What did you do today? (2014)

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

A few days back I designed a new quadrant for my WM-180 lathe so that all combinations of change gears for threading and feeds with a reverse gear in the mix would work. However because of the tight space in the change gear area I'd need to make some slight alterations to the lathe and buy some longer drive belts to get the full swing of the new quadrant, so that's slightly on hold for the moment (until my warranty runs out).

As part of that project I made an extra gear stud to enable reversing the leadscrew which I used today on the existing quadrant to cut my very first thread ever on a lathe. After posting a question about gear ratios on this forum I was able to work out a different combination of gears to give me a 4:1 reduction for an M6 x 0.5 left hand thread.

About half way through, the indexable threading tip chipped off so I had to regrind the end and realign with the groove to continue. This will be the feed screw for the boring head I'm making.

Thanks again to the guys who responded to my questions about change-gears.

Cheers,

Ed.

 

 

Edited By Ed Duffner on 11/10/2014 23:40:55

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

 

I finally got round to starting on the new boiler for the loco rebuild I started a while ago. I was not too happy with the old one as there was a very minute hole at the smoke boxed of the barrel against one of the main flues. I managed to get hold of some 4-1/2" stainless steel blanks to make some plugs for the barrel.

Making this will keep me warm through the winter.

 

 

Edited By Boiler Bri on 12/10/2014 04:32:29

[_Paul_Participant @_paul_]

I never seem to have enough AXA toolholders… made another 3

Paul

[Evaldas MaminskasParticipant @evaldasmaminskas32419]

Nicely done, Sir. May I ask what metal it's made of?

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Realised my torch is not quite big enough to heat my boiler for annealing, so bit the bullet and ordered a new one from CUP alloys. Took me 10 mins to heat this small section so I went for one three times the size.

Bri

[_Paul_Participant @_paul_]

Posted by Evaldas Maminskas on 12/10/2014 11:35:47:

Nicely done, Sir. May I ask what metal it's made of?

Thank you for the compliment, they are made from EN1A (1213) mild steel.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Made some progress on the boring head the past couple of days. Todo: Add a leadscrew retaining clip or set-screw, make a leadscrew nut and add the dial markings. I have a couple of errors but I'm learning a lot from the process. The camera flash isn't very forgiving, tends to show every little surface mark.

Regards,
Ed

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Ed,

I would be more than happy with a finish like that.

Well done!

Geoff – Getting used to being three score and ten

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Have you built it to anyone's particular plans/design Ed?

(Very nice work BTW!)

Regards,

IanT

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Ed

That is a very nice piece of tool making

Rik

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Thanks chaps, I looked at the drawings from Harold Hall's Complete Milling book and his web site for ideas. Also online photos of commercial tools. It's mostly made up as I went along really.

Regards,
Ed. …not looking forward to being two score and ten next year!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well Done Ed,

Puts my effort to shame!

I finished the new spindle for the adept.

Now where the hell is that bit of leaded phosphor bronze for the bearings that has been on my desk for the past month or two?

Neil

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

Brilliant work – I can only dream!

"Ed. …not looking forward to being two score and ten next year!"

.. age is just a number, I've known old 40 year olds and young 80 year olds.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Geoff

| "Getting used to being three score and ten"

I got there this year too!

I thought, at one time, that by this age I would be sensible and sober. It didn't work out – I'm still foolish and lighthearted. ( OK I don't drink these days so I suppose, in that respect at least , I AM sober )

I might have expected that , with the advanced years, I would get more respect. My Grandson hasn't heard of this convention and is always ready to seize an opportunity for a dry dig. ( Thank goodness!)

Ed

| " ..not looking forward to being two score and ten next year!"

Good grief man you're in your prime. You should still be using hand tools alone to shape your mechanical masterpieces to exhibition standards!

Nice work on the boring head. Like the red line – it's good for tools to be attractive as well as functional .

Off now for a mug of cocoa and a nap.

( I wish!)

Norman

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Norman,

Ditto to all except that I'm making more stupid ^%}*# mistakes than ever before.

Granddaughter who is 33 months old is making me think I'm witnessing human evolution taking place before my eyes. Her Dad has confided in me that he was never that clever at her age, and neither was I, not that I remember, but just extrapolating backwards from when I do remember.

Ed,

You're still wet behind the ears. It's all in the mind.

Biggest problem is that mind says 'Yes' but body says 'Not bl@@dy likely mate!'

Geoff – Wouldn't mind being two score and ten again

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Sealed the draughts around teh cat flap – and when I put my screwdrivers back in the drawer – there's the PB bar!

Neil

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Went to an exhibition. Got back 2 cups of tea ago.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I became 70 this year, funnily enough it does not seem much different to when I was 69 & 3/4, or for that matter when I passed the 60 mark. Ok the joints are a bit less supple and the glasses have become essential at all times, so I'm rather hoping things will continue in that fashion for the next few decades.

[StackerjackParticipant @stackerjack]

I'm a young-at-heart 71, but sometimes feel like 91…………………………..I do wish somebody wouldn't keep pressing extra keys on this keyboard………

Yesterday I was very pleased to be able to use, for the first time,a vertical plate that I made for my Boxford. It's similar to a vertical slide, but it doesn't slide…..hence vertical plate.

It used to belong to a small Chinese drill that I bought, on which the bracket holding the table broke in half, rendering the drill almost useless. I was lucky enough to be able to pass it on to a friend…..well he was at the time.

I made an adapter which fits the tapered fixing of a Boxford lathe, and bolted the table/plate to the adaptor. I also happen to have a partly-machined drill vise in my spares box, which I am going to fit to the table. I needed to mill a couple of holes where the vise jaws will bolt onto, so was able to use my new plate/table, to hold the vise on place while I used a slot drill in the chuck. (The surface was at 45 degrees to the drill.)

Once the vise is finished I will have quite a versatile too, which can move forwards, backwards.left and right, and by moving the vise up or down on it's mounting slots, will have 3 axes of movement, plus I can set the table at any angle to the chuck.

I'm wondering the best way to make a fixture where the tightening screw of the vise pushes against the moving jaw. Would a brass collar be suitable?

Any ideas please?

Jack

[HowiParticipant @howi]

completed my division controller electronics, just need a rotary table and make suitable coupling bits.

Controller is based on PIC18F452 chip firmware by Steve Ward web address steve@worldofward.com.

Although I have facilities for production of own PCB and programmer for PIC chip, it was easier to get a ready made PCB and electronic bits including programmed chip for board from Steve Ward. The 4 line 20 character display was from Ebay ( about £5.00) , keyboard also Ebay about £3.50 ( I did also get a membrane keypad for £1.20 inc postage but preferred the other one), stepper driver board again from Ebay via China, decided to use one with a much better chip than the one Steve used, cost £11.00 inc postage and took a week to get here. At £11.00 it was dearer than the earlier chipset boards but still cheap against similar driver boards in the uk which seem to cost £40.00 upwards. Check out ArcEuro site for prices of there driver boards, not saying ArcEuro are expensive, just typical prices here in the UK.

I hope I do not come across as having a go at ArcEuro, I have and will continue to buy from them as there service is second to non, I am just using their site to illustrate typical cost here in UK for these stepper driver boards.

some photos below (I hope! first time trying to upload photos)

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

I'm still a novice on many fronts and I managed to fuse the 0.8 copper tip of my welder, to the 0.6 wire coming out of it (I don't know if this is normal behaviour). I guess I wasn't feeding fast enough – it does alarm me slightly with the rate at which it files out! I could go to 0.8 wire but the 0.6 does struggle to feed down the rather old and battered liner, another job on the list…..

It's a mig with 30-110amp in 4 stages, I was trying to weld 2 pieces of 10 gauge (3.5mm) box section (end to face) and I think this is perhaps ever so slightly above it's comfortable welding capacity – especially with me behind the trigger!

Anyhow, I'd set a bit of time aside and since the machine was out of action I decided to strip the stiff trigger and clean out the old gammy grease and it's actuating good as new now although I'll probably have to change the grease for something higher temperature. I'll get a pack or 2 of 0.6 nozzles and a new gas shroud (the old one was held on with a mixture of masking tape and good will)

Edited By Russ B on 19/10/2014 16:28:09

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Russ- I do that all the time, weld wire to nozzle. The set you have should cope with the box section OK. You must use the correct size nozzle tho'. First thing to buy sounds like a new liner, they are cheap and easy to fit. What is all the grease for? Should all be clean and dry. Also a can of anti-spatter spray, will help to keep the nozzle clean. If the set is not fitted with a cooling fan it may be worth fitting one (any old 250v fan will do, or at least make some cooling holes in the body.

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

Gordon, thanks for the info,

There was a brass block in the trigger which the airline connects to and the liner passes through, it combines all the bits into the nozzle (permanent gas pressure no solenoid). There is a brass shaft actuated by the trigger which does everything. it has 2 o-rings, one at the bottom which stops the gas leaking out, one half way which crosses the gas inlet port (supplying gas when the trigger is depressed). It has a plastic cap holding a spring which returns the trigger to its closed position. in the middle of the plastic spring cap, is a copper contact, which leads back to a relay which sets the the wire feed off and presumably the power, allow has before power and feed etc. when the trigger is fully pressed and seats on it.

I cleaned this out, and gave it the lightest smear of grease possible just to keep the orings supple and slippery.

I guess the more expensive machines have a better setup but this one looks quite nice, it is a little heavy on the hand to hold the trigger as it flexes a bit.

The machine is a Cebora 883 (the tall thin one, not to be confused with the turbomig 130's)

Edited By Russ B on 19/10/2014 18:20:17

Edited By Russ B on 19/10/2014 18:21:42

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Did a bit of whittling today (as my good lady calls it – faffing about is metalwork, whittlin' is woodwork – who would have thought?).

Anyway, finished one of the vintage stocks that I regularly repair, this wasn't one of the worst I have ever done but the real damage wan't visible until the varnish and woodfiller were removed.

I have started to put the stains and sealers on and it looks acceptable.

graham.

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

CNC Mill #2 is, essentially, complete. It's a "King Canada KC20-VS", but many suppliers have the same mill.

First job on it will be to CNC-drill the vent holes for the cover for the Control Box.

The blog for the build (for those interested) is at **LINK** – here's a picture of the (as yet, coverless) control box:

The mill is run, as are all good CNC machines, by LinuxCNC. Maybe I'm biased, but the SW works very well, and the price is most certainly right.

JohnS.

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