What did you do today? 2023

[Pete WhiteParticipant @petewhite15172]

I did nothing exciting as up post, just got wet several times trying to do jobs on the garden  .

Edited By Pete White on 10/05/2023 19:20:46

[lee websterParticipant @leewebster72680]

Even though we have had a tremendous amount of rain here in Cornwall the last couple of days, I felt today was warm and dry enough to get some gardening done. I went out and bought 20, 8 foot canes and put up a single sided frame for my runner beans. With the frame up, I could start planting the quickly growing beans I had started from seed, one per pole, alternating which side of the poles I planted the beans on. It saves digging a series of small holes on side of the frame. I managed to get one side done, with one bean planted on the other side before running out of puff. If tomorrow is dry I should get all the beans planted and maybe the courgettes too. I will then plant the red onions and beetroot in the raised bed I did last year. Looking forward to eating it all!

[Chris Pearson 1Participant @chrispearson1]

Drove home from work (16 miles or so) at no more than 20 mph.

The car was serviced last week and some twonk neglected to tighten the screws which hold the undertray with the result that at higher speeds the air was getting over it and it was hitting the ground.

Thankfully, the sump plug has been properly tightened.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Still have two more vegetables to plant out but rain stopped that so a good excuse to get into the workshop and do some work, but before I restart work on the Rob Roy and the Farm Boy engine I need to complete the backplate replacement for the ER32 collet chuck.

Faced off the back which will fit the register on the lathe and started machining out the register. I am within a few thou now hopefully will complete that side before drilling out the mounting holes for the three studs.

I can then mount it and start to machine the collet chuck side

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Chris

Had a similar problem when the local Honda garage serviced my Jazz, checked under the bonnet when I got it home, the air cleaner top had not been secured and was floating free, standards today are so slack, it’s all about rushing as many services through to get the money in. Dave W

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The Exeter DMES had an outing to our local steam engine (model) trader, Berrybrook Steam A fantastic display of Traction engines being reworked or ready for sale from Mamod up to 6" and their full sized one in steam which at teh end of the evening was driven onto a low loader to go to a show at Trago over the weekend. The truck was facing down a bit of a hill so it meant some skilful driving to get up the ramp then stop on the down slope and you know what sort of brakes a TE has.
Then on to a carvery with a dozen of the club made for a nice, if expensive evening.

[Chris Pearson 1Participant @chrispearson1]

Posted by Samsaranda on 12/05/2023 17:55:10:

Chris

Had a similar problem when the local Honda garage serviced my Jazz, checked under the bonnet when I got it home, the air cleaner top had not been secured and was floating free, standards today are so slack, it’s all about rushing as many services through to get the money in. Dave W

I think that it is the modern idea of being grafted to one's mobile. 'Phone rings and everything else stops.

I take mine to work 'cos it is needed to verify my identity from time to time, but why work does not supply a device is a mystery. Still, whilst actually working, it has to be off or silent.

I take it on long journeys in case of a breakdown.

Otherwise it sits on my desk.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Spent most of the day Gardening yet again getting very close to all the major planting done.

Then managed a spell in the workshop first job complete a box repair which I picked up at a local show. I paid £3.00 for the box and Moore and wright 2-3" micrometer well worth it as I needed spares for another one which had the locking piece missing. The box was not in a good shape broken lid and some warpping of the lid.

A little time and some spray ebonising spray made it usable again all be it for a different Micrometer.

Then it was onto the backplate for an ER32 collet chuck which I need to replace. Completed the turning to fit the lathe and drilled and tapped for the mounting studs. No pictures at this stage.

At least I managed to get some workshop time

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Made a little progress on copying my steam-wagon's part-made cylinder block into Alibre – but the trial period ended today.

Otherwise, made good progress on the wagon's plumbing. My aim is to bring its steam-making department to a functioning state then turn back to the steam-using dept.

This entailed inter alia moving the blower's connection on the smokebox to the side from the annular ring between the 6-inch diameter shell and 8-inch bore smokebox; so making some new parts for that. Leaving it where it was would make cladding the unusually-shaped boiler even more awkward than it is anyway.

Was ever so proud of the newly-bent pipe from manifold valve to blower connection… until I discovered I'd not allowed for a large sheet-steel stretcher that is not original to prototype but necessary for holding the bunkers together. (I can't work out how the full-size ones, and the footplates, were supported.) The interference needs only half-an-inch more pipe length but finding that by manipulating the bends will make a mess of it. Grrr! I am not going to waste over a foot of 1/4" copper pipe by making a complete new one. Nor dismantle the steel-work to make an untidy cut-out in the stretcher. I'll splice in an extra piece, or make either a screwed adaptor or a long union-nipple.

…….

Then after tea….

A gentle evening at the Club Track, taking a turn round the circuit with a battery-electric loco, and doing a little light weeding. It was also a chance to learn the club boiler test-set's connection, so I can make an adaptor.

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Today I have been making a bunch of handles for my metal files. I also spent this evening creating a Youtube channel to showcase my activities.

you can see it here, there will be regular updates going forward. Appreciate any subscribers

https://www.youtube.com/@BristolContainerSteam

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Prompt service by both Live Steam Models and Royal Mail….

I ordered some boiler fittings yesterday (FrIday).

Came home this afternoon from a day out, and there they were in a little carboard box on the porch floor – all delivered safely!

I've sent a note to thanks to LSM.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Finished my replacement collet backplate today. Thicker than the Ali one I originally made which I added to one of the photos for comparison. At least I can now turn right up to the collet where the old one left me a little short due to the lead screw covers.

I still need some slightly longer cap head screws as here they are only 1/4" into the collet holder. Or I could simply deepen the countersunk holes

 

With the old backeplate for comparison

 

Edited By Dalboy on 21/05/2023 19:49:57

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

First job today(well second really if you include planting some plants in the garden) was to adjust the gibbs on the mill. Managed to rough out the farm boy rear frame using a roughing end mill, and I am most impressed with how quick it removed material. I should have brought one ages ago.

[colin branniganParticipant @colinbrannigan54160]

Hello to all,

I built a paddock starter many years back and the last time I used it the start capacitor blew so I ordered another and decided to fit it today but sadly that one also blew, not good.

I checked the centrifugal switch and it did seem very dry so cleaned it and put some lube on, ran the motor up with my drill (2,800) and switch opened slightly before reaching that speed.

Before I fit another start capacitor could anyone pass comment good or bad on the motor connections in the photo below, I put my cheap multi meter across the windings and got 1 ohm from one and 2 ohms from the other, the motor runs in reverse and has run fine until now, I have had the connections off and on a few times today and am a little lost as to what they were originally.

If anyone can shed a little light or advice I would be grateful, but please remember I am a humble toolmaker so please keep it simple, my gut feeling is it was the centrifugal switch

Kind regards Colin

Sorry should have said start capacitor is between Z1 and V1 run capacitor is between Z1 and V2

 

 

Edited By colin brannigan on 22/05/2023 18:43:15

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Cleaned up some parts made for a model engine spinner assembly, collet, backplate and front nut with Titanium stud threaded M8x.75.
2×2.5mm holes provided for tapping M3 for drawer attachment, 1x2mm hole for a prop drive pin in the front.
Balancing slot at back and TDC mark on OD.
Both spigots fit into the moulded hub of the prop and the through hole is 4mm for a tommy bar.

These are used with the spinner hub type laminated/moulded props on pylon racing engines.

Emgee

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Finished as far as I can, sorting out the shambles created by Microsoft's interference with my computer. They had, without warning let alone asking me first, moved all my photos and their folders into some concoction called "OneDrive".

A very clumsy gimmick of theirs, and so far I have not managed to put them back as I had them, in the normal, directly-accessible Explorer file-system. MS has also barred access to my two USB external hard-drives, which both work fine on my spare PC still using WIN-7.

.

Later today, resumed work on making these ariel-wire reels for the cave rescue organisation on Mendip.

.

Eventually though I could load the photographic results of my visit yesterday to 'El Galeon Andalucia', in Weymouth Harbour over a long weekend. This is a close replica completed in 2010 of the very successful (for their era) 16C Spanish armed merchantman. No doubt at sea the vessel does have such modernities as electricity, radio and radar; but when alongside on display any evidence is very carefully disguised or hidden away.

The ship is of timber, apart from a few internal details such as the welded-steel stairs down to the publicly-accessibly part of the hold, and the tubular-steel masts (I discreetly tapped one with my knuckle!). I noticed though that all the rigging uses canvas sails and hawser-lay ropes, although I could not tell if the latter are natural or artificial fibre.

Had I had 300 Euros to spare – and not suffering from a damaged shoulder – I could have booked passage on the next leg of the Andalucia's present English Channel and North Sea cruise, from Weymouth to Southend-on-Sea.

Some snaps, some giving constructional details… The items in the glazed cabinet in front of the wheel are two contemporary compasses and binnacle lamp. The map shows her international adventures. The view forrard is from just ahead of the wheel. The courtesy flags are of the Merchant Marine (on the mizzen mast), I think the Union Flag (main mast) and St. George's Flag (foremast).

The catamaran in the first photo is worthy of note,. This is the M.V. 'Freedom', owned and operated by a local charity, and built to accommodate passengers in wheel-chairs for coastal cruises. It was by chance I saw it come down-harbour, and pause briefly to give the passengers a closer view of the galleon; so could not pass the photographic opportunity.

[lee websterParticipant @leewebster72680]

Those cannons look LOUD! It must have been hell down there during a battle. I wonder at the skill of the carpenters (shipwrights?) who built and maintained those ships. As a retired carpenter, I would like to believe I could have helped them build it. And don't forget, no power tools. All materials were probably prepared by hand. I wonder if they had drawings to work to?

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

These ships were primarily cargo carriers – the largest could carry about 1000 tons – not warships, so were not very heavily armed, and would have avoided battles as far as possible. This one, based on contemporary practice, has only eight guns per side on the gun-deck and one each side on the main deck; and the guns are of fairly small calibre and range.

They still had to be able to defend themselves against pirates and in the 16C, when England and Spain were at war and both were trading across the Atlantic, attacks from English privateers who were basically a mixture of pirate and mercenary. The displays on board explained they normally worked in convoys of up to about thirty ships. That would have given some measure of mutual protection, but by the time they'd reached the far side of the ocean I imagine they would have been quite widely scattered and it would have been difficult for them to come to each other's aid.

It would still have been hell on the gun-deck when in action though. The usual tactic was to shoot broadsides as the only effective way to inflict much damage on the enemy in one shoot. The Andalucia does not display how they would have fought but on all ships armed like this, the muzzle-loading guns would have been drawn well inboard for loading, then run out to put the muzzles clear of the ship's side. Even so the gun-deck would have been extremely noisy spaces, soon filled with acrid smoke. Dangerous too, not only from the other ship trying to kill you, but with handling heavy wheeled gun-carriages by block and tackle in a confined compartment on a rolling ship.

.

Certainly all hand-tools. I am not sure if there is a distinction between Shipwright and Carpenter, the former being more the designer than maker of the components. They would have had drawings of some sort, if only showing the overall shapes and sizes and relying on experience for the details. I assume too, plenty of jigs and templates.

These skills had parallels elsewhere: the Mediaeval builders of the great cathedrals were supervised by the Master Mason, essentially the architect. As with ship-building, it involved a lot of repetition work; and structures like the roof trusses were typically made to jigs on the ground, dismantled and the marked parts hoisted up to be re-assembled.
The ship-wright's equivalents included the Moulding Loft – a large open room in which to lay out the shapes of the big components like the ribs.

The Ship's Carpenter would have been an important member of the crew, but I don't know if of some form of lower-officer rank on these Spanish cargo-ships.

.

That massive block in the last photo is one of those at the base of the main-mast. The leather caps presumably protect the ropes and the edges of the wood from each other. Making so many blocks with sheaves that have to match each other and fit the ropes properly suggest to me that the equipment available 400 years ago was more sophisticated than we might think, even if driven by man-power. Turning was already an ancient skill, but a sailing-ship's rigging includes many parts that must be repeated many times over. Some places might have been able to use water-powered machinery.

What we know of Mediaeval to 18C manufacturing is somewhat sketchy, relying on surviving art rather than text-books of which few seem to have been written. Even so we can glean clues.

For example, I have seen one wood-cut suggesting guns such as the replicated-dummy ones on Andalucia were bored using a cutting-tool on the end of a long rod, possibly a screw, supported by trestles in front of the barrel. The tool was rotated by hand, so even one small weapon in bronze (as early ones were) probably took all day. The engraving did not reveal how the tool was guided but I would think by a collar acting like the lands on a twist-drill. These guns were all smooth-bores, of course.

Another example, going back to the architectural parallels… How did they manage without spirit-levels? I've seen one Mediaeval wood-cut shows a mason using a large square with a plumb-line suspended down the vertical side.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

We have a small piece of land which we garden some distance from the house. Over the past few days I have made a composting toilet, all in its own "sentry box". The last thing to do was to cut a small rectangular hole in the wooden wall. Using a small chain saw and working from inside the toilet, I cut three of the cuts to make three of the sides of the hole but whilst cutting the 4th and last side, I came across a harder bit of wood – but I persevered. Imagine how stupid I felt when I inspected the hole from the outside to see that the "hard" piece of wood was actually the aluminium ladder propped up against the side of the toilet. Next job is to repair the ladder !!

(name withheld )

[lee websterParticipant @leewebster72680]

Speedy, I think you can pat yourself on the back for NOT being on the ladder at the time!

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Never repair a ladder, it is not worth the risk of it breaking or you being tipped off it in the future. Just bin it. Or you could shorten it I suppose if the damage is right at the end.

Where I first worked, the mechanical workshops were not allowed to repair ladders, even though they were perfectly capable of doing so.

 

Edited By John Doe 2 on 25/05/2023 10:30:02

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

As far as I know there is nothing in law to have stopped the workshops repairing the firm's ladders provided the repaired ladder passed independent inspection before being released for service; but it was probably cheaper to buy a new one!

.

The last couple of evenings actually…. trying to fathom out the second-hand screw-cutting gearbox I have fitted to my Myford ML7. I have the facsimile instructions, copied by lathes.co, for the two types that were made; but had really struggled to make the machine cut the right TPI. The manual is really vague and ambiguous, but finally I realised I was using the wrong size tumbler pinion. It should be a rather worryingly tiny 12T wheel described as for extra fine feed. I put a beefier 24T pinion on and successfully cut the intended Brass Thread (26tpi) by setting the gearbox to 52tpi. I will have to use the 12T pinion for ME threads though.

Had to screw-cut it as I've lost my 1/2" BSB die…

.

Me today?

A leisurely day at the club, as with a crocked shoulder I was not going anywhere else and won't be for a while.

'Twas busy with several people running traction-engines or locomotives. One member's young son proved himself a very capable driver of Dad's steam-outline battery-electric loco. The club's petrol-hydraulic loco was not co-operating, with a lot of misfiring and so many loud back-fires from its Honda engine someone remarked the neighbours will be calling the Police Firearms Unit. Four, I think, went home clutching new boiler certificates. (Why is the paperwork so complicated?). I managed a little light hedge-pruning before it hurt.

.

Later resumed making the cave rescue team's new ariel-wire reels, after a hiatus while they examined the prototype and suggested a modification that meant me buying extra metal.

Full marks for prompt service for that, from M-Machine and Royal Mail: it arrived this morning.

I cut the remaining cross-bars ( a pair per reel of 75mm lengths of 1/2" diameter aluminium alloy) then found by the ER32 collet would not grip that the first batch I'd made were actually of 12mm stock, the new metal 1/2"! (I'd used a chuck for the first ones). Still, I had all 34 pieces now faced and spot-drilled one end. The latter as a second-operation to bring all to the same stage – hence the size snag.

The size difference won't matter in practice; I'll pair them by diameter…. and if God Forbid it's me one day the rescuers are hauling out from below ground, the last thing on my mind will be my metalwork!

Now found when setting to bring all to length that the Myford-accessory spindle depth-stop will not allow the work to enter the collet to a sensible distance. More naughty words based on, "What use is this as a depth-stop?", and lots of cogitating.

Nowt for it. I will have to make a depth-stop that allows the work to protrude backwards into the spindle, but with the proviso that rather than be a jig for this one task it will be adjustable, to suit other, similar work (e.g. studs).

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 28/05/2023 00:00:14:

As far as I know there is nothing in law to have stopped the workshops repairing the firm's ladders provided the repaired ladder passed independent inspection before being released for service; but it was probably cheaper to buy a new one!

…

The distinction between illegal and unlawful applies. Clearly illegal when a law specifically forbids it, such as possessing an unlicensed firearm in the UK. Unlawful is much broader, covering anything contrary to and unauthorised by law, including stuff that isn't specifically forbidden.

Not illegal to repair a ladder, or to use it yourself. So far so good!

However. expect legal trouble if a home repaired ladder fails whilst being used by someone else. Worse if the ladder fails after a professional repair, or is owned by a business and an employee is injured. Order of magnitude more expensive if the failure injures a passer by.

Most businesses choose not to take the risk of repairing ladders. New ones aren't expensive, are properly made, and the owner isn't liable for the consequences of supplying kit that might fail due to a botched repair. Different story when expensive safety-critical equipment like an airliner is maintained. The work is never done untraceably as a side-job by a workshop optimist! Or shouldn't be.

Seems to me that most practical men don't know how much accidents cost. Not being personally responsible makes it easy to be gung-ho about H&S. Very different when you carry the can and know fatalities cost a couple of million each. Life changing injuries are even more expensive. That's just the money, the impact of accidents on people and their families is often off-the-scale.

Dave

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, as far as repairing ladders in a work place, it's always a no-no. Even if they are repaired to a high quality, it is probably unknown if they would require some heat treatment to restore their strength, and it is unlikely the insurance company will cover a repaired ladder, short of replacing any makers fasteners. Every time the insurers inspected ladders where I've worked, those that had damage had to be cut up or removed from site, before the insurers would sign off their inspection. Even ladders that were slightly bent or twisted, had to be scrapped.

Regards Nick.

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

 

I have a Weller soldering Iron similar to above, but after over 20 years use, is considerably more worn and battered. In view of the silly prices being asked for spare parts, I have reluctantly decided to scrap it. I have replaced it with thermostatically controlled soldering station, which cost no more than a couple of the Weller curie point bits.

Edited By Anthony Knights on 29/05/2023 10:48:09

[Author]

Posts