What Did You Do Today (2016)

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

98% stripped the 5" Brittania ready for the new boiler to arrive. Took me about three hours to stip all the paint off the chassis with thinners.

Then this afternoon started to put the paint back on the parts that I stripped earlier in the week.

The rear section is painted with high temp engine paint from Halfords as the original paint had burnt off and the frames was rusting.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Bob Rodgerson on 12/06/2016 13:56:08:

Given that there has recently been an article in the mag. about machining metal to look like castings I thought I would take a picture of one of my attempts. It's not model engineering but full size but serves well to show what can be achieved.

< etc. >

.

Superb result, Bob

MichaelG.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Yesterday actually, did a mock up assembly of my S10V, looks ok so far, still a lot more to do…

George.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I scrolled down almost to the bottom of this page and saw the panel offering "digital back issues", "available in-app" (whatever that means??). It says "click here" but doesn't say how long you have to wait after clicking. 10 minutes? 30 minutes? Or is it just a wind up? Not going to sell many like that….

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Muzzer on 12/06/2016 22:40:52:

I scrolled down almost to the bottom of this page and saw the panel offering "digital back issues", "available in-app" (whatever that means??). It says "click here" but doesn't say how long you have to wait after clicking. 10 minutes? 30 minutes? Or is it just a wind up? Not going to sell many like that….

Murray

It would help if we knew the bottom of which page you are looking at.

At the bottom of the page I/you are looking at now is a grey panel showing 'Community Sites' (below the 'add posting' posting button etc)

Ian P

[Michael HornerParticipant @michaelhorner54327]

Posted by Ian Phillips on 13/06/2016 07:10:04:

Posted by Muzzer on 12/06/2016 22:40:52:

I scrolled down almost to the bottom of this page and saw the panel offering "digital back issues", "available in-app" (whatever that means??). It says "click here" but doesn't say how long you have to wait after clicking. 10 minutes? 30 minutes? Or is it just a wind up? Not going to sell many like that….

Murray

It would help if we knew the bottom of which page you are looking at.

At the bottom of the page I/you are looking at now is a grey panel showing 'Community Sites' (below the 'add posting' posting button etc)

Ian P

Try the home page nearly to the bottom on the right hand side.

HTH Michael.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

It seems the link is broken as clicking the ad has no effect.

I'll let Katy know,

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've been using a Microsoft HD Lifecam, modified for astronomy, for planetary and lunar imaging for about a year, fitted inside the body fo a cheap plastic barlow leans. I thought it was about time I had something a bit neater and added fan cooling, powered over the USB.

Slightly chuffed that the barrel was a force fit in the fan plate.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 13/06/2016 20:45:35

[Iain DownsParticipant @iaindowns78295]

My first CNC milled piece!

I've finally got my arduino progam, Windows 10 program and hardware working well enough actually do something with it. This is a plate to replace the NEMA17 motor currently driving the Y axis with a NEMA 23 motor.

The mill is only a micro, so there's no auto tool changes, no Z axis control, but this is a damned sight more accurate (and repeatable!) than if I'd done it by counting the turns on the handle!

Same plate in front of the tablet with the CNC program on it.

Iain

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Banged my head against a rotary switch that would only count down, convinced it was a programming error. Then switched the code so rup and down were rotating it the opposite way – LO! it now only counts up.

Probably reflects the fact its been through the washing machine min my jeans pocket…

Wouldn't matter except there are a good dozen elsewhere in my workshop but they are hiding

On the plus side, I finally got around to trying out the USB lithium battery charger boards I bought in January – about 26p each! They work really well, so I'm accumulating a small stash of charged up batteries with wired-in chargers of various capacities (ex-phone, ex-'power pack' ex-cetera) I suspect all future portable projects will be powered this way!

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Went to the Newton Abbott club BBQ and was warmly welcomed by the chaps there. Pity it was pouring with rain but it is a great location and sometime I must make the trek again, in better weather.

[Iain DownsParticipant @iaindowns78295]

Today I had a go at scraping.

On the one hand it was an interesting experience, seeing the scraped area creep across the ways. On the other hand, after an hour and a half or so, I was starting to wonder if I was getting to the point where I was making it worse as much as better! And if applying this level of 'precision' to my micro mill wasn't a case of polishing a, erm waste item….

Still I might have another go later in the week and see if I can get it smoother!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Today my daughter let me share a bottle of 'juice'. Cold pressed pear, apple, kiwi, broccoli, kale, spinach and banana. It looked like grass clippings, smelt like grass clipping but tasted … like grass clippings.

Still it justified some cookie-dough cheescake

Neil

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Posted by Iain Downs on 17/06/2016 21:10:00:

I've finally got my arduino progam, Windows 10 program and hardware working well enough actually do something with it. This is a plate to replace the NEMA17 motor currently driving the Y axis with a NEMA 23 motor.

Looks good. Can you tell us a bit more about the software? What is it, where did you get it? What did you use for CAM to generate (write?) the G code?

Murray

[Clive HaynesParticipant @clivehaynes74488]

Poor child, what are you feeding her on, she probably let you share as some sort of hint.

Why do we have 'cookies' now, are we going American as with so many other things.

Clive

[Iain DownsParticipant @iaindowns78295]

Well, being a developer by trade (moved into management of sorts), it's all mine.

I've written the real time side for the arduino and designed my own little G-Code like language – which I type in to the app you see there.

I appreciate that this sounds totally nuts, but I have my reasons. Honest. What I actually wanted out of the system is some basic operations like facing or slot cutting. which would be a pain in G-Code (also being a developer I would always rather start from scratch than use someone else's code – though my life not is opposing this approach!).

The code you see (sort of) just moves to a relative position and pauses (too change or lower head) and proceeds on a press.

I am not, however, entirely a moron and the hardware interface is designed to be compatible with grbl, so if I get the urge I can load that on for more interesting work!

Iain

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by Clive Haynes on 20/06/2016 17:45:29:

Poor child, what are you feeding her on, she probably let you share as some sort of hint.

Why do we have 'cookies' now, are we going American as with so many other things.

Clive

probably for the same reason we have 'muffins', which I would call 'buns'. It means they can charge more.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by duncan webster on 20/06/2016 18:56:36:

Posted by Clive Haynes on 20/06/2016 17:45:29:

Poor child, what are you feeding her on, she probably let you share as some sort of hint.

Why do we have 'cookies' now, are we going American as with so many other things.

Clive

probably for the same reason we have 'muffins', which I would call 'buns'. It means they can charge more.

Be careful – never suggest that an American sinks their teeth into your buns.

Neil

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Posted by Iain Downs on 20/06/2016 17:58:25:

The code you see (sort of) just moves to a relative position and pauses (too change or lower head) and proceeds on a press.

Aha, I wondered what you were up to. The path generation from G-code and even creating the G code itself would be way beyond my capability, even if I could write anything useful (which I can't).

Murray

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 20/06/2016 19:18:31:

Posted by duncan webster on 20/06/2016 18:56:36:

Posted by Clive Haynes on 20/06/2016 17:45:29:

Poor child, what are you feeding her on, she probably let you share as some sort of hint.

Why do we have 'cookies' now, are we going American as with so many other things.

Clive

probably for the same reason we have 'muffins', which I would call 'buns'. It means they can charge more.

Be careful – never suggest that an American sinks their teeth into your buns.

Neil

.

.

Or your muffins for that matter.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Happy talking, talkin' happy talk

Gwlad, gwlad? I'm blooming ecstatic!

Neil

[Anonymous]

I went up to our PCB and box assemblers this morning to drop off some free issue parts, collect some assembled boxes, and check on progress on the current builds. I also had a chat with the MD, as I haven't seen him for a while. The last time we talked was when he rang me to ask about a Myford lathe that was being sold by a client who was shutting up shop and retiring. I offered some advice, based on the emailed pictures, and a price guide. Turns out he bought it! It's a ML7, not sure of the exact specification, but I think it's a long bed. It's on an original Myford stand, and still has some Myford warning treasury tags tied on. It came with 3 and 4 jaw chucks, faceplate, drill chuck and vertical slide and vice. It's rather dusty; seems like it has been used for turning paxolin or similar. Looks to be in good condition though, a bargain!

Also included in the sale was a PCB drill, which the MD wasn't interested in, as they already have one. I expressed an interest and named a maximum price. He acquired the drill as well, and even better let me have it gratis in return for the odd small machining job if required. Here's the drill, top speed is 10000rpm:

Just got to work out where to put it now!

Andrew

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 21/06/2016 13:18:14:

Also included in the sale was a PCB drill, which the MD wasn't interested in, as they already have one. I expressed an interest and named a maximum price. He acquired the drill as well, and even better let me have it gratis in return for the odd small machining job if required. Here's the drill, top speed is 10000rpm:

Just got to work out where to put it now!

Andrew

.

That's very nice

MichaelG.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

This might be of interest to people on the Forum living or working in the greater London area. The Queen Mary UNI is releasing some 600 Bumble bees all with a Number on their backs, they are interested how they forage and work. This is being run by. Prof Lars Chittka at the School of Biological and Chemical Science. Perhaps sightings could be reported and there is a prize of £100 for the best photo of them working on flowers in the London area.

They are looking for how they disperse themselves and the locations and type of forage that they visit.

Clive

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've just been called by a lady who seems to have been give a bit of a challenge by her R&D department … she's been asked to find a 9/16 collet. After some probing it turns out its a 3C collet that's needed.

Now 3C collets are 0.650" in the shank and 9/16" is 0.563" so that leaves a wall thickness of about 1mm… they are listed on ebay but I am sceptical, Rotagrip only go up to 1/2".

Personally I think she should go back to the machinists and tell them to find their own!

Neil

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