Milton Keynes Metals?

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

If people are too lazy to shop around from the comfort of their own home they may well pay top $

Tony

[Anthony KendallParticipant @anthonykendall53479]

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 20/12/2020 12:14:39:

If people are too lazy to shop around from the comfort of their own home they may well pay top $. Tony

Such wisdom.

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

There are reasonably priced UK suppliers, this was recent order I placed, including a 78" length of 19mm silver steel for £21.99

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Posted by Frances IoM on 20/12/2020 12:02:14:
shopping partner – probably same way this site attempts to drop a farcebook tracker – money.

Spot on I suspect, I am sure to become a shopping partner all you would need to do is cough up. Is there any past partners that were 'struck off' for quality issues or negative feed back on the site?

[Anonymous]

Posted by Mike Hurley on 20/12/2020 10:27:01:

Sounds like you owe me a virtual pint then Andrew

Once we've got rid of the blond buffoon I'd be happy to buy you a real pint.

Andrew

[mickParticipant @mick65121]

I did bring my experiences to the attention of the editor of ME at the time and for several months their banner didn't appear in shopping partners, but alas it found its way back a couple of years ago. Best to avoid.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Reading this I think quiet a few of us owe Mike a drink.

JA

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by Anthony Kendall on 20/12/2020 13:11:04:

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 20/12/2020 12:14:39:

If people are too lazy to shop around from the comfort of their own home they may well pay top $. Tony

Such wisdom.

He is quite right, though. I needed (I think) an ISO10 slide way oil but could not find an alternative. The best internet price was around £90 (presumably plus delivery – I didn’t check because they wanted full personal details before check-out) or about £95 delivered, for 20 litres.

As I didn’t want just one litre (could have been £17.34 delivered from epay) or to spend nearly a hundred quid I enquired the price from another supplier who clearly also buys in bulk and sells in smaller quantities. I settled on a single 5l container at what I considered to be a reasonable price (still rather more than the 20l rate, mind)

He also sells a limited range of fixings and steel round bar, etc. An accommodating epay seller who was willing to put up a different item on epay as a special, so he gets my recommendation for members to check him out for model engineering bits. No further connection (found while searching for a good deal) other than as a satisfied customer.

A1factors at Nottingham – try him, is all I am suggesting. I rarely buy metal, so am not sure how the economics stack up for such as free-cutting steel, etc.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

For things like slideway oil, if you can find the spec, (ISO or whatever ) it is possible that your local oil supplier (Shell being my nearest ) might be prepared to sell you a 5 litre container

Local steel stockholders will behappy to sell you a length of material, probably, although I was faced with the problem of taking home a 3 metre length. But most will cut once or possibly twice for free but charge for further cuts. You could take your own hacksaw, if it is not 100 mm bar!

If it is any help, Cromwell Tools used to sell Silver Steel in 1 metre lengths, as well as the usual 13" pieces

Howard..

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

slideway oil iso 10 ? For the likes of myford Etc it is SAE 10/ iso 32 ! 2 systems but the same oil ! A light mineral engine oil or hydraulic oil – about £10 per 5l. Noel

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I should have added and available from most garages or motor factors ! There is no need for fancy synthetic oils in this aplication at twice the price. N

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by noel shelley on 20/12/2020 20:03:37:

I should have added and available from most garages or motor factors ! There is no need for fancy synthetic oils in this aplication at twice the price. N

Aimed at me?

First, it’s not a fancy synthetic and, second, it is a much lighter oil than ISO 32. If Pete Rimmer reckons it needs a thin oil, I’ll take note of his advice, thanks. Why F-up a machine by feeding it with a lubricant that may not reach the parts that need it? The machine manufacturer did not specify the grade for no good reason. I expect they actually knew what they were talking about.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Is slideway oil 'just' a regular machine oil of given viscosity then? I paid extra on the assumption that it had additives giving it special properties, ie staying put, low sticktion, not emulsifying with coolant.

[Anonymous]

Posted by Bazyle on 21/12/2020 10:11:07:

Is slideway oil 'just' a regular machine oil of given viscosity then?

Definitely not. They have specific properties, including those listed. My slideway oil is slightly stringy so it stays where it is put; not all slideways are horizontal.

Andrew

[David Davies 8Participant @daviddavies8]

+1 for Macc Models and M-Machine.

Dave

[Graham TitmanParticipant @grahamtitman81812]

I had the misfortune to use him once when i first started model engineering 20 years ago before we could afford the internet i sent for his catalogue worked out what small ba taps and some brass i wanted and drove to his shack he shared with a car repair business he sorted out what i wanted and the cost was just over double his catalogue price with the excuse i cannot keep the catalogue up to date i had to wait 3 weeks for the catalogue because it was at the printers. I think he just made his price up as he went along i have not been near his shack since. Andrew you have done very well in giving him a miss he obviously changed in 20 years

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I'd like to make clear that advertising on our website or our magazines doesn't constitute an endorsement, please see section 4 of the terms and conditions.

It's only fair to point at that advertising is ubiquitous across all media, and decisions on whether to carry advertising are generally limited to whether or not is complies with the ASA rules.

Neil

[Graham TitmanParticipant @grahamtitman81812]

Neil i am not having a go at the magazine my experience was over 20 years ago and was stating that he has not changed in that time

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 21/12/2020 10:24:31:

Posted by Bazyle on 21/12/2020 10:11:07:

Is slideway oil 'just' a regular machine oil of given viscosity then?

Definitely not. They have specific properties, including those listed. My slideway oil is slightly stringy so it stays where it is put; not all slideways are horizontal.

Andrew

Exactly. I am now actively searching out a source of Flowtac 2000, or similar, in a suitable quantity that I may need. I only need at most 25ml but the minimum delivery from the manufacturer is 22.5kg!

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 21/12/2020 10:24:31:

Posted by Bazyle on 21/12/2020 10:11:07:

Is slideway oil 'just' a regular machine oil of given viscosity then?

Definitely not. They have specific properties, including those listed. My slideway oil is slightly stringy so it stays where it is put; not all slideways are horizontal.

Andrew

So a chainsaw bar oil might do the job — Have not used any for years but that had a "stringy" property & is, in a way, a similar application, plus readily available.– Or is that a rubbish suggestion as well ?????

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 21/12/2020 11:24:18

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

ISO 10 slideway oil?? That sounds very low viscosity for the task?
Most suppliers list ISO 32 as the lowest viscosity with tackifying agents added that help the oils to stick to non vertical surfaces.

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

Bought some chainsaw oil for the lathe at the beginning of the year because I had run out of the proper stuff, Magna 68. I cannot notice any difference between the two. I don’t think it really matters what you use, as long you use something, don’t run the slides dry, except of course for cast iron. The chap in the mower place told me that the local tree surgeons had given up using proper chainsaw oil because it is too expensive and now they buy sunflower oil from the local supermarket.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Mention of sunflower oil reminded me that the Citroen DS hydraulic suspension and gearbox control systems used vegetable oil. Apparently the rubber seals would not tolerate mineral oil.

The BMC Hydrolastic suspension system used pressurised glycol water mix, rather than an oil,.

Now back to the subject!

Howard

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Postscript: Just to close the subject, I finally received my order this morning! Only took 5 weeks. To be fair, they did say the delay was due to a 'stock issue' ( I assume that means they hadn't actually got an 'in stock' item) and then Christmas, lockdown …… Still, stuff arrived perfectly OK and well packed so I've got no excuse not to get on with my projects now! Regards to all Mike

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