What Did You Do Today (2017)

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Had both eyes rebuilt 30 years ago, excellent results. I was born 3 months prematurely and have no maculas and am not supposed to be able to see, and it all works well.

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Recently I had noticed some loss of accuracy of my Tormach Mill and carried out checks for loss of travel. The X-Axis showed a loss of travel of .003".

To import new ball screws for both the X & Y axis would cost about £2k by the time import duties and shipping costs are taken into account so I decided to investigate a cheaper option.

A Google search found a company in Nottingham called Ballscrew Services who seemed to be able to offer a strip down and inspection plus repair and rebuild service. I gave them a call and asked them if they could take a look at the ballscrew for me. They said to send it to them, they would appraise it's condition and let me know what the costs would be. On Thursday afternoon I sent the item off in the post and on Friday at mid day I gave them a call to see if it had arrived and they said it had. The works is shut from Mid Day on Fridays till Monday mornings so I had to wait over the weekend.

Early this afternoon I got a call from them confirming that they had fixed the ballscrew , a condition report had also been sent to my email address. New slightly larger balls had been fitted and preload had been restored.

The cost for this service was £280 plus VAT which is a lot cheaper than importing a new one from the States.

I have no connection with this company other than being a very satisfied customer but thought that anybody that is using a CNC machine might want to know about them.

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Made a bush on the lathe to fit a 4 sheave pulley to my MD20 mill in order to increase the speed range.

Started to sort out my display of Vintage Mechanical Calculators for the next show.

[Anonymous]

Not so much today as over the weekend; it's been busy.

I was convinced that Saturday was my day in the big glider as I alternate Saturdays with the other quarter shareholder. Discovered on Friday night, due to a quirk in the roster, it wasn't my day. Since the day looked good that induced a mega sulk.

Saturday morning I decided to finish off machining the first stage of the check valves and then get out in the garden. Just as I'd finished screwcutting the last 3/8" BSP internal thread the dog 'n' bone rang. For a split second I thought of ignoring it, as I get few calls on a Saturday morning that aren't scammers. However, I did answer; it's my syndicate partner saying he's just twigged it is his day, but he is at work, so I can take the glider. Yippee! I hot footed out the to the gliding club and got the glider out and DI'd. Headed off to the launch point feeling slightly nervous; haven't flown it since last autumn and it's a fairly stiff crosswind, 50° off the runway. There's a person there helping to launch a club glider, but as I get ready he just walks off. So I have to walk over to the winch launch point, waddling a bit as I have parachute done up tight, to get someone to hold the wing. I had a switched on tug pilot so the launch was a none event. Really good day, first thermal took me to 4000ft and I headed off into the blue yonder for a couple of hours. On the way back I tried starting the engine at a sensible height, no go. Then I discovered I'd forgotten to turn the fuel on. Had another go with the fuel on but it still wouldn't run. I've run it sucessfully in the past, so I'm going to have to work on it.

On Saturday evening I had a go at the second major op on the check valves, vis machining the tapered seat for the taper plug, and the external 3/8" BSP thread. It went better than expected and the taper reamer worked like a charm. Pictures below.

Sunday I was afternoon and standby tug pilot. It wasn't that good a day, so I didn't go out to fly the second tug in the morning. Instead I looked into why the reality of the check valve with taper plug and sleeve didn't agree with the CAD model. It turned out there was an error in the CAD model due to me mating the wrong surfaces, resulting in an interference between parts I hadn't spotted. The forecast was for it to rain in the afternoon so I went out to the gliding club a bit early to have lunch. The morning tug pilot offered me a 4000ft tow before changeover time on the grounds that it might be the only one I did. Then the weather cleared a bit and I did another three tows. One was a 'trick' tow where a senior instructor was checking out a BI (basic instructor). I was asked to waggle the rudder (indcates the glider has the airbrakes out) at about 400ft, and then when in a position that the glider could get back to the airfield, albeit it on a different runway, to rock the wings (indicates the tug has a serious problem and the glider needs to release). I rocked the wings at 500ft. I didn't feel the glider release so I did it again. I explained afterwards to the senior instructor that if I'd had a real problem they wouldn't get the second wing rock; I'd have pulled the bung and dumped the rope from my end. He confirmed that the BI didn't react to the first wing rock, so I expect there was an 'intensive' debrief.

Finally at the end of the day there was an aerotow retrieve to Rattlesden (south east of Bury St. Edmunds). The glider pilot was quite inexperienced and wanted to fly slow and in a continuous gentle climb. I did my best but by the time we got past Cambridge I had to level off at around 3000ft. I went north of Cambridge as there was a big fly in at Duxford over the weekend and flying south means getting tangled up with the departing traffic. I was a good boy and spoke to Cambridge airport approach on the radio to let them know who I was and what I was doing. And that I'd got a glider following in close formation. The glider released a bit east of Newmarket and I flew back to the gliding site through some heavy showers.

Now we've got all that out of the way here's the interesting stuff. Here is a picture of the setup for reaming the tapered hole for the taper plug:

The hole is predrilled slightly less than the smallest diameter, to full depth and the ½" parallel section opened out to 12mm with a slot drill, as it's less inclined to snatch in gunmetal. I've finished the last two of four check valves this evening. Here's an attempt at showing the internal taper:

The next major job is to drill the through hole from the boiler through to the clack valve at the top of the picture.

Andrew

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 05/06/2017 22:08:09

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

fitted Dawn 8" wood vice to new bench laid the form ply on ready to glue n screw. Just not up to doing it after a lousy nights sleep.

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Posted by Bob Rodgerson on 05/06/2017 17:51:03:

Recently I had noticed some loss of accuracy of my Tormach Mill and carried out checks for loss of travel. The X-Axis showed a loss of travel of .003".

Thought your machine was fairly new Bob, .003" may seem a lot but you don't say over what length of travel ?

Emgee

[Anonymous]

Posted by Emgee on 06/06/2017 09:35:16:

Thought your machine was fairly new Bob, .003" may seem a lot but you don't say over what length of travel?

Emgee

I was wondering that too. It would be interesting to have more detail on the issue and how it was identified. And also exactly what was worn or out of specification.

When I first got my Tormach I made some measurements on parts around 300mm long. Accuracies were within those quoted by Tormach. I've not kept a log but I must have around a 1000 hours running on my Tormach by now. I haven't made any accuracy measurements recently or noticed an issue. But a lot of the parts I make are designed to fit other parts made on the same mill, so if there are accuracy issues I wouldn't necessarily notice them.

Andrew

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

EmGee/Andrew, yes my machine is relatively new but I have suffered some bad crashes whilst negotiating the learning curve to CNC machining.

I first noticed the loss of travel when cutting in a circular path but more so when thread milling external threads, there were distinct marks more or less diametrically opposite each other about 30degrees off the X axis centre line.

I did the standard checks that Tormach recommend using the conversational programming and found that advancing the table .010" then returning it it would only show .007" travel.

The last crash I had completely broke one of the TTS tool holders at the end of the parallel shank and I think that this was the one that did it.

I only hope that with the X axis sorted and the Gibbs adjusted that the Y axis is within spec otherwise I will have to cut a hole in the workshop wall to permit removal of the stepper and also make an inspection cover in the machine stand to allow me to unscrew the ball nut housing because there is no room in the workshop to get any kind of lifting gear into position to lift the table and saddle.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I fixed the editorial chair! Folk may remember the Ed' s bench about the peculiar assembly instructions.

The tube which hold the back up sheared off where it was welded to an attachment plate, I linished off the plastic coating and welded a long bit of 3/16" black bar inside the tube and to the plate as a brace before re-welding all around the split.

A nice bit of 'farm maintenance' style welding.

Now if I was editor of The Woodworker I would have had to spend two months making a reproduction Chippendale

Neil

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Today I started making the nuts for a new design of lubricator connection for the Polish tank engine at the railway.

Hexagon LG2 is hard to source, so like the connector body, this started with cutting 1 1/16" (27mm) hex from 32mm round bar in 9" lengths in a dividing head on the turret mill. Tedious and messy. There's a splinter in me soddin' heel now.

Thread in the nut's gotta be 1/2" BSP – hard work with a blunt tap, but I might be able to sharpen it on my bench grinder.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 06/06/2017 17:22:18:

I fixed the editorial chair! Folk may remember the Ed' s bench about the peculiar assembly instructions.

[ … ]

Now if I was editor of The Woodworker I would have had to spend two months making a reproduction Chippendale

Neil

.

Maybe from Apple wood

[ibid: **LINK** ]

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=127832&p=1

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 06/06/2017 18:10:38

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

AndrewJ, glad you managed to get some gliding in, it was the French National gliding Champs this (holiday) weekend locally but it was crap wx and Sat and Sun were cancelled. Think it was a bit better yesterday.

DaveD

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 06/06/2017 17:22:18:

I fixed the editorial chair! Folk may remember the Ed' s bench about the peculiar assembly instructions.

The tube which hold the back up sheared off where it was welded to an attachment plate, I linished off the plastic coating and welded a long bit of 3/16" black bar inside the tube and to the plate as a brace before re-welding all around the split.

A nice bit of 'farm maintenance' style welding.

Now if I was editor of The Woodworker I would have had to spend two months making a reproduction Chippendale

Neil

Hum this isn't a good sign accounts dept making such cut backs not even editor can afford a new office chair editor has to do running repairs. best way to fix that sort of attitude is stick your repair account in accountants inbox of course 3 times price of new chair.

You could always get a decent woodworker to make you one some of us are good with metal n wood others less fortunate just one or the other.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Should point out that I work from home, I'm not being expected to salvage the publisher's chairs!.

Neil

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Sunday saw the installation of the 12" Fullerscope at Monkton observatory.
New rings were made to take it but there are still a couple of M4 csk screws to tap and fit.
A 2" Crayford focuser is being modified to replace the old rack/pinion Newtonian focuser.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Been trying and failing to find a sensible local stockist for mild steel stock in the Preston area. The main dealers won't sell lengths under 6m and many of the local fabricators either deal in thin sections or don't sell stuff on. I used to work near a Metal Supermarket franchise in Canada and enjoyed paying top dollar for the privilege but it was convenient at least. I seem to be living in a steel desert.

I see that Jenkins Steel (Northumberland) have an online shop (and an ebay store) but a quick bit of reverse engineering shows their carriage is basically £14 plus about £1.10 per kg for black steel (EN3A/B). So that's £14 for the packing before you even put a fart in it, which grieves me as a Scottish-blooded Yorkshireman. Not surprisingly, it costs more (35% more in fact) for both carriage and material when you buy it through their ebay shop, which seems fair enough given the seller's fee, laziness factor etc.

I'm looking for real life sized stock such as 1" x 4" (ie 25mm x 100mm), so places like Noggin End don't work. But can anyone suggest alternative online metal suppliers? For the moment I'm mainly interested in mild steel in the 300-1000mm length range.

Murray

Edited By Muzzer on 07/06/2017 16:18:03

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Muzzer, not quite Preston but there are plenty of suppliers around Manchester.

One stop Metals at Trafford Park cut to length and deliver. I have just ordered 3 lengths of EN 36 from High Peak Steels in Glossop. They also cut to length and deliver.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Murray

Not sure if they do mail order but I found a company in Trafford Park Manchester that carry a stock of steel and other metals. I have only used them once and found them helpful.

http://www.onestopmetals.co.uk

IanP

I see Bob beat me to it!

Edited By Ian Phillips on 07/06/2017 16:33:11

[Mark Simpson 1Participant @marksimpson1]

Hi Muzzer

My steel stockholder in Macclesfield went (after 100+ years) ago…

I now use Macc Models becuase they are local and joe's a nice guy, prices not ridiculous. Happy to sell you any length, just advertises in 300mm lengths.

By post I've been using Metals4U from wetherby, got the best price from them for some cored PB bar and they rang me up to tell me it would be 24 hours later than the advertised 48 hours. (many suppliers would not bother)

No connection to either, just a happy customer

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I've just emailed onestopmetals – hopefully they will reply tomorrow. Trafford Park is quite a trek from here, so would need to pay the delivery charge.

I'd forgotten about Metals4U. I used to work next door (but before their time). But their min qty seems to be 3m which would cost me £230 for 20mm x 100mm (they don't even keep 25mm).

Bob – I assumed you lived up Tyne Tees area, bonny lad? I'm guessing not if they were prepared to deliver to you from Glossop.

Murray

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

What I did today I cannot recommend!!

Decided that a tidy/clean up was massively overdue and SWMBO was away for the afternoon. Much moving and sweeping and decison-making and just one more cabinet to move before knocking off for a cuppa. .. sort of 'Hoffnung at the Oxford Union' moment. 'Balanced' on the cabinet was my Perfecto shaper awaitng installation. The 'balance' was disturbed and its earthward trajectory was halted by my head!! Definitely cannot recommend it!! Now sitting with ice cubes wrapped in flannel on noggin and waiting for SWMBO to return and the inevitable 'discussion'. And the next clever idea …!

rgds

Bill

[egaParticipant @ega]

Cornish Jack:

I do hope the Perfecto is undamaged! Vinegar and brown paper for the head?

My Perfecto is also awaiting installation (and construction of stand) and meanwhile sits on old TV trolley. Mine is heavy enough that I remove the motor before moving the main machine so I can understand the need for ice.

(On reading Neil's serious comment): your accident and some of my own experiences remind me of the dangers inherent in working on one's own – probably a good idea to keep a mobile phone handy or maybe even subscribe to one of those arrangements for a call button on a string round the neck.

Edited By ega on 07/06/2017 18:29:51

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Bill, you are lucky to be in a state where you can make a post!

Take more care!

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Thank you, ega and Neil.

One would suppose that, after 80 years of stupidity, the message would have sunk in – but 'tis true "No fool like … etc." As for mobile phones I think I have one somewhere but it's never switched on and probably has a flat battery.

rgds

Bill

[NigeParticipant @nige81730]

I have been gathering info on the Myford ML4 I inherited. It is becoming a 'project' which can't really start until we move house and current workshop gets packed up and unpacked into the 'new' one. I had broken the lathe down, taking off easily removable parts that I could carry alone. The headstock was removed from the bed so breaking up the gear train into two 'lumps' the headstock lump, mandrel and tumblr and the lathe bed lump, all the rest, banjo lead screw gear etc.

Did I say its at least 35 years since I used a lathe in anger and never had to change gears for screw cutting like you do with the ML4 let alone strip one down and put it back together.

The lathe came with a load of spare bits including some extra gears which I now know are to change screw cutting parameters. I have been doing some reading up on the ML4 thanks in part to Tony Griffiths publications and info from a link on another thread in one of our forums here. In all the reading I kept coming across the term DP20 with reference to the Myford gears so today I devoted a bit of time to finding out what the term DP meant. having read some slightly techy maths stuff like DP = number of teeth + 2 divided by OD I fetched the spare gears from the workshop, got out a couple of measuring sticks and started counting teeth, measuring outside diameters and proving the maths to myself.

At the end of an hour I had a better understanding of simple gears, DP and PCD. next on the study list is gera angle and other slightly more technical gear stuff

[Author]

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