Member postings for colin hawes

It seems to me that missing rollers could twist sideways and cause some cross locking which could result in the hard rollers skidding and cracking . Colin

I absolutely agree with JasonB. Colin

It is sometimes possible to mount a mini mill, a bench drill and a grinder on a rotatable locking bench top so that the required machine can be brought to the front whilst the other two are behind to save space. Colin

If I'm in my shed for more than 5 minutes I need the temperature to be 20 degrees C. I cant do precision work when it's cold so I have got my small lathe in an insulated 8x6 ft shed and only use my bigger workshop if I have to as it takes too long to get warm.. This arrangement works well for me. Colin

I have actually been refused two jobs when I presented the qualifications required because I was considered overqualified. I was about 55 at that time.

Hi Jodey, always making sure the cutting tools are very sharp will give you a good start with your turning. Colin

I am quite happy with our lovely "archaic" forum. Colin

Bob , thanks for the comment about my traction engine model; It is a working on compressed air model and has been shown at the now discontinued Brighton model world exhibitions several times during construction. It still has some pipework to be done but I have tested the boiler to twice working pressure successfully. Colin

Studs are preferable in my opinion to reduce the risk of wear and other damage to critical threads when carrying out maintenance. Colin

Silly Old Duffer; I don't know about "Lady-Wee" but ,from experience, I can confirm that a dog bitch's can kill grass. Colin

Round column mills are often a pain as it is generally unlikely that you can raise and lower the head to accurately arrive at the same co-ordinate position: I would definitely recommend a vee slide column. Colin

I repaired the rusted through deck on my mower with fibreglass on the top and inside (like a sandwich) two years ago and it is still excellent now.

Worn out windscreen wiper rubbers contain two inserted springy stainless steel strips ~ 2.5 x 0.8mm x blade length and easily removed .More free metal for the model making supply!

Thanks everybody for the response to my query, it seems I have been too apprehensive about welding near the rear of a car but as a beginner in this sort of repair I have been pleased to have your inputs and anecdotes. Colin

Depends how thick the tube wall is, thin walls can easily be distorted under cutter force causing the chuck to lose it's grip .Colin

When garages weld on new sills do they remove the petrol tank or is this considered unnecessary? Colin

I have been using a toothed belt on it's smooth side to drive my Drummond lathe for years as I reckon it gives a better grip than leather and no changes in it's tension. Colin

This can be aggravated by the tool not being sharp enough so that the rear of the tool is sharper than the leading edge and also if there is any slack in the carriage adjustment causing it to twist when the tool is extracted. Colin

If a machine catches even a thin glove it can drag your hand in long before the glove has had enough time to tear even if it is rotating at only 100 rpm. Don't do it ! .It is easier to clean your hand than to replace it. Colin

I store my heavy chucks on a shelf behind the lathe with a short ramp so that I can roll them into place at the right level to fit them . I have done the same with a heavy dividing head by the horizontal miill .I'm no' so young as I used to be! Colin