Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Apr 13, 2016 8:58:45 GMT
... It's nearly soothing ale o'clock. There's a Meccano clock here, that dad built about 15 years ago or so - keeps time brilliantly - just above the second hand though, he's stuck a sign: "Beer o'clock - what time? any time!"
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Apr 13, 2016 6:45:56 GMT
Groceries were delivered last night (cheaper than going to the shop myself, and easier as dad would have to come with me), the delivery driver turned out to be a member of a local makerspace and was quite interested in the part-built loco on my bench. So we had a bit of a chat about robots and steam engines before he had to dash off for his next delivery. A bit of a nice surprise.
Also finally remembered to get a couple of pastry brushes for the workshop; something I've used for a while now for cleaning machine tools, and applying cutting fluid, etc. Being food-grade they're intended to work with light oils, detergents, high temperatures, and not shed their bristles; quite ideal for workshop use, and longer lasting than any other brush I've come across.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Apr 11, 2016 11:31:49 GMT
Dad's birthday today (he's 74 now), so we had chicken and chips for dinner as it's an old favourite of his.
Been a bit down of late, so haven't done much in the workshop. But a stand for the Blowfly is slowly taking shape, which will free up a bit of bench space; just need to pinch the neighbour's arc welder.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Apr 6, 2016 7:07:18 GMT
... Condensate could be a problem with this long run and if it is I'll fit a ball drain valve similar to those on the steam brake. Lagging the pipe might help a bit too, I've found pipe cleaners to be quite good for the job on small pipes. Probably still need a drain though... unless you blow the whistle a lot.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Apr 4, 2016 4:49:10 GMT
nice work Jim....it seems so odd hearing you speak of autumn....today has been a lovely sunny spring day with a little warmth for once....I love this time of year once the clocks have changed and daylight begins to go well into the evening......summer is a coming..... keep up the good work sir... regards Pete Pete, You're grateful for a little warmth for once. While we're grateful for little warmth for once.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 26, 2016 9:25:47 GMT
Not so much what I did today, as what didn't happen a couple of days ago. Long story short; my brother's decided that he wants Pa's lathe, as he figures he might find it useful, and has thus put it in his shed under and behind a few tons of car parts, assorted other tools, etcetera. Which also means it's "just not practical to move it" now, as he told me.
He did offer to invite me out for a couple of hours one day, once he's got it set up.
So I'm basically back to where I started.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 26, 2016 9:13:21 GMT
My thoughts: Blue the inside edges of the hinge block, put one of those nifty little sprung bars that hold a watch strap onto a watch into the hinge, fit the lid in place, then remove. The sprung watch-band pin should have left a line which stops on the centre of the hinge pin, measure and transfer to the outside, then drill.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 18, 2016 8:31:10 GMT
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 15, 2016 12:24:20 GMT
Ah ok, I've worked it out... their catalogue is confusing. As I said, won't need any for a while, but it's nice to see what's around. Plus all the injectors I've used in the past came from someone up north who I don't remember, and has stopped making injectors now anyway.
Ta, Lisa
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 15, 2016 7:09:05 GMT
Well I haven't got it yet, but patience pays off, I hope.
I'm not going to need injectors for a while, but always interested in what others use, particularly locally. I don't see them on DNC's website/pricelist though, only the SuperScale ones. DNC seem to stock a fair bit of Sandberg gear though, so could they be Warwick Sandberg's injectors? I'm often hearing good things about those.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 14, 2016 10:15:56 GMT
Jim, well done, that flows nicely, is it as close to the rear coupled wheel as it looks? Looks to just barely miss it. Also, what's your injector of choice (make/rate)?
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 13, 2016 6:48:41 GMT
As my 5th grade teacher once said, 'If there's a way to muck it up you'll find it!' My brother had/has a saying to work around this: 'A job worth doing, is worth doing twice!'
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 13, 2016 6:43:23 GMT
Today I may have got myself a bigger lathe, courtesy of my brother's wife's late grandfather. Not entirely sure what it is, and it'll probably need a bit of work done on it, but I did see it in his shed when 'Pa' was still around, and it's certainly a hefty old lump of cast iron that should be good for getting on with things.
Will need to wait for my brother to get some time off work before I'll be able to actually get it here, but at least I'm a little closer to being able to actually build this loco.
Brian, that was brilliant!
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Mar 5, 2016 7:00:22 GMT
In contrast to the UK where the cold is making things difficult, here it's the heat. For the week just gone the temp has been stuck on 30<34C and the same predicted for the coming week! Everything you touch in the workshop is warm to hot. So sitting inside in the cool and googling things as you do I came across this wonderful source for all things Britannia plus heaps more railway material including for example, the ER and Flying Scotsman which gets a run..I had to put that in for Pete. Others no doubt will have also found David Heys' page but if not here's the link: www.davidheyscollection.com/page90.htm. I hope you find it as interesting as I have. Jim It's the humidity that's getting us up in QLD, the heat has been (comparatively) not that bad this summer, but the humidity is horrendous! Armchair model engineering is the name of the game for summers.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Feb 18, 2016 5:21:34 GMT
In the Blowfly manual (and original articles), Barry Potter would often comment with words to the effect of, "it doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to fit."
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Feb 17, 2016 7:29:06 GMT
Brian, the video won't play, just says "This video is private."
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Feb 10, 2016 15:50:10 GMT
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Feb 10, 2016 15:48:08 GMT
Today I took advantage of the first day this year where the workshop wasn't pretending to be either an oven or a sauna; the humidity in particular has been quite horrendous this summer.
So I spent a couple of hours in the workshop getting rid of the spider's web that had taken over the bench grinder, and doing a few odd jobs that have been getting ignored put aside for a while; such as finally replacing that dodgy bolt on the lathe's top slide tool post. I think I may need to re-centre the tailstock, haven't done any checks yet, but I've just got a feeling that it's not right.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Dec 21, 2015 16:43:01 GMT
I broke a tap, in my defense it is the first one this century (that I can remember / will admit to). Naturally it happened on the last hole of an assembly. Getting another tap will probably be a 2016 thing, due to everything around here shutting down for the holidays etc; unless I'm lucky. But, I got this done, sans one bolt:
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Dec 16, 2015 8:27:31 GMT
Horley Miniature Locomotives horleyminiaturelocomotives.com/U.K. A range of 5" and 7¼" gauge designs by Martin Evans, Dick Stockings, Jim Vass, and others. GS Supplies gssmodelengineers.com/U.K. A range of designs by LBSC, and others, in 3½" and 5" gauges, as well as traction/road and stationary steam engine designs.
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