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Post by Nigel Bennett on Jun 6, 2008 11:18:49 GMT
Anybody remember those superb humorous articles by Michael Oxley in the Christmas ME's in the 1950's? I was reading one last night, and they're still as funny now. It was he who invented the "thrupple nut", as a throw-away line in one of his articles, and the term sort of got hi-jacked by others!
The articles are well worth looking out for, for sheer entertainment value.
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Post by the_viffer on Jun 8, 2008 7:27:10 GMT
Just you and me then Nigel by the look of it.
There were some pretty bizarre drawings and photos too I think.
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Post by missemmajade on Jun 8, 2008 7:37:07 GMT
i've seen them.. was a good one about boilermaking I think.. my ME's are at the other end of the country, so cant look at them now  *EM* |
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Post by bobpendleton on Jun 8, 2008 10:01:51 GMT
No, I'm not going to admit to reading Oxley in the 1950's (I might have though) but my curiosity being whetted I've just had a ferret around...
As far as I can see, ME's number 2692, 2742, 2794, 2846, 2898, 2950, 3002, 3046, 3098, 3152 and possibly others, are where the treasure lies. The first one to hand, 2794 "An Electronic Organ in Four Nights", rambles through an atomic catastrophe (due to his previous experiments), a workshop 'efficiency drive' (one can only use the drilling machine with one leg through the lathe bed) to Bert Higgins' Felinophone for the French court (cats arranged to yowl harmoniously when their tails are tugged from the keyboard until it was discovered that D-flat was having kittens).
Happy hunting then, brothers (and sister). While I'm down there I feel it's a good moment to start a long delayed efficiency drive of my own.
Bob
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Post by eightpot on Jun 8, 2008 22:58:10 GMT
One of his articles dealt with the gentle art of turning on the lathe. This referred to useful devices like the left and right-handed 'digging-in tools', also the 'round-nosed smooger' (for removing the gashes and grooves caused by the former), and that parting-off tools should be used with a sharp jabbing action.
Other useful advice included using both hands on the handle for the cross-slide and turning them in opposite directions at the same time (this apparently looks really professional), and not going for an extended tea break with the self act engaged. This usually results in the remains of a lathe bed at the RH end and a big heap of swarf at the LH end.
Also recalled is his home-brew cutting fluid that incorporated sulphuric acid, this latter element apparently solved the problem of disposing of the swarf - it simply dissolved it.
Perhaps I'd better dig out the relevant issues and have a re-read.
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Post by eightpot on Jun 8, 2008 23:05:14 GMT
I forgot to mention that Thrupple Nuts were normally a 5/8" BSLM (British Standard Lawn Mower) thread, which is 11-2/9ths TPI.
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