My Week this Week, My workshop videos

[GRAYHIL]

Hi folks, A mixed bag this week! I fix the garden tractor after it takes on a tree stump and loses, get started on realigning the colchester lathe (more next week) Do the inevitable tidying up, and have two very productive days of antique repairs ! Enjoy!
Phil, the central heating is on in East Yorkshire!

Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming.
Graham

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, Part two of aligning the Colchester headstock, plus stripping and rebuilding a three jaw chuck, in order to clean and oil it, and get it working to its full potential accuracy and smoothnes! Three jaw chucks all have runout, even when brand new and good quality, expect 3 to 4 thou runout, and more on an import! They are convenient and quick, and as long as you are turning all the diameters of your component, any runout is ireelevant, but if you need to use the outside diameter of the bar as well, it will not be concentric with the diameters you have turned! If you need to do this, use a 4 jaw! A 4 jaw is the most accurate chuck you have!
Phil, in sunny hot and summery East Yorkshire! It won't last!!

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, This week I strip the Holbrook countershaft and work out the sliding positions for the upper pulley to obtain the 12 speeds on the Holbrook, six selected by belt changing, and the back gear giving another six. I pop over to my mate Richards in the derwent valley and we troubleshoot his Ingersol rand "$" compressor We get it running in short order but there is a fault on the unloader system which turns out to be the non return valve has failed. And then the what is it! Something interesting from a York car boot, prably with a military history, have a look and let me know in the comments, and dont forget to subscribe!!
Phil, in pleasantly warm and sunny East Yorkshire!

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, A mixed week in which I get some more work on the Holbrook in, and realise that my envisioned solution for the countershaft arrangment is fatally flawed, and with thanks to the Guru of all things Holbrook, Mr John Bourke, I rethink it all and take his sage advice to heart!After an early morning at York Uiversity on Tuesday for My eldest to get her Masters in Biology Graduation, we go on to Wednesday grass cutting in the field, back on the Holbrook Thursday, and Friday, in sweltering heat we start the fence that we started on the day lockdown was imposed at the start of Covid!Phil, summer has arrived in East Yorkshire!

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, This week we complete the final preparations for the annual Wicani Jamboree, which is a get together of dog breeders and owners held annually on the field owned by my cousin Keith and I. This involves doing all the maintenance, repairs and tidying up we should have done at regular intervals during the year, and doing it all in about two weeks to make the place look great and to try (and usually fail) to impose some order on the chaos of nature! There is no such thing as natural beauty in nature! Eventually the strongest weeds take over and you are left with a monoculture of nettles, blind brambles and thistles. Sometimes we win, but mostly it just a wilderness! We love it, but really could live without the work it takes! Hope you enjoy it,Back on the Holbrook next week!
Phil, in pleasantly warm East Yorkshire.

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, A whole uninterrupted week in the workshop! I get the majority of the build done, designing it in my head as I progress! The worst part was derusting the steel, the best was the welding AFTER I fitted a new contact tip! Also advanced two tech levels with the Rapidor, got the damper working correctly to lift the saw on the backstroke, and got the vice to cut at 45 degrees! Did an unscheduled angle grinder fix, but after all it did come out of a skip several years ago! Good progress!
Phil warm and dry in East Yorkshire

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, Another week in the workshop, not quite uninteruppted, but I virtually finished the belt tensioning mechanism, and fit in a couple of side jobs as well, a quick repair on a part for an astronomical telescope, and watch to the end to see a quick tidy up of the workshop!
Phil, in Wild and Windy East Yorkshire

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, Another short week due to hospital appointments and daughters returning to university with a pantechnicon load of stuff! We did it! Phase two, the motor mounting, clutch and brake assembly is begining to take shape in the noggin, and I am ready to mount the motor, I finally after much procrastination, fit the starter to the Rapidor, which is now fully automated and I can walk away from it and let it cut and autostop! How 20th century is that!!
Phil in Scorchio East Yorkshire!

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks,
On the Holbrook, I set up a double pulley on the motor to give two speeds from the motor, which restores all of the Holbrooks 12 speeds, I get the motor mounting plate sorted, and set up a sliding system in order to select the two pulley positions, and basically, it is all falling into place. A visit to Haxby shed to meet Paul on his home ground, some biographical notes, and a look round his very clean and tidy workshop, which is filled with some classic machine tools!
Phil, in Autumnal East Yorkshire

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks,
On with the Holbrook B9! I get the motor mounted and start to work on a mechanism to disconnect the drive without turning the motor off. What seemed to be a simple case of a slipping belt clutch, which I have used before many times, including on the 2CV tractor, doesnt work well in this application with much shorter belts and tighter wrap around the pulleys. I learn about the fabric covered V belt which is designed to slip with anything but a full wrap and consider the possibility. It is coming together, and after reversing cleaning and servicing the motor, she runs, and in the right direction too!
Phil Its beginning to be chilly in East Yorkshire

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks,
This week the pulley slipping clutch starts to work, thanks to some input from Gardentractorboy! I fit two belt guides and hey presto, the belt slip clutch works! I get a pivot made and fit a square "cam" to the end, and we have a system that moves the motor from drive to free in one movement! I struggle on through various interruptions, some more welcome than others, but end the week on a positive note with a drive system clutch that works a treat!
Phil, geting a bit "back endish" in East Yorkshire

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, All the Holbrook transmission comes together this week, and it all works, and then a huge penny drops, and with one change, my cunning plan bears fruit! I explain it all in the video! I am still getting over 60% of my viewers are not subscribers, please subscribe! Its free and it helps me move towards the time when I might actually get some of the time and money I put into my projects back!Next week will be finishing off, and a belt guard, plus eliminating any buzzes and rattles which crop up! Warning, contains gratuitous Rapidor porn!!
Phil, in very wet East Yorkshire!

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, eThis week starts with a sidetrack, a sure sign I need a break from the Holbrook project to get the creativity flowing again! I took one look at the cold damp weather and realised I would soon need to heat the workshop, and so decided to get to the bottom of the circulation problem and did just that, but what a game it was, and I am still not sure of the cause, though it was definitely a blockage, physical or air, that was the cause! It is now fixed, and the pump is silent, and actually circulating the water!Typically, the next day and the rest of the week were bright and very warm! On with the Holbrook, I fit the control handle stop, and start making the belt guard, the final step before it all comes to pieces for painting!
Phil, in wet and cold then dry and warm East Yorkshire

 

[hermetic]

Hi folks, This week I make the belt guard for the Holbrook lathe, and make and fit the stop and the hold up mechanism. Some TIG and Mig welding, a bit of milling, but no Rapidor this week! Thursday/froday my old mate Richard Teale comes over, and we fit a new roof to the blacksmiths shop area of the workshop. This morning I am stiff as a board and ache all over, but it is done apart from the last 1/2 sheet as you will see!
Phil, in typical East Yorkshire weather! It can't make its mind up!!

 

[kinggt4]

What happened to Hermetic? Havent seen anything for a while~~

 

[Propforward]

He’s been unwell, but is back at it. He posted another video last week.

 

[Steamchick]

My week - December to New year. (OK, that's a month...!).
Assembled and finished 2 boilers.
After COVID Quarantine, when certification ran out, Boiler inspectors passed-on to the great workshop wherever....
I needed 2 boilers re-certifying - From Scratch - as the 2018 regs required and because the new inspectors were advised by the Federation.
So, duly stripped, back in the Spring, when other jobs interposed and the inspectors were very busy with everyone else who's boilers had expired certification.... I achieved design calculation and (Stripped) boiler examination approval and Hydraulic tests a Month or so ago....
So the December days came when I could re-assemble the boilers.
A 2in vertical boiler needed some brass bits re-making - de-zincification of the fittings and drain at the bottom of the water-gauge and a broken fitting on the steam manifold (Seized after being assembled for 12 years!). And here it is. On air test to set the Safety Relief Valve:
And the steam test - resetting the Safety Relief Valve in the "hot spring" Steam condition...

Horrid photos because they show the Mess of my "hot" bench. - And my photography often misses the subject! - Hope it makes you laugh?

The other boiler is the 1995 3in. horizontal boiler, made by my Dad.
The boiler ends were "distorted" from some over-pressure so the inspector had requested calculations, full re-certification after repair of the ends by fitting stays. Duly measured, calculated, stays fitted, and silver soldering re-done as required (90% "to be sure") and after the design calcs, repairs etc, approved and hydraulically tested, I re-assembled it into the casing, etc. this last week or 2...
The old firebox insulation was mostly broken so I replaced much of it with old ceramic tiles I had.
The old regulator (screw-down valve) needed replacing, and a couple of fittings to re-connect the pipework.
And here are some photos:
Before disassembly:

And it looks almost the same afterwards, with a couple of new bits.
Regulator/shut-off valve and pipework - Spot the "cleaner" brass!

New brass weight on the pressure relief Safety Valve, and re-marked pressure gauge limit for new certification. (Air test - proving Relief Valve control pressure).


HAPPY NEW YEAR! - (It will be, if the inspector approves the steam test during the next month or so!).
K2