Member postings for John Hinkley

I'm not well up on Colchester lathes but there is a free pdf copy of the Colchester Student Instruction and spare parts manual on Vintage Machinery.org - here. It also covers the Dominion lathe, apparently, though I haven't read it through.

John

This is starting to get out of hand! Just followed Jason's route to blue "see details" and it does, indeed, say VAT included. (The discount was a special offer received after I viewed the item a couple of times and put it in my watch list, while I dithered about the purchase. I ignored the offer for two days, then took the plunge.) This was the original advert:

I've taken up too much space on this thread already so will stop posting here now until it arrives and/or I'm charged VAT.

John

Thanks, Michael. I managed to navigate there and found this:

Unless there is some sort of delay in the process, I read this as no VAT to pay. Or maybe postie will demand payment on delivery?

The plot thickens ........

John

Touché, Michael. Never seen one of those and I can't find anything like it for my transaction. Nearest thing is this:

Where should I look for the ebay receipt, please?

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 08/01/2021 15:59:49

I'm not sure whether this will add anything to the discussion or muddy the waters further, but here goes......

Yesterday morning, I ordered a 500W spindle motor with ER11 chuck, mounting and pot-controlled power unit from a seller in China via ebay. It cost £59.84, after the application of a "special" discount offer. The message from ebay, confirming my order,received just after I placed the order, stated that... "20% VAT will apply". Checked my PayPal account and £59.84 had duly been paid to the seller. The item has been dispatched today and it remains to be seen when or if the VAT will be collected and by whom. Delivery is expected in about a week to 10 days, so I'll update this posting when it arrives.

I don't know what I'm going to do with it when it does get here, just thought it might make a tool post mounted spindle to replace my home-brewed one, which is less than satisfactory.

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 08/01/2021 09:29:45

Edited By John Hinkley on 08/01/2021 09:30:40

James,

I'm a bit late for you maybe, but when we lived in rural France, we had a log burning fire with glass windows in the doors. One broke and I went to the local fire dealers. He directed me to a glazier/ glass supplier who cut up some high temperature glass to size for me, specifically for this application. I dare say similar is available in the UK and they should be able to cut it into circles and drill holes in it, too. That way you only pay for the finished article.

John

Welcome, Steve,

I'll second the above posts. M-Machine Metals are very good - fast delivery by courier in my experience and you are getting proper grade materials, not always the case if you order off eBay etc. Having said that, I've had satisfactory dealings with eBay traders called "steelcitygav" and "peninemetals".

I'm based near Doncaster, though born in Kent and thus a relative newcomer to Yorkshire.

John

Danny,

In your position, my go to source would be Tracy Tools. They list 8BA left hand hss taps at GBP12 each. I can vouch for their quality of both goods and service from experience. I dread to think what the postage would be, though.

John

You could use a pair of internal calipers as the hole tapers inwards towards the bottom. I mean ones like this:

Not the measuring sort.

Or ordinary silicone bath/kitchen sealant, after a light oiling as a release agent. How accurate does it need to be?

John

Just a quick thought. Are you absolutely certain the spindle is through hardened? If the morse taper is damaged, it can't be that hard, surely? I'd try the taper reamer if it were mine, but I'm not a qualified engineer. Those that are will soon put me right. If it doesn't work, you'll have to have it ground anyway.

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 04/01/2021 16:40:30

You've more than enough suggestions there, Brian. Everyone has their own particular favourite. I second SOD's suggestion and I personally use QCAD ( pro ) for 2D dxf and pdf files for workshop use, but Alibre Atom for 3D initial design and trial fit of parts prior to committing tool to metal.

You pays your money and takes your choice. Or, more correctly for QCAD et al, you don't pay .....and make your choice.

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 04/01/2021 16:33:08

Thanks, Michael. Good to know someone reads the replies!

John

If you are still interested ...........?

Just to clarify, the retaining washer is secured to the indexing plate only, by the three screws . This sub-assembly is located by the "key" on the retaining washer to the spindle, which has been machined with a matching notch. The whole is in turn then secured to the spindle by the central retaining screw.  In this manner the indexing plate can be either rotated independently of the 10° division plate, or the two locked together by the detent screws.

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 29/12/2020 09:23:14

I know you said that a new vice was not an option and I assume you are located in the USA from your comments, The Little Machine Shop have a precision vice ( vise ) on offer at $74.95, presumably plus postage and that would be a far better vice for milling. I have one for use on my smaller machines and find it admirably suitable and accurate. I personally wouldn't consider the type of supplied vice for anything other than basic drilling and even then if it wasn't critical.

John

Edited By John Hinkley on 28/12/2020 09:55:25

Hello, George and welcome to the madhouse. I think you are referring to my article on the simple indexer, in which case it is covered in part two, issue 298. If you've missed it, or haven't received it yet, and can't wait, you can see an explanation of the whole thing in my video Workshop tooling Part 3 Simple indexer.

The part that covers your query starts at around 2.25 mins in.

Hope that helps a bit.

John

Oh, well, if we're into chipping in ........

The way I've read this thread - rightly or wrongly - is that there's a little confusion on the OP's part regarding the exprsssions Diametral Pitch and Module. Here's my 4d-worth of chips ( without salt or vinegar ).

I find this chart useful:

Note it specifically references spur gears, so whether it can be applied to the gears being sought here, I would caution against, their tooth form being anything but spur gear-like.

But I find it a useful aide memoire when cutting gears.

John

Edited to remove a little mud from the waters.

Edited By John Hinkley on 27/12/2020 09:52:37

Fair enough, Howard. I wasn't having a go at you or anyone else. Too late to edit my post, so please ignore it.

John

I had a look at Mike Cox's web site and had a go at making one - but I made the rotary part out of a redundant revolving centre mounted in a mild steel block machined to fit on my QCTP. It incorporated the necessary angles in its flank and rear face. Photos and brief construction description in my album entitled Rotary broaching tool

Incidentally, I was the author of the article referred to by Howard, suggesting using various sizes of rods to hold square stock in round collets. In my defence and of those of us with only two hands, it was said in the article that it wasn't supposed to be a long-term solution to the problem, but a stop-gap, one off, temporary arrangement.

John

It wasn't that long ago - July 2020, issue 295 - that a home-brew one was described in MEW, if that's your bag. I can't vouch for its efficiency, of course, and only skipped through the article. But it is an option to fill the days in the workshop.

John

Jeff,

I do have a reasonably-sized garden and there's a concreted area behind the garage, but I'm still reluctant to follow the home casting route - I fear it would just take up too much time. That's a commodity in increasingly short supply. I'll see how the land lies when the design is much further on. Thanks for the ideas, though. Much appreciated.

John