Member postings for colin hawes

Has anybody tried to rewind a lucas motorcycle magneto and what is the wire spec, gauge, number of turns and length of wire used for primary and secondary windings? I am thinking about attempting this and any information would be of interest. Colin

There is a difference between machining at production rates with a jet of coolant and machining on hobby machines with a low or non existent coolant flow. It is my opinion that many amateurs go for published production rates at the expense of tool and machine life expectancy and machining mild steel with HSS on a hobby machine should not be producing blue chips. Colin

Edited By colin hawes on 29/07/2018 15:41:56

Your 12 mm cutter should be nearer 500 - 600 RPM for general machining of non free-cutting mild steel. Colin

A Stellite drill made from a round Stellite rod with a three sided pyramid shaped point will drill though a hardened file or a HSS cutter. It has to be run at high speed with quite a lot of pressure on a machine and it gets red hot. Stellite cannot be softened by the heat and it can be easily sharpened on an offhand grinder. This is a method which I have used many times in the past when a hole is needed through a hardened component. Colin

I spent a week, off and on, looking for the red handled chain spanner which I've had for more than 20 years to remove the car's oil filter. The one day I walked into my shed and saw it straightaway; it has a blue handle! Colin

My wooden workshop is at least 12 years old and has a concrete floor with gravel under it and a damp proof plastic membrane between. There is a small, shallow, ditch around it that drains away any water to a lower level. I have an old carpet on the floor and it is always dry. The concrete is about 3" thick and supports my heavy machines adequately. Colin

Can you buy replacement probes for these older Verdict lever indicators? I've got one with the ball broken off. Colin

It seems to me that things are further complicated by the number of teeth engaged at any moment and if a rolling contact on one of them takes the strain off a sliding one.Colin

My understanding is that the second heat is to refine the grain structure of the component. The part would be allowed to cool after the carburising and then hardened in the usual way .Colin

Another way of doing it? What about simple press tools , a vice and thinner metal? Colin

So apparently we will now need a licence to possess and use sulphuric acid brought about by the tendency of some of todays youth chucking it at people. I use it for quick cleaning copper quite often although I know there are other less satisfactory ways of preparing and cleaning copper. Colin

At what temperature does the clay have to be sintered; It sounds interesting. Colin

I would use an internal 5mm steel plate, tapped to accept C/S screws, bedded on resin and pinned with dowels. The screws can then be filled and painted. Colin

A flypress would definitely suit your application better but you need to determine the right size. Colin

Looks like a burnt out winding to me , means a replacement armature if everything else is ok but a replacement motor would be best. Colin

Old houses used a lot of sand mixed, I think, with lime to make the plaster and then covered with a smoother plaster. Perhaps it is the high sand content that eliminates the cracking. Colin

Brian, my 180 PSI came from the hydraulic pressure often required for the 2x WP on a repaired model boiler The trouble with using one of the bodges is that it precludes a proper soldered repair due to the inability to clean it properly whereas the full size traction engines were riveted.

At 180 PSI ?.....Colin

The railways have a live rail with a warning notice on a fence for those who can read . Colin

I like to use both methods but on intricate things e.g. a gearbox I find that the great advantage is taking measurements with CAD to various parts without having to spend time on lots of calculations to the order of accuracy necessary for the job. I, too, am well into retirement. Colin