What did you do today (2015)

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Sounds like you have some powerful reasons not to do a hand start. Maybe bigger size motors are a bit easier to get going. The worst I ever had from starting my car was a painful elbow from using too much force in the flick. Never got any significant kickback, and when the motor powered away under the choke, it ejected the starting handle from the dog in a very civilised way.

Regards,

Richard

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Last night I was out star-frightening again. About 1:00 am a straggly skein of geese came over, looking like a bunch of pale, tumbling petals blowing across the sky in front of the stars, probably one of he most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Then my stepper motor shorted out.

Neil

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Made a start on a replacement gearbox axle for the wheelchair. The original is nylon and it keeps shearing off so I started one in brass. Cutting an 0.8mm thread when my shiny new sc3 lathe half nut started 'skipping' so it was cutting grooves not a thread, most annoying.
I got on the Arceurotrade who promptly called me back could not have been more helpful.
We thought of a few work arounds, but in the end agreed a pair of half nuts instead of the single nut was the way to go.
The necessary parts are in the post, gratis, so the chair may get a permanent fix.

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

Posted by richardandtracy on 09/07/2015 11:00:26:

Posted by Capstan Speaking on 09/07/2015 09:25:51:

Over the years many people have lost hands or died from hand swinging props. It is a serious business.

True.

However, with care and attention, and a full appreciation that something is potentially dangerous, the user can make it very safe. Not sure about you, but I have never had an injury on my lathe. I know it's dangerous, so I'm careful. Screwdrivers, on the other hand, cause me quite a few injuries, and everyone knows they're not dangerous.

Regards,

Richard

It can never be safe but it can be managed to a satisfactory level. Even as a qualified Group A flying instructor I'd never have gone near one without someone to show me.

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

Posted by Bob Rodgerson on 09/07/2015 12:03:19:

Hi Capstan,

This taught me thereafter to treat all model engines irrespective of their size with the utmost respect. Even a little .1CC model aero engine can cut rour hands to shreds if you make contact with the prop. Cuts from them can result in severe damage to tendons and bones.

I salute your approach Bob.

I'm not recommending this but I have seen some tricky old full size rotaries started by bouncing them off reverse compression.

Modern magnetos have a "flick" mechanism to spin them up to sparking speed. They are naturally always on and the key switch actually earths them. That's why an aircraft prop is treated as "always live" just as a gun is "always loaded."

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Up to my eyes getting the steam hydro ready for the Sunday speed attempts at moment running the engine at high speed on lathe to bed the piston ring.

As a break was taken to TR owners club in a TR6 and talked most of the evening to a lad who is restoring a 1930's racing AJS.

Paul

[Anonymous]

It must be the best part of 40 years since I started a model aircraft engine by hand. However, since I learnt to fly on a full size aircraft without a starter (and no brakes), hand swinging was a necessity. I've even got a signed sticker in my logbook certifying instruction in hand swinging. Of course it can be dangerous but following a few simple rules can mitigate the dangers. In some ways walking into a running, but not very visible, propellor is more of a risk. It happened to friend of mine; he even made the front page of a CAA accident bulletin. He was more concerned about the broken prop than the injury to his arm. But he'd been through Dunkirk and some 'nastiness' in the jungles of the far East, so I suppose that gives you a different perspective on life.

Andrew

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Hi Andrew,

this engine is fairly large by model standards and has to be treated with the same degree of respect that a full size aero engine would need.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

There is a story of an Airman at Wigram airforce station(Christchurch NZ) prior to WW2 who after swinging the prop on a Vickers Vilderbeeste (a large single engine biplane), walked through the propeller disc, then possible because of the shock of what he'd done, retreated back through the same way, all untouched. A big slow revving prop, but it should have hit him anyway.

Ian S C

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

24 hours later and the sc3 lathe is running again>
The parts arrived this morning and were a simple fit. I did put a brass strip on to hold the half nut gib instead of those p*** poor washers.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Back in the 60s we took our Devon for a night-stop in N Burma (Mayonmar). Parked alongside us was a visiting Grumman Goose piloted by a Pakistani chap ferrying some business people around. We were parked on PSP planking. Came the morning and the Goose skipper found his battery was flat. In order to hand swing it he had to stand on a domestic chair balanced on the PSP.!! Not having a co-pilot, he deputed one of his passengers to back off the throttle once the engine 'caught'. Said passenger pushed instead of pulling and to save the situation the skipper launched himself BETWEEN the prop tips and the fuselage to reach in through the DV window and get it back to idle!!!! For those interested, find a scale drawing of the Goose and consider the space through which he inserted himself! One of those "Thank you God, I now have control again!" moments.

rgds

Bill

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Jack are you sure it was a goose, not a Widgeon, the Goose has two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney nine cylinder radial engines, the Widgeon has two 200 hp Ranger inline engines. The usual system for manual starting the Pratt & Whitney engines would be a strop over the tip of the top propeller blade, and heave, you (well with one or two others) can start the likes of a DC-3 that way.

Ian S C

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

…………………Well I recentl bought a second vintage Atco petrol lawnmower built in the early 1950's. The owner bought it in 1969 when he got his first house, and last used the mower in 1974, putting it in storage unused ever since.

So a quick clean up and replacement of the original Villiers ignition coil with a new Taiwanese made coil. Also replaced were the plug terminal, HT lead and small carbon HT pickup, all of which were stone dead and would not conduct any current.

Fresh petrol mixture and lubed oil ports and it started and was once again cutting grass after 41 years of standing idle.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

My daughter turned up today with her van and re-felted my shed roof for me, good girl

[frank brownParticipant @frankbrown22225]

That Villiers coil you replaced, was it open circuit?. its just that I have got involved with a Seagull outboard engine and using a meter between the spark plug connector and earth the points can be seen to open and close. Their gap is about right. But no spark. I thought that the magnets seem to be weak, they will attract a screwdriver but not with a resounding thwack!! A short circuit turn on the coil would have the same effect on the spark.

Frank

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Great day out @ Wiston Traction Engine Rally. Nr. Steyning, Sussex. Very good display of old vehicles, Southdown buses Army vehs., Traction engines etc. Probably larger “do” since closure of Parham and Ardingly venues.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> putting it in storage unused ever since

I bet his grass was pretty long then…

I 'dismantled' most of a large 'wendy house' using a pole chainsaw Then it lost drive and it seems that it's missing a c-clip to keep the bevel gear engaged so a trip to Halfords later for a pearly what-not pack.

Also found time to make a 40x (i.e. low power) eyepiece to turn a little 50mm telescope into a finder scope. I used a couple of 25mm doublet binocular objectives put back to back (the bins dies years ago) with a spacer and various bits of aluminium tube and some acetal. It works surprisingly well, at least in daylight.

Excuse the imperfectly straight cross hairs – I think the wire was about 3 thou thick, max!

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Frank.

Yes, the old original Villiers coil was open circuit, tested directly with a multi meter. I am certainly no electrical expert and have limited knowledge in that area. But simple checks proved the Villiers coil was finished, as most of them I have are.

The new Taiwanese made coils are reasonably priced and widely available, and they showed what I was told was the correct resistance when tested. Villiers produced long and short type coils in this diameter for their flywheel magnetos, and so have the Taiwanese makers.

But unfortunately the Tai coils are still about 14mm too short. They can still just be fitted with just one grub screw gripping the coil core. But I made extensions for each side of the core and spacers machined fron Nilatron for each side of the coil body.

The chap I bought the mower, and many other interesting parts from, used to run an engineering hardware shop for many years. But he now sells from home through Ebay. He isn't far from me, so I visit every now and then. He still has stocks of NOS parts for mowers and chainsaws, plus Lodge and KLG spark plugs, ignition points, coils and condensers and a mass of other stuff.

But it's all difficult to get to through the extremely long grass.

Edited By Lathejack on 11/07/2015 19:35:14

Edited By Lathejack on 11/07/2015 19:37:00

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Frank.

I forgot to add that the magnets on my flywheel magneto are also not particularly strong, but it still starts easily and runs without fault. I have got all the materials to build a magneto magnet recharger, but haven't got around to making a start yet.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Phew. Relieved to find you guys and the whole world still exists! Arrived home last night to find a electricity off (tripped) and on restoration of juice found bthome ADSL modem dead. No internet probably lightning strike. Luckily found I had a reserve Netgear from when I was working on them and finally found all the settings a few minutes ago. The world can relax as I am back online and survived 24 hours without the 'net.

Mowed the cricket club outfield before it rains – now the Fergie won't engage gear when the gearbox is hot. aaaargh. will have to research problems. And then I'm told one of the pitch mowers won't start and the other has a broken height control.

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Had delivery of a new tool post. (the one I had was about as useful as a chocolate fire guard) But had to use it anyway to make the new parts for the new tool post.

I first made the 'T' bolt that secures everything onto the topslide and tapped it M16.

Then turned some more EN24 down to 20 mm

Cut off and then transferred to the collet chuck so not to risk chewing the sides up. This was then turned down to 16 mm and a groove for the single point tool to run into.

16 mm x 2 thread was then cut and a 12 x 1.75 on the other end.

The bore has two diameters. So that is the reason for the two thread sizes.

A groove was taken out of each side for a 17 mm spanner to fit onto.

And here we are.

 

Nick

Edited By Nick_G on 11/07/2015 23:46:00

[capnahabParticipant @capnahab]

Very nice work Nick. Can I ask how you grind the single point tool for the tangential toolholder ?. Looks very nice there. I seem to remember there were instructions  – But can't find them.

Edited By capnahab on 12/07/2015 08:12:36

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Started to fit the levers for the forward reverse motion on the Durham. All nice 304stainless steel no rust problems with that then. 👍

[Michael CheckleyParticipant @michaelcheckley34085]

A sigh of relief as the connecting rod for my 7A came off the milling machine. The most challenging part of the project so far…

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> bthome ADSL modem dead

Keep it somewhere, because if you switch they will charge you if you don't send it back (I have one here in a blue prepaid envelope).

Neil

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