What Did You Do Today 2021

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Frances,

My wife is a nurse and is keeping an eye on it. Must admit it is getting easier as the day goes on. Have managed to use spray can right handed which I certainly could not do a few hours ago. I tore a ligament in my left hand about 4 years ago, x-rayed and all sorts no one could see any damage, eventually managed to persuade doctor to send me to a hand specialist, who re x-rayed and also mri-scanned and they finally spotted the damaged bone the ligament had torn off. It was splinted for 4 months and finally after about 9 months had got the full use back of the finger.

Colin

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Too cold for the workshop – even if I managed to raise the air temperature to vaguely keep milk fresh, there is not pleasure in handling cold machine-tools, and that's not conducive to decent work…

SO…

A little design-work on the steam-wagon engine.

Then

Tried cold-blueing various steel parts for my Worden T&C grinder, using "gun blue" bought on-line from a country-sports stockist. I'd had to turn off the filters I'd set on my computer so it would accept the word for that which is fired, though I noticed the catalogue did not even mention "bang-sticks".

The chemical is applied to the degreased steel by swab (I used cotton buds) and left for a short while to work. Then you rinse the parts in cold water, dry them and according to the instructions, gently polish them with fine wire-wool.

I obtained rather mixed results that one would not want alongside one's polished Hunter wellies and neatly-ironed waxed-cotton.

Not sure why the patchiness, but I now wonder if my mistake was degreasing the components in methylated spirits, and perhaps not sufficiently. I will have to experiment before treating the remaining parts, e.g. using a final wipe with xylene paint thinner, or rinsing in hot washing-soda solution then boiling water. I was careful to wear rubber gloves, both for my protection and to avoid contaminating the cleaned steel.

The gun-blue makers recommend you then protect the blued surface with a special oil (which of course, they also make, along with the special degreaser that's probably only alcohol or acetone).

Well, I was trying to avoid oily surfaces on a grinder, and thought that since shooting is an outdoor activity, gun-blue would be a more protective finish than the only chemical blacking I could find listed by "our" suppliers. Its sellers, Chronos, does warn that the coloured layer still needs oiling or lacquering to protect from rusting. I have used spray-on furniture polish, which does not last forever but seems quite effective for a reasonably long time.

Edited By Nigel Graham 2 on 12/02/2021 17:20:40

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 12/02/2021 17:18:06:

… Not sure why the patchiness, but I now wonder if my mistake was degreasing the components in methylated spirits, and perhaps not sufficiently. …

I think you're right, like glue, Chemical Blue needs extreme cleanliness for reliable results.

I've used White Spirit to remove grease, then hot-water and detergent to remove the White Spirit, followed by Meths to dry the object thoroughly. Grease and oil can be very difficult to remove entirely. One of my books recommends degreasing microscope slides by boiling them in concentrated Sulphuric Acid for an hour! Only then are they guaranteed fat free.

Dave

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

The 4 part blacking kits favour a caustic degreaser.

Rod

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

gun black is very fussy about cleanliness, I got better results with a hot soda bath first ( do not touch the parts with your hands). But nothing beats the black it kit.

[Martin DowingParticipant @martindowing58466]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 12/02/2021 18:23:27:

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 12/02/2021 17:18:06:

… Not sure why the patchiness, but I now wonder if my mistake was degreasing the components in methylated spirits, and perhaps not sufficiently. …

I think you're right, like glue, Chemical Blue needs extreme cleanliness for reliable results.

I've used White Spirit to remove grease, then hot-water and detergent to remove the White Spirit, followed by Meths to dry the object thoroughly. Grease and oil can be very difficult to remove entirely. One of my books recommends degreasing microscope slides by boiling them in concentrated Sulphuric Acid for an hour! Only then are they guaranteed fat free.

Dave

I will tend to suspend an item in vapors of boiling organic solvent like acetone or butyl acetate (used as paint thinner) if good degreasing is required.

Some solvent on bottom of pot, item suspended on net, pot covered with stainless bowel filled wih water – ir works as reflux condenser. You may use water – ice slush for better efficiency.

But boiling with concentrated sulfuric acid – no way.

Concentrated sulfuric acid boils over 300*C while giving off obnoxious, corrosive white fumes and accidental spill on your body of larger than minute quantity will leave you disabled if not dead.

You can slightly warm (50-70*C) your slide with conc. sulfuric acid containing some chromium oxide or chromate followed by soaking in distilled water and finaly in glass distilled solvent like methyl or ethyl alcohol – much safer, but I doubt that many alloys would take initial step without corrosion.

Trouble is that chromates are not easy to secure for private use these days and need proper disposal.

[Martin DowingParticipant @martindowing58466]

@Gerhard Novak,

Don't tell me hat you made all of that in a single day…I feel intimidated.

I have managed to make a dieholder for M10 die as an addition to my usual set used on ML7 tailstock.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Thank you – what I thought about meths is the colour and " flavouring " additives may be contaminants themselves.

Some parts have M5 and smaller tapped holes and I realise these can trap tiny traces of oil.

I had already tried one small part, wiping it with kitchen paper towel alone, then with white spirit, then a clean towel with xylene; and it came out a quite uniform, dark grey.

I have an idea I do have a 2-part blacking-kit I probably bought at an exhibition quite a time ago. Somewhere. If so, I may try that on one of the grinder's attachments. I had searched the model-engineering suppliers quite thoroughly recently, and only Chronos appears to sell these materials.

'

Glass slides and boiling sulphuric acid… I don't think I'll take up amateur microbiology….

[DiogenesIIParticipant @diogenesii]

..all our teeth chattering today.. ..must get a bigger angle plate and some better thermals..

[Dominic BramleyParticipant @dominicbramley60728]

Recently completed Harold Hall's Grinding rest and figured I would make better use out of it if I had a centre height gauge to accurately reposition the tool in the lathe (I'm using a tangential holder).

I chose to make the gauge from Hemingway – as it looks good and I fancied a low stress kit build where you have all the instructions, plans and materials in a box. I'm sure buying a kit for something that can be made out of the scrap bin will give some people palpitations – but it wasn't hugely expensive and was an enjoyable build.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I spent the afternoon un-making…

Been too cold over the past week for anything in the workshop so I've pottered about indoors.

I spent this afternoon dismantling my A0 drawing-board, to gain space in what I call the 'middle room' (at the back of my house) for the EW Lathe on its trolley. At the moment it's tucked under the kitchen work-top as far as its own countershaft and the plumbing allow, but the 'South Wing' holding the cramped kitchen and bathroom are like an ice-box in cold weather!

I tried to sell the drawing-board but had no luck. It's been in all of my three own homes, and I must have been a lot stronger to have moved it upstairs in my previous abode! So I took the plunge and basically scrapped it today.

I have though given myself the option of cutting the board itself shorter and mounting it on a smaller, simpler stand but still with the draughting-head "works", so I can still use it to A3 or a bit larger.

It does not owe me anything. I have done a lot of drawing on it, having bought it for a princely £35, as I recall; but have progressed with TurboCAD to use that more generally, though to no better or more advanced standard than I can achieve by manual drawing. (Only orthographic – I avoid 3D.) I think I used it last in projecting a cross-section from the geology map to try to determine the nature of a caving project I help – pandemics permitting.

The dismantling became a bit fraught when the whole caboodle gracefully toppled forwards until it, adjacent steam-lorry bunker assembly, dining-table and two chairs formed a cosy huddle listing heavily to starboard, throwing loose items in all directions; and never mind me tangled up in it.

Hmmm… I wonder if the friction-brake discs that clamped the board to angle and height would suit a machine-tool clutch…. [Little voice from the two incomplete T&C grinders and un-restored drill–grinder, here with me in the front room – " Stop it Nigel – finish us, the Myford gear-box, Denbigh mill and Hindley steam-lorry first! " ]

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

Finally made a U2 to ER20 collett holder for my Alexander tool grinder. Going to 4 facet my drills tomorrow.

[Chris CrewParticipant @chriscrew66644]

I bought an ML7-R forty one years ago and started converting it to a Super 7 last year by replacing the cross-slide and top-slide with S7 parts. Finally fitted a clutch today, so it's now an S7 in everything except the serial number. I considered fitting a gearbox but dismissed the idea because it would limit the adaptability of the lathe to cut worms etc. and using the change-wheels gives a vastly greater selection of threads and pitches.

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

Posted by Buffer on 16/02/2021 21:06:05:

Finally made a U2 to ER20 collett holder for my Alexander tool grinder. Going to 4 facet my drills tomorrow.

That's fantastic, what steel did you use?

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Been more of an internet day workshop a bit too cold.

Was watching PEEMS zoom club workshop meeting yesterday and had an interesting natter with two fellow speed enthusiasts.

Did learn some more about Doble steam cars and an enthusiast that is reasonably local has two and wrote a book about there restoration I will see if still available.

As a round the bend model and full size speed record nut on my motorcycle and car speed attempt forum club it was virtual 2020 trophy night.

Bloody virus.

Was very happy an old shield I had received in my younger days I had donated to them was awarded to a worthy recipient.

A fellow steam enthusiast with steam being used as thrust a hell of an engineer he used to watch me and fellow speed enthusiasts when 12 years old.at Elvington. .

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

Pete

I have sent you a message.

[Gerhard NovakParticipant @gerhardnovak66893]

Made myself a small soldering corner. bricks 11£, angle frame 14£. So I can move it as a whole and do not put lose bricks together every time. The steel profiles are brazed together

[Ian Johnson 1Participant @ianjohnson1]

Made a little 4th axis tailstock for my Sieg KX1, mainly out of aluminium with brass thumb screws (you may recognise the top one from my video posted in the CNC page the other day).

The height adjustment is via two 5 degree ramps,which gives about 20 thou adjustment, but I still needed a 6 thou shim because I mis-measured the centre height! Doh!

It works quite well too, just need to find a job for it now!

IanJ

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Completed a plate for holding the Myford chucks on my BCA jig-borer. The threaded part is an adaptor from RDG Tools.

The plates is a thick disc of come-in-handy steel (quite tough – it turned easily enough but had a very tough skin, and I used slightly over-size holes for tapping).

A reamed and recessed hole takes a headed pin to locate in the machine table's plain half-inch central hole. A shallow recess nests the nose-piece, whose small spigot on the back further locates in a reamed hole in the table pin.

Four slightly enlarged holes for T-nut screws in the plate's rim, with M6 tapped holes spaced between them for additional work-holding. I added an inner ring of M5 , same purpose, revealed by lifting the nose-piece off.

The nose-piece as bought is drilled for just two M4 screws, which seems a bit weak. So I assembled everything on the BCA, and drilled 2 more.

For facing the back of the disc, and finishing the edge, I drilled and tapped the hold-down holes temporarily M6 for fastening to the face-plate; opening and slightly slotting them to 1/4" dia later. (Gives the option of M6 or 1/4" T-bolts). The back has a concentric relief a few thou deep for better holding down to the BCA table.

My Myford VMC is for the bulk of the milling. The BCA will be used more for things like small polygons and pitch-circles of holes. However, even the small 3-jaw chuck I have really reduces the headroom when mounted on the machine.

Handy machines, jig-borers. You can use them for making circular adaptors for mounting things on jig-borers…

[Perko7Participant @perko7]

Been having issues with my 'diesel' loco, the 25cc brushcutter motor has been hard to start and sometimes dies with no warning. Checked the usual suspects (spark and fuel) and could find nothing amiss. Eventually traced it to a cracked solder joint in the inlet pipe (carby has been mounted on an extended inlet pipe to clear the loco body). So, spent the day designing a new one and started cutting metal to make it.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Posted by Gerhard Novak on 17/02/2021 19:15:13:

Made myself a small soldering corner. bricks 11£, angle frame 14£. So I can move it as a whole and do not put lose bricks together every time. The steel profiles are brazed together

I have made a similar mini hearth…

George.

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

I was inspired by the article in MEW issue 301 to make a lantern chuck for shortening screws and bolts, etc., to replace the motley selection of bushes that I use at the moment. Noting the lack of a drawing ( but promised by the editor for the next issue ) and being an impatient so-and-so, I set about making my own CAD model and thereafter, the 2D drawings for the workshop, basing the dimensions on those in the article by Bernard Towers.

I also made a two-part video of the construction process for my youtube channel. God, they don't 'arf go on!

Here's the finished item, not that dissimilar to Bernard's version in the magazine.

John

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

What did I do today, well not model engineering but engineering of a kind. Wife has been complaining lately that her IPhone wouldn’t hold its charge and therefore the battery was suspect, I thought the easiest way out, bearing in mind the phone is over 3 years old, was to obtain a replacement battery and fit it myself, couldn’t be that difficult could it? I managed to find the right replacement on Amazon which with Prime would be here within 24 hours, it arrived here at lunchtime. I thought nice little job, wouldn’t take me long, little did I know. The replacement has the advantage of having 34% more capacity than the original that was fitted. When I unpacked the battery it came complete with all the tools necessary for the job and spare screws and a new screen protector as well. It wasn’t until I came to dismantle it that I realised how small and challenging the screws would be, they are Philips #000, and that is small especially when the screws are shorter in length than the diameter across the counter sinks. My eyesight is not what it used to be, especially with varifocals, so I really did struggle. It was not helped when reassembling I realised that 2 screws had gone walkabout, despite having lined the bench with tissue paper, I did find them when I trawled the bench with a magnet, I wouldn’t have found them without it. Removing the battery from the casing wasn’t easy as it is held in place with two adhesive strips, I resorted to the wife’s hairdryer to heat up the casing and the adhesive eventually let go. Eventually I managed to get it all back together again and much to my wife’s surprise the phone works again, just have to see how the battery performs. Replacing a phone battery is not something I would rush to do again, I found it a very stressful and frustrating 3 hours, I was so relieved when the last screw went in and the phone switched on ok, was pleased that the whole exercise only cost £21.99. Dave W

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

You were lucky that it was a iPhone model that was repairable,apparently not all are – many have pointed out that this built in obsolescence and non-repairability does nothing except to throw valuable resources into landfill

However locally there are several shops that seem to advertise such repairs and are still open in lockdown as necessary services whereas to buy a new phone you need go online.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Hi Frances

The phone in question is an IPhone SE and I was surprised at how readily available a replacement battery was. I was amazed at the inclusion in the kit of two screwdrivers, tweezers and various plastic tools for levering things apart. Having endured the frustration of doing the replacement myself I console myself that I must have saved a fair amount over paying for Apple to have done the job. Dave W

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