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Hi, Would that be classified as a wobbler? I know it wobbles, but the valving is what you'd expect on a non-wobbler. I like it. Alan

Hi, There is a way of stopping the cut if you have a thread dial by disengaging the leadscrew, even if you are cutting a metric thread on an imperial machine (or vice versa). The method is as follows: After setting the tool to cut the correct depth, start the lathe in the forward direction...

Hi, Here is another variation. The small end diameter is the same as the ID of 1/2" copper pipe while the intermediate diameter is the same as the OD of 1/2" copper pipe. To use, insert the small end into the copper pipe, grasp the copper pipe in the left hand and belt the end of the tool...

Hi, I made a 100/127 gear for my Boxford lathe out of delrin. I wanted a phosphor bronze bush for it so I used the method shown in the pictures. I brazed a 1/8" thick brass flange to a bush made from 5/8" phosphor bronze. The gear was drilled through to accept the bush and the hole was...

Gosh, the new system for replying to a post is complicated. Here's my second crack at it. I have a couple of questions regarding the bevel gear calculator. It says there is an error in Ian Law's book concerning the small end diameter calculation which should include the COS of the pitch cone...

Hi Richard, There is a gizmo which has been around for yonks and which does pretty much as you describe. I used to work in a factory which had a stream of molten glass which needed to be kept at a specific temperature. The device consisted of a low power telescope with a...

Hi Dave, I'd be a bit careful about trusting the absolute temperature indicated by one of these as the readings are affected by the nature of the surface you're looking at (the emissivity). A matt black surface will give a different reading to a polished metal surface even if the...

Years ago I had a neighbour who lost a finger in exactly the way Cogsy described. He was over 60 and helping his daughter and son-in-law finish their house. He was used to using a hand planer and would curl his fingers around the plane to rest on the sole to act as a guide. Not a good idea when...

Hi Graham, One thing you might like to play around with is to measure the temperature of the steam before it is throttled. Water at 150psi boils at 181.5C while water at 145 psi boils at 180C. If you used teflon coated k type thermocouple cable you could put it through a...

Hi Pat, Can you put the O ring in one of the straight slot sections while it is sitting horizontally and then let the flat half sit on the top of the O ring. It may then be possible, using a piece of wire, to push it into the slot starting from the bit already in place. You may need...

Hi Chuck, I agree leaving the half nuts engaged is the easiest way to cut threads. I resurrected an old Boxford lathe and installed a VFD driven motor. It has been set up to accelerate and decelerate fairly slowly. This makes it very awkward when running a thread up to a...

Hi, Sorry about my earlier post about seeing this arrangement at a vintage machinery show - I didn't fully understand the concept put forward by Ved. What I saw was a gear going around the inside of an elliptical gear. Regards, Alan

Hi, I've seen that arrangement on a pump at a local vintage machinery show. The pump looked to be from the early 1900s so the concept survived commercially for at least that long. It was certainly fascinating to watch it work and I thought about trying to copy it into a model only I...

Hi, Clever idea for the displacer piston. I've never seen it done like that before. Regards, Alan

Hi, Ideally it would be better to start with some 8mm round stock and thread the ends while leaving the middle intact to fit the bearing. If this isn't possible, you could try loctiting a nut on the bolt and turning it down to 8mm. There obviously won't be much of the nut left. If strength...

Hi Mac, I guess you have one of two problems. The first is the possibility the dovetails are worn or not parallel. To check this get two short (say 15mm) lengths of round stock of a diameter such that they protrude slightly beyond the dovetails when placed in the dovetail angles...

Hi, I came across this video on youtube: If you're interested in old engines this video is well worth a look. If you don't know a lot about them you can learn a lot as the bloke tries to figure out how it works. Regards, Alan

Hi, What about taking the spare battery for your drill along. I imagine it would contain enough energy to recharge a few phones. Mind you, I suppose you'd need some electronics to bring the voltage down from 18V to whatever the phones use. Alan C.

Hi, What was the concentration of the ferric chloride solution? Thanks, Alan