Member postings for Grindstone Cowboy

I always remember by thinking which hand I'd be using if swinging an axe into the material. Works for me

Rob

Allegedly, they are using diesel generators to charge the fleet of electric cars used to ferry the delegates around...

Rob

Links to https://www.nationandstate.com/2021/10/16/un-climate-change-conference-reportedly-using-diesel-generators-to-charge-teslas-being-used-as-shuttles/

The flux is Stay-Silv Black by Harris Products apparently - I found their website here. Don't know if it's available in the UK though. She mentions it contains boron to extend the temperature range.

Links to https://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/en/Products/Alloys/Brazing/Fluxes/Stay-Silv-Black-Flux.aspx

Rob

Never built a boiler myself, but have been following the Blondihacks Youtube series on making a vertical boiler. She made the tube plate a loose fit and used pins to hold it in place whilst soldering - for example here.

Rob

Galvanised iron usually takes paint better if left out to weather for a while - although that probably wouldn't be a practical solution for a loco.

Rob

I think it was the term "in the near future" that raised eyebrows - well, mine anyway.

Rob

I'd give it a rub on an oilstone, you don't want to take too much off and have to start again.

Rob

I'm with John Olsen on this one. None of my Mamod boilers show any sign of de-zincification after years of use - but always with the supplied meths burners.

As some may remember from school science lessons, you can heat a paper bag of water with a candle flame with no damge to the bag, as long as the water is in contact with the inside of the bag wherever the flame is in contact with the outside. The heat is conducted away quickly enough to prevent burning the paper.

I'd say the same principle holds true for the Mamod brass boilers. All bets are off if you either run out of water, or use a heat source that supplies heat faster than it can be conducted away.

Rob

Or, to put it another way, says who?

Just had a notification about a sale this weekend at Chester Hobby Store (9/10 Oct 2021)

"We're giving all Hobby Store customers a whopping 30% off on all tooling & accessory orders this weekend!

For a sleeved cable, maybe consider using or modifying a laptop security cable? Would probably need shortening, though.

Rob

I'm guessing it would clamp onto the cross-slide dovetails? Adjusting it so as not to foul anything might be a chore, though.

Rob

I think he was - it would only take a very small amount of wear, or a very small loosening of a V-pointed screw to have a large effect on the possible angular movement. Whereas a dog-pointed screw would at least be consistent until it fell out altogether.

Although I don't think either would be a good enough method to be relied upon for accurate positioning. I like Pete's suggestion of marking the column and clamp and aligning by eye.

+1 on what Andrew said as well, people tend to respond to how they are addressed.

Rob

Edited By Grindstone Cowboy on 05/10/2021 09:53:16

Ah ha! Fixed one for a friend about a month ago which had very similar symptoms. In his case, it turned out to be the battery protection board, found inside the battery casing. The battery voltage showed as normal when tested with a voltmeter, but when placed under load, it dropped to nearly zero. A new board, which was almost a direct replacement, was found on Amazon for around £14.

Hope it's as easy a fix for yours - it looks to be a very similar bike, Chinese?

If you want more info after testing it under the conditions I described, post again.

Rob

Could we perchance have a glossary covering some of the more obscure / possibly unique abbreviations?

I'm starting to feel like Jack Lemmon in 'Some Like It Hot' when he said "Nobody talks like that!"

Rob

Well, from what little I know, and from personal experience, I've had better results with HSS when it's honed.

Rob

That's very interesting, Michael - I'd seen those before but assumed it was some sort of pre-applied Loctite, rather than nylon. Good find, thanks

Rob

You could do worse than follow the Blondihacks series of beginner videos by Quinn Dunki found here. Not saying everything is gospel and never to be deviated from, but it's a good start.

With 20cm blanks I'd cut them in half and grind a tool on each end (which is probably what you were doing anyway).

Links to https://www.youtube.com/c/Blondihacks/playlists

Rob

Apologies for stating the obvious, but are the batteries good?

Rob

Anyone suggested a surface grinder yet?