What Did You Do Today (2017)

I think the expression you were after was "shooting the breeze". "Blowing the wind" is definitely something else...

We were certainly Blowing the wind when the steamer ran there is blast of hot air etc. at speed watching the plants bending behind the hydro

Edited By Windy on 20/09/2017 10:55:40

Edited By Windy on 20/09/2017 10:58:33

Today saw the successful conclusion of some 17 days of efforts to remove the face plate from a Cowells Dividing Head spindle!!

It has been subjected to 5 days and nights of white vinegar (plus salt) soaking, Mole grips and hammers and not a sign of movement until today. I hacksaw-ed two small flats on the spindle register and clamped it in engineering clamps and applied a heavy copper head hammer via a large punch. Even then it had to be continued until the last thread! The rusting had accumulated since the old workshop was trashed in 2013 and it has been languishing in 'storage' ever since. The brass worm has also been slightly savaged in the process so will need a little tlc with the Swiss files but given the Cowells price list for for the D/H it has to be worth it!!

One thought which occured during all this was that loco builders who are concerned about security of their driving wheels might consider soaking their axles and wheel hubs in sea water and allowing them a 'rest' period. On the basis of this episode, they will never need to concern themselves over the security of fixing!!

rgds

Bill

Just bought the "Setting Up a Workshop" magazine, The special run by M.E.W without realizing it, lots of good tips to be had and a good solid guide for a beginner. Well done.

Michael W

No, we definitely knew we did it

Thanks Michael,.

Neil

Well today we dropped our daughter off to university.

Strange...

Neil

Neil. Expect a bag of washing in a couple of weeks.

First one out? Yeah, it's very different.

Pete

More complicated than that, I have three older steplads.

But eighteen years from birth upwards, then a smile and a wave and they're gone! Mind you she's far more self sufficient than I was at 18 and I managed OK. It's knowing that after I went I only ever came back as a visitor., my first time back was for Christmas but I was off to London for New Year...

Neil

Unlikely that I shall be able to repeat that today, as my attempt to purchase online reveals that it is 'out of stock'. Bummer.

Cheers, Colin

Give WH smith a try if you're in the UK. To be honest I'm not really a beginner as such but I do collect a lot of these type of books because you never know what you might have missed. It also preps you in areas not commonly thought of as "metalwork" but are no less important to establishing a workshop.

A lot of tips in that guide I've ended up doing eventually, for e.g I insulated my outbuilding not so long ago, and it's mentioned right there.

The work bench article described is very similar to mine, if not identical in construction and I can confirm it's a very good design. I even made my own set of hill-billy style drawers to keep tools in from the scraps of my workshop construction, as well as all the tool holder shelves etc, again, such ideas are mentioned.

I also bought quite cheaply but prolifically to begin with, and now I tend to be prefer saving up more money for better quality replacements of tools,

another example is automatic centre punches, I've had 3 £5-10 style centre punches and all of them have broken eventually, the ball detent inside it eventually wears flats and ceases to punch properly, you can get apparently a much heavier duty one from kennedy tools for £60. So I would expect that to be far better made.

So on this basis of having seen most of the things I've done, mentioned in the book, I would call it very good advice. There's also an index at the front, so you can jump straight to any section you're particularly concerned with. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 21/09/2017 11:15:24

they still have a copy in w.h. smiths in cwmbran. maybe they will post. I was there last tuesday.

bri

also Cardiff w.h. smiths had one copy.

bri

I bought a cheap (eight quid) bore-scope from a well known online shop. I stuck it down the barrel of my black powder revolver. The groups open up after about thirty six rounds, a sign of lead build up.

After two dozen passes with a bronze brush and solvent this is the barrel:-

The 'milling' marks in the lands run the length of the barrel and lead can still be seen towards the top of the picture.

These pistols are no longer made (or supported) by Ruger and a second hand one sells for six hundred quid.

Had I seen the lands in this before I bought it I wouldn't have bought it.

What's this got to do with engineering? It is showing you an example of rubbish American engineering IMHO

Edited By John Gardener on 21/09/2017 14:22:58

I have one of those nasty aluminium quick change toolposts. Before I had a traditional 'shim it up' 4 way toolpost.

The aluminium one seems pretty flimsy and in my cack-handed way I've probably over stressed it, but the dovetails have become warped. Moreover the parting off holder has had several 'spungs' and the bit jumps out.

The result - the bottom lip is bent and parting is more or less impossible.

So I've had a go at building my own (toolholder). Which has sort of worked OK.

I've over cut it so the grip isn't all it could be (too little on the dovetail) and i've had to put an M3 for the height.adjuster.

But it actually works and the next one will be spot on.

However, you can see that the holder is not vertical due to the aluminium dovetail being warped.

I'm thinking I'd like to make my own post and holder.

I like the idea of a lump of a block (like this one), but I don't like the push it out approach.which seems inherently not rigid. I want to make one that pulls it in.

Also it must be of steel not ally.

Any ideas on this welcome. I've found half a dozen designs on the web. If I make something interesting (or perhaps just have a sketch) I will post.

Iain

I have one of those nasty aluminium quick change toolposts. Before I had a traditional 'shim it up' 4 way toolpost.

The aluminium one seems pretty flimsy and in my cack-handed way I've probably over stressed it, but the dovetails have become warped. Moreover the parting off holder has had several 'spungs' and the bit jumps out.

The result - the bottom lip is bent and parting is more or less impossible.

So I've had a go at building my own (toolholder). Which has sort of worked OK.

I've over cut it so the grip isn't all it could be (too little on the dovetail) and i've had to put an M3 for the height.adjuster.

But it actually works and the next one will be spot on.

However, you can see that the holder is not vertical due to the aluminium dovetail being warped.

I'm thinking I'd like to make my own post and holder.

I like the idea of a lump of a block (like this one), but I don't like the push it out approach.which seems inherently not rigid. I want to make one that pulls it in.

Also it must be of steel not ally.

Any ideas on this welcome. I've found half a dozen designs on the web. If I make something interesting (or perhaps just have a sketch) I will post.

Iain

Made by George Wallis of Hull, 1731-1803. It is a 12 bore flintlock which I shall be shooting in a sporting clay completion 1/10/17 so I have just over a week to replace the missing foresight and the parts started arriving today.

The plan is to fix on a small brass pip using as much black duct tape as I can possibly hope to justify

Did a bit more on the crankshaft halves finish web tomorrow then to screw cut and machine drive taper

Lovely Damascus barrel. (Who needs two barrels at a clay shoot anyway?)

Jon

It seems a shame to spoil it with duct tape. Can the new foresight be soldered or Loctited on?

Brian