What did you do today (2015)

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Not today but last night, took the newly repaired wheelchair down the pub and back. The brass shaft in the gearbox instead of the nylon original seems reliable now.
'Rosie's Pig' and morphine, now there's a combination.

[Douglas JohnstonParticipant @douglasjohnston98463]

There must be two versions of the orrery base. I have just finished machining the one I bought the other week (part one for 99p in UK ). I am making a jig for machining holders for carbide tips and have machined two slots in the base and can confirm that my part is brass plated steel. It cut very nicely, but solid brass it aint.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Brass plated it is, my mistake.

Should have done a bit of filing first.

Last two days spent getting the Austin Seven's body off of its Chassis, single handed.

Geoff – Did not expect it to be so easy

[Douglas JohnstonParticipant @douglasjohnston98463]

What a shame, I really was hoping that some people got a decent lump of brass for 99p- I suppose it was too good to be true.

Doug

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

With the Tidman A frame all welded up it was time to treat it like a casting. Machining the cylinder locating spigot on the top. There is a boss on the side thats whey the cut is broken, not a wonky part.

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Fitted a 20mm thick sacrificial aluminium plate to the faceplate of my lathe. (slots and holes are never where you want them)

Quick video of facing it off.

Then had a 'Sharp' reminder to round the edges off.!

.

Plate mounted and ready to be ruined with lots of odd holes.

Nick

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

shopping in Sainsbury's saw a granite worktop saver for £14 – 400mm by approx 300mm it appears to be very flat over the rh side 7/8th – tried moving my reference granite block (as sold by Axminster) around the block and couldn't get even a 0.05mm feeler between them – the other 1/8th has at most a 0.15mm gap in top left corner as shown – I bought to make a base for carbide sheets but could the small discrepancy in flatness be ground away ?

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Give it to the missus and buy another one.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Not fit for purpose, I'd say!

Neil

[David CambridgeParticipant @davidcambridge45658]

We visited a steam rally today. if you are interested in that kind of thing I’ve created a YouTube video of the stationary engine on display.

Edited By David Cambridge on 13/09/2015 19:35:59

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

What scale was that stationary engine at the end? I take it the saw it powered was full size. Don't see a lot of stationary engine models.

[David CambridgeParticipant @davidcambridge45658]

I’m not sure the scale – but I’d say the piston was at about waist height if that helps. Yes – the saw blade was full size and on a table also about waist height .

Edited By David Cambridge on 13/09/2015 23:21:39

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Bazyle,

The portable engine was video'd at the Haddenham steam rally this last weekend, I was displaying one of my Lister petrol engines, its a full size Tuxford 2nhp built in c1880 works no 1283.

Martin P

[Anonymous]

Almost finished the first of two bronze straps for the traction engine gear change mechanism, one more hole to go:

All done by hand with n'ary a machine tool in sight. The strap is a nice snug fit in the slot, less than half a thou variation in width. Mind you I did use the power guillotine to shear the blank strips from the bronze sheet in the first place. Possibly a bit of an overkill for 0.5mm thick bronze, but it doesn't leave the cut strip looking like a banana as hand shears tend to do.

Andrew

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

That is certainly very nice work there Andrew.

Nick

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Whats the purpose of the strap Andrew? Does the gear come completely out of mesh of the splines and it stops it turning when not being used or does it just keep the selector fork held down into the slot?

J

Edited By JasonB on 15/09/2015 07:48:47

[Anonymous]

Thanks Nick!

Jason: The strap keeps the selector in contact with the slot in the gear. In theory the selector shouldn't come out even without the strap as the 'blocking' tab (the slightly tapered tab top left) runs on a flat surface that should prevent the selector from rotating. However, I wouldn't want to rely on it, as everything is a bit shake, rattle and roll in order to get darn mechanism working at all. The gear doesn't come off the splines; there is still a bit of spline showing when disengaged, pretty much in line with my CAD model.

Andrew

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

My son came around, looking for help making a stand for his 42" TV screen to also hold two 20" monitor screens above it. Something to do with the computerized electronic music mixing and synthesizing he is into. He needed some 32mm OD pipe to fit into the existing stand and to clamp some extra brackets to. But had come from the hardware store with a piece of 32mm ID plastic plumbing pipe and a packet of 10mm hi tensile bolts and a drawing on the back of a lentil packet (no fags these days).

So we rummaged in the junk pile behind the shed, found two old bits of galvanized pipe the right size, ground the ends, laid them in a piece of angle iron and stick welded them together to make the 1 metre tall central pillar. Then found a piece of old flat bar cut from a remodelled workbench some time back, cut two cross brackets and welded them in the appropriate position, nice and flat and in line. Drilled the holes so the big screen would sit nice and square. A squirt of black spray can paint and all was done.

"Gee Dad, it's just amazing how you can make something so cool out of nothing. Totally awesome" was the comment.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Yesterday finished making a pair of tweezers for the Graskop RSU and this morning been playing with it.

All I can say is that my soldering irons are now redundant until further notice!

Wiring those mini DIN plugs and sockets for Yuri's DRO will now be an absolute pleasure, and no more pins melting the plastic, with solder paint to the rescue.

Have not posted any photos just in case Neil would like a 'How to' for the mag.

Will sent a PM with photo Neil, just let me know, but don't hold your breath as I still have to do the one I promised Diane

Geoff – I had more time to get thing done when I was working

[Mark Williams 21Participant @markwilliams21]

Just bought my first lathe, a Myford ML7, tis a day to remember! And my X1L mill gets delivered thursday then its time to make swarf!!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Come on Geoff, get your finger out!

Neil

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Give an old f@rt a break Neil

You'll be my age one day and regret that remark

Been too busy this afternoon degreasing and cleaning the Austin chassis.

You'll have to wait till tomorrow, as nights are for either listening to SciFi audiobooks or reading them, so there

Geoff – Are my priorities all wrong I wonder

Edit:

Forgot to say thanks to MichaelG for his suggestions.

Edited By OuBallie on 15/09/2015 17:28:58

[Steven VineParticipant @stevenvine79904]

Went to Ikea today and picked up a sturdy tool trolley for the workshop. The Raskog is 30 pounds with an Ikea Family card.

 

Edited By Steven Vine on 15/09/2015 20:06:37

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Trying to get the steamer ready for my last blast of 2015 but don't have a lot of hope for a successful attempt due to aerodynamic problems and the destruction of my best propeller despite trying to get it to be an exact copy of the damaged one.

On a suggestion I made a mould of the broken prop out of milliput but the remaining blade has a slight bend in it from crashes so is a bit misleading.

This weekend will be at Elvington hopefully to see a new UK land speed record from the following also to try to find materials for my latest proposed project.

Another major record breaking event with which Speed Record Club members are involved is this weekend's meeting at Elvington Airfield near York with the Outright British LSR under threat from Julian Webb in the Split Second jetcar, target to beat is 301.670mph.

A great bunch of speed enthusiasts everyone helps each other one of my younger friends (50+) is at Bonny at the moment doing his bit a place I dreamed of competing at but weather is always a gamble with instant flooding.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Gosh, what ever happened on 16th and 17th. Nothing!

Well I should have mentioned I saw a maroon tank loco heading west on the M4. surreal.

[Author]

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