What did you do today (2015)

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

I definitely was true Gordon and misuse could cause it to melt. That would really spoil your day.

They probably still are so as to prevent spoiling the heat treatment. I’m not prepared to trash one to find out tho.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Yesterday actually.

Got a garden shredder, works well when going but that's not often.

It has a Briggs and Stratton 4HP vertical shaft engine on it which is the the most terrible engine known to man or beast, bar perhaps a Hardly Dangerous.

Anyway by the time this pig of an engine has managed to start the 15 hernias prevent me from using it. Add to this the noise this thing kicks up is enough for the nearby East Midlands Airport to seek a court injunction.

It only has an engine on it to be portable so as it only works in my garden, why does it have to be portable.

Pic of offending article.

So rip the engine off, bit of drilling, welding, and hammering and got this.

4 HP three phase motor running at 3,000 revs, usable but unfinished as I scrounged the motor off the rewind people and a brand new starter box x but unfortunately the thermal overload rating on the boxes doesn't match what's in the box so got to nip back and go thru a big stack of boxes to get the right one and wire it up correctly.

Now works brilliantly, quiet, except when shredding and starts at the turn of a switch, shortly to be a push of a button.

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Well I manageg to get away from home for a few hours on Sunday, so off I whent to the Newark auto jumble. I ended up buying this BSA 250 of 1969 vintage. It should keep the home workshop busy making new bushes, shafts and whatnot I'm sure. It runs and rides really well.

Edited By Lathejack on 08/06/2015 12:12:09

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Ahhh You'll be fine just don't expect too much from it. The "Star" certainly prettier than standard C15.

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Jesse.

There were a couple of C15's for sale as well, plus a trials C15. I might have bought one or two of those as well, but I ran out of time.

I packed in motorcycling almost 25 years ago after owning a mixture of British and Japanese bikes from the 1970's and 80's. This BSA is maybe a final fling at recapturing a bit of those years. I don't want a larger capacity bike anymore so this is just dipping my toe in the water, so to speak.

These Starfire 250's are one of the better British lightweights, with excellent frames and brakes plus 12 volt electrics. I have fancied owning one of them for over 30 years despite the engines reputation for fragility.

As I walked round the Autojumble I didn't think there was much chance of coming across a bike I had always wanted, and definitely not a mostly original one in good condition than worked and ran well at a fair price. But there it was! 

Edited By Lathejack on 08/06/2015 14:19:34

Edited By Lathejack on 08/06/2015 14:23:33

[JAParticipant @ja]

Lathejack

That will keep you off the streets (the old ones are the best).

JA

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

JA.

Hopefully the bike will be reliable enough to keep me on the streets for a while, and yes I agree, the old ones are the best, certainly for me.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

On the plus side, back in to 70's and 80's when we, and that's the collective we, owned these things they were workhorses and probably the only means of transport hence being ridden hard and put away wet.

Nowadays they are a nostalgic look back and the pressure isn't there to do the mileage in all weathers plus oils, spark plugs and sundry requirements have improved since we were all paid less that £10 a week.

Bikes that had known faults and were problems in the day are no so much a problem today. For a start you could nowadays throw money at it to fix it correctly when back in the 70's more money was spent on things like jubilee clips and gaffer tape than OEM spares.

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

.Leatherjack,

i bought a 1927 vintage Humber Motorcycle about 20 years ago and this was just going to be a taster for me after returning to motorcycling after many years away from it.

You are hooked. It will bring back lots of memories and you will want more. Currently I have 5 rideable bikes. They take up too much of my time and at long last I am thinking of downsizing the fleet.The fleet at present is a 1927 Humber 350 side valve, 1929 OHV Humber 350, 1959 BSA 650 RGS Lookalike, 1961 500 BSA DBD 34 Gold Star and a 1976 Thruxton Velo replica. I also have several Humber Motorcycles in Bits including 2 OHV,s and 2 OHC models which one day will run.

Bob

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

John.

I agree, this bikes reputation was made by the owners of the day. Mostly young boy racers who thrashed them and neglected them, and who probably couldn't afford to maintain them.

But nowerdays they are ridden in a more sedate manner and fussed over with umpteen oil changes of the finest slippery stuff. There is much less chance of that aluminium alloy conrod punching it's way through the crankcases, for which they were famous.

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Bob.

Yes you maybe right, I could end up wanting more, I do have a soft spot for BSA four stroke unit singles. Funnily enough, in all my years I had never ridden a BSA single, or any other BSA for that matter, until last Sunday afternoon

Your collection is a very interesting one, the Humber's must be quite rare.

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Hi Leatherjack,

the Humbers are quite rare. The side valve is the most common because being the type they are they aren't subjected to side loading of the valve stems like the OHV & OHC models. Also they were and are cold porridge to ride but still good fun.

The OHV is really quite fast, given it's years and will keep up with 350's from the late sixties no trouble but it's valve gear design is abysmal and it wears rapidly, requiring frequent adjustment of tappets and bearings on the rocker shafts. The OHC model is a real sporty thing but the camshaft spiral bevel gears tended to wear out quickly. I got three sets made and they cost me the princely sum of £450 per set. They are in demand and I sold on two sets immediately after getting them made.

If I can figure out how to draw them or can get the CAD/Cam gear package sorted I might have a go at making my own from EN36 and getting them hardened..

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

I'm Off to Wnislow Arizona today so you might find me sitting on a corner there.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Bob,

Just go onto Trace Parts and find a pair that will fit and them import these.

Job done.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bob Rodgerson on 08/06/2015 15:17:42:

I'm Off to Wnislow Arizona today so you might find me sitting on a corner there.

That would be a fine sight to see.

Take it easy

Neil

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Hi John,

just the thing I need. Thanks John.

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Hi Neil,

I will be "Takin it Easy"

Bob

[BowberParticipant @bowber]

Posted by Lathejack on 08/06/2015 12:11:12:

Well I manageg to get away from home for a few hours on Sunday, so off I whent to the Newark auto jumble. I ended up buying this BSA 250 of 1969 vintage. It should keep the home workshop busy making new bushes, shafts and whatnot I'm sure. It runs and rides really well.

Edited By Lathejack on 08/06/2015 12:12:09

Good motors, despite the reputation, if looked after. I used to race one in grasstrack tuned to the limit and it was nearly as fast as the 2 strokes and was reliable as long as you used Castor oil, they have a problem with heat destroying the oil as it passes through the cam follower block but castor oil could take the heat no problem.

Steve

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

Finally got around to replacing the lower guides on my Electra Beckum 18" wood bandsaw.

It has bearing guides on the top which are visible but underneath it had nasty steel rubbing blocks.

I'm quite tempted to replace the top guides too now as in their design the blade rubs on the sides of the bearings rather than the edges which ends up scoring them if the bearings stops – not very good IMHO.

Jon

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Jon.

I also have a verticle bandsaw which has the blade running on the side of the blade guide bearings instead of on their circumference. It's always irritated me and I am not sure why on earth they would make them that way, other than maybe there might be less of a problem with debri being pulled between the bearing and blade.

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

I think it's also easier and cheaper to arrange for adjustment of the bearings that way.

A simple shaft on which the bearing runs can be moved in and out of a housing to adjust the tracking.

My side bearings are on eccentrics. So rotating the eccentrics shifts them left and right and the housing allows them to have a bit of movement in and out but I've simplified things quite a bit by deciding to restrict it to 1/2" blades.

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by Gordon W on 08/06/2015 09:05:28:

Just for interest all you gun people- I was told that that shotguns had the barrels and ribs soft soldered together, is that true and is it still so ?

That indeed used to be the case but very rarely nowadays. Depending which gun, soft soldered barrels sometimes cannot be hot blued. Mostly Silver Soldered is the case and the silver blues well. I have a .410 that was recently blacked and the soft solder is quite visible down both barrels. Modern factory produced production line guns are welded.

The trick with double guns – and this covers both shotguns and double rifles is "regulating" the barrels so no matter which barrel you discharge, the shot or bullet arrives at the same place. With a bit of luck, JohnF will be along in a minute and may better explain as this is something he does regularly and can describe far more eloquently than I can..

Finally, many, many early guns were Rust Blued, a technique which does not require Hot Blueing Tanks and there is no danger of seperation due to heat.

graham.

[Four stroke FredParticipant @fourstrokefred]

Today has been a good day as the Saunderson & Mills engine ran. For those like myself who are interested in model engineering and motorcycles the photo shows a. "on loan" that I have in the workshop. It is a 1908 FN four with auto matic inlet and side exhaust valves and a capacity of about 380cc.The owner also gave me the loan of the owners manual that has lovely section drawings and access to all the other parts. With the aid of the photocopier the drawings have been enlarged to model size of 30cc. I am not sure if and when this will materialise as a model but couldn't resist the opportunity to gather the information. My current motorcycle is a Kawasaki W650 but have owned many other interesting machines including a Guzzi Convert 1000 automatic and a Lilac 250 . George.

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

I spent some time lapping a piston to fit the cylinder of a Sugden Special…..2.5cc compression ignition engine which featured in Aeromodeller in the mid 50s. It just needs a touch more and all will be well, or stuffed!! Only one other Sugden to do, then on to a pair of Nalon Vipers, also 2.5cc "diesel" engines.

Now I have to find a way of getting all the black grunge out from everywhere!!

cheers

Bill

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Spent a couple of hours watching my bro-in-law adjust his Ducati Desmo valves (!!!?) and making coffee.
I told him the good Dr Taglioni is now deceased and he should not speak ill of the dead.

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