What did you do today? (2014)

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Uploaded vid of my first 'Simple Oscillating Engine' to Photobucket but the vid came out on its side in my album, tried for ages to rotate… can rotate images but it seems that videos can't be rotated…? anyone else have this problem ? so have loaded into my You tube album if any one wants to have a look… excuse shaking at end of vid, was trying to stop camera videoing

**LINK**

George

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If you are using your phone to take the video make sure you hold it sideways eg the same landscape format as you want the video.

J

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Re: Steaming in the New Year, Canada style;

Here (should be) the link:

 

If I have done this link thing properly!

 

If not, try this:

 

http://youtu.be/j2RO0z4N0WU

 

 

John.

 

Edited By John Alexander Stewart on 02/01/2014 13:49:23

Edited By John Alexander Stewart on 02/01/2014 13:50:21

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Jason

Thanks for the tip, never thought of that,

G.

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Today I finished a 28T worm gear for the HBM 290F lathe so I can use the thread indicator for M12 x 1.75mm pitch.

This photo show the setup for milling the worm gear,

 

 

 

Edited By Thor on 02/01/2014 14:56:57

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 02/01/2014 11:18:12:

…I see from your blog that you are having a go at my ER25 for the Worden. There were a couple of issues with the translation of some dimensions from drawing to magazine. The originals are in my album here .

I have the self same diamond wheel from ARC waiting for an arbour!

Hi Rod – Yes, am building it to your design. Should say built it – it was completed last year (ha ha – about 2 days ago now)
.

I do find in mine that the ER-25 nut fouls the table, but in use for sharpening ends of end mills, that is not an issue.

Is it just the nut I purchased, or are they all going to do that?

On one ER-16 chuck I made, I managed to find a "mini-ER nut" that had smaller (and, finer) threads, so the nut size was quite reduced.

Thank you for your clear, concise design; I work in metric so having the metric dimensions on the plans certainly helped. The only change I made was that I used M4 rather than 2BA, but other than that, it is to your plans.

BTW, in my workshop I have 6 ER collet holders from ER-16 to ER-40, on various bits of machinery. 4 of them home made – I think I'm sold on ER collets…

John.

[HobbyNutParticipant @hobbynut]

Happy New year to all.

My days have been filled with auto body work on my 1930 Model A Ford. 83 year old metal can get gnarled up over the years!! It is all now ready to go to the painters for some Guards Red.(A Porsche Colour)Then comes assembly onto the finished chassis, some wiring, then driving….Then back to model engines, along with a change of houses in the next few months.

I will not have a separate garage at my new address, but there is a large basement. I am thinking of selling my Hercus and the mill-drill and getting a couple of newer/smaller footprint machines. I was considering a Lathe/mill combo, but I have my reservations about them.

Any comments or suggestions?

[lenny lovitParticipant @lennylovit82737]

temporary fitted steppers to my x2 mill that will do till I get ballscrews sorted ,

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Google's Picassa will rotate videos for viewing but not save them in the new format.

I think the (excellent but tricky to get the best out of) Pazera free video converter will allow you to rotate videos.b It also converts GP3 phone videos and quicktime ones to a windows friendly format.

Neil

[Anonymous]

I finished the turning on my traction engine flywheels this evening. Here's the rim being roughed out:

Note the 'orrible overhang of top slide and boring bar to reach the far side without clobbering the fixings and fittings on the faceplate. However, with a DOC of 50 thou and a feedrate of 8 thou/rev at 40rpm there was not a hint of chatter. Here are flywheels in their final resting place:

They just need the keyways cut in the bores. I have several other keyways to cut, plus the internal splines on the crankshaft gears, so at some point I'll swing the ram on the Bridgeport and have a session with the slotting head.

Regards,

Andrew

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Finished setting up and testing a quick change tooling system for my NMTB30 milling machine. I've created a little photo story in another post on the ME/MEW forum: **LINK**

Quite pleased that it seems to work!

Merry

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Happy New Year to all on the forum

Just finished a couple of batches of hone shoes for my Delapena barrel hone, pic shows the tools made to produce them as well — now for some kip!

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Crimbo present to self finally arrived today. "SpaceNavigator" 3D "mouse" from 3DConnexion. Cost $100 (60 quid) and allows pan, tilt, zoom etc from one control in 3D CAD. Very nice. You lift, turn and push the knob gently, trying not to induce too many inputs simultaneously(!) Sounds simple enough….

The biggest challenge will be getting my abused, aging and atrophied brain to handle all the degrees of control at once. Something new to swear at, then!

Merry

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Went to B&Q & Wickes again today. Kitchen nearly done so bathroom rears its ugly head. I should get a season ticket

I saw some 'sugro' – has anyone got experience of using this? It's a silicon rubber that works like epoxy putty and comes in a pack of five mixable colours.

Neil

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Sugro….limited ( very) shelf life…buy it when you need it….
Other than that great..also the company run comp. For best use photo…win more sugro…

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

And as to mixing colours..even comes with colour chart to aid ratio choice

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Made a few division plates today.

[Bob PerkinsParticipant @bobperkins67044]

 

 

I used my spring loaded tapping guide for the first time today. I should have bought one ages ago. I did a bit on my Stuart 10V. It's good to get the standard off the faceplate it seems to have been on there for weeks!

 

Edited By Bob Perkins on 04/01/2014 19:10:49

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

HI Merry,

A bit late for you now, but did you consider using a playstation-type game controller? bewildering numbers of buttons plus a left and right analogue thumb-joysticks. Alternatively an old-fashioned gaming joystick with 'POV chinese hat'?

Neil

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I didn't, to be honest. I saw these being used on some of the professional support forums for the likes of Solidworks and Solid Edge. Then I saw that they were only $100 and that pretty much did it. It only has 2 buttons (which you don't even need to use) and the rest is just the little black tower thing. Push, pull, twist and nudge, all in one.

Interestingly, our PCB layout boys at work use them (Altium) but our mech engineers don't (Solidworks). Dunno if there is a lesson to be learnt but so far it seems to be quite a useful tool. The mechies are probably just stuck in their ways! Without it I have to keep interrupting feature edits to pan, zoom or rotate. Now I can manipulate the model with my left hand without interrupting the work flow that's happening with my right (normal mouse).

It also integrates with other applications such as Google Earth, so you can fly about like a bird – should the urge grab you. There are drivers for most of the obvious 3D applications as well as some training applets. Highly recommended.

Merry

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Posted by John Stevenson on 04/01/2014 18:25:46:

Made a few division plates today.

John – how do you make these and what material? Dunno if you really made all of them from scratch in one day(?) but even if you didn't, the right method would make a big difference to the time – and time is money.

I'd guess you got the plate cut (laser or water), then some form of CNC machining for the features, with or without some form of turning operation in between, depending on what facilities you have? Not something you want to be doing manually I could imagine.

I'd love to know how you do this. Excellent finish, BTW!

Murray

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

CNC KX1 would balk at cutting steel with a 6mm cutter, so disassemble headstock, tighten bearings, now to head back to the shop to put it all back together…

Maintenance – sigh. Was working on a set of Hemingway/Thomas rolls, but that'll be put off for a week as I need to source new steel for the side frames, and some more 6mm end mills without the tooth edges chattered off (crossing fingers that the spindle tightening did it – will re-check with the test indicator after reassembly)

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Posted by John Alexander Stewart on 04/01/2014 22:02:11:

CNC KX1 would balk at cutting steel with a 6mm cutter, so disassemble headstock, tighten bearings, now to head back to the shop to put it all back together…

Maintenance – sigh. Was working on a set of Hemingway/Thomas rolls, but that'll be put off for a week as I need to source new steel for the side frames, and some more 6mm end mills without the tooth edges chattered off (crossing fingers that the spindle tightening did it – will re-check with the test indicator after reassembly)

Well, KX1 back together, spindle much better. Have to figure out how best to cut mild steel with this machine; figured out:

a) plunge cutting not a great idea as it is a lot to cut out at a time;

b) it'll be cheaper getting these side parts water jet cut – looked up my local supplier of end mills, and prices have just gone up 20%…

Anyway, when the mill was doing its stuff tonight, I got the old Unimat CNC lathe out, set up, and am working through getting the CAM parameters ok for it (cutting brass, for now)

Time for a beer… John.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Wot did I do? Same as every day – look in vain for 4472 + now 4473 to turn up in snailmail. Subs ‘expires’ in May but on continuous anyway. Yours, fed up !

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I can imagine that John's workshop looks a bit like one of those plate ballancing acts were he frantically rushes from one CNC mill to the next to keep them all productive by changing blanks, tools and restarting programmes all the time trying not to drop a division plate or let a machine stand idle

I finished the machining of the Monitor crankcase save for boring the bearings, Need to go through the drawings now and alter a lot of parts as the casting is too narrow by about 1/8" which means I cant swing the crank withing the casting as it is now let alone get the bearing flanges in.

The position for the side cover fixing was a bit optimistic on the drawings which put it where the pen ring is not where the hole in the actual cover comes

Also machined up a backplate and mounted a nearly new 5C collet chuck that I got for a very reasonable swap.

J

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