What did you do today? (2014)

[Michael HornerParticipant @michaelhorner54327]

Posted by JasonB on 03/03/2014 07:43:25:

Michael if you look at the first picture you can see the clamp barrel inside the hole which has a scallop out of it to match the hole. As the orange handle is tightened it pulls the brass barrel to one side and locks the spindle.

J

Hi thanks for the explanation Jason.

If I am lucky I will be to use the original barrel lock which resembles the one depicted by Nicolas Farr.

The casting has a restriction at the hand wheel end which will need boring out and I will need to move the retaining screw holes to accomodate the larger diameter hole.

Cheers Michael

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

Me and the family have the norovirus – nuff said!

[julian atkinsParticipant @julianatkins58923]

yesterday i took my partly made scratch built LBSCR 5"g wagon up to the club track for a first spin.

it has been built out of odds and ends and is intended to go behind my 5"g STEPNEY terrier loco for extra coal and water, plus somewhere to put a mug of tea!

cheers,

julian

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Last night I fitted a Newton Tesla pre wired inverter drive to my Warco BH600 lathe. The instructions were clear and concise and I had no difficulty at all with the installation. The results are impressive. Originally, especially when using the Back Gear and auto feeds, the lathe was very noisy. Now with the lathe running without the auto feeds it is very quiet and even with the auto feed on there is only a mild gear whine which means that I might just be able to listen to the workshop radio while I work. (Once I get the workshop back together and the lathe back in it's usual spot that is).

The previous couple of nights were spent making a backplate for a small chuck to fit the drive head on my Myford MG-12 Grinder. The chuck had been in it's box since buying it nearly two years ago waiting for this job to be done. While doing this job I also modified the draw tube for the Grinder, the wrong type was supplied by the company I bought the grinder from, it being threaded externally. When I got the grinder it came with about 50 collets of various shapes and sizes and only one was threaded to suit the draw tube as supplied. I made up a makeshift draw tube which sufficed but I decided that the original draw tube looked much better so I decided to modify it to suit all of the c-5 collets.

I normally take my camera into the workshop but for whatever reason I forgot, I will take some pictures and post them soon.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

It's dry for the second day on the trot – and sunny. No rain – a modern marvel. The lawn badly needs cutting, as opposed to not cutting badly, so the lawn mower beckons. Perhaps after that a bit of workshop clear-out duties…..?

Chris

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

17:30. Grass cut, brownie points earned, car load of junk for the tip tomorrow out the workshop today, another half hours daylight in the shed now – a good day!

Chris

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi ChrisH,

You've still got grass after our water, sorry, winter?

chriStephens

[IanTParticipant @iant]

This was the first day of Spring, as evidenced by my good Lady appearing in the garden for the first time this year. After completing my allotted tasks, I snuck off to the Shed and did a few small jobs. However, one thing is currently defeating me. I have a just acquired a McMaster Power Hacksaw that is going to need a bit of work before it's useful and I want to fully dismantle it (and strip it right back & degrease) it before I start re-assembly and make any necessary repairs.

There is a casting that connects the motor to the gearbox and to get this off the base, I have to remove the gearbox. Only problem is that the splined connector will not shift off the gearbox shaft. None of my normal pullers will fit but I did manage to lash-up two bolts (with washers) onto one of my puller units that did get a reasonable grip on the driver. I've tightened this as far as is sensible over the past week or so (oiled it, left it, tried to tighten up a bit more etc) but it hasn't moved at all. Today, I heated the driver using a heat gun until everything smoked and was too hot to handle. Still no go.

There is a similar (exactly the same I assume) splined driver on the motor, and this one just has a single grub screw and a small drive key. Naturally, this one came off easily. I guess I'm going to have to make a custom puller to get it off. By the way, the splined drive is thicker than it looks (about 20mm) and it's not a gear (there's a plastic part that connects the two splines together. So generally had a nice day but I'm stuck on this job at the moment.

Regards, IanT

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

I did absolutely nothing for the first time in about 7 years.

Actually I did do a few things, all of which had nothing to do with model Engineering.

Oh, I did read some of Model Engineer. I enjoyed Anthony Mount's new series and the photo etching article.

regards David

Edited By David Clark 1 on 05/03/2014 18:58:23

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

As Frankie sung – "Relax, don't do it ! "

Rik

PS I just love retirement.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

If you guys think that retirement is a "sit around relaxing, drinking tea and doing what I want" existence then you have got another think coming! The major difference between employment and retirement is that you don't get paid for the work that you will soon find that you need to do. What's more the boss is always at hand and knows all your little tricks and so can keep you in line. There is no chance of a "sickie" unless you are at death's door and it is very unwise to argue – as there is no union rep to appeal to either. What's more your neighbours, the parish hall committee, the vicar, the school, old Uncle Tom Cobley and all will find you little projects to keep you amused and all will expect that you not only do it for free but also supply the materials.

(However before you go out and drink yourselves to death or maybe join the French Foreign Legion let me say that I have retired twice and I really DO recommend it. Welcome to the club!)

Cheers

Norman

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Hi ChriStephens, yes, we still have grass, although in Somerset we are 270something feet above sea level so the water drains off but the grass still grows "cos it's mild, so much for the coldest winter for 60 years forecast for this winter.

And Norman, I am retired and glad to be so because now I would never have the time to go to work, there is so much to do when you are retired, and what you say about the boss, sickies, etc is spot on!

Chris

[Four stroke FredParticipant @fourstrokefred]

Retirement is great – should have done it when I was 21! It's great to have continuity of work in the shed. I have to make an appearance In the garden to mow the lawn every now and again but it's been so dry out here that it's only the weeds that grow. Mind you the older you get the quicker the years go by.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I went to visit Sir John and pick up a fabricated gear hobber in need of some TLC. I saw the prototype mini-lathe tailstock lever modification and the armature of a very strange squirrel cage motor that had suffered some very strange damage!

I can also testify that the legendary temperature gauge is not exaggerating. It does depend where you are relative to the burner, but near to it I reckon its well over 40 degrees and I had to take my jacket off stood at the far end of the shop!

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Wimp/

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

I finally got a 1910 Humber 200 cc Side valve engine running, probably for the first time since the 1920's. An original barn find with a completely worn out engine that I was asked to restore.

Here it is just about ready for a test on the bench.

And another shot from different angle.

A lot of work was required to get it back into running order, this included making a new Con Rod, new cam followers, new push rods, & push rod guides, a complete set of fasteners and new bearings throughout.

I had no luck trying to remove the valve covers so I had no choice but to machine them out. Accurate set yup on the milling machine enabled me to machine away the body of the cover and leave just a very thin piece of it left which I was able to prize off from the top of the cylinder and then pull it out rather like they way you open a can of corned beef ,

This photo shows one of the covers after it had been machined out.

This photo shows how I was able to pull the remaining metal out just like opening a can of corned Beef.

A rather blurred shot of the second valve cover being machined out.

Preparing a fixture for holding the replacement valve covers.

A valve cover blank about to be machined.

Two valve covers almost finished.

The two replacement covers almost finished. Only the hex heads to be milled then Nickel plated to finish.

The replacement Con Rod.

A pile of bits and pieces including the Cam Followers and shaft (lower right).

The Engine nearly finished.

This engine being old has some unusual features that a lot of people probably haven't seen before. For instance the valves are not like conventional modern valves with a 45 degree sealing face, these valves have a flat sealing face that seats on a flat valve seat. (Imagine a mushroom, the seal being around the bottom of the mushroom cap).

The piston is cast iron, which was common in the early days of motoring, the piston ring was straight out of steam engine technology I believe it is of the Clupet type. No provision is made for adjusting valve clearances, the engine has to be assembled and the valves dropped in from the top and the valve stems ground until the desired clearance is obtained. Apparently some car engines were similar in the thirties. Rather than leave the owner with no adjustment I built up the engine with three cylinder base gaskets of .005" thickness so that if the valve clearance gets too much he can lift the cylinder, take out a gasket and not have to grind away the valve stems.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Well after being disturbed this afternoon got back onto the lever feed for the C3.

Finished job.

This is it parked up with a tanged drill chuck fitted and in the zero position on the scale.

Fully extended and it has 60mm of travel from zero but if you park it up right back you have 70mm max.

Just to prove, that's the chuck that has just come out and it extracts at the zero position.

Only mod made to the machine is two extra M4 holes has to be drilled in the rear of the tailstock to secure the clamp block on.

I can't see this being a problem to Mini-lathe owners as they are not usually as anally retentive about modifying machine like Myford owners are.

There is one inherent fault with this tailstock design in that the casting isn't long enough and if you use tanged tooling then the screw is so far back to start and you only have 30mm of usable screw thread but having said that it's 30mm of travel anywhere in the 70mm of max range.

I could easily cure this to give 60mm of screw travel but it means altering the original tailstock barrel from standard.

I may do this and offer it as an alternative design for anyone wanting to be this but it will entail making a new nut which means sourcing either the nut or a M10 x 1.5 LH tap.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Been welding, a lot of welding for a long time.

this is out of that motor that Neil mentioned yesterday although he didn't see this bit, it was setup ready for welding but the guided tour had to be cut short as Neil got heat stroke

History of this is that the company the motor belongs to stripped it, bent the shaft trying to get it out and generally wrecked the rotor but it's so special a new motor is unobtainable at any price.

There is a spline on both ends [ one is inside the chuck ] so they sent it out and had a new shaft made.

Problem is whoever made it made the central section where the rotor fits 70 thou too small and it falls through.

So sooner than have a new one made can I weld this up without the shaft distorting.

So weld, then do an opposing weld to pull it back, then cool. repeat and rinse until done which basically took all day what with the cooling times.

Chucked it up tonight to see just how bad, Zero at chuck end which is what is expected with soft jaws and 0.1mm run out at the outer bearing end but if I run this diameter in a steady and single point the centre should get that to zero as well.

That has saved the best end of 800 quid, must be able to get a pie and a pint out of that ?

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Windows for my Ivatt 3-1/2" g 2-6-0 complete. Whilst the CNC mill quietly milled away, I was able to do some other work. Still figuring out how hard I can push this little mill – and every time I ramp the feeds or depth of cut, I get more impressed.

Anyway, more details on my blog (http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.com, or **LINK**) but here's a picture for those sitting-on-the-edge-of-their-seats-in-anticipation:

John.

[Rick Kirkland 1Participant @rickkirkland1]

I drilled me ML7. It just had to be done to fit the Super 7 style clutch that I've just made for it. It's got to be drilled again as well for the drive belt guard to be fitted and hinged for easy access to the belt for speed range changing. Fourty two years without being drilled and then I go and do it. Clutch is brilliant though. Well worth a few drilled holes!

Rick

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Just a thought JS, but is the attachment point of the lever feed to barrel a variable position fit so it can act as a depth stop? It would also allow easy wind in to cut and quick retract for clearing chips then back to the reference point to go on drilling.

Edited By Bazyle on 09/03/2014 21:26:38

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Bazyle,

Yes the block next to the hand wheel can be locked onto the dummy spindle at any point

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Posted by John Stevenson on 06/03/2014 22:17:52:

Only mod made to the machine is two extra M4 holes has to be drilled in the rear of the tailstock to secure the clamp block on.

Hi John,

I think this is a very nice mod to make to the minilathe tailstock. However, on my tailstock (Sieg minilathe) the hole at the rear of the casting is only circa 10.5 mm diameter so the dummy spindle would not be able to pass into the tailstock casting. Did you machine out the end of the casting? Or have I misunderstood something?

Mike

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Just finished reassembling my recent Fleabay purchase, a Corbetts XL 7" shaper. Fully stripped it down to bare casting, repainted completely, made few new Gib adjustment screws. Just need to make a adjustable motor base plate for the new motor which can be seen behind it. Waiting for steel which should appear later this week. All I need now is to make/acquire some tooling for it and have a play.

Colin.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Michael Cox 1 on 10/03/2014 10:13:42:

Posted by John Stevenson on 06/03/2014 22:17:52:

Only mod made to the machine is two extra M4 holes has to be drilled in the rear of the tailstock to secure the clamp block on.

Hi John,

I think this is a very nice mod to make to the minilathe tailstock. However, on my tailstock (Sieg minilathe) the hole at the rear of the casting is only circa 10.5 mm diameter so the dummy spindle would not be able to pass into the tailstock casting. Did you machine out the end of the casting? Or have I misunderstood something?

Mike

Mike,

On mine which is a Sieg it has a round boss screwed to the back of the body with two M4 screws which retains the screw.

If you look carefully those screws go half into a plug that has the 10,5mm hole and half into the body.

If you gently smack a massive drift down the barrel hole this plug flies out and you are left with a 22mm bore all the way thru for the dummy barrel.

As I say this is a red Sieg machine, with camlock tailstock. I have a green Warco machine here for some work to be carried out on it I'll check the build up of that tomorrow.

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