What Did You Do Today (2016)

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Ah, the old 8555b 18GHz RF unit with the separate preselector on top. Much quicker to whizz round the knobs than the buttons on hte rather more accurate digital ones that came in about 1982. One of those age effects where I can't remember the number for the newer one. I guess the radio hams are still using them. Sad thing is we used to throw away the manuals that had full circuit diagrams just filing one for reference. That £50k you mention would be 1980 prices so more like £300k in today's money.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Replaced the cable on an Apple 'Magsafe' adaptor. I've had the replacement for nearly a year since my daughter picked off the sugru reinforcement

It finally failed today and apparently it had been getting hot … web says that a new design of adaptor has been brought in as the cables fray down to a single strand and create afire hazard :8-0

I followed an 'instructable' that comes up number 1 on google but beware as the clearly labelled black and white wires in the photos are the opposite way round to the ones in this adaptor, although the PCB is clearly marked GND and VOUT I didn't just copy the original colours but did some careful checking.

I am sure Apple wouldn't swap over the positions of the two connections in order to catch out people who swap the leads themselves.

The use of high temperature solder on just the ground and copper screening connections, but not the Vout connection was a bit odd, luckily everyone knows you can use a bit of ordinary solder to get it to flow (aided by an iron that goes up to 450C)

I'm sure Apple don't do this to make dis-assembly with an ordinary iron difficult.

One thing I have only myself to blame for – two bloody good jolts through the palm of my hand as I didn't discharge the HV side it first – still sore!

On the plus side, it worked.

Neil

[Nathan SharpeParticipant @nathansharpe19746]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 30/08/2016 22:04:28:

Posted by Muzzer on 30/08/2016 20:18:52:

…Gone are the days when a rectum analyser would cost more than your house….

There has to be joke in there somewhere but I just can't seem to bottom it out…

Roderick,,you just haven't anal ised it yet !

Spent today as the previous few days, removing the top 2mtrs of growth from leylandii by hand at 10/11mtrs height. We should have thought for longer 40 years ago before planting them but the Goldcrests and Long Tailed Tits love them. Many trailer loads of foliage to the council yard and some mediocre fire wood for us later this winter. I ache ! Dr Beam is on standby after I've showered.

Nathan.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Good luck with the Leylandii, our daughter studied at RBG Kew, her partner works there on the tree gang, they visited the nursery where the first cross was made, it hasn't stopped growing yet. There isn't a fully grown mature Leylandii, no one knows how tall they will get

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Not just today, but yesterday as well, installed this knackered old sod's helpmate. Lifting anything nowadays is tricky and the new garage/workshop setup involves quite a lot of 'humping and dumping'. Interesting exercise as the instructions(!!!) were a bit misleading. The distance between the top bracket and the main support was specified as 380mm. What was ACTUALLY required was 480. Having to redo the fixings did not improve my temper so, if anyone else has a similar item, CHECK before fixing. Mr Pythagoras has the formula and would certainly show up the discrepancy.

The upright tube plus support brackets came from pegasusindustrial on ebay and I can't recommend them highly enough – exact to spec and high speed delivery … usual disclaimer.

rgds

Bill

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Today I went for a closer look at the lake (Lake Hume – Australia). It's 97% full and it holds more water than Sydney Harbour. I live close by.

We have had a fair bit of winter rain and for the first time in quite a few years, some of the top gates have been opened. Another inch of rain is predicted in a few days so things are going to get pretty interesting.

Unfortunately, when the fish are biting the workshop jobs get put on hold.

Workshop related? Well I do make my own rods and lures and have been studying some drawings of a fly tying vice and a fly reel. Next winter projects for the lathe and mill.

Anyway, I managed to take a few photos.

* Danny M *

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Went to do a spot of MIG welding for a friend. Set the welder up for 0.9mm gasless wire only to find the 9mm tip missing. So changed back to 0.8mm gas required wire, changed the tip to 0.8mm, changed the feed wheel back to 0.8mm and produced half a dozen rubbish welds (ground them flat to make them look a bit better).

Sent friend on his way a happy man. The job was only for some garden posts, so not critical. I have now had a nice cup of tea and worked out why the welds were so bad. I forgot to change the polarity back from gasless to gas required welding. Aaaah!
BobH

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Took delivery of a top quality new brake disk to make tramming my mill easier. Very accurate / flat piece of precision engineering. It shows I am out .007" side to side which I'll fix tomorrow. Fore and aft it is out by just .002" over six inches and I am inclined (geddit?) to leave well alone given the palaver it would need to put THAT right.

A bonus is that the drum has been drilled with four equally spaced holes which means that I can mount one of these on my rotary table to use for oversize work. I'll keep this one for tramming but have ordered another for rotary table/lathe work as it is likely to end up full of clamping holes. I am not particularly worried about the cost as at £7.99 each with free delivery I think they are a steal.

Rik

[Clive HaynesParticipant @clivehaynes74488]

Set my mill up today to horizontal from vertical for the first time in the 3 years that I have owned it. The mill is a Warco HV. I was only using a 3mm slitting saw and found that the motor kept stalling and had no power. I don't suppose Warco will do me any favours on that one. Anyone know what could be wrong?

Clive

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Rik Shaw on 07/09/2016 17:05:03:

Took delivery of a top quality new brake disk …

I am not particularly worried about the cost as at £7.99 each with free delivery I think they are a steal.

.

That seems a VERY good price, Rik

… Would you mind sharing the identity of your supplier ?

MichaelG.

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

“Would you mind sharing the identity of your supplier ?”

Not at all Michael.

**LINK**

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Rik

MichaelG.

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

Fitted a new wing to my van. Needs a few more bits tacking on before its finished:

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Presumably a massive stock of small Eicher discs has been dumped on the market!

I found one for £6.29 inc. P&P!

Thanks Rik

N.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

these will be the wobbly defect ones at this price

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Probably… but £6 for a lump on non-rusty decent quality cast iron…

I just spilt a bottle of corn remover. Wouldn't be so bad but it's ether based … oh dear,,,

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Those brake disks would make a nice base for a small machine tool e.g. filing machine, micro pillar-drill.

Ed.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Ed Duffner on 08/09/2016 13:53:36:

Those brake disks would make a nice base for a small machine tool e.g. filing machine, micro pillar-drill.

The mounting flanges are a bit thin for that sort of use.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Hi Nicholas,

I'm only thinking of small model maker's tools. In Rik's photo the flange looks somewhat thicker at the mounting holes than it does at the ID.

Ed.

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

For info:

Disk dia. = 240mm

Disk thickness = 11mm

Mounting flange thickness = 6mm

To fit Corsa or Warco WM16 whichever is appropriate

As Neil remarks a decent lump of quality cast iron. You could get a stack of good quality piston rings from just one of these.

Rik

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've been doing a test on several digital calipers. You'll have to wait for the details but they are a bit of an eye opener!

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Been playing with my latest box of electricky that arrived today from China.

But like Neil you will have to wait but I can see these being a total game changer

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

My wife showed me a gadget the other day she had found online which makes it easier to get out of a car. Rather than buy one I dragged one of these old steel brackets out my scrap box this afternoon and wrapped it round with a bit of insulation tape to save the paint work………..>>

hung it over her door catch………..>>

and bobs your uncle – job done.>>

With her creaky hips and all it makes it just that little easier to haul herself out of the car seat.>>

Rik>>

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

This evening off to another meeting of Exeter & District MES.

This morning I was helping clear out weed from the village pond, an annual activity. I wonder if a 4in Fowler S7 would help as the full size did in Italy. My suggestion of clearing everything out so I could float my steam boat was not taken up. Perhaps a steam dredger.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

To Rik Shaw re bracket for exiting the car :

If she's anything like my wife, better tape both ends and the middle as well……

No paintwork is safe with her! JD

Edited By Jeff Dayman on 09/09/2016 17:15:50

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