What did you do Today 2018

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Assembled Boley 8mm watchmaking lathe to a backboard to make it usable.

Made the two aluminium pulleys, one for 6000rpm sewing machine motor and the other for the intermediate shaft.

Runs quite nicely.

Quick question for those who know about these things. How is the tool height adjusted. I appreciate I could use shims under the tool. On top of the top slide is a circular ring on which the tool rests and it is then held down by the cap, which has two slots in it (one for square tool and one for round). The circular ring is knurled al the way round, and I feel that this should rotate to raise the tool to centre height. It is on a central boss that the clamping screw is threaded into. The only problem is, it does not move, I think it may be seized. Have flooded it with releasing fluid but would like an idea before I either break it or damage the knurling.

Thanks,

Colin

[TomfileryParticipant @tomfilery]

Colin,

I have a similar top/cross-slide to yours. Once you undo the clamping screw the large ring should turn to allow you limited (2-3mm) adjustment of tool height. Mine definitely doesn't have any locking screws in the ring.

Regards Tom

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I bade farewell to the old Mondy. Six months unused and it started after two seconds cranking!

The clutch was still fubared.

Neil

[Barnaby WildeParticipant @barnabywilde70941]

Posted by richardandtracy on 15/04/2018 08:52:14:

Of those who stop at my stall, about 50% say they remember using fountain pens and how nice they were, about 25% consider ones for presents and the remainder consider them for themselves. The materials available are very attractive, and kit pens do look flashy and relatively posh. I really want to sell custom fountain pens, where only the nib & feed is bought in, but taking 15-20 hours work for a one-off is not viable to sell. Going into production, even ona small scale would cut the unit time by a lot, but it bores me rigid doing the same thing time after time.

While people do not write a lot, there is still a certain cachet associated with using a fountain pen, and they feel so good to use if the nib is correctly tuned. Personally I always use one, having a pens dating back to c1915 in fairly regular use, and a box on my bedside locker of 25 inked up pens, from which I choose 2-3 every day. I regret to say, my little collection probably exceeds 200, of which Parker pens form at least 50%.

Regards

Richard.

Stop selling pens.

No, really, I mean it. Stop selling pens immediately.

Sit down & watch the movie "The Wolf of Wall Street" or just watch this clip :

When you start to 'think outside of the box' you need never set your stall out to sell a pen ever again. They'll be forming an orderly queue at your workshop door, you'll need help to manage the enquiries. You might even wish you'd changed course & started out 40yrs ago.

Stop selling pens, nobody needs a pen, everybody has all the pens they need.

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Tom,

Thanks for confirming the milled ring should move. I have WD40 or equivalent soaking into it.

Is it a standard right hand thread, I,e. anticlockwise to raise the ring?.

I need to find some way of holding the ring without damaging the milled edge. Did try to grip with a small 3 jaw chuck, but did not want to damage or break anything. Now I know it is meant to move I can have another go.

Colin

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

This afternoon I heard the sound of a tap running in the bathroom. Went in an nothing on, but a wet floor.

Rushed to workshop got a screwdriver, into downstairs loo and levered off a panel to shut a ball valve. Quicker than trying to get to the stopcock in the street.

Water pouring through a large area of the living room ceiling, mercifully missing most things of importance, but not good for walls and ceiling.

Damn – I need one of those 'easy fit' isolation valves.

Managed to narrow it down to the cold tap supply to the washbasin. I managed to lever off a few large tiles without breaking any, luckily the plasterboard behind them was soaked and not full height. Then some reverse origami (facilitated by a speedfit-t) and I got this out.

Can anyone suggest how the stainless steel braid got this hole in it? Looks like its been dripping for a while before it burst -see the corrosion.

Fixed now, but I think I might replace the hot tap connector as a precaution as it uses the same sort of connector.

Neil

[Joseph Noci 1Participant @josephnoci1]

Neil,

Had the same thing here abt 4 years ago – pipe was only 2 years old and it did the same as yours. Problem is really poor quality of manufacture. The crimp is supposed to contain the stainless braiding over the full crimp length, but in my case went in only half way, with maybe 8 or so strands perhaps 3mm into the crimp. The inner rubber/plastic water tube is thin and bulges – it would burst but for the stainless braid, and that bulge pulled the poor crimp free and that was that..

Joe

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Ian, I'd say the steel braid was mechanically damaged a long time ago – probably by a human gorilla who happened to be in the plumbing trade. Primates of that kind are not rare, sadly. They're the same species that typically overtightens compression fittings, causing the olive to wasp-waist the pipe, so that the very thing their overtightening was intended to prevent (a leak) happens.

The splayed ends of the braid have probably been munching lesiurely through that rubber core for years. Usually it's the hot flexi that gives up the ghost first because the high temps degrade the rubber faster. Rigid copper with sweated joints was all the rage at one time, and there is still much in its favour, all things being equal.

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Would I be correct in saying that water companies do not allow their use in new installations anymore?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Sam Longley 1 on 18/04/2018 20:22:21:

Would I be correct in saying that water companies do not allow their use in new installations anymore?

No, apparently WRAS ones are OK anywhere , but cheap ones have caused legionella outbreaks in hospitals!

These day every mixer tap is supplied with a pair.

I fitted the one in the photo, only about four years ago. It wasn't under any stress, the olive at the bottom was fitted to a short length of 15mm pipe then pushed into a speedfit T, so definitely not twisted or damaged.

I think Joseph is right, the braid probably wasn't fully in the ferrule.

The web has plenty of horror stories.

Neil

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Bill Phinn on 18/04/2018 20:20:18:

Ian, I'd say the steel braid was mechanically damaged a long time ago

Sorry, I meant Neil. And I assumed, wrongly, that poor workmanship and by someone other than you, was to blame.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bill Phinn on 18/04/2018 22:54:34:

Posted by Bill Phinn on 18/04/2018 20:20:18:

Ian, I'd say the steel braid was mechanically damaged a long time ago

Sorry, I meant Neil. And I assumed, wrongly, that poor workmanship and by someone other than you, was to blame.

Not a rash assumption with me involved

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

I have been making my tender kit for my Springbok which I bought years ago from Model Engineer's Laser. I am finding it very difficult despite the supposedly easy tab and slot construction. I have not made brass fabrications before so have no specific experience. Soft soldering is horrible. Give me a boiler and some Easyflow anyday! Even when heating a small area and not being at all greedy, the panels buckle and bend, with the soft solder grabbing once the piece is out of position! So I am now using a lot more screws and angle than I had hoped, and clamping flat bars across panels where possible before soldering a section. Cleaning up will be a hell of a job, I have a lot of screw heads to Dremel off, and car body filler will be required! It is a shame there is not a constructional video on the MEL website. I can't find any instructions at all in fact on the site.

A friend who is very experienced ended up cutting off the tabs on his Maisie tender kit and using angle in the traditional way after becoming frustrated with the kit.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

You would be better off with a large soldering iron for joining brass in that way.

Alternatively a 'cook's blowtorch' can be used for intense local heat, that's how I assembled the running boards for my loco.

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

Copper wedge type or electric? I have an 80 W iron for lead lighting. I am using my Benzomatic MAPP gas torch turned as low as it will go. You can turn it upside down, unlike my small Primus propane cylinder. There is a big mass of brass now.

[David TaylorParticipant @davidtaylor63402]

Neil – Yikes! Sounds like it caused a lot of damage

Simon – I have similar trouble soldering 1.5mm brass tender parts. I riveted the sides and ends to the base, but soft-soldered the water outlets to the base and buckled it so it doesn't sit flat on the frames any more. I have no idea how to do it properly but I know your frustration.

The footings for the workshop have been poured and are awaiting frames and bricks.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Simon Collier on 19/04/2018 10:44:44:

Copper wedge type or electric? I have an 80 W iron for lead lighting. I am using my Benzomatic MAPP gas torch turned as low as it will go. You can turn it upside down, unlike my small Primus propane cylinder. There is a big mass of brass now.

80W is probably a minimum.

The cooks torches have a very hot flame but very thin and long, use as you would oxy to provide to a small object.

[TomfileryParticipant @tomfilery]

For Colin H,

Apologies for the delay in responding, but yes it is a right hand thread, so anticlockwise to release and raise the tool.

Regards Tom

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

For most jobs like yours I have three copper soldering irons about 1kg each, or for smaller stuff a 175W Weller electric iron. The idea is to get the area up to heat as fast as possible, and using a big iron of any sort give you a large reserve of heat.

Ian S C

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

Soldering my water outlets caused the base to bend convex from side to side. I eventually solved the problem by clamping it flat and soldering on the baffles which then held it flat. All very stressful and plenty of opportunities for disaster left. It is four steps forward, three steps back type of job.

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Well, so far today,

1) Took the dog for a morning stroll. A bit of snow falling, but our yard is almost free of the winter snows, maybe by this weekend, or next, the last of the winter snow will be behind us.

2) Listening to Radio 2 in the Netherlands. Summer there, the announcer said 30 degrees, over 31 degrees warmer than here!

3) Wondered (again) why we live here?

Oh well, off to work…

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Tom (tomfilery),

Many thanks for that. At least I now know I wont be attempting to tighten it further.

I will give it another dose of lubricant and keep my fingers crossed.

Colin

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Just read this: **LINK**

https://news.sky.com/story/lance-armstrong-agrees-multi-million-dollar-fraud-settlement-11338517

Betsy Andreu sums it up perfectly

.

MichaelG.

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 20/04/2018 10:13:01:

Just read this: **LINK**

https://news.sky.com/story/lance-armstrong-agrees-multi-million-dollar-fraud-settlement-11338517

Betsy Andreu sums it up perfectly

.

MichaelG.

I saw that posted elsewhere earlier, and thought it was spot on.

Just as well cycle races were signposted, as Armstrong had no moral compass.

Everything with him is always someone else's fault.

And I speak as a cyclist that was an Armstrong fan in the day, before the truth all came out.

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Yesterday really other than go check out the Ektrakleen Mill while there I picked up some 100+ ME magazines 1994 to 2001 a wee bit of reading to do.

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