What did you do today? (2014)

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Pictures of functional sharp points?

Neil

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Obviously real top shelf content there!

I looked for ME in our local one on Tuesday, and found It about 3 rack sections along from MEW.

Edited By V8Eng on 26/12/2014 20:41:54

[Mr MooParticipant @mrmoo]

mmm Ate too much, didn't drink anywhere near enough

oh and I bought my self a loco

Seasons greetings to all !!!

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Did something not done for quite a while that being a visit to the cinema

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

I finally got the lathe up on it's cabinet stand yesterday with the help of a friend. Christmas and visitors delayed things and then my aged Mother dislocated her hip on Christmas day and that;s added to general chaos. It was relocated yesterday but the nearest hospital is 50 mins drive away so you can guess that we were returning home in last night's blizzard. The last stretch on these rural byways was a fun excercise in drifting – I would have taken the 4×4 if it had looked at all dodgy on the outbound.

So it's cleaning off the packing grease and more levelling next and topping up the oil levels etc.

Any views on the best lube for the change gears on a Crusader? Is there a good dry lube to save cr@p sticking?

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Pkg, don't know about a dry lube, I use chainsaw chain oil on my Warco and it keeps them running smooth and quiet. Don't get a lot of muck build up, keep the cover on and it keeps most of the detritus away from the gears.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Chester kindly gave me 5L extra for the gearboxes but that'll soon go if one follows the suggestion of running in and oil change. Around here tractor hydraulic oil is easily avaiable in huge drums – easy to source.

I'll grab some way oil in due course. I happen to have some chain oil and masses of general lithium grease to help keep rust off agri machinery – oily rags are standard.

BTW, I have done a few mods to my machine that really make using it a true joy.

John, please share… although at the mo it's just a case of slowly plodding through the basic learning curve. I did plaigerise your suggestion of sticking the cabinets on bolts but levelling with them is a tedious mare one won't want to repeat often. Age isn't conducive to bending…

It;s all going to be slow with having to run around after Mum too and the seasonal influx of visitors.

pgk

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Put a cork from the Christmas festivities in the back end of the spindle to stop swarf walking down and dripping into the cover unless it projects outside.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Bazyle on 27/12/2014 10:42:50:

Put a cork from the Christmas festivities in the back end of the spindle to stop swarf walking down and dripping into the cover unless it projects outside.

38mm bore…I do like a drink but that's a large cork! (it does protrude quite a way and has and external swing plate)

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Swarf does find it's way along inside the spindle from the chuck particularly when boring open both ends, I have a wooden plug that pushes in the end.

Getting ready to move the machines just need the hire shops to open so I can hire a crane as mill and lathe are heavy plus I need to put the head back on the mill and that is also heavy.

Bob

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

Posted by John Alexander Stewart on 26/12/2014 19:47:05:

Added "Z probe" routines to my two CNC mills; I simply unplug the touch probe, plug in a probe made of PCB material and an alligator clip that goes on the tool. (actually, to be honest, I've still to make the PCB/alligator clip – I had a bit of copper clad PCB somewhere – can't find it! My touch probe point unscrews, and it came with a round table that I'm using to test)

More info here, for those remotely interested: **LINK**

Hi John,

I haven't really used the probing routines yet but will soon. What sort of accuracy do you get with the tool setting?

Regards.

David.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

for any lathe where the spindle does not extend far enough a length of plastic waste pipe works well. There are a few diameters available, a bit of duct tape if needed. Also useful if turning long lengths of small dia. bar to stop bending.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Re hire of lifting equipment. Last time we tried Lift and H..E, they wanted to see my NVQ in lifting equipment part I and II because it was hydraulic, but we could hire a manual version with the same height of lift – has the world gone mad.

[TSHParticipant @tsh73987]

Finally got round to processing some snaps I took on Christmas day.

While we were on a country walk (in Hampshire) the International Space Station came over right on cue and I took a few pictures with a 500mm lens. The four pictures here are in time order spanning a minute or so, so the station is seen from different aspects and with different illumination angles.

Trevor

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Bob,

WE use these at work for lifting large pieces of equipment http://www.speedyservices.com/71_5000-h-material-lift-sla10-454kg-swl they are geared nicely and you can also get a lifting arm to replace the forks and when not in use take up a small foot print.

Martin P

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Posted by martin perman on 27/12/2014 18:23:44:

Bob,

WE use these at work for lifting large pieces of equipment http://www.speedyservices.com/71_5000-h-material-lift-sla10-454kg-swl they are geared nicely and you can also get a lifting arm to replace the forks and when not in use take up a small foot print.

Martin P

That is a tad expensive to hire for a day, I can hire an engine crane for £12.00 for the day, I can get it all moved in a couple of hours with a tea break.

Bob

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Sorry i've never paid for the hire, I'm just the end user of a good piece of equipment.

Martin P

[Kevin FParticipant @kevinf]

 

 

Today I made a new handle for my Myford ML4 ,it replaces the original handle on the saddle .

Edited By Kevin F on 27/12/2014 22:53:25

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Kevin

That's good advice from John.

I'd forgotten what a PITA the carriage traverse on the ML4 was! I'm afraid that I lived with mine and eventually got used to it then later I "upgraded" to an ML10. As you may guess I was then again confused!

All that aside I had some happy times with my ML4 and, treated with consideration, it will produce good results.

Norman

 

Edited By NJH on 28/12/2014 10:58:50

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Speedy Builder5. Yes, the world has gone mad, I was checked a week ago to ensure I was old enough to buy a mop for my daughters wet room floor – I am only 68, so it was touch and go there! What in the world is dangerous about a mop for goodness sake?

Not today, but on Christmas Eve played the hero and tried to rescue one of my middle daughters cats who had been spooked by my youngest daughters dog, and tried to carry the cat away to safety. The cat thanked me by totally freaking out, scratching my forehead, left ear, left body and right arm with her claws and biting me on the right hand on the forefinger to hand joint. So Christmas morning saw me up in Stroud minor injuries unit getting antibiotics as the bite had swollen up and had got very hot and painful. Ho humm, no more the hero!

Now back at home having done the Christmas duties at two daughters houses, dog sitting at one whilst she went on a cruise to Amsterdam Christmas market with Cunard, only not to get there and spent 4 days doing circles in the Channel as it was a bit windy and the Captain wouldn't take the ship in to port, perhaps he needs to go a ship handling course – would have never happened in the days when we had a decent Merchant Navy – and then to Christmas with another, travelled an hour towards second one Christmas Eve only to remember we had forgotten essential food and had to turn back to collect it. Then yesterday took two hours to travel what normally takes one hour on the M5 to get home. Hopefully, a couple of hours in the shed will come later this afternoon as have been a good boy and earned loads of brownie points!

Chris

Edited By ChrisH on 28/12/2014 12:54:05

[Kevin FParticipant @kevinf]

Thanks John and Norman , yep it can be a PITA but I've just got used to it and with the handle I've made I can make small inputs to the movement of the carriage traverse ,I normally use a handle on the lead screw to move the carriage in whatever direction I need .

I too have had many a great time on my ML4 and I'm a firm believer that the machine is only as good as the operator ,but I do dream of owning an ML7 or a super 7 in the future ,hopefully this will give me more scope .

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Posted by ChrisH on 28/12/2014 12:52:27:

spent 4 days doing circles in the Channel as it was a bit windy and the Captain wouldn't take the ship in to port, perhaps he needs to go a ship handling course – would have never happened in the days when we had a decent Merchant Navy

Chris

Problem with these modern cruise ships is the sides are a large flat area, maybe they should use the wind and sail them, just great big boxes full of people you do not know. I see them on a regular basis as the come and go from Southampton, ugly looking things with no real shape to them although that said Cunard are probably the best out of all of them.

Bob

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Bob, agreed, but big box boats (container ships) are just the same and I bet they got into Rotterdam OK. Never sailed on passenger ships, but the engineers I met who did all said the same thing – the passengers come first. Not any more they don't!

Mind you, to my eyes most ships these days are ugly looking things!

Chris

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

On subject of cats, our cat (Deceased after 2nd road accident), bit me. She was not too chuffed when I ran her over after a return from shopping some weeks earlier.
I went to our local A&E here in France. On booking in, the receptionist enquired was it a dog bite. I replied, 'No it was a cat' Oh, that strange, it is usually a dog.

Triage nurse arrived and asked, you the bloke with a dog bite – Well, no, its a cat bite. Oh, that's strange, we usually get dog bites here.

House man arrived, you the bloke with a dog bite – Well, no, its a cat bite. Oh, that's strange, we usually get dog bites here.

Senior houseman arrived, you the bloke with a dog bite – Well, no, its a cat bite. Oh, that's strange, we usually get dog bites here. Following that, nurse bathed finger in ether or something, wrapped it up and gave me prescription for antibiotics. – We haven't finished !!

Went to the pharmacy and was asked the same stupid question – with a twist. When I said cat bite she asked was it a male cat. I said she was actually female upon which she replied – strange, its normally male cats that bite.

You can't get it right sometimes.

BobH

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Posted by ChrisH on 28/12/2014 13:54:42:

Mind you, to my eyes most ships these days are ugly looking things!

Chris

I agree function over form, mind you these box boats were form over function, powered by two FT4C-2 engines which develop 35,000 SHP each so total power 70,000 average speed 27knots, 0 to 27knots 3 minutes not bad for 798-foot, 33,500-ton (displacement).

These days they toddle about at 21knots but are far larger.

Bob

Edited By Bob Brown 1 on 28/12/2014 14:47:33

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