What did you do Today 2018

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

I'm not sure I really want a finishing process that highlights all of my 'design changes'!

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

George (mechman48) … I sent you a PM.

Regards,

Sam

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Mark Rand on 03/09/2018 23:07:01:

I'm not sure I really want a finishing process that highlights all of my 'design changes'!

The block has been repurposed at least twice – that's why I had to change the placement/size of holes.

It also shows the scratched and dings unanodised alloys collect when left rattling around for a year or two.

Neil

[RobinParticipant @robin]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 03/09/2018 21:30:04:

The result was a very impressive colour, although I had to microwave the (industrial) dye to get it to work and yes it faithfully kept all the original machining marks. I can run a hardened steel screwdriver ove the finish with light pressure and it doesn't mark it, which is good.

My one attempt at anodising preserved the metal most wondrously but I could not get the colour to penetrate.

Controlling the current using an auto bulb meant it took a lot longer than expected to convert and I thought that was the problem.

Please explain this microwaving thing if you have time. I thought hot water sealed the surface.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I trust we're to look forward to an article in MEW about anodising. I'm making some bits in ally which would look a lot better black.

Edited By duncan webster on 04/09/2018 10:18:47

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Robin on 04/09/2018 09:16:07:

Please explain this microwaving thing if you have time. I thought hot water sealed the surface.

It does, but the dye I'm using is optimised for 40-60C with lower temperatures giving a less intense colour.

Unlike most anodising dyes it's a chemical process based on ferric oxylate which reacts with the oxidised layer and the solution is bright green.

I'm following an industrial process which also means sealing in a cold seal solution then finishing with a simmer.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by duncan webster on 04/09/2018 10:18:28:

I trust we're to look forward to an article in MEW about anodising. I'm making some bits in ally which would look a lot better black.

Edited By duncan webster on 04/09/2018 10:18:47

Yes, I'm hoping for one, but it's unlikely to be written by me.

Out of interest, that Alutite has gone 'porous' on the surface – my guess is that zinc has leached out. If scratched it shows bright silver.

Neil

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Posted by Sam Stones on 03/09/2018 23:50:37:

George (mechman48) … I sent you a PM.

Regards,

Sam

Thanks, replied via pm…

Geo.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

This looks bit better. Three knobs for my telescope.

I did them together and one turned out pale (I don't think it had a very good connection with the titanium wire). It gopt close to the other two after an extra half hour in the die but I could see it wasn't ever going to match so I stripped it with caustic and reanodised it. In warm water these take about 20 -30 minutes to achieve full colour.

I'm guessing the conventional black die will take quicker.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Finished a nutcracker patterned after a 1950s example by Austrian modernist Carl Auböck. Not especially effective when compared to a Mole wrench but looks good:-

…plus the truck bracket subassembly (trepanned out of flat bar) for a 68-pdr Carronade model.

[SpurryParticipant @spurry]

In an attempt to try and find things when I need them, my "system" is to have various heights of 600×400 plastic trays positioned in modules with the locations shown in a database on the PC.

A requirement for a mobile module had arisen and it was completed today.

These are my original static modules made for the old workshop

A few shelves

First side

Assembled unit. All fitted together with just a rubber mallet.

Most difficult part was trying to work out how to post text and pictures.

Pete

[Jon LawesParticipant @jonlawes51698]

Neil those telescope knobs look superb!

I reprofiled the Britannia wheels to give them the 3 degree profile recommended, and made more of the bogie. Very satisfying.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Very nice Mick.

Neil

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 04/09/2018 21:39:20:

Very nice Mick.

Neil

Well, thank you but they seem very limited things compared with some of the stuff you and others do. You seem to've put in a temp/humidity gauge with one of your control knobs – I take it that's to help control dew condensation on your mirrors or lenses?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Mick B1 on 04/09/2018 22:08:16:

You seem to've put in a temp/humidity gauge with one of your control knobs – I take it that's to help control dew condensation on your mirrors or lenses?

Nowt wrong with your work at all!

Williams Optics (makers of posh telescopes) put a thermometer on the one-speed knob of some of their scopes. Personally I think humidity would be more useful. I googled for a round humidity meter and I found these cheap clip-in units for next to nothing.

Neil

[geoff walker 1Participant @geoffwalker1]

Currently making another Muncaster engine so I thought I would also make the simple reversing valve detailed in the 1912 book. Works well and will be incorporated into the new engine. Also gave me a chance to try out my "new toy".

Many of you will recognise the small circular table, sold by RDG which was great for the semi circular curves in the valve head.

Some feedback on the table. It's very small, 2 1/2" table diameter so only good for small scale modelling but is well made and I think good value.

Geoff

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Good luck on no infringement of workshop space, theory is great but practice doesnt seem to happen. Despite having her own shed for gardening stuff, my workshop seems to fill up with various items totally unrelated to workshop. Post again in six months and let us know if it happens.

Dave W

[David TaylorParticipant @davidtaylor63402]

I finally got this house number plaque done. I'd been poking at it in F360 for about a week and couldn't get the rest machining to cover everything. I found Cut2D did it with a lot less hassle, given this is what it is designed for. I still did a lot of manual jogging around on the machine with the cutter at full depth to clean up. I missed a few bits where I was too shy to manually move the cutter so close to some features, might get some riffler files to finish them up.

The size is 200 x 125mm, using 8, 6, & 2mm cutters.

Bad bowing on the stock might account for some of the roughness but a sea of paint should hide a lot of sins.

Regards, David.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Yesterday; rejuvenated old CI garden parasol stand that had its paint flaking off quite badly. A few minutes with a rotary wire brush & a battery drill soon had the old flaky paint off. A good coating of etch primer followed by a couple of coats of rattle can auto spray soon had it looking nice again. Machined up a piece of brass & threaded into the locking screw to extend the grip & as a protective measure for the parasol shaft…

modified locking screw…

George.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Ian, I have similar problems when acquiring new tools and equipment, I have a system whereby I order on line and place all orders and confirmations in the archive file on my IPad, wife never looks in the archive even though we share the one email address, then I have to make sure any deliveries are not observed, not always successful in that but did manage to order a new bench mill and it was delivered whilst the domestic authority was out, did have to fess up though when she found it in the workshop. Had a tidy up in the workshop this afternoon, surprising how much just accumulates in there, darent throw anything away because l will definitely need it then.

Dave W

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Phew! Just converted several cubic inches of 6082 into swarf. You know its time to take a break when you change the chuck jaws and they are too hot to hold! And parting off 2 1/2" at 470rpm under power feed is 'exciting' even in aluminium alloy.

Neil

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Just spent an hour watching my local computer specialist fail to recover any files from my second hard drive which held my CAD drawings and documents for all my projects over the last five years or more! My own fault for not backing up, I know, but blooming annoying, nevertheless. Managed to retrieve my last two ( unpublished ) articles from my email account, but that's all so far. Luckily I put a lot of stuff in albums on here, so when I have a day to spare, I'll resave all the photos from there. Needless to say, I'll be doing regular back-ups from now on. Learn from my mistake or regret it like I am.

John

(more than a little tee'd off…. )

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by John Hinkley on 10/09/2018 14:01:42:

Just spent an hour watching my local computer specialist fail to recover any files from my second hard drive which held my CAD drawings and documents for all my projects over the last five years or more! My own fault for not backing up, I know, but blooming annoying, nevertheless. Managed to retrieve my last two ( unpublished ) articles from my email account, but that's all so far. Luckily I put a lot of stuff in albums on here, so when I have a day to spare, I'll resave all the photos from there. Needless to say, I'll be doing regular back-ups from now on. Learn from my mistake or regret it like I am.

John

(more than a little tee'd off…. )

There are specialists who will be able to recover your data (GCHQ spring to mind…) but it will be expensive.

Neil

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Neil,

Yes. He gave me the number of a company in Norfolk who do this all the time in clinically clean labs. Cost? Between £450 and £500 minimum!! No thanks. I'll just nurse my damaged pride.

John

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

I had the same situation with one of my hard drives. Luckily all my pictures and docs were backed up but for some reason my videos were not added to the backup. Also lost were a number of work files, although I could cope with the loss of these. I was more peed off about the dive videos I had taken on Thistlegorm and other wrecks in the Red Sea. I sent it off to one of the specialist, knowing it could cost be around £500 but they were unable to retrieve any files after several weeks. Luckily it was a case of only pay if they get something like 75% of files of the disk. So did not cost me anything. All photos are now held on a mirrored pair of NAS drives. Each drive set of as a RAID 5 set. So data across three drives and an automatically switched in hot swap spare drive. All other stuff is up in the Cloud.

Colin

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