What did you do Today 2018

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Posted by John Collingwood on 17/10/2018 22:39:52:

What have I been doing today? Jobs around the house for "HER THAT MUST BE OBEYED" As I have managed to get transport to Midland Exhibition on Friday? Earn the Brownie points whilst you can

Me too; puts me in mind of an old adage… 'Doesn't matter how many attaboys you get, it only takes one 'oh sh1t' to wipe them all out…

George.

[Bob McParticipant @bobmc91481]

During a tidy up session I found the jars of brass turnings I had saved over a number of years…and I have quite a lot of brass bits & bobs & offcuts … was hoping to melt them down and cast something but it seems to me quite a dangerous and involved process… do the scrappers take brass turnings…?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bob Mc on 18/10/2018 13:15:45:

During a tidy up session I found the jars of brass turnings I had saved over a number of years…and I have quite a lot of brass bits & bobs & offcuts … was hoping to melt them down and cast something but it seems to me quite a dangerous and involved process… do the scrappers take brass turnings…?

It's not difficult actually, a propane torch is adequate and you can use an old stainless steel pan or even the 'cup' off the top of an old flask as long as you don't expect it to last forever.

Melting temperature is good red heat, some insulation is helpful but you don't need a full furnace.

make sure your mould is dry.

I've had fun results using 3D printed 'lost PLA', this is about an inch high.

Neil

[Bob McParticipant @bobmc91481]

Thanks Neil…

You are making me think now…!

..Bob..

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Bob Mc on 18/10/2018 13:15:45:

… do the scrappers take brass turnings…?

.

Yes, but you will be doing well if you get £3 a Kilo.

Probably best to use them as a bed for blueing steel.

Edit: or, of course, follow Neil's guidance.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/10/2018 15:46:08

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Finished refurbing the garden seat; SWMBO was of the opinion ' take it to the recycling centre & we'll get a new one' … … no way methinks, so I set to a couple of days ago & after taking the accessories off went at it with my 4" grinder & flap wheel, got all the old stain & dried out varnish off the slats revealing nice solid teak slats, followed up with a rubdown & new coat of teak stain.

Today a wire brushed the CI end frames to get rid of some mould & loose flakes of original paint plus giving it a key.I had bought some Rustoleum metal paint from Boyes ( usual disclaimer ) that was a match for the original paint, boy that stuff goes off quick, similar to Hammerite, & gave it a severe coating, I resprayed the slat supports with black satin finish auto spray & once dry reassembled it all back together, fitted all new screws & bolts, voila ! now who says we need to get another new one … Am I due some brownie points ?… yep! … will I get them … I doubt it …

George.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Posted by mechman48 on 18/10/2018 17:27:06:

Finished refurbing the garden seat; SWMBO was of the opinion ' take it to the recycling centre & we'll get a new one' … … … Am I due some brownie points ?… yep! … will I get them … I doubt it …

George.

What you may well get is "that's very nice dear, but I really would like the one we saw at the garden centre".

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

Really nice result George. If Robbo is right and the domestic authority insists on replacing it with a new one, give me a call and I'll be round smartish to collect it.

Jim

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Yesterday, actually…

Sneak preview! Here's the draft cover for MEW 274 back from the designer. Look out for your copy from around the end of the month to get details of the free #Alibre #Atom3D licence! #YoE #CAD #workshop pic.twitter.com/u8HyWlp2iy

— Model Engineer (@ModelEngineers) October 19, 2018

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

Neil
I understand that several political leaders use Twatter as bully pulpit but why impose this US custom (+ tracking device) on us when you have a perfectly usable platform in this forum

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Frances IoM on 20/10/2018 14:38:57:
Neil
I understand that several political leaders use Twatter as bully pulpit but why impose this US custom (+ tracking device) on us when you have a perfectly usable platform in this forum

Deary me! That sounds almost like a protest from the offended–by-everything Snowflake Generation!

I'm not bullying anyone and there's no-one forcing you to click on the twitter message and go to that den of horror and iniquity if you don't want to.

If you are really worried, just turn off third party cookies and you won't see the tweets.

We have over 2,000 followers on twitter, although we have nearly 25,000 forum members they are not all on the forum regularly so using both helps me reach a significant number of readers and potential readers.

Embedding a tweet helps me get short messages and comments across quickly on both platforms, especially when there's a decent sized image.

Neil.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Today I thought I'd finally get around to reading the recent copies of MEW Digital that I didn't have the time to browse previously. However it seems that my opportunity to view the content ended with the subscription about a month ago. In other words, the last 3 or so issues came and went unseen.

I may be wrong in which case I'd love to hear so. Otherwise it seems the subscription doesn't "give" you the content, it only allows you temporary visibility. In the case of the final issue, presumably you have about a month to read it. From what I recall, downloading a PDF copy is a tedious PITA but again, I may be wrong.

Have I got the right end of the stick? Can I still access the editions that came out when I was subscribed?

Murray

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

On the MEW cover above why are there two cute little robots hugging the engine?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Muzzer on 20/10/2018 17:54:51:

Have I got the right end of the stick? Can I still access the editions that came out when I was subscribed?

Murray

Hello Murray,

You can still view and download them through your Pocketmags account, if not then contact their customer services in the first instance.

Archive access ends when your subscription expires (actually you get about a month's grace).

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bazyle on 20/10/2018 18:30:11:

On the MEW cover above why are there two cute little robots hugging the engine?

That's a special feature of Alibre – 'extrude cute'.

N.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Finally fitted a new start capacitor to my bandsaw. It seems to be impossible to find one as small as the original, so I ended up dremelling the end of the cover off and using it as a clamp/shroud with the insulated end of the capacitor sticking out. Reused the fibreglass wire sheaths but added heatshrink to stop it moving.

I tested the old and new 12.5uF capacitors in one of the little component tester modules recommended in a recent thread. The new one came out as about 13uF and 0.1R ESR. The old one has dropped to 1.3uF and 11R ESR, enough to start the motor with no load but not with the belt fitted.

Neil

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

I ran my sm32 Charles poorter engine around my small oval track on my decking this weekend. After the first steaming I topped her up with water and meths, I normally squirt a small amount of meths around the boiler to light it, so no difference there but the whole thing went up in 🔥 ahh panic luckily I was near the watering can and put it out. No damage done but on inspection the tube that feeds the wicks had become detached from the reservoir tank and when I filled it up it had run out onto the floor underneath.

I have stripped all the paint off the bits tonight and it's only softsoldered 😤 It's been ok since 1980's so I will re solder it and check all the other joints at the same time

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Accidentally popped an expensive angular contact ball bearing apart. Not a high precision or high load one, just an ALS11 3" OD Imperial one, which are becoming quite rare.

Luckily all the balls fell quite close and I could clean it all up, pop it back together, re-grease it and finish fitting it. There was a limited amount of profanity involved in the event.

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Ordered the material today for the traction engine boiler and firebox but its not what would be considered a conventional approach…

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

I spent this morning cutting and welding a trailer ready to fit a new tow hitch and other mods, I haven't used my stick welder for a while and there were quite a few s**te hawks flapping around whilst I was doing it

Martin P

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Posted by Ron Laden on 24/10/2018 18:17:44:

Ordered the material today for the traction engine boiler and firebox but its not what would be considered a conventional approach…

Ron,

I hope we get to see a thread on it??

Paul.

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Posted by Paul Kemp on 24/10/2018 19:17:57:

Posted by Ron Laden on 24/10/2018 18:17:44:

Ordered the material today for the traction engine boiler and firebox but its not what would be considered a conventional approach…

Ron,

I hope we get to see a thread on it??

Paul.

Hi Paul, I dont know I will think about it, although I,ve said it will be non scale and simplified it probably wont go down well with some, I dont want to upset anyone..

[JC54Participant @jc54]

I spent a lot of the day getting ME mags in order and sorted ready to scan all of the episodes on building the ME Vertical boiler so that I can combine them into one PDF file. I can then just print out the pages to take into the workshop as I need them and not get the original mags. messed up. The reason it took so long? reading articles that I had forgotten along the way.. Anno Domini.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Printed a custom case for one of those cheap-as-chips component tester modules I mentioned above.

Then had a fun session trying out my box of (mostly germanium) old transistors and getting hfe and Vf readings.

GET 885 hfe=199, Vf 164mV (I assume this is Vbe)

It seems to be a bit sensitive to poor contacts caused by tarnished leads, sometime giving a spurious Hfe less than 10 but re-insertion usually gives a more believable reading.

It gives vf and capacitance for diodes, capacitance and ESR for capacitors, resistance for… resistors! Haven't tried a coil yet.

Neil

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 24/10/2018 20:33:08:

Printed a custom case for one of those cheap-as-chips component tester modules I mentioned above.

Neil

Can you post details of the tester you bought, had a search but can't find any details in other threads.

tks

Gray

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