Having the cuppa, I pondered on why I had spent the whole afternoon f*rting around with that old valve, when a new on with fload only cost a tenner, and fitted in 10 minutes.

Geoff – Now I can continue making the overhead trolley/pulley system.

 

PS. I've just had a phone call from the sub-continent's Microsoft Security Division advising me that my Windows computer is vulnerable to hacking. I let him carry on with his lengthy 'speech' and then informed him I was using a Mac, took me three time before I got a "You are a fu*king lier" response and the line went dead after I called him a "lying c" and asked how many people he had scammed money off of.

I could only just prevent myself from bursting out laughing before the end, having had this type of call before, but I wonder how many non techies have fallen for it, otherwise they wouldn't carry on with this scam.

Geoff – still giggling

Edited By OuBallie on 29/06/2013 11:44:56

Edited By OuBallie on 29/06/2013 11:46:48

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Made a saddle stop for my WM250V-F from offcut ally' block, final assembly pic, probably modify it later..as one does !

George

[Bob PerkinsParticipant @bobperkins67044]

**LINK**

After a few weeks of tinkering I finally have a runner .

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I just repaired my trusty Woolworths rotary tool, some 12 years old.

I was using it a few weeks ago when it stopped dead. I finally found the very fine torx screwdriver needed to open it up, and the apparent culprit was fine iron filings in a greasy/oily deposit shorting things out on the circuit board.

I didn't expect to be using kitchen cleaner, hot water and a 'washing-up-diddy' to repair it, but it has wiorked!

The circuit looks like a simple multivibrator based on an op-amp switching a transistor, I think the short was keeping the base of the transistor switched off.

Neil

P.S. the dog is now offially fixed too. The last two weeks I haven't done much in the 'shop at all, except wire up the inverter drive. If I'm now free from the role of dog-nurse I hope I can get things rolling again.

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Well, after getting the grinding head for my Studer Grinder running with the little motor off an X2 mill, I decided to run it for a while to prove the motor and controller. After a few minutes, the motor emitted a squealing noise, then burst into a fireworks display accompanied by lots of smoke.

Dismantled the motor and a quick test showed that several windings were short – so that is now consigned to the scrap bin.

Had a rummage around under the bench for something suitable and came up with this;

The motor is a 1.5Hp 3 phase job from a Grundfos coolant pump. May be a bit of overkill but it was sitting doing nothing with a suitable inverter attached. So 20 minutes re-drilling the motor mount plate and a new drive belt and pulley and hey presto. Runs a lot quieter and smoother than the DC motor. Hopefully tomorrow will see the machine completed and a test grind

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well after doing some garden maintenace earlyer, this afternoon I mananged to repair a broken bracket that holds the countershaft arm on a Myford M type lathe.

After removing the bit that the arm swings on without braking it any furture and cleaning all the old paint off, one side was preped with a 4 1/2" angle grinder and set up on a piece of plate as shown below;

As can be seen with the bottom side unpreped, if is easy to get the two parts lined up correctly because there is no significant amount of distortion in the break. This side then had one run of weld put in the two preps. It was then preped on the other side, just cutting into the weld runs on the first side and weld runs were then put in, penertrating into the first two runs on the first side. The two sides were then filled with weld alternatively.

It was then ground flush and dressed with a soft pad and a wire brush in the 4 1/2" grinder.

A successful repair, just needs a coat of paint.

Regards Nick.

P.S. Just watched the Stones on tele at Glastonbury, still seem to hold the crowds attention they do.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 29/06/2013 23:58:06

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Spent a couple of hours making up bee hive frames and putting in the wax foundation as I need three boxes soonest as the bees are going like the clappers now. Then had an email asking me to make up three swarm boxes from the bee shop so set to and cut up the plywood sheets to the box sizes and also cut the end blocks to hold it all together and then made up th three carcases of the boxes, cannot go any further as I have run out of ply. Will have to visit that expensive place, B & Q for another sheet. Also went to the Apiary and placed one box on a hive and made sure all was well with the bees. My main crop of Blackberry is now coming into flower and they will work that until its over.

Modelling wise I am just keeping everything covered up from the sawdust and looking at things that need doing soon. I also repaired a window handle, nasty diecast thing that is swaged over a washer that then comes loose and breaks. Turned a new sleeve with a shoulder and locktited it to the body and it works better than new.

Clive

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Broke my plastic hammer the other day, the other end has a rubber head which is ok so no need to go looking for a new hammer, tried to get a replacement head locally but none of the right size so decided to make a new head. Didn't have any plastic other than some soft Nylon bar & Fibre glass bar, but did have a piece of copper bar I picked up from the scrappies some time back, having a small brass hammer & the usual ball pein & cross pein hammers decided to make a soft copper head replacement. Machining was quite easy with copper curls coming of nicely (use a tangential tool for most of my turning) just making sure that I cleared away swarf after each cut so it wouldn't wrap around the tool & chuck.

Repairs needed

Machined & threaded copper head:

Viola! refurbished hammer:

As we all know copper being soft wont damage any material & being heavy has the weight for 'gentle persuasion' around the shop.

George

Edited By mechman48 on 30/06/2013 11:38:23

Edited By mechman48 on 30/06/2013 11:49:17

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I congratulated my stepson, Gavin, on his improving welding skills. He's repairing an 18" long by 1/2" split along the seam of the exhaust pipe of an LDV van. He's built up the weld using my MMA welder and done about a foot of it so far.

As he says you can see how it gets better as he gets the hang of it, but if I had tried this it would look like confetti by now!

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Hardly model engineering unless 12" to the foot is scale ?

Had to bore a new coupling to fit a 125HP electric motor out to 65mm, then found out it needed an 18mm keyway and don't have an 18mm broach.

Just managed to catch J&L tonight before they closed and now I have an 18mm broach

Just £200.05 worse off alltogether now……………

I'm only a pensioner…………………..

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Posted by John Stevenson on 02/07/2013 20:42:54:

Had to bore a new coupling to fit a 125HP electric motor out to 65mm,

That motor should put some new life into your X3

Chris

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Well today I made… another tool rack. Yes, another one. Why? Oh, I bought some new cutters and have no place to put them (most haven't been delivered yet). I figure one of these days I'll get around to using these tools to actually make something more challenging than tool racks…

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> Hardly model engineering unless 12" to the foot is scale ?

It's a Convoy, which is really just a Sherpa, and you can hardly call a Sherpa a real van…

Neil

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Tool racks, I bought one of those garden kneeling mats and then made a tubular cutter with a very sharp knife edge, with this I was able to trepanne holes at regular spacing. Enough to accomodate all my MT3 collets and slitting saw holders. In fact I made two thicknesses and then placed them in a nice sturdy box. The kneeling pad is a quite dense foam and with different size cutters would suit other rotary tool applications for storage.

Clive

[Chris HeapyParticipant @chrisheapy71135]

Tool Rack Porn. Need pictures Clive.

I took delivery of three 1" shank endmills today, and promptly sliced my finger with one. Damn but these things are sharp. All my old ones you can handle with impunity but these things are like razors.

Chris

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Good idea Clive – but what are you going to do when you need seek approval for your next major purchase?

Norman

Edited By NJH on 03/07/2013 19:38:59

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Just finished the overhead 'crane' system.

I will use it to lift heavy chucks & other items on and off of the lathe & milling machines.

New folder added to my photos.

Writeup to follow.

Geoff – Well pleased with the results

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Pressure tested steam generator to 4500lbs.

Stripped and cleaned 3 burner assemble.

Made lighter torsion valve spring carrier.

Reground valve seat, head and manifold joints.

Adjusted valve timing and pumps stroke.

Checked angles on canards and rear wings.

All this for Sundays speed attempts at Kingsbury Water Park.

Paul

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Went out and bought another CNC lathe. [ Myford ML10 ]

This makes CNC lathe number 5. I'm having bad luck with lathes, CNC mills are OK got started with 2 breeding pairs and now got 8.

I must either have all the same sex lathes or the only queer ones known to man or beast.

Sigh………………

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Well, as if that wasnt enough, the very next day 5th of July, JS sneaks in and gets this crate loaded into his van. Loading was very interesting to to see..with a 'feeler gauge' to spare at the top!:

Couldn't wait to get it home before opening the case, so out came the crowbar…:

Yet another lathe..

Before you could say anything else…van door closed and off he went…no tea, no coffee…no £1.00…Anyone want a mobile machinist?…49.9mm round bar stock turned while u wait

Ketan at ARC.

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