What did you do today? (2014)

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Graham, an easy way to make balls from wood, or plastic of similar hardness. First get a length of steel pipe the diameter of the ball, and say 18" long, turn one end square, and leave the edge sharp. Get your bit of wood(or what ever)put it in the 3 jaw chuck and knock off the corners , and neck it down a bit (make a rough ballish shape), now get to work with the pipe (have some sort of rest for it), using the inside edge that you left sharp just work it around, when it gets to the right size it stops cutting, polish it up, drill a hole in the end, part it off, finish the bit left by hand.

Ian S C

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Those interested in the Comet, they have put out stereo images that can be viewed with the red/green glasses.

Then another plain Stereo pair where you can see the image shift in the shadow detail. These of course would need an optical stereo viewer.

Clive

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

The link I followed had all types, I found the parallel viewing images worked well assisted by my extreme myopia.

I've always imagined a comet as a dirty, lumpy iceball with no real structure at all, so these pictures are fascinating.

Neil

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Today I gained space in my double garage on my side of it! My son moved out and took all his fishing tackle with him. Now I have space fill

Bri

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Neil, go to ESA Rosetta, and click on the 'Blog' on the right side. You can then click on the dated pictures in the center which also allows you to make a comments and ask questions. The latest set I copied and then put them in Photo shop and was able to print the Stereo pair to A4 size, ideal for my Stereo viewer.

Clive

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

I used this radial arm drill at work to mill flat the convex mounting face for the cylinder block on this full size Aveling & Porter steam roller boiler. It was then finished off by sanding while still mounted on the drill

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Well, as you know I have been posting updates on the Drill Press refurb. However I have been reminded that I haven't posted any of my organisational excersises and of course Rik and Ian will be marking me down if I don't make the effort. So today I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I needed to shorten the bench that holds my tempering furnace by nine inches or so so that I could make space for the stand for the new Drill Press so instead of just replacing the leg holding the free end, I put my thinking hat on.

I really needed to sort out my hammers and in a moment of inspiration I tackled my Nemesis, storage for the hacksaws and I came out on top. I would have used White paint but I am fresh out so it was the black smoothrite. The hammers are held in ten inch lengths of 40mm poly pipe held securely and glued to each other. I think it came out well.

As the drill press is going alongside I put the clamping kit at the top, on the other side to it in the hope it won't fill up with swarf, you know how it is.

graham.

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

I made a good start on my eccentric straps. Next will be the arms that goes to the expansion link. I don't like the thought of milling 1/2" off down the 13 odd inches length ( plus they will bend) that they are so I am going to fabricate them and silver solder the forks on the ends.

But first I am off to northwales to see how the guys have got on with the track laying on the traverser.

Bri

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

"hope it won't fill up with swarf, you know how it is."

Graham – Swarf? More like blood and bone chippings in that "clinic" of yours

[Four stroke FredParticipant @fourstrokefred]

Jason what a great collection of castings for the IC engine must have been your lucky day. This weekend I have been making the carburettor for the tractor. It's not the usual type of carby as it has a built in "snifter' valve, a heater to vaporise the paraffin ( a dummy on the model) and throttle vane. I have yet to make the float chamber and float and then attach it to the main body. Both manifolds will have to be given the treatment to make them look like castings – a case of elbow grease and emery cloth! The left hand side of the engine will be quite busy as it has yet to have the points,distributor and magneto fitted. As it has been raining all day and the workshop has been the best place to be. We need the rain as most of Queensland had been drought declared and also I have just planted up the veg garden.

George.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Yesterday.

Continued with fitting the battery drilling machine to the lathe.

Also plucked up courage, camera in hand, to see if that snake was still in residence.

Gingerly lifted the lid from the compost bin, holding breath in anticipation.

EMPTY!

He/she no doubt took more fright than I did and scarpered.

Told my neighbour that it had vanished, so now both he and his 'er indoors' now wary of gardening in that corner of their property

Now I wonder where snakey is now residing?

Geoff – Bad day, but getting marginally better after a few sips of R*d Bull. First time trying it.

Edited By OuBallie on 16/08/2014 15:49:52

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Well, made a corporate decision today. I have a box marked Knobs and Balls (what else?) and in it I found three identical levers with handles at the end and 12mm thread at the other. They were taken off something and they are "as new" so I drilled and tapped the hub 12mm so that's the end of my agonising over some Balls!

Made a peg and set the hub up in the mill using my brand new 12mm Tap

Then I did a Dry Run of assembly, just as well really as I found a shim at the bottom of the box when I had done

So tomorrow I will take it apart and pack the bearings with grease then put it together ready to put on the column. One thing I am going to do though is drill a hole for a cable in the cone shaped recess that just lends itself to a lamp.

Just thinking about the grease thing, what sort of grease do you think would be suitable? I have a couple different tubs, some Castrol LM, Silkoline Synthetic wheel bearing grease and some others (not in the "office" right now so cannot recall the names). 

graham.

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 16/08/2014 19:30:20

[VersabossParticipant @versaboss]

Having seen an advertisement for a "Wimberley toolholder", I thought that I should try something similar. This toolholder is almost like a tangential tool turned 90 deg. anticlockwise. I admit the first version I did came out wrong, mostly because the point of the tool came out much too high when used in a quick-change holder.

So that's what my effort #2 looks like:

And does it work? Very well I think, although I have to experiment a bit more with the tool angles. Maybe I even will do a #3, but for smaller tooling. The 10 mm square is a bit overkill (and needs a lot of grinding…). I did a few cuts in steel, alu and brass, over 1 mm DOC is easily possible (but 0.01 mm also).

Regards, HansR.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[phrased to keep within the topic of this thread​]

Resisted the temptation to buy a selection of  these "Cam Followers"

… They appear to have great potential, at reasonable price

… but I must stop buying interesting things "for stock"

They may, however, be just what you need.

MichaelG.

.

Edit : removed Link … Will try again later

Edit : Hopefully OK now.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/08/2014 08:20:56

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/08/2014 08:31:53

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Ha! I failed to resist the temptation of five 2.2" QVGA displays – at £1.98 +99p postage each.

Then found some 3.2" displays that use a driver chip I already have written a driver for At £7.50 all in.

I can think of 101 uses, but will I get a round tuit?

Neil

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Some metalwork at last http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=97355#1689701

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

In ALDI today found these pipe benders reduced from £9.99 to £4.99 so I grabbed one. It will do 6mm, 8mm and 10mm. I did this bend OK on 8mm copper tube, it flattened it a little on top of the bend but a quick squish between the vice jaws bought it back again but increased my target bend angle from 45 to approx. 50 degrees.

Found that by decreasing the bend angle from 45 degrees to about 40 degrees and THEN squishing gave the required 45 degree bend.

Not a bad bit of kit for less than a fiver.

I am not employed by ALDI

I am not a shareholder

Neither am I co-habiting with the daughters of Karl or Theo Albrecht (even if they deny it! )

Rik – click!

 

Edited By Rik Shaw on 19/08/2014 20:08:53

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Youngest Son went on holiday, his wife cleared the fridge and freezer and left the doors open. 3 weeks and they come back and find the upper door on the floor? This is one of those fridges that has a wooden panel attached to the fridge door. I was enticed to go down and fix it! Fridge above freezer and we lifted out the fridge to get at the hinges and found that we would have to take freezer out first to disconnect the fridge, notice, now the jobs getting bigger! Got that sorted out and was able to see what had happened to the fridge door, the pins that go into top and bottom of the door were far too short and they were held in place by a screw in a slot and the top one had come loose and, 'Crash'. Then found that all the screws holding the hinges of the wooden cabinet were, 'Pulled' in the wooden doors and panels so had to replace all the hinges, I did come prepared with spare hinges. Jobs getting bigger by the minute now. Started to re-assemble all the bits and got the fridge back in its cavity and not forgetting to plug it in first and then put the freezer back into its cavity in the unit. But there was one bit of infill panel and then we had to remove the Freezer again to insert this panel and then back in again so it could be screwed into place. By now my knees are aching and been at it for nearly 2 1/2 hrs. Whoever assembled this unit wants kicking across the floor as it is totally rubbish and I hardly dared touch the electrics behind the cabinets, I am almost frightened to visit in case there are more jobs to do!

Clive

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Posted by Rik Shaw on 19/08/2014 20:04:07:

In ALDI today found these pipe benders reduced from £9.99 to £4.99 so I grabbed one. It will do 6mm, 8mm and 10mm. I did this bend OK on 8mm copper tube, it flattened it a little on top of the bend but a quick squish between the vice jaws bought it back again but increased my target bend angle from 45 to approx. 50 degrees.

Found that by decreasing the bend angle from 45 degrees to about 40 degrees and THEN squishing gave the required 45 degree bend.

Not a bad bit of kit for less than a fiver.

I am not employed by ALDI

I am not a shareholder

Neither am I co-habiting with the daughters of Karl or Theo Albrecht (even if they deny it! )

Rik – click!

Edited By Rik Shaw on 19/08/2014 20:08:53

Now they look worthy more so at that price, will be keeping an eye out for them here when they land down under.

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Posted by Clive Hartland on 19/08/2014 22:32:22:

Youngest Son went on holiday, his wife cleared the fridge and freezer and left the doors open. 3 weeks and they come back and find the upper door on the floor? This is one of those fridges that has a wooden panel attached to the fridge door. I was enticed to go down and fix it! Fridge above freezer and we lifted out the fridge to get at the hinges and found that we would have to take freezer out first to disconnect the fridge, notice, now the jobs getting bigger! Got that sorted out and was able to see what had happened to the fridge door, the pins that go into top and bottom of the door were far too short and they were held in place by a screw in a slot and the top one had come loose and, 'Crash'. Then found that all the screws holding the hinges of the wooden cabinet were, 'Pulled' in the wooden doors and panels so had to replace all the hinges, I did come prepared with spare hinges. Jobs getting bigger by the minute now. Started to re-assemble all the bits and got the fridge back in its cavity and not forgetting to plug it in first and then put the freezer back into its cavity in the unit. But there was one bit of infill panel and then we had to remove the Freezer again to insert this panel and then back in again so it could be screwed into place. By now my knees are aching and been at it for nearly 2 1/2 hrs. Whoever assembled this unit wants kicking across the floor as it is totally rubbish and I hardly dared touch the electrics behind the cabinets, I am almost frightened to visit in case there are more jobs to do!

Clive

Clive I guess it was made in Asia by kids being paid enough to afford a bed for the night. A sign of the times I am afraid maybe we should world wide demand our countries bring back manufacturing to our own shores not sure this would help being that so many workers these days are from other countries anyway.

Parts and labour here in Australia have escalated so badly its cheaper to throw it away and buy new. If a tradesman comes out to just look at the goods its min $160 per hr and thats not doing a fix, parts sky's he limit.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Clive Hartland on 19/08/2014 22:32:22:

… By now my knees are aching and been at it for nearly 2 1/2 hrs….

Clive

One of those little short mechanic's stools with wheels on it and a tool tray underneath is worth its weight in gold for these kind of jobs. I couldnt get by without one these days with the old knees getting creakier.

[“Bill Hancox”Participant @billhancox]

Posted by Oompa Lumpa on 16/08/2014 19:22:09:

Just thinking about the grease thing, what sort of grease do you think would be suitable? I have a couple different tubs, some Castrol LM, Silkoline Synthetic wheel bearing grease and some others (not in the "office" right now so cannot recall the names).

graham.

When it comes to bearings, I have learned from experience that some synthetic greases can be virtually impossible to remove with any type of solvent. A few years back I installed a new spindle on my drill press together with new bearings. I packed both bearings in a synthetic grease. During the installation, I fumbled with one of the bearings and after a short ping pong match from hand to hand the bearing landed on the floor in a bit of metal and wood dust. I attempted to clean it by soaking it in turn in kerosene, methyl hydrate and even high solvency thinner to no avail. Now I test synthetic grease for solvency before using it on any bearing that may come in contact with swarf etc and subsequently require cleaning (this should not be an issue with a drill press unless of course you are fumble fingered like me). As well, I now ensure that my work area is properly cleaned for the job at hand.

Cheers

Bill – Say Arf Arf to Ted for me

[frank brownParticipant @frankbrown22225]

Clive your fridge/freezer saga reminds me of a similar saga I had with my Sister-in-law's dish washer. One night while they were watching telly, big crash from the kitchen, the dishwasher had opened its self!. If only, the springs for retaining/counterbalancing the door with all the wooden trim on, had broken and it was now sitting a most odd angle.

I got her to order a new set of springs from the internet and then took the bl***y thing apart, apart from the 100lbs pre-load on the springs and the uncertainty of which holes they hooked into, pretty straight forward job. The back of the wooden trim had to have the fixing holes filled with epoxy resin and re-drilled and it worked out fine. When I enquired if there had any problems with the door , She said "yes, its been funny for a couple of months". . . A stitch in time…?

Frank

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by "Bill Hancox" on 20/08/2014 04:21:06:

Posted by Oompa Lumpa on 16/08/2014 19:22:09:

Just thinking about the grease thing, what sort of grease do you think would be suitable

graham.

When it comes to bearings, I have learned from experience that some synthetic greases can be virtually impossible to remove with any type of solvent.

Cheers

Bill – Say Arf Arf to Ted for me

Clive could borrow the dumbass dog. He has been guarding the refrigerator all morning, he knows there are sausages in there. Maybe not so dumb, but he won't move.

Anyway, packed the bearings with Lithium grease in the end, I will never need to look at them that's for certain. – they will outlast me.

graham.

[Four stroke FredParticipant @fourstrokefred]

What did I do today?. I have been working on the carburettor for the tractor and decided to make the float from a plastic. It was made like an inverted thimble with a pressed on base and a thin walled aluminium tube through the centre all being held together with Loctite .The total weight was 2 grms. The first test in water saw it float with about 3mm above the water level. Next try it in petrol – Oh dear it went straight to the bottom of the test tank – all to do with density! I have now decided to use the "chicken feed" system using 3/32" copper tube from a fridge for both petrol and air pipes. At least the day was not wasted as I made up the float chamber and feed. This unit is fabricated from nine parts silver soldered together. Back in the shed tomorrow to finish the carburettor unit.

George.

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