What did you do today (2015)

[Anonymous]

Ground the tools and set up the Britan to make 1/4" BSF nuts from hex stock:

This one was tapped by hand to check the tapping drill size, but the remainder will be tapped as a second op to avoid continually swapping between high and low spindle ranges.

There are a few minor burrs on the nut where it has been parted off. I am thinking of buying a tumbler and some ceramic beads specifically for deburring metal. Anyone got any experience of this?

Just another 200+ nuts to go!

Andrew

[NJHParticipant @njh]

" A bit late for the thread about The Two Ronnies, but this (very rude) sketch from Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie was an excellent update to the 'Four Candles' sketch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noSOFIJdfwM

**LINK**

One of those links might work."

Well Robert

I accept that humour is a personal thing but I'm afraid I don't find the Fry / Laurie thing at all funny whereas the two Ronnies sketch, which I must have seen dozens of times, still made me laugh again this morning!

Norman

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Inspired by Ramon's articles about making aero engines from solid I thought I would have a go and managed to find this hidden in a bit of 2" square bar. Still needs a bit more cleaning up but that can wait until teh other parts are made.

And after lunch I made a hast & staple for the Gade's battery box, 15/32" wide (5x 3/32" knuckles)

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Gentlemen,

Can I make a small suggestion regarding this thread, I enjoy reading it as I find it very interesting but if for what ever reason I don't get the chance to catch up for a few days I get into a muddle over whats being said and how far back the previous post was, could we mark our replies with either a number that corresponds to all of the particular post or head each post with the original title.

Martin P

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

A while back I was given a box of Tungsten Carbide tooltips (inserts) by a friend. Had no idea which toolholder – clearly CNC machinery – so I made a toolholder and they looked like fine thread cutting tips. Used it today to cut some fine threads and cut them in one pass. Worked beautifully (26mm x 1.0 ) and fit perfectly. Well pleased, the finish was superb, they can't have been cheap. You can use all four corners of each insert and I have a full box of ten so I calculate I will need to restock when I reach 163 years old. So a ways to go yet.

graham

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Finished my Steve Ward Rotary Indexer off that I started on Thursday, Came out quite well.

Made a couple of alterations.

Most builders cut a hole in the cover and poke the screen through but I have one bit of kit here with a similar screen that has been hit by a hot chip, still works but it's marked the screen. So this one has longer stand off's fitted and clear Lexan screen fitted that can be changed.

Also fitted a 9 pin D plug a la Division Master so it can 'talk' to larger driver boxes for more powerful equipment.

Power in is on a 3 pin XLR as I had the silly 2.1mm push in power cable pull out on a Division Master part way thru a move which cost time getting back to zero and starting again, the Division Master is also now on 3 pin XLR so both these units can sare same power supplies which in two cases are supplied by the machine.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Looking at youtube recently I found some videos to do with clock making. Not really my thing but really enjoyable to watch.

**LINK**

Great Grandfather was a clock maker's apprentice in the Black Forest area before emigrating to Scotland around 1900. I could be tempted to have a go at making a cuckoo clock one day perhaps.

Ed

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

First is "Not today" but a week or so ago had to make up some Dowel jig drill guides in metric for the jig I have which was dad's and only had 1/4" guide. I used the 6mm to line up and drill holes in the wheelchair rims for the hand grips I was fitting.

That being done just some new tyres and I have a spare set ready to go.

Today was reduce an impact socket for oldest son for use at work. It had an OD of 20.87mm he needed it reduced to 18mm and the step length or depth reach longer.

HSS cutter wouldn't so out came the Carbide.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Posted by martin perman on 31/03/2015 20:01:34:

Good evening Neil, At the moment all I want is a means of looking at the stars, an equatorial mount can come later, I do have a friend who used to make programmable mounts and I will approach him for his view point.

I will look on the internet for a skywatcher Heritage 130P

Thanks for your assistance, there maybe more questions.

May I suggest you pop along to your local Astronomical Society meetings and try a few scopes out before you buy? Most clubs have scopes they loan to beginners. Try the various instruments for weight and working height. Here's a list of UK societies…
http://fedastro.org.uk/fas/members/members-a-z/

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Ed Duffner on 04/04/2015 03:10:45:

Looking at youtube recently I found some videos to do with clock making. Not really my thing but really enjoyable to watch.

**LINK**

Great Grandfather was a clock maker's apprentice in the Black Forest area before emigrating to Scotland around 1900. I could be tempted to have a go at making a cuckoo clock one day perhaps.

Ed

Ed, That link is to some of the best quality video I've seen on Youtube!

The photography, commentary and the subtitles are all of very high quality with everything really explained properly, and the engineering not bad too!

Ian P

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Ed

Thank you very much. I echo Ian's comments on the quality of the video and descriptions.Very well explained and illustrated. The results speak for themselves – the equipment he has available, however, makes my mouth water.Not so easy with a piercing saw and files!

Norman

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Brian, Mum was a WAAF Corporal, and was a radar operating instructor at Cranwell in 1945, think she got posted there not long after getting married, Dad went to Barra about that time, he was an RNZAF radar mechanic.

Ian S C

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Posted by john carruthers

May I suggest you pop along to your local Astronomical Society meetings and try a few scopes out before you buy? Most clubs have scopes they loan to beginners. Try the various instruments for weight and working height. Here's a list of UK societies…
http://fedastro.org.uk/fas/members/members-a-z/

Thanks for that, theres a society not far from me, have been and looked at their Website which is an interesting read.

Martin P

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

There's a blood moon tonight, I looked out earlier and the sky was fairly cloud free, Now the shadow is about a third across the moon, but only glimpses of it through the cloud. Next one in 2018.

Ian S C

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Made a start on machining the cylinders for Nigel Gresley, set up a bit tricky and used a mandrel in the tail stock to get the core parallel. I decided to use the rather large 4 jaw I have as it gives better support to the casting not sure doing them this way would have been possible on a smaller lathe. Could have used a boring bar and the work piece on the cross slide but this way meant I could gat one face square to the bore.

Setting the cylinder up in the milling machine did cause a little bit of head scratching to ensure the face was parallel to the bore. seemed to be close enough as it left a bit in the middle of the casting as a 0.3mm first cut was run over the part. Will be finish cutting with a fly cutter as it leaves a better finish with so many tool marks.

Bob

[CotswoldsPhilParticipant @cotswoldsphil]

Following the Square Hole discussion some weeks ago, I completed a rotary broaching tool and cut a very successful hexagonal hole – thanks Mike Cox. **LINK**

The block is held in a QTCH and pushed through using the tail-stock. The cut-out you can see at the rear is for setting the height.

I made a couple of spare blanks whilst I was set up. I changed from Mike's description of cutting the broach, using the side of a carbide end-mill and got a very clean finish with no burrs and IMO less chance of the cutter moving whilst being formed. Soft soap on the cutter during heating for hardening stopped any scale very well. I just need to fit a bigger brass/bronze screw to aid extraction.

Here is the result of my first test – very satisfied.

Phil

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 04/04/2015 16:46:10

[mick70Participant @mick70]

after having fun yesterday making some mt3 drill chuck holders, thought i would have another go at making back plates.

guy from model steam club i belong to showed me how to make template up using rotary table, to get the pcd right.

well used template today and got backplate cock on.

[Brian O’ConnorParticipant @brianoconnor49474]

To all of you stargazers out there who don't know of it already, there is a website called Astronomy Picture of the Day (search APOD on Google). As its name suggests, each day there is an astronomy or atmosphere related picture accompanied by a commentary provided by an expert. I have used it as my home page on Firefox for many years and it has taught me a lot, or at least it would have done if I could have remembered all of it.

B

[Steven GreenhoughParticipant @stevengreenhough56335]

Just got in from the shed. Trashed my Cracker boiler, made a right pigs ear of my first attempt at silver soldering. Having a consolation cup of tea and and a think…

[Anonymous]

Posted by CotswoldsPhil on 04/04/2015 16:44:00:

Following the Square Hole discussion some weeks ago, I completed a rotary broaching tool and cut a very successful hexagonal hole – thanks Mike Cox.

Wow, that looks really nifty. I can see that I'm going to have to make a rotary broach – Andrew

[CotswoldsPhilParticipant @cotswoldsphil]

Hi Andrew,

I would have thought that you already have extensive broaching capability in your workshop, based on the projects you seem to have on the go.

The direct link to the type I made is actually here **LINK**.

Such a simple tool can produce workable results. I've thought of some improvements for version 2 based on the experience so far.

Regards

Phil

[Anonymous]

Posted by CotswoldsPhil on 04/04/2015 20:21:53:

Hi Andrew,

I would have thought that you already have extensive broaching capability in your workshop, based on the projects you seem to have on the go.

I'm afraid not! I have made a simple 'push' hexagonal broach in the past in order to make a spanner for battery packs, where a dropped nut or spanner could result in 1500+ amps flowing in the wrong place. But that was for plastic, so not a problem just pushing.

I have also just bought some straight push broaches for small keyways but haven't had time to use them yet. Rotary broaches are one of those things that are on the list to get, but never quite high enough to actually go and do it. In the past I've looked at the offerings from LittleMachineShop, but they now seem to only do the broaches and not the holder. Which is not very helpful.

Andrew

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Put forty odd rounds through my .270 and it cheered me up no end after the thumb fiasco of this week.
Downside of course is my shoulder will probably be black and blue tomorrow as it is a pretty brutal round.

graham.

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 04/04/2015 21:34:34

[ANDY CAWLEYParticipant @andycawley24921]

 

Finished the magneto timing chain tensioner for the Anzani. Got there in the end after several "measure once cut twice moments" when wil I ever learn?😁 still not really happy about the spring angle of attack but I think it will work. 

Edited By ANDY CAWLEY on 05/04/2015 10:19:18

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Yesterday two things.

Hemingway KnurlingTool:

Knowing my ability to spend ages searching for stuff, decided to secure the 'straight' knurles to the side of the upper arm.

No doubt will forget they are there

Petrifying Prisoner:

Finally got this working after trying just about every sensor I could lay my hands on without much success, so giving up in disgust before trying out the last one.

A TEPT5700 was that last one but it has sat in its protective bag since.

It was the one to bring the beast back to life, other than the test button I had taped to one of the 'bars', so success at last.

What an ordeal.

Took it to GD in the afternoon and she jumped when it was activated, hiding behind Mom, but very soon demanding it be activated again and all afternoon. Still wouldn't get too close though.

Geoff – Well things take time at chez OuBallie

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