What did you do today? (2014)

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I hacksawed the end off this bit of 70mm square CI bar as someone had told me there was a steam engine cylinder inside, could not see it myself.

Did a bit more searching and there may be one inside but I mostly just found swarf

To be continued

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Had a couple of hours to spare so I made my firebox tuber plate and firehouse tube plate.

 

Edited By Boiler Bri on 10/11/2014 19:26:00

Edited By Boiler Bri on 10/11/2014 19:27:32

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> 70mm square CI bar as someone had told me there was a steam engine cylinder inside

'sfunny, I found this inside one yesterday!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by John Stevenson on 10/11/2014 18:18:00:

I even went to the trouble of finding some rulers / rules that had full mm marls all along and the same scale top as bottom because some times you need to lay a rule on the top and sometimes along a bottom edge. Don't do Imperial but if I need to, I use an imperial rule.

.

John,

Agreed, that style is very useful

But, I was very impressed by the clarity & value for money of the Linex.

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

This rule of mine gets as much use as any other!

I have one that I was given as a 16th(ish) birthday present that is still nice and straight.

A very nice one is flexible 12", mm and 0.5mm on one side, imperial on the other including an inch of 64ths and an inch or 50ths and an inch of 100ths – Rabone Chesterman and about £2 in an antique shop. Still wish I'd picked up the yard-long pattern maker's rule at the same time

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 10/11/2014 21:00:06

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Ordered a set of Diamond tool holders from Eccentric engineering.

Something new for me to break.

Nick

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Today … I admired mankind's ability:

A mind-boggling engineering acievement.

MichaelG.

[HowiParticipant @howi]

My mum used to work at Rabone Chestermans, never really exploited it though, sadly not into ME at the time – what a waste………….

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Totally agree Michael. How anyone, (even a massive team of them) can design and plan to land a probe on an object/surface that they have almost know prior knowledge of, is just awe inspiring. Hats off to them.

I was less impressed with the ESA live webcast. Not complaining but it was very disjointed and very little useful commentary.

Ian P

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I agree with all of Ian's post!

Neil

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Today I managed to lift my manual mill and my lathe onto trolleys so that I can move them around the workshop easily then put the feet down when i need to use them (Used my 2 Ton Engine Hoist/crane). I did this so that I could generate more room in the workshop by placing either machine in an ideal place when I need to use it but to tuck it into as small a space as possible when not in use. The trolleys are made from 100mm Channel and the castors I used are 1000lb Static Load and 500lb dynamic load so are well up to the job, with the feet either up or down..

Next job will to be to partition the back end of the workshop where I do my "Dirty Work" such as welding etc I will be using a PVC Curtain Door with overlapping strips so that I don't loose too much light. This will be followed by re-arranging and making new shelving so that I can get things put away.

In the mean time I have one more trip offshore before I hang up my hard hat. I am also teaching myself 3D Cad drawing as part of my Venture into CNC machining.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

A couple of people have asked what RABA-WIWIT technology is.

This is my new workshop mascot, it encompasses the spirit of my engineering philosophy and, hence, it is a Rabawiwit. I have to arrange some suitable PPE for him, although he has suffered more damage from a vicious labrador attack than lathe accidents.

Neil

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Neil

I fear that either this new job is getting to you or that you are losing it!

Norman

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Or maybe Neil has been moonlighting as editor on the other MTM title "Popular patchwork" ?

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Tom Senior:

Sliced one of Ketan's machine bellows to width made two cut-outs in the end plates to clear the table oiler and power feed trip housing. Marked through from the two holes in the bellows end plates, drilled and tapped the table M4 and screwed that end of the bellows into place.

Now need to replace the bolts holding the Leadscrew outer bearing housing with much longer ones in order to put brackets on their end to supper the other end of the bellows.

Then either put the original rear way cover back, or make a new one, but old back first to see how it performs me thinks.

Photos will follow.

Geoff – Thick fog all of last night, today and tonight.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> Thick fog all of last night, today and tonight.

Setting in here, now, but the Moon and Jupiter were bright in a break in the clouds at 6:00 this morning.

Neil

[clogsParticipant @clogs]

Geoff's door SAGA…..

not one for steps (trip hazards) or complicated things…..

had a similar problem but wind and rain from the north…..

I used some left over Damp Proof Membrane, black, tough and fairly flexible . 9" wide……used for brick work…

pop-rivit it to the bottom of the door using some metal strip as a backing, leaving about 2-3" to touch the floor. just trim off the overlap inside to tidy up…..I guess it's a metal or glassfiber door…

"if it's an up and over", as the door closes the flap will hit the ground first and just lay flat……the harder the wind blows the firmer it stay's down….remember the gap on the door how ever large (within reason) u need this flap to lay on the floor… if u have a large gap double it up for some added stiffness…..it'll also work on a swinging door but u must remember it will need an overlap on the stationary door….to cover the gap….

cheap n cheerful but best of all it works……I even use the same idea as a draught proofer on the works door….

hope this helps………..Frank

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Well looks like there was an engine cylinder in that bit of CI bar after all, though it did have a stud hole in the wrong place

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Jason, I reckon that's why that person told you there was a cylinder there, as whoever it was didn't what to be landed with it and have to correct the stud hole. You should have saved all the swarf then you could have sent it back and got a refund claiming that it must have been a billet with a flaw in it.

Regards Nick.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Rainwater into carport saga:

I think I may have found the cause of water ingress from the bottom of the Up&Over door, but need to wait for the next downpour to be certain before details and photos. Also don't want to be tempting fate.

Tom Senior:

Fitted the Machine Bellows to cover the front Way, plus put the original rear Way cover back, and now have protection for the Leadscrew, whereas before there was none.

For the front, did think of using some 1/4BSW threaded rod I had, but gave myself a slap for even thinking of using it, so made two stand-off studs from hex bar for uprights to be fitted at the ends that would hold the Machine Bellows.

It's worked out pretty well, even though I say so myself. More photos in Album.

I'm going to try a 6" handwheel on the Y-axis, in place of the present 5", as it needs a bit more leverage due to either the nut of screw having been graunched at some time and not easy to turn, and not easy to turn as it should be.

Way protection for the Marlow Mill next

Geoff – It's raining!

Edited By OuBallie on 16/11/2014 15:22:24

Edited By OuBallie on 16/11/2014 15:23:25

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well, quite a busy day, today, see the adept thread later…

But I fitted this 'grommet' from Arc Euro Trade to my Mini Lathe. A couple of quid for a wee bit of rubber, but having nuked a controller board when snaking swarf found its way intro the control box a few years ago, I'd say to anyone who hasn't got one of these fitted – do it ASAP!

My current control box is all low voltage (10V), but I still prefer to keep swarf out if I can.

Neil

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Made the first prolonged run of my newly finished Dyno "diesel" engine. Made to Ron Chernich's drawings with much encouragement from Ramon Wilson of ETA 15 fame.

Cheers,

Rod

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Technically this happened on Thursday last week but I've only just got my breath back and the network up and running again.

My workshop finally arrived back in Blighty after 4 years in Canada, accompanied by a new addition (the milling machine). Loading and unloading wasn't a trivial exercise but this time round we did it properly. These boys were very slick and professional – and great company too!

We loaded the gear into the container in Canada using a forklift but the Hiab / flatbed we used at the UK end was more versatile and capable. The Hiab crane is radio controlled, so the operator can stand right next to the load, inside the container etc. It struggled a bit to reach into the container but the tools were last in anyway. Apparently the boom can reach 16' beyond the end of the flatbed and lift something like 4 tonnes at this extent.

The tools were loaded onto the flatbed which was then backed down my mother's drive and unloaded next to the garage. The last stage was running them inside using dollies (note the steel plate to bridge the gutter).

More photos in my albums.

There was enough room remaining in the container to get our worldly possessions in (once I'd jettisoned a few things), which was a bonus!

Once we've found a more permanent job / house etc, I'll need to extract this stuff again. In the meantime, it's armchair engineering for me I'm afraid…..

Merry

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Nice engine! Took me back to those heady days of starting my PAW19, putting my hand round to lean out the mixture or adjust the compression and taking some skin off in the prop! Somehow the mixture of ether, paraffin and oil seemed to aCt as a good antiseptic….

[Anonymous]

Posted by Muzzer on 18/11/2014 14:23:28:

In the meantime, it's armchair engineering for me I'm afraid…..

Merry

Hmmmm, I think we may temporarily allow that in the circumstances, but we need assuring that corduroy trousers and pipes are not involved, nor dogs carrying slippers.

Andrew

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