Harrogate 2008 - The Redcoats are going.

[Bogstandard]

Harrogate Model Engineering Show is on this year, Fri, Sat & Sun, 9th, 10th & 11th May.

If anyone fancies beating their gums for a while on Saturday, I will be meeting up with John S the 1st, on or by the Chester UK stand at 1:00pm. I can't get there any sooner as I am making a donation of a large quantity of dc motors to Darlington Model Boat Club, so I will be getting them sorted out first (giving me yet more room in my workshop).

You can tell who I am, the big chap with a stubbly beard and little glasses. I will be wearing a light coloured leather jacket, unless I can catch a few more cats, then it will be a multi coloured fur coat.

Steve, before you say anything, I have given up wearing orange tights and a blue codpiece, it was scaring the kids.

It is always nice to meet the members face to face, plus we can discuss how we can make the colonials go green with envy. Maybe a few teaser piccies.

I know John S the 3rd will be there, so I can catch you on your stand, as I expect you will be VERY busy.

Anyone else going?

John

 

[Circlip]

Swmbo's dragging me there John, so hope to tangle. One or two from Brit ME site to see as well. Hope there'll be enough time to see the exhibits. Regards Ian.

 

[Divided He ad]

I'll be at the show too. Not sure if friends are tagging along but I will be there rain or shine ;D

Not too sure about meeting anyone...It's not that I'm shy, just might feel a little out of my depth, I have no where near the breadth knowledge of most people on here!
Not to mention I usually swear too much in conversation!! Too many years in garages! :

I just love seeing the things people make.. Hopefully my camera will be in full use? (never been to one of these shows before!)
I also have a list of required literature and tooling that'll keep me busy

Ralph.

 

[Cedge]

DH...
Never miss the chance to meet up with others in a hobby. Your skill levels have zero meaning when a bunch of old cronies are BS'ing. The best pilots I ever met were guys who hung around for a bit of "hanger flying" at the end of the day. They milked the more seasoned guys for secrets and tips that they later applied in their own flying. Same same with any hobby.

Take the chance to meet and greet with the guys, if for no other reason than to give the Bogster a bit of grief, for me...LOL

Steve

 

[Bogstandard]

Ian,

It will be good to meet up, and see what is going on. I will only have about an hour to spare as I have a lot of people to get round, and of course buy a few bits and pieces. I usually send my herd away with a lump of cash and tell them where to find me later on. There are usually a few family orientated stands.

Ralph,

At your age, you are most probably still an amateur at bad language. When you get older you can make it sound like normal conversation. There is nothing you can come out with that the wife and grandson doesn't hear on the television every day.
So don't let that put you off, introduce yourself, even if it is only to say Hi.
When you are at a show like that, you are too busy drooling to worry about talking shop.

Rules for enjoying a show.

If you are shopping, you will need a cattle prod, to get the dodderies out of the way, they will spend an hour deciding if they want to buy a 50p rule or not. Get in there, be vicious if necessary, and get out quick before they have time to react (5 minutes is about the norm). Keep clear of them for the next ten minutes, by that time, senility will have taken over and they will have forgotten the incident, allowing you to get in a second time.

If you are looking at an exhibit and a know it all comes talking to you, make out you are foreign and don't understand the language, and walk away, otherwise you will be stuck with him while he explains everything from building the pyramids using a lathe and miller, to making a 1/4 scale Concorde out of match sticks.

There are always a few that only ever come out in the daylight to go to shows. You can spot them a mile off, permanent stoop (from being over a lathe day in, day out), woolly hat, old tweed coat, trousers tucked into socks, sometimes they even wear the obligatory national health 'bullseye' lensed glasses. So they haven't talked to anyone for sometimes up to six months, they really do need to be avoided like the plague. Get stuck with one of them is like trying to get rid of a surgically implanted hump on your back.

Now go out and enjoy the show.


John

BTW, if you come across anyone called Steve, sew up your pockets, quick. He will have you flushed out and empty before you think of ways to get away.

 

[Cedge]

John
Be happy there is a huge body of water between me and the show.....LOL. One important tip..... the cod piece is supposed to be worn inside the tights. No wonder the kids were spooked.

Enjoy the show guys. I'd love to join you but I can't swim that well.

Steve

 

[alan2525]

I was thinking of going to the show, really wanted to see some of the cnc stuff at Lester Caine's stand and get an idea of whats the cnc conversion kit for the Taig mill will set me back!

Then just do a lot of oogling of the exhibits and try to avoid standing near old men who turn any subject into re-encounting an abridged version of their life story...

???

 

[CrewCab]

One important tip..... the cod piece is supposed to be worn inside the tights.

;D .............. that's what I've been doing wrong all these years ???



Well I'm off guys, but unless you are all wearing green hats with pink flashing bobble's I'm unlikely to recognise anyone ???

Ralph. I have far less engineering experience than you and have worked in the building trade for 40 years : so if you want to meet up give me a shout 8)

Everyone have a great time, if I happen to bump in to some of you then that'll be a nice bonus ;D

Dave

 

[John S]

Alan,
A Taig is a piece of piss to convert.
You don't need a kit you get everything out the scrap box and build it in a dinner time

Here's one I did earlier.

Using box section and two pulleys with timing belt gets the overall length down and it doesn't look like Prince Charles. It's also actually cheaper than buying an Oldham coupling and far better then the original Taig coupling made from two drinking straws and some high tensile licorice.

Even the 4th axis is easy if you rob a gearbox off a reduction electric motor.

.

 

[Divided He ad]

Ok... I'm up for it! I can bore the hell out of any old guy! How many of those cattle prods have you got John... or can you hire one at the gate? :big:

I'm probably going to be the easiest to find... 6'2" Red hair and glasses. Occasionally told I look intimidating? :-\
Not sure what they mean... I'm a reasonable sort really :

I'll see whoever whenever and see how it goes


Ralph.

 

[HS93]

I have another problem at shows , I spend time in a chair as I cannot walk very far , the problem is .......BAGS.. haversacks , or some of the older gents probably gas mask bags , hung of there backs full of steel , brass etc and guess what they are at just the right height to smack me in the face . O the fun of shows, there is another group John missed , that is the Gentlemen who stand with there backs to the stand and talk to people, no matter how hard you ram them they won't move . they adopt the attitude of if I don't look at him he is not there ... GRRRRRRRRRRRRR I hate shows but they are the best place to get re stocked.

Peter
Sorry for the rant

 

[John S]

I'll be there on all three days on the ArcEuroTrade stand, against the door in the second hall.
I'll be on the main stand and my lad will be running the CNC machines.

Pop over to have a word but don't be disappointed on the Friday if it's a bit of a short one like f**k off as it's gets really busy.

A pity really as it's nice to put names to faces, Saturday and Sunday is a lot more relaxed but still busy, last year they had 26,000 thru the doors in the 3 days.

.

 

[Circlip]

John, you really are a wicked old B***er, winding up the colonials like this. Just to
see what they're missing in the mother country :big:

Ralph, after the standard of work you've displayed, some will be asking for YOUR advise, just get yer boots wet.

Regards Ian.

 

[alan2525]

Alan,
A Taig is a piece of piss to convert.
You don't need a kit you get everything out the scrap box and build it in a dinner time

Using box section and two pulleys with timing belt gets the overall length down and it doesn't look like Prince Charles. It's also actually cheaper than buying an Oldham coupling and far better then the original Taig coupling made from two drinking straws and some high tensile licorice.

Even the 4th axis is easy if you rob a gearbox off a reduction electric motor.

I was refering to the stepper controller/ drivers. Not too sure which system is most suited to my budget - preferably as cheap as possible but would prefer an off the shelf controller rather than wiring up my own power supply and looking for suitable enclosures and hardware.

The actual mounting of the steppers looks pretty straightforward...four holes and bolts of some kind...

 

[HS93]

John S
just a quick question I have an X1 and have gust got some 180N.cm from Arc 1/4 " as they had no metric what size gears do you use for th belt drive.

sory to go of topic but I have been looking for some time now for information any chance of a new Topic for small cnc's
Peter

 

[John S]

Peter,
Are you planning on keeping the original screws or replacing will ball screws ?

If keeping original then run at 2:1 reduction with 5mm pitch HTD pulleys from RS Components.
Normally RS are quite expensive but they beat everyone hands down on these pulleys and belts.

If going to ball screws you can run direct if you want or still keep the 2:1 for more torque.

.

 

[HS93]

Ball screws are to expensive, so will be keeping the originals, I have used http://www.hpcgears.com/ but will have a look at R S Ill go for the 2 to 1 then I thought the 180 would be powerfull enough for direct , but 2 x 1 is just as easy and as you say will give a bit of extra torque.


thanks
Peter

added

what width and number of teath do you use

 

[John S]

9mm wide is ideal for these motors.
Number of teeth doesn't matter and I try to get the largest gear at a decent price break.
Often times there can be a big jump from say 40 to 44 teeth.

.