What did you do today (2015)

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Hi Bob, They are collecting, 'Honey Dew', this is given off by Aphids and is quite common in Turkey/Germany mainly from Fir trees where they sell it by the Kilo. Aphids give off a sweet nectar to Ants who do in fact cultivate them akin to a herd of cows. They carry them about to new locations so that they can continue to feed. Aphids are able to have young without males connection, ( Parthogenisis ?) I think that the Aphids make too much honey dew and it gets on the leaves and attracts the bees.

The bees have 2 stomachs and when they collect nectar they pass it to the 2nd stomach where its mixed with a secretion and this turns it into, 'Fructose'. When its collected it is Sucrose. This includes all the essences and flavours from the flower of different species of plant, so bees foraging on a honey flow ie. Cherries, the honey will smell of cherries. While flying the bee uses energy and tops up from its 1st stomach.

Clive

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Not an Aphid in sight!

[Clive FarrarParticipant @clivefarrar90441]

Released an alloy 2 piece kayak paddle that had been corroded together for years and polished it up so that it slips together nicely.

Made 4 galvanised quick release extensions to my roof bars so that i can now get two yaks on flat side by side.

All made from stuff that has been accumulated over the years because "that might come in handy sometime "

And I have many more years worth of "stuff" in my handy box.

Regards Clive

[Anonymous]

Posted by JasonB on 24/05/2015 12:57:40:

Bit of a pain draging half a traction engine upto the flying site whenever you want to close a couple of rivits, I assume you have got it to do the Burrell Rivits?

Can't say that occurred to me. I doubt it would have the necessary grunt to close 3/16" and 1/4" steel rivets? The primary reason for acquiring it is that I suffer from OIS.

It will definitely be staying in my hall and eventually garage. For reasons I won't go into the gliding club is paranoid about workshop cleanliness and what is stored there, so they wouldn't thank me for dumping an arbor press!

Andrew

OIS = old iron syndrome

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Bob, maybe that plant has little nodules that give off nectar to attract insects to pollinate, I do not know this plant so that may be an answer. Maybe look closely at the junction of a leaf stem using a magnifier.

Clive

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

I think you are correct as there appears to be little nodules on the leaf that the bees seem to be attracted too, see picture you can just make them out.

learn something new each day.

Bob

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

So let me get this right Clive.

Bees make honey and wasps make Marmite ?

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Wasps can't make Marmite – I like Marmite but don't like wasps.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

I've had a couple of small Dickson toolholders for years, unusable because the studs for setting the depth have broken off. I decided to drill out the broken studs and rescue the toolholders. The studs were broken flush or just below the surface. First job was to centre punch the studs. My word, that's hard! After a few goes, a very slight dimple, this was probably when I should have called it a day. To cut a long story short, I now have one toolholder with a broken drill stuck in it and one toolholder with a broken tap stuck in it. There's nothing as satisfying as a couple of hours workshop time.

Dave

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Started making a spot welder for my light jobs on stainless shim Bill Bannister of SMEE at Harrogate show was very helpful it uses the fan out of the microwave to keep the transformer cool.

Was given a microwave after the show and did a test after redoing the secondary windings with welding cable.

Good to be cutting metal again after doing the drawings.

Align power feed stopped powering fine feed on VMC gave it a clean on electrics and it's back working.

Warmed the new hydro steam generator with the blowlamp as there is always a lot of flames from the insulation till it's cooked ready for next months first hydro run at Kingsbury.

Lots to do I've to finish the spare crankshaft as the old one has had a hard life over the years plus all the spare parts to make.

Paul.

[mick70Participant @mick70]

going out in bit to start tidying up southbend 9" model c i bought.

it is in good nick but been stored for few years so needs cleaning.

also need to fit motor to it and sort out the bits that came with it

then at some point make 3c collet holder for it.

and do backing plate for er16 collet chuck i aquired from guy at club.

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Posted by Clive Farrar on 27/05/2015 19:36:19:Made 4 galvanised quick release extensions to my roof bars so that i can now get two yaks on flat side by side.

Yaks ??

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Bob Unitt 1 on 28/05/2015 09:38:52:

Posted by Clive Farrar on 27/05/2015 19:36:19:Made 4 galvanised quick release extensions to my roof bars so that i can now get two yaks on flat side by side.

Yaks ??

.

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Dragged out my Lady Stephanie bits & pieces, after many years, with a view to finishing it. Stared at the pile of components with some trepidation. Went in the house and had a stiff drink. Posted **LINK**

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

Yak!

Edited By David Colwill on 28/05/2015 09:58:38

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

+ = Your answer

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by JasonB on 28/05/2015 10:19:14:

+ = Your answer

I suppose this is the topic where people Yak Yak Yakkety-Yak.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Windy on 28/05/2015 00:25:46:

Started making a spot welder for my light jobs on stainless shim Bill Bannister of SMEE at Harrogate show was very helpful it uses the fan out of the microwave to keep the transformer cool.

Was given a microwave after the show and did a test after redoing the secondary windings with welding cable.

Paul.

Something does not sound quite right there. Unless you are doing welds continuously I would have thought the transformer would stay dead cold. I weld 1.2mm thick SS and even after hours of use the transformer stays very cool.

I could envisage that large continuously operating industrial welder would need significant cooling (but mainly at the electrode end of things) but that is miles away from a home workshop version.

Ian P

Welds take a fraction of a second (but even if they took 2 or 3) the duty cycle of load on the transformer is negligible.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

For my spot welder I used a piece of large size pyro cable, used just the outer. I annealed the cable until it was quite soft, silver soldered two lugs, one either end, then insulated it with some glass fire sleeve, wound it through the transformer core two turns. I had a damaged and disused earth rod which when cut I used as the electrodes. It took a bit of fiddling about to get everything working but it now OK. Usually the micro wave capacitor is reusable, so is the diode, the table motor complete with gear box and the fan. It amazes me how they can make a micro wave cooker shipped to UK for just £32. Incidentally if the your micro wave arcs and bangs, before discarding it, try and see if you can clean out the wave guide, often its very fine particles of food that is causing the short.Ted

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

The secondary 'winding' on the spot welder I have is less than one turn. Basically it is several layers of wide copper shim that form half a turn. The two arms that carry the electrodes are bolted to the shim where it emerges out of the transformer laminations so it gives the pivoted arms so flexing freedom.

Ian P

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

When spot welding my generator cases I'm doing over 200 welds continuously at one time I'm also thinking of adapting the electrodes to do seam welds on the thin stainless similar to the quality portable full size car spot welder I used when working in the car bodywork repair business.

I have an early Clark spot welder I have used that I got from a car boot sale very cheap but it can be aggressive when doing .005" stainless.

Paul

Edited By Windy on 28/05/2015 12:46:06

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Anyone who fancies making a spot welder should read the current issue of MEW:

Latest MEW Issue 229

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 28/05/2015 13:05:05:

Anyone who fancies making a spot welder should read the current issue of MEW:

.

"current issue" … ROFL

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 28/05/2015 13:57:13:

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 28/05/2015 13:05:05:

Anyone who fancies making a spot welder should read the current issue of MEW:

.

"current issue" … ROFL

Trust you to Spot that

[Steven GreenhoughParticipant @stevengreenhough56335]

Today I ruined the two buffer bars I posted a couple of days back. Embedded a broken 1.5mm drill bit in one and a broken M2 tap in the other. “Better” versions of each ordered…

Miffed and sulking.

[Author]

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