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!

[Author]

Posts