What Did you do Today 2022

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What Did you do Today 2022

Home Forums The Tea Room What Did you do Today 2022

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  • #608241
    Neil A
    Participant
      @neila

      It was too hot to do any real machining today, so I took the time to sort out some aluminium bar that I had. On the shelf behind the bar I found a bag that contained some cylinder head fasteners that I must have kept from when I changed a VW Polo cylinder head gasket about 25 years ago!

      Out of curiosity I thought that I would check what thread it was just in case it was in anyway useful. It turned out to be M11 x 1,5 pitch. What interested me was the fact that I was able to see where the thread pitch had stretched as these are "torque to yield" fasteners. Well, torque to just past yield and into the plastic stage, hence only use once. I have to say that I was quite surprised to be able to actually see this just using a thread pitch gauge.

      I can now happily toss them into the scrap bin in the knowledge that they are of no use what so ever.

      Neil

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      #608495
      Swarf, Mostly!
      Participant
        @swarfmostly

        I don't think I've ever posted on this thread before. My activities today are small but the culmination of a project I've been anxious to complete successfully.

        First of all, a bit of background: some time ago I fitted a quick-change gear-box to my Myford ML7 lathe. I bought this particular gear-box second-hand – it had previously been fitted to a Super Seven. I was advised that the change gear backplate that came with the gear-box would fit the ML7 but that I would need a new change gear cover. (Is it OK to refer to them as 'change gears' when all they do is connect the tumbler gear to the input shaft of the gear-box? ) I was further advised that Mytholmroyd Myford were offering the correct cover but only as a raw casting, no holes drilled or tapped and no paint-job. Before yesterday, I had fettled the casting, drilled and tapped most of the holes and a kind neighbour had spray-painted the casting for me. All that remained was the fitting of the label within the cover.

        Here's the first picture:

        dscn0008.jpg

        This morning, I fitted the label using the four 'brassed' drive screws. I had drilled the holes in the casting yesterday after taking some time deciding what depth they should be.

        The photo shows that the label is fitted on the top of an 'island' in the casting of the gear cover. It's obviously desirable to avoid drilling the holes too deep and breaking out on the exterior surface of the cover. I had thought of posting this as a new thread entitled 'Using the drill-press as a depth gauge'; that's just what I had to do to discover how much meat there was in the casting.

        Because of the depth of the cover casting, the thickness of the 'island' can't be measured with a micrometer or a vernier caliper. I have seen calipers with curved legs and that have a built-in dial gauge but I don't have one of those. The method I employed was as follows:
        I mounted the drill in the chuck of the drill press and lowered it until it contacted the machine table gently but firmly. I then locked the drill quill and wound down the twin nuts of the depth gauge until they contacted the head-stock lug. I then released the quill and wangled the gear cover under the drill and lowered the quill again until the drill contacted the surface of the casting within the label mounting area. The space between the twin nuts and the headstock lug was now equal to the thickness of the casting. My vernier caliper wouldn't fit there because the tail of the caliper fouled various features of the drill-press headstock so I used a stack of feeler gauge blades to fill the gap and measured their total thickness using the caliper. By comparison of the length of the drive screws with the thickness of the label and the measurement previously described I decided I needed to limit the depth of my drilling to 200 thou. I reset the drill-press twin nuts accordingly, held my breath and drilled the four holes. I had actually performed the measurement process several times, using various probes in the drill press and had also considered several other procedures.

        Lateral position of the holes was dictated by the four dimples that Beeston Myford considerately provided in the surface of the label 'island'. I checked the position of the drilled holes by laying the label in position and inserting four half-toothpicks through the label into the holes in the casting. That gave me the confidence to fit the four drive screws after which I emitted a big sigh of relief! The depth of the cover casting prevents the use of just a hammer – I used a punch. That necessitated assistance from SWMBO to hold the casting steady.

        Regarding the painting part of the project: I bought half a litre of Myford Grey enamel, some thinners and some etch primer from Paragon Paints. I was amazed that my neighbour's spray painting used only a couple of eggcup-fulls of the enamel!

        I admit that I was scared that I might drill too deep and break out on the exterior surface of the cover casting so I did try securing the label with double-sided adhesive tape. This didn't work because the tape and the painted surface of the 'island' weren't compatible. I think it would have worked if we'd masked -off the 'island'.

        All you gurus are probably thinking 'this is trivial stuff, why is he making so much of it?'. Well, I'm jolly pleased with the result so here are some more photos:

        dscn0006.jpg

        dscn0007.jpg

        dscn0010.jpg

        Best regards,

        Swarf, Mostly!

        Edited By Swarf, Mostly! on 05/08/2022 16:49:41

        #608502
        Nicholas Farr
        Participant
          @nicholasfarr14254

          Hi Swarf Mostly, looks good to me.

          Regards Nick.

          #608506
          Mick B1
          Participant
            @mickb1

            More parts for the railway – spindle end caps for the S160 gauge frame valves:-

            spindle end caps1.jpg

            These were a bit of a bu993r – I'd slabbed down a long stick of LG2 hex from round bar on the Bridgy clone, only to find at 15/16" OAL per part, I'd only just got enough provided I didn't scrap any. I didn't wanna saw it into blanks because each would be a bit short to give a good grip in a 3-jaw, there were 4mm interrupted cuts to do, and I'd be starting each screw cutting pass dead close to the chuck; so I took the line suggested in t'other thread about "keeping it on the stock" and loaded the whole stick, which still had an end-centre from the milling op. That let me use the live centre to do the end turning on one end, including the 1.309" thread O/D (1" BSP). Then I could support that in a 3-point steady, and drill and flat-bottom the .715" bore (actually 23/32", but the hole was clagged-up in the sample which was why I'd drawn it as .715" ).

            Then back to tailstock support into the 'ole so I could screwcut the thread – about 20 passes in reverse away from the hex bit.

            spindleendcapsturning2.jpg

            …plus turn the O/D for the next thread so I could swap back again to 3-point steady to part off.

            Repeat 11 times.

            I found I could only do about 3 a day without getting excessively fed up.

            But they're done now, I checked each thread into a sample valve body and I think they're OK…

            smiley

            Edited By Mick B1 on 05/08/2022 19:46:07

            #608516
            Nigel Graham 2
            Participant
              @nigelgraham2

              Swarf Mostly –

              Very smart! I carried out a similar operation on my ML7 but I think the second-hand gear-box had been on a plain 7 – though that didn't explain why the 12T driver pinion that came with the box of bits, has its tumbler output companion too large for my lathe!

               

              Mick B1 –

              Fine work, but re your comment about all those interrupted cut. If I may make a suggestion, where possible I turn the initial parts of the cylindrical features, and initial parting grooves, first to a touch below the A/F size, then machine the flats before resuming the round bits. This avoids the interrupted cutting.

               

              Me –

              Some work on the steam-wagon, then continued making a threaded bush, in leaded-bronze, to repair the cross-slide nut on the Harrison L5 lathe. The nut is a bronze block and its original thread, which appears to have been white-metalled, is little more than a helical scratch. The backlash was almost a full turn of the handle (1/8" )!

              Some of that though may have been due to the adjustable dial and hand-wheel being set back a touch. This area of the machine has been seen to previously, and not too well. I've worked out a simple cure though: a fibre or plastic washer to shim the gap.

              Oddly the cross-slide nut's spigot that engages the slide is noticeably off-centre with respect to the threaded hole. The screw itself appears off-set slightly with respect to the dove-tails – something I will need investigate further as I have a boring-table to fit in place of the slide; and it needs the nut location machining in it.

              This was my first attempt at cutting a coarse-pitch LH thread, and outwards from the depths of a blind hole so I could keep as much of the stock bar as possible; none wasted in making chucking-pieces.

              I completed the thread with a new tap, but it is still very tight on the unworn portion of the screw. I am now wondering if that is a square thread, not the ACME I had assumed.

              Edited By Nigel Graham 2 on 05/08/2022 23:43:48

              #608805
              Nigel Graham 2
              Participant
                @nigelgraham2

                Completed repairing the Harrison L5 cross-feed nut:

                Boring out the old one.

                Centred by threading the nut onto the full-thread portion of the tap and clamping that by its own centre-holes between centres. Then gently aligning the vice and clamps to match.

                I made the vice very many years ago to fit the vertical slide of my EW lathe, and by sheer chance it matches the Myford's T-slots!

                The boring bar is one of a Hemingway Kit set I made a few years ago, and this was its first use! I had to drill the extra hole in the Myford catch-plate to take its carrier, wider diameter than the slot width.

                boring l5 nut insert.jpg

                Truing the new threaded sleeve (leaded gun-metal) to the leadscrew. Lacking an outer-end centre I needed centre it in the independent 4-jaw chuck. The left-hand thread enforced a left-hand tool set upside down, and running the lathe in reverse…. very carefully, modest speed, fine feed, 0.005" cut.

                Finally, I sweated the sleeve into the nut block, and re-assembled the lathe.

                Oddly, the tightest part of the thread, which I am sure is ACME after all, is not at its far end as expected but a little way back.

                trueing l5 nut insert.jpg

                ….

                Then light relief.

                A chance skip find: a hefty leg apparently from a broken-up table, consisting of two 4-limbed cast-iron "spiders" joined by a tubular steel column about 70mm diameter.

                The use was obvious immediately: a mobile stand for the bench-grinder in my increasingly cramped workshop.

                Add a piece of ex-pallet 12mm plywood, 4 castors, a few fasteners and some exterior-grade dark wood varnish found in the kitchen cupboard, and there we are. Just sufficient room to add a drill-grinding jig, too!

                By serendipity, the PCD of the inner holes in the arms even matches the centre-distance of the 2 in the grinder's base, nearly enough for M8 bolts helped by slightly enlarging the cast-in arm holes a little.

                #608822
                Swarf, Mostly!
                Participant
                  @swarfmostly

                  Nigel,

                  Please may we have a photo of your skip find? Either 'as found' or 'as developed' or both?

                  Best regards,

                  Swarf, Mostly!

                  #608890
                  Nigel Graham 2
                  Participant
                    @nigelgraham2

                    Certainly!

                    Sorry about the rather ropey picture quality _ hand-held and in the shade. Also I found the only immediately available photo-faffer on my PC is very limited, allowing me to stand the image up but not to crop the side stuff.

                    The stand as found but with the castors (it had simple screwed-on feet originally); and assembled loose – before I added a second varnish coat to the plywood.

                    grinder stand 09-08-22 a.jpg

                    grinder stand 09-08-22  c.jpg

                    You know the old thing about measure twice and cut once.

                    I measured the arm-span, measured the stock, re-measured; placed the arm casting on the wood, marked the outline and spotted the screw holes, cut the wood…. then realised this gave me the diagonal not span, square! Luckily it is still large enough for the machine.

                    .

                    The willow frame to the right, given me by my neighbour, was intended for pea-plants, but they did not even germinate in a tray indoors!

                    #608892
                    Swarf, Mostly!
                    Participant
                      @swarfmostly

                      Nigel,

                      Thank you for posting the pictures. That looks good, though you might need to keep your foot on one arm of the base to prevent a tip-over!

                      You mention 'drill-grinding jig': there was a recent mention on this forum of the Reliance drill-grinding jig. I have one complete with the instruction sheet – however, I've forgotten where I've put them (two different places). I blame my age!

                      Talking of age, I'm currently trying to downsize. You have to be hard as nails. The other day I took a bag of perfectly good castors to our local tip (oops! I mean 'Household Waste Recycling Centre' ) . I guess/hope they went into their shop, not into one of the skips.

                      Best regards,

                      Swarf, Mostly!

                      #608911
                      Nigel Graham 2
                      Participant
                        @nigelgraham2

                        Swarf, Mostly –

                        I did consider stability, and two of the castors have brakes which will help that, as would pushing the stand against a bench or something. I think it will be more of a problem when moving it about than using it.

                        I don't know the make of my drill-grinding jig. It's not marked on it. I have read that mention on here, and gleaned enough information to gain the basic idea of how to set them.

                        I have never tried using it because the grinder was just standing loose on the back of a bench, among a lot of clutter, but I put a drill in it yesterday and held the jig by the wheel to see how it moves. So I can probably work it out by using a good drill without it touching the stationary wheel.

                        In fact I think I have a die-cast clone somewhere and that probably still has its instructions with it.

                        .

                        I know the problem… I have far too much of everything!

                        Well, who doesn't need two-off each of bossing mallets but no other copper-smithing tools, basin spanners (plumbing), pipe-bending springs and bricklaying tools; ball-pein hammers that are breeding, car-servicing tools I will never use again, and a multitude of AF and BS spanners that never seem to be where and when I need them. ….

                        #609601
                        Nigel Graham 2
                        Participant
                          @nigelgraham2

                          A little more work on the steam-lorry, this time to make a replacements for two brackets I made only a couple of days (rather than a couple of years or decades?) ago.

                          Then sorting out why the tipping ash-pan would not close properly – interference on two screws, invisible but for tiny marks on them and the ash-pan.

                          This is typical – I spend a huge amount of time sorting out snags I could not have foreseen when I made the parts that are now causing the problems – and which I have probably already replaced or modified at some point.

                          No drawings – no, "Oh, I'll think I'll make Parts 536A and B today", take Drawing 56 Sht.2 (rev.C) to the workshop and emerge at tea-time with two parts that fit where intended on Part 74 made last Christmas Eve, and will happily receive the bits that work on them, next Shrove Tuesday!

                          So if anyone wants any now-redundant 1/4" holes (one careful owner)…. my wagon has them in plenty!

                          #609614
                          Paul Kemp
                          Participant
                            @paulkemp46892

                            Nigel,

                            Drawings are not always all they are cracked up to be either! I am building a half size Little Samson to Edward George’s drawings and to his credit as model drawings go they are pretty good but I finally got to assemble up the motion Saturday to find one issue definitely of my making but another I can’t fathom out! The eccentrics turned out to be about an 1/8” out of line with the expansion link, drawings have been followed on all the relevant bits so I can’t see how it ended up like that. Luckily I have a fairly simple fix but it made for a fairly “clanky” first run on air having to leave the eccentric rod palm bolts slack to accommodate! Was determined to get it turning though after 6 years work, remedial works in course of being applied!

                            **LINK**

                            Determined to get it in steam for next year!

                            Paul.

                            #609647
                            Nigel Graham 2
                            Participant
                              @nigelgraham2

                              Paul –

                              Might be two or three dimension errors along the crankshaft, all adding up – but at least you have drawings, which is a help!

                              .

                              My own club hit the stop-blocks with Ken Swan's 7-1/4" g. design for the Kerr-Stuart 'Wren' – a third full-size. Several of us worked on different aspects of this club project, but left the motion gear to a particularly skilled trio of consummate craftsmen with considerable model-locomotives experience.

                              They could not make the valve-events correct at all, and sadly, let themselves be trapped by their unfamiliarity with Hackworth Valve-gear – their expertise was with Stephensons' and Walschaerts.

                              Eventually a fresh pair of eyes with no specific valve-gear bias, threw away the blizzard of roughly-sketched valve-event diagrams, systematically measured everything, and spotted the cause almost by chance. The slide valves were made precisely to their own drawing, but the assembly-drawing showed a shorter length (much smaller laps).

                              A transparent, acrylic dummy valve to these second dimensions proved the point. With the valves duly modified, the locomotive could be completed and has performed well ever since.

                              Other 'Wren' owners tell me they had not encountered this problem. Ours were among the first castings and drawings set sold, and Ken Swan must have corrected the drawing error very soon afterwards.

                              '

                              The experience revealed an interesting psychological point I have noticed in other areas, and I have been caught by it too.

                              This is that the greater your expertise while the simpler the problem, the greater your chance of missing the cause in a fog of bafflement.

                              #609652
                              Jon Lawes
                              Participant
                                @jonlawes51698
                                Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 15/08/2022 09:46:04:

                                This is that the greater your expertise while the simpler the problem, the greater your chance of missing the cause in a fog of bafflement.

                                Often our apprentice solves issues the rest of us haven't because he doesn't go in with our engineering prejudices. Very sharp lad. I hope he doesn't blunt as his experience grows!

                                #610481
                                peak4
                                Participant
                                  @peak4

                                  We went for a brief trip around Anson Engine Museum, near Poynton Cheshire; well worth a fiver, with over 400 engines on display, plus loads of other exhibits too.

                                  Ruston diesel

                                  Bill

                                  #610486
                                  duncan webster 1
                                  Participant
                                    @duncanwebster1

                                    How do you manage a brief trip, very good museum and needs half a day. The big Gardner 2 stroke with 6?8? paraffin blowlamps pre heating the cylinder heads to get it going, then the visible crankcase induction valves is worth the trip in itself

                                    #610553
                                    DrDave
                                    Participant
                                      @drdave

                                      Having had to navigate around my mill, which has sat on its pallet in the middle in my workshop for many months, I finally found a round tuit and hoicked it onto its new bench this morning. How I would cope without the engine crane, I don’t know.

                                      But now it is in place, It is so near the front of the bench that the whole lot can easily topple forwards, which is very dangerous. This afternoon I raided Wickes for some heavy-duty angle fittings to hold the bench to the wall to prevent it falling over. In the mean time, the crane is still in place to stop accidents happening. One day soon, I will be able to start making small bits of metal from somewhat larger bits.

                                      #610658
                                      Nigel Graham 2
                                      Participant
                                        @nigelgraham2

                                        Made two tiny cleaning-plugs for my steam-wagon's water-gauge. I'd somehow lost one. It must have been loose and had shaken out as I moved the vehicle about.

                                        One needed, the other a spare!

                                        Then tried again to start to learn Solid Edge. Silly me…

                                        #610724
                                        lee webster
                                        Participant
                                          @leewebster72680

                                          This morning I felt like going for a walk. I decided to go to Tesco, about three miles away. I stopped at the village shop on the way to buy a bar of chocolate and got to Tesco about an hour later. I bought two packs of sandpaper type nail files for sanding my 3D prints. I left Tesco and walked to Morrisons, it was on the route home, to do some shopping. As I left Morrisons I had an idea of a way to improve a small engine I am designing. I had no way of making a sketch so it would have to wait untill I got home. I think walking is good for thinking.

                                          I got indoors at about midday. Most of the walk had been dry with a small amount of Cornish "mizzle" to cool me down. The alteration to my engine looks a lot better than the previous design which I had alread sliced ready to 3D print.

                                          #610739
                                          SillyOldDuffer
                                          Moderator
                                            @sillyoldduffer
                                            Posted by DrDave on 20/08/2022 19:52:22:

                                            … It is so near the front of the bench that the whole lot can easily topple forwards, which is very dangerous. This afternoon I raided Wickes for some heavy-duty angle fittings to hold the bench to the wall to prevent it falling over. In the mean time, the crane is still in place to stop accidents happening. One day soon, I will be able to start making small bits of metal from somewhat larger bits.

                                            At least you spotted the risk before the mill fell on you!

                                            I shudder to think what would happen if a machine toppled in my workshop – there's not enough room to run away! And 250kg falling 750mm could easily crush a foot splat or worse.

                                            Even though mills and lathes are very top-heavy accidents seem rare. Once in a blue-moon someone describes a near miss, so lets all keep our fingers crossed.

                                            Dave

                                            #610740
                                            Nigel Graham 2
                                            Participant
                                              @nigelgraham2

                                              Yes – it does remind us we are operating as a hobby in a situation no work-place would allow: alone. In fact this rule also applies at least some model-engineering club facilities.

                                              I have seen a horizontal milling machine topples over sideways when a ramp being used to put it on a trailer failed. Luckily it fell into a bramble bush, well away from anyone, and sustained only minor damage to itself; but it did make us think…

                                              A toppling machine-tool might crush your foot but you'd probably survive – with a very long recovery. If though it pinned you by the chest against a wall or something, you'd probably die from suffocation if not worse, before anyone wondered where you were.

                                              '

                                              When I installed a 3ph conversion set on my Harrison lathe, I placed the electrical controls on the wall above the tailstock. Although the clutch lever is still in its horrible position over the headstock, and should be used rather than the buttons, if necessary I can switch the motor off in a move that takes me away from the danger area. I'd still need remember to disengage the clutch! I've in mind extending the clutch control back to the tail end.

                                              #611063
                                              Craig Brown
                                              Participant
                                                @craigbrown60096

                                                20220824_155108.jpg

                                                20220824_155125.jpg

                                                Having recently acquiring a new to me lathe it was missing a chuck key for the 3 jaw and a 10mm square drive spanner for the tool post. So today I made a chuck key and made a start on the handle

                                                #611551
                                                Craig Brown
                                                Participant
                                                  @craigbrown60096

                                                  20220828_162758.jpg

                                                  20220828_162837.jpg

                                                  Turned a piece of 25mm down to 24mm, added a 10° taper and sunk a 10mm square drill into the end for the spanner. Just got to poke an M10 thread in the side to attach the 2 pieces and it's ready for service

                                                  #612575
                                                  vic newey
                                                  Participant
                                                    @vicnewey60017

                                                    Today I finally made the effort to make a pegboard for 20 gear wheels belonging to my Victorian era Pittler C3 lathe.

                                                    Like many vintage lathes it came with a spire of gears on a rod, this looks very pretty but annoying when you want a gear from it, Now I have to fit it on the wall at the rear of the lathe

                                                    gear wheels.jpg 

                                                    pegboard.jpg

                                                     

                                                    Edited By vic newey on 06/09/2022 14:52:51

                                                    #612594
                                                    Nigel Graham 2
                                                    Participant
                                                      @nigelgraham2

                                                      Well, not today but a week ago today, during a week stopping in the Yorkshire Dales…

                                                      Visited the Tolson Museum, in Huddersfield; inspired by Roger Backhouse's review in ME.

                                                      I used the train from my base in Horton-in Ribblesdale (on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line) and the bus service he quoted, but had to ask another passenger for the right stop.

                                                      The Vulcan car Roger featured and told us was on loan, is no longer there. Its owners have reclaimed it to use as a wedding limousine.

                                                      It's a fascinating and thought-provoking place, with a lot more than transport and textile machinery, telling us much about the local history.

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