What Did You Do Today 2026

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Duncan, I tend to agree, although there could be scope for possible 3D printing many of them these days I suppose.

Regards Nick.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I’m having a go at a small magneto (for a future engine) and have got this far, not tested for spark as yet.

[paul rushmerParticipant @paulrushmer83015]

hello bernard I built one a few years ago it did not work. I spoke to minimag who sed it was probably the timing, they did how ever offer to fix it as long as my machining was up to scratch. I was going to try it on a tom senior but could not decide wether to run it at crankshaft speed and wast a spark or camshaft speed? Nothing has been done just waiting for enthusiasm time.

Paul

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Hi Paul, have not timed it yet other things have got in the way.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

‘Expression of interest’ in hearing how the job progresses, Bernard.

Is the body about 2″ square?

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Its 1.7″ x 1.6″ x 2.3″ tall so its not that small but I guess that there is a limit to how small you can go and get a useable output. Ill leave that one up to Robert Im more of a mechanical engineer.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

This is one of the other things thats got in the way. Neary time for anodising.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Very nice Bernard, do you fly fish ?

Bob

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Yes I do but this one is 4 1/4″ in dia and is for trotting. I have made a couple before from Tufnol and are really nice to use.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, one little job I did today was to shorten the arbor end of a 2MT blank end arbor, I did try parting it of on my mini lathe, but it was just too tuff, and caused a lot of chatter. So my only option was to saw it off, but holding it made me think a little, as the MT end was threaded, I then remembered that I had a 3MT to 3MT shank extension socket, that I’d drilled though the MT end, so that I could use it in my old Chester milling machine so that I could reach down between some tall projections, on a job I did about 20 years ago. So along with this and a 3MT to 2MT open sleeve, I was able to fit the arbor into the extension sleeve secured with a long hold-down bolt and nut, so that I could cut it using my Bandsaw.

Regards Nick.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

just finished 4 of these (yes one has already been claimed) the late one is 4 1/2″ tall x 1 7/8″ dia. Nice jet of oil with two internal valves to hold the pump section full of oil.

[renardiere7Participant @renardiere7]

Wow!  Lovely job, really like the Hex bases.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Beautiful oilers and angling reels, Bernard!

Me, today?

Dividing my time between milling-machine mending (re my thread on the ‘Manual Machine Tools’ section) and refitting our club’s driving-truck / tender for the ‘Wren’.

First port of call was B&Q for a metre length of angle-steel (yes I know not the first choice for high-quality engineering materials at reasonable cost, but the easiest and most logical for the purpose) then ToolStation for a plumber’s pipe-freezing kit.

The angle for the tender’s new coal-box, the freezer for chilling the machine spindle to remove a bearing.

 

Oh – and browsing on the wild strawberries fruiting prolifically round my frog-pond. Some are quite, well, strawberry-flavour, others seem slightly salty. Perhaps not quite ripe, but I’ve observed they stay white on areas not reached by the sunlight.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Seems like a good day to me!

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

More like what did I finish today. Started 2 weeks ago what seemed like a 2-day job for me anyway, but woke up one Friday morning feeling very dizzy and feeling sick which seemed to last for ages so did not want to play with machines or drive the car.

So anyway managed over the last 2 days to complete the making parts and fitting a simple DRO for the tailstock. I know the display is sideways on but for the amount of time it will be needed it suits me.

Got the scale from Machine DRO great service as I ordered the wrong size by mistake and the young lady on the other end sorted it out and sent this one. Not the first time I have used them and I am sure it will not be the last.

The completed job

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

Using my flycutter I cleaned up the side of a 90 degree fixture plate that I found. I could grind all the sides with my surface grinder except this one.

 

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

I got to use lots of tools making this left handed shooting plane out of some angle iron.

I discovered it is quite a bit of work getting a big chunk of angle iron to have flat, square surfaces.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Went to the Guildford “show” but not much to see these days if you are not into locos. Just a few old IC iengines of interest to me.

Luckily I was not expecting anything else and really went for a stock up of metal. Just priced it up from M-Machine’s price list now I am home and happy that I go £360 worth for a third of that, mostly brass and bronze with a couple of bits of aluminium as well. Best buy was 12″ of 1″+ bronze for £20 rather than £80.

 

Get there before it’s all gone.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Have just written a summary of my day at Chickerell Rally (near Weymouth), tried to add some photos… Lost the lot.

The photos stuck themselves in out of order, with no cursor below them to guide me, and deleted all the text. Even the clipboard copy vanished.

 

This is just one point from the original, and I won’t risk trying to insert photos again.

This rally is miniatures-friendly. From the programme:

Full-size steam road vehicles: 18,

Miniatures from 3″ to 6″ scale: 42.

Very impressive line-up with all – full-size and models –  in the ring together, with the public allowed in to take photos for quarter of an hour or so, in a re-creation of steam-era smog despite the breeze.

 

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