What Did You Do Today 2019

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

I have been trying to figure out why smoke is coming out of the motor control of my Taft Pierce surface grinder. I checked with an ohmmeter and found infinite resistance from all 3 phases to ground. More investigation tomorrow.

[Simon Williams 3Participant @simonwilliams3]

It wasn't today, it was yesterday, but this is an object lesson in leaving well alone.

I bought a bandsaw from my local secondhand shop, did the insulation test and earth continuity, plugged it in, happy days.

The main lead had pulled through its cable gland into the motor terminal box, so yesterday I thought I'd while away 15 minutes putting that right. Simple enough.

Until I took the cover off the terminal box, and realised that the black bits in the bottom were broken insulation off the motor leads. Oh dear.

Can't leave that alone, so here's what I found when I took the end cover off the motor:

Not the best photo ever, sorry about that. The green lead RHS of picture is one of the main winding leads, the two once-upon-a-time white ones are the starter winding on a 6 pole single phase capacitor run motor of about 3/4 HP. These wires are the original tails connected to the motor windings, and look as though they have been overheated though I can't explain why there is no evidence of damage to the windings themselves, and no "burnt" smell. The insulation is brittle and cooked, and the wire itself is tarnished and oxidised.

I cut the damage out, grafted some PTFE insulated wire in with heat shrink sleeving and threw it all back together. Not the best job ever, but better than it was.

I could have made a better job if I knew how to withdraw the stator lamination stack from the motor outer housing. Any clues anyone? The only thing I can find on the internet assumes the windings are already toast, and you can pull the whole thing to pieces by brutality. In my case there seemed to be nothing wrong with the windings and I'm reluctant to get it rewound when it still works.

So it runs, takes a sensible looking load current, insulation at 500V is 85 megohms. I've put it back together and it'll do.

Rgds to all

Simon

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Etching a couple of PCBs. The ancient bit of board I found took ages to develop, so I gave the second one a double length dose of UV, which worked OK. Both are look OK though.

Neil

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Went to pick up a pantograph engraver the other day and today I have been running an oily rag over it, prior to trying it out. Unfortunately, I've found a couple of sheared 2BA countersunk screws which need replacing. I'm all-metric as a rule, so I've had to order some from the internet. I hope that they will arrive before the weekend. Until then, I'll continue to work on the operating instructions. Having failed to find a manual of any sort on the internet, I was delighted to discover when I picked it up, that it was complete with operating instructions and some publicity material, too. The instructions were dated 1969 and were typed on what must surely be a manual typewriter. I have nearly finished re-writing them in Word, incorporating all the other material with it. This has meant redrawing some of the illustrations, so it's taken quite a while. When it's finished, I'll have it in .doc and .pdf format, so if anyone wants a copy, PM me and I'll send it to you. Might take a week to get it completed, though!

Here's what it looks like, squeezed into the only remaining bit of space left in the garage:

John

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by John Hinkley on 01/05/2019 16:05:38:

I'm all-metric as a rule

John

Lucky man, if only my life were that simple!

I have projects/machines that are:

Metric

BA

BSF

BSW

BSP

UNF

UNEF

UNC

Brass

Cycle

Enfield small arms standard

And probably some more I have forgotten!

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

David,

I'd probably have more of an eclectic mix, too, if I hadn't had to metricate when we retired to France. It's bad enough trying to source small metric fasteners there, let alone stuff from the Empire!

Still, back in Blighty now and the world is my lobster, thanks to the internet and fast broadband.

John

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Snap!. The DD is a nice little machine John. I found the on off switch that operates as you lower the arm kind of finicky so took it out of circuit. Also check your brushes. I was lucky and found my collection of 'useful things' had one the right size. If you get sparking at the brushes it might also be they are sticking on the holder.
I'd be very interested in the documentation when you have it as the markings on the table are rather confusing. I just experiment to get the right size.

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Bazyle,
I'm about to slip out to the workshop to continue with cleaning the engraver, prior to a few practice cuts. The documentation includes a section on setting the ratios and a separate piece on intermediate fractional ratios. All it says about the table markings is, quote –

"These are to assist in positioning the workpiece and copy holders relative to each other."

Not very helpful! Send me a PM with your email address and I'll pop a copy into the ether for you. Let me know whether you want a Word document or pdf. (They are 9.5Mb and 6.1Mb respectively.)

John

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Fabricated a novel locking bar system for a pair of inward opening external doors on an 18th century stable block. Central pivot point, offset rather than central so the bar swings down under it's own weight when unlocked. Simple metal pin retaining mech to avoid use of keys. It's on the inside of the building so secures the door as you leave from a smaller personnel door.

Good fun figuring it out and turning the pivot etc.

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

More what i am going to do. Its the victorian extravaganza in Llandudno this weekend and i am off to run my engine on the west shore track 🤗🤗🤗🤗🚂🚂🚂🚂

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Well i had a great time at west shore. I ran for 2-1/2 hours pulling passengers and then retired with injector problems. I also need to look at the axle pump as this does not put enough water in the boiler. Trouble is you can not see the rod gland when your running to see it water is being lost there.

All in a days running.

Bri

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Sounds like a good day.

Neil

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Yes it was Niel. The weather was good too which always make the day better.

Brian

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Just came in from gardening [hailstorm stopped play] and found this whilst browsing: **LINK**

https://glowforge.com/

MichaelG.

[Anonymous]

Over the recent Bank holiday weekend I assembled enough of one engine to have it sitting on it's own wheels:

After I'd recovered my jaw from where it hit the floor my reaction was bleep bleep that's seriously BIG! Where on earth am I going to put the second engine? It's just as well I moved the parts out of the kitchen, the assembled engine won't go through the door. Fortunately I got the specification for the front door correct when it was replaced a few years back, there's an inch or two of clearance.

Andrew

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Im jealous Andrew. My wheels have been clamped to slab of 1” aluminium for months awaiting riveting. When i made my first set i was in my 30’s. Swinging a 3lb hammer was not a problem, you ached and got better. Now in my 60’s i have to pluck up courage to do over 100 1/4” rivets .

Your machine looks good i have to say

Bri

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Had a good day at the Doncaster show. Lots of nice models but I still think Mike Sayers two Bentley engines are absolutely fabulous.

Lots of people selling 'used' kit so was able to increase my R8 tooling for new Gates mill, some tips for various cutters, a few bits of other tooling and a few castings and gears for Sanderson Beam engine kit which is ageing away till I have the skill to attack it.

Colin

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Today finished cleaning and repairing a small collection of bits and pieces I either brought from the weekend steam rally or been given the weekend before. The first was a vacuum pump which was from someone who brought it new and it made noises it should not the company supplied a new one and told him to throw it in the bin.

An hour working on it now up and running like new well it was new but now repaired

Next was a clean up of a selection of tools from the rally costing either £1 or £2 most had a very light rust. many items are Moore and Wright

And lastly again from the rally a compressor cost of £16 and the switch did not turn off but everything else worked so another £12.79 and now all up and running.

So that was my little list for todays work in the shop

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Congratulations Andrew, that's a huge milestone achieved!

Neil

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Hope this is OK to post this.

Today spent turning Ali not sure of what grade. The end result was this pen I did this with hand tools as in the second photo mainly the top tool for the main shaping certainly a learning curve but found the best angle of attack in the end.

Once turned I used 600grit to give the brushed effect I was originally going for the full polished look but glad I did not. The gold parts are from a kit

 

Edited By Derek Lane 2 on 12/05/2019 21:27:54

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Derek,

It looks good. Nothing wrong with making models at a scale of 12” to the foot.

How do you find the grip? I reckon they need some form of knurling or rings to make them easier to grip.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

No problem with grip I make them from wood and resin as well the resin I also make with a smooth finish and again no problem with gripping them.

I did think of adding a knurled area but went against it

This one sits nicely in the hand and just a nice weight

[Anonymous]

Posted by Boiler Bri on 10/05/2019 17:41:43:

Im jealous Andrew. My wheels have been clamped to slab of 1” aluminium for months awaiting riveting. When i made my first set i was in my 30’s. Swinging a 3lb hammer was not a problem, you ached and got better. Now in my 60’s i have to pluck up courage to do over 100 1/4” rivets.

You're a better man than me; I couldn't even close a 3/16" rivet with a hammer. Well, not strictly true. I can hammer the rivet end flat with a hammer, as I'm doing at the moment with the strakes. But no way could I form the domed head with a hammer. I got so far, but couldn't force the head that last little bit. So I resorted to the flypress. Much less drama and less chance of hammer blows in the wrong place, followed by naughty words.

Andrew

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Today (well over the last few days) I have been making some model boxes to transport Free Flight model aircraft.

My selected material was 'Corflute'. A lightweight corrugated plastic material that is typically used for signs. Normally very difficult to bond without plastic welding.

I conducted some tests on various adhesives and discovered that some of the readily available modern adhesives actually work very well, even for bonding Corflute to Aluminium alloy.

I wrote up my results here Glueing Corflute Plastic in case anybody is interested as I obtained some useful results.

* Danny M *

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Danny, Useful information. I know this plastic as Correx. Perhaps you could add that tradename to your article to help search engines find the advice too.

[Author]

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