What Did You Do Today 2020

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

I'm making the ball turner published in MEW, autumn 2017. Now gone as far as I can. I'm waiting for delivery of some 50 x 50 mm cast for the mounting block, which replaces the 4 way toolpost when fitted to the lathe.

I had some problems on the way. Didn't have a suitable piece of flat steel for the top part of the dovetail, so I cut off a piece of 25mm bar and found a piece of 16mm x19mm rectangular bar inside.

The dove tail assembly was a bit of a loose fit, so working on the principal of "if you can't make it accurate, make it adjustable", I machined a bit more off and fitted a gib strip. It's now a nice snug fit.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

The replacement PWM arrived today so set to & refitted new one to my WM16 mill, now have a working 'X' drive again, forgot to take pics for those that may have been interested.

George.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

martin p – i have sent you a pm re clocks

Chris

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Ian –

Only just spotted your post of 2 or 3 weeks ago, wondering if you can go and buy metal. This must be a problem for many of us.

I suppose you could have added it to a food-shopping trip, but would the place have been open anyway? The restrictions on driving are there to protect you, me the staff and everyone else, but if it's still open would it still be permissible to buy there on the principle that it is a shop still allowed to trade? The shop itself might have established a similar system to Screwfix: telephoned orders collected at the door. (Some pubs are selling their stocks rather like that – you collect the ordered beverages from a table outside the door.)

Some of our regular suppliers, including MJ Engineering and ArcEuro, have suspended trading but I bought some fastenings recently from Live Steam Models, by mail-order. Others may still be trading but their web-sites no longer work. I do hope we are all between us still supporting these firms as we can.

' ' '

It's made me think carefully about the metal I have in stock. I've always used 'new-to-me' materials, but am presently using some steel that even I might otherwise scrap as it's so corroded.

It's a matter of cutting and machining the less affected metal to lose the worst pitting, and leave the remaining surfaces where it won't matter too much, and will be painted. Obviously those pitted surfaces are not on model components that will be visible so have to look right. Nor heavily-loaded, unless the steel is sufficiently over-size for cutting all surfaces below the corrosion. If loaded, I assess how it is loaded, and whether the weathering has weakened it too much for the application.

This is to leave my precious, non-precious metals in decent condition, for where original size and good surface condition are important.

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

Nigel, I've been able to get pretty much any metal I want, at a cost, from ebay. I must admit to also raiding the not inconsiderable scrap pile for non-stressed bits first though. Our local stockist mainly keeps structural steel so not much use so I have to get it mail order or make special trips hence the trawl through ebay. I guess its all down to the size and length you need.

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Nigel,

If you check this forum and Arc Euro Trade's web site, you will find that they have re-opened, albeit for online business only. They are working a system that I imagine will have slightly degraded delivery times compared with their usual extremely prompt service. Postal delays not withstanding.

John

(JASC)

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by John Hinkley on 15/04/2020 09:38:14:

Nigel,

If you check this forum and Arc Euro Trade's web site, you will find that they have re-opened, albeit for online business only. They are working a system that I imagine will have slightly degraded delivery times compared with their usual extremely prompt service. Postal delays not withstanding.

John

(JASC)

But the first thing you get is a notice about cookies, and you don't seem to be able to turn them off, so no more Arc Euro for me

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Duncan,

If you are worried about cookies or are unable/unwilling to control them, you could always pick up the 'phone and place your order with them that way.

John

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by duncan webster on 15/04/2020 11:36:12:

But the first thing you get is a notice about cookies, and you don't seem to be able to turn them off, so no more Arc Euro for me

In my opinion legitimate cookies are not designed to do harm – they are either for the convenience of the user by maintaining shopping baskets or form entries between sessions and the like or for commercial purposes of the website owner to target advertising – which can help to pay for non commercial sites.

However I do not like them on my computers so configure browsers on most of my machines to block them or delete them at the end of sessions. This is easy to do, but can be overturned by software updates occasionally so you need to check from time to time the blocking is still in place.

Just not going on sites that say they have cookies is not a viable option as some sites are exempt from asking for your permission to use cookies if they are used for specific purposes – and also if a dodgy cookie is going to be left on your machine they are hardly likely to ask your permission!

 

Edited By Nick Clarke 3 on 15/04/2020 12:16:03

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Posted by duncan webster on 15/04/2020 11:36:12:

But the first thing you get is a notice about cookies, and you don't seem to be able to turn them off, so no more Arc Euro for me

Even this site uses cookies. Every time you answer or make a post a cookie is generated to track them. Every time you read the news or go to any website cookies are generated. As said in the Terminator series. "You cannot stop them or hide from them" . EVERY browser adds dozens of them to your pc. The internet does not work well without them. I bet you have 100's if not 1000's of them on your pc. I suppose if we all thought like that ARC along with RDG and the like would have no internet business and loose much of their income and therefore go bust. You would have to go to the bank every time you need to get or transfer money etc. Your car/home insurance would have to be done manually at an office some where, possibly India these days. regards

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by duncan webster on 15/04/2020 11:36:12:

Posted by John Hinkley on 15/04/2020 09:38:14:

Nigel,

If you check this forum and Arc Euro Trade's web site, you will find that they have re-opened, albeit for online business only. They are working a system that I imagine will have slightly degraded delivery times compared with their usual extremely prompt service. Postal delays not withstanding.

John

(JASC)

But the first thing you get is a notice about cookies, and you don't seem to be able to turn them off, so no more Arc Euro for me

It's the websites that don't tell you about the cookies you need to watch out for.

You can always set your browser to delete cookies* or use a 'private' window.

Neil

*but then you won't be able to stay logged in to websites like this one.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Had a Click & Collect booked yesterday (and our next one is two weeks away) – and couldn't get the car to start. We've been in lock-down for over six weeks (I think) and probably driven about four miles in that time. Nearest son (It's sometimes handy having more than one – apart from Birthdays & Christmas) came over but couldn't jump start it (and safe distances were kept). So he went and collected our order for us instead.

Fortunately,the AA came this morning and a replacement battery fixed it. We thought they wouldn't be busy at the moment but the man said they were – although they'd had a very quiet Easter.

So very well done the AA – but I'm still going to haggle on the renewal fee when it comes due again (as I've been doing for many, many years). I've more than saved enough to pay for the new battery over the years.

Stay Safe everyone…

IanT

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

While in the old days batteries could hold out for a few weeks nowadays the alarm and radio memory seep out some power all the time, along with a little leakage, so you do need to run the car for ten minutes every week. And if you have aircon turn that on for five minutes but have it and the heater fan off for the last five so all available juice is going into the battery.

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

My wife's car almost did not start today after 2 weeks not being used. Hardly turned over when she tried to start it. Started fine when I told her to put her foot on the clutch.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Having the prospect that we will be isolating for 12 weeks or more I purchased a decent battery charger because at some stage the car battery will sink below a reasonable charge level because the alarm system works all the time even when the car is garaged. I do run the engine once a week, if I remember, but the battery is 5 years old and the car is an automatic so uses a heavy capacity battery, I reckon that I will need to charge it after about 8 weeks, at least I am prepared for that scenario.
Dave W

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

compleated 5"*3"*2" block of cast steel on my horizontal small stub miller using a fly cutter with HSsteel tool.It cut the 3" side in one go with shallow cuts and slow feeds and several passes.Milled all round and I was more than a bit pleased at the results as the length was only 1to 2 th out.the ends were spot on and it is square all round.You might think why am I so pleased at this.I bought this miller that had been cleverly converted to a vertical mill by sawing off the bearing housings and planing level and building up with steel blocks bolted to the reduced housings and forming the vertical head on top.I dismantled this down to the reduced housings and formed them as near as possible to the originals as was possible.I have the original cut offs.To be able to fit these new housings I had to make them elongated to allow a fixing below the new ballraced spindle into the holes tapped for the previously alteration through the new oil hole.I made four pulleys with mullty v so they looked like the original flat belt.I used a laser to line up the spindle positions on the blank housings,bored the holes and fitted the new 2morse spindle I made.So you can see this could have been a right cock up.It turned out well.

Frank

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

John Hinckley-

Thank you for the Arc Euro tip!

'''

Welded the 8 horn-cheeks for my workshop hoists' cross-beam. I'm giving it a basic rubber-bush springing because with the best care in the world I am unlikely to set the longitudinal rails totally level all over, at nearly 16 feet long by 6 feet gauge. The wheels and axles do stay generally where I park them though, so it's not far off!

These horn-cheeks are simply bits of hot-rolled steel bar welded to square-section tube pillars.

I say welded.. I have to admit I am lucky if a quarter of the electrode or wire used does anything useful. Most forms lumps separated by slag on only one side of the joint, even if it looks and sounds right during the process itself. This is partly inexperience but also my hands tremble when I need them steady under some strain – they always have. So I use welding only rarely, and where strength, function and appearance are not too critical.

These pillars won't carry the load, simply take mild lateral forces when manually moving the hoist along the shed. Nor will the crab carry anything more than my Clarke-badged manual chain-hoist and loads well within its limits, and will normally carry rope blocks and tackle.

The rest of the assembly is all bolted.

I left trimming the weld lumps until after tea, and ensured my neighbours were indoors, as I carry out welding and angle-grinding outside the workshop.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Ordered a 4 jaw chuck and backplate from ARC over the weekend before they re-opened and it arrived Wednesday lunchtime.

Today made the three studs and loctited them in. Left them a bit to cure and tried it on.

Now I need more practice in setting things to run true (the casting is a wheel for Big Tich)

Another small step forwards!

Edited By Nick Clarke 3 on 16/04/2020 17:41:01

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Put my caving-kit and tents in the loft – not going to need them for a while…..

Enjoyed a post-prandial walk only a modest distance from home, along part of The Fleet (the lagoon between Chesil Beach and mainland.)

Started machining the assemblies I welded yesterday.

Finished the first stage and emerged from the workshop, with my tummy reminding me it's long past tea-time and there are pikelets and hot-cross buns in the cake-tin, to hear applause and assorted banging and clanging.

What on Earth…..?

Then remembered it's Thursday and 8pm… Went out still in overalls and oily hands to join in and have a natter with the neighbours. Jenny next door remarked you never see so many of the street's residents all at once!

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Took mill vice off & stripped. Was not working right. Turned out the gib strip was not located in the screws. Painted, refitted, went to gauge it in & dropped the little dti on the floor. Snapped the point off. Fashioned a repair & it works again but need to put a ball on the end of the drill bit I used.

Steve.

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

Apart from sorting out my mitre saw, I've made a mandrel to use with the ball turner I'm making. I will be held in a 14mm ER collet when used. I'm waiting for a delivery of metal to make the mounting block for the ball turner and am a bit disappointed, as it was promised for today. Under the present circumstances, I don't suppose I can complain.

Edited By Anthony Knights on 17/04/2020 18:27:51

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Finished the toolholder.

Steve

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Didn't get into the workshop until late afternoon.

Had to visit my bank – bus to town, a few minutes discussion through its half-open front door then some hole-in-the-wall activity; and walked home via the Co-Op. So food shopping and exercise in one trip.

The walk partly along the asphalted formation of what had been the railway from Weymouth to Portland.

Twigged where I had frustratingly gone awry in my present project, investigated a possible solution but realised making new parts is the only proper way, and cut the blanks before retiring for the evening.

'

I'd also had a go at removing the kinks from my garden hose; polythene with an open-weave reinforcing within the wall. Bad storage had set flats in it. Discovering the sun shining on the length lying on the ground made it much more pliable, I G-clamped the edges of some of the flats to squeeze them back to near-cylindrical, and left it to bask in the sun then cool as the house shadow came across it. It's an experiment, but I have a Plan Two if that fails.

[Peter SpinkParticipant @peterspink21088]

I've been using a USB 'Centrecam' with software by Mike Tretheway for some years now and it's been invaluable but unsupported for some time. Unfortunately it failed recently and having faffed around trying to fix it I decided it was time for a rethink.

I was given, as an xmas present, a rifle borescope, 5.5mm dia with built in leds so decided to see if I could adapt it to replace the Centrecam.

Ally housing machined up with M3 adjustment screws and fitted to original MT2 taper.

Downloaded and installed demo Mach 3 software and camera plug in LINK

Very pleased with the results – much smaller and easier to align with the centre of the quill and added bonus of a microscope able to look at the state of tool tips as shown

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Peter,

Any chance of details of the bore scope and fitting please?

Cheers, Martin

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