The Home Machinist!

Step drills are the answer when you don't have knockout punches. Having the right tools for the job is part of doing the job. :D As was previously said, creating holes in electrical panels is accomplished with knockout punches. Punches make round and accurately-sized holes, not raggedy ellipses.

Fuel keeps going and going ...Attribute this improvement to several factors: 1) new boiler key hole fire box has greater heating surface area than the old boiler rectangular fire box, 2) number of flues went from qty=21 in the old boiler to qty=28 flues in the new boiler, 3) more thorough and bette...

I read somewhere that it's okay to put more than three #3 wires in 3/4" conduit. The person who wrote that must have a great sense of humor. It's true that you can get three in, if your run is a foot long with no bends. I switched to 1", and now that it's done, I can see that 1.25" was the way to g...

whateg0 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 09, 2019 9:41 pm

I can see where if you were really aggressive in some steels, it might be beneficial, but for the bulk of what we do, it just makes an unnecessary mess, IMO.

I agree, especially if using a good-quality bi-metal blade (my preferred brand is Lenox).

The wiring was wonky - fixed it and it started right up so cap is fine as well. Now I've got to work on the coolant pump, sigh ... At least I can cut what I need with a spray bottle of coolant if I get desperate. :D Just what it is you plan to cut that requires coolant in a relatively light-weight ...

BDD, I'm going to be attaching a tensioner jacking bolt under the hydraulic motors with a locking nut so they can't "walk" in the slots. I suggest you use flange-head capscrews, grade 8, minimum thread engagement of 1/2 inch. The traction motor brackets on my trucks are made from 1/4 inch HR steel....

I've had a 13" Jet Horizontal band saw for years - bought second hand from a guy who definitely did stuff to the wiring. However it has worked for me for years until today when it is totally dead. The motor is a 4 pole, 3/4 hp. There is power to the box that has wires split off to the motor switch,...

I did a little work tonight getting the hydraulic motors fit into their brackets, took some measurements so I can weld them onto the truck cross tubes and have them centered inside the body. I actually made these brackets long before I ordered the hydraulic motors, so I'm happy everything fit well....

Being an obdurate curmudgeon, I prefer calipers that don't use a battery. It's not just due to the irritation that comes when you need the caliper and the battery is too weak to get a measurement. Digital calipers depend upon a linear encoder for determining positioning. Even the best linear encoder...

I'll second the others. Although I don't do steam railroading, I do have an interest in what is going on inside a boiler, and found this "autopsy" an interesting read.

Harold_V wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 04, 2019 12:55 am

Simple. It's an attempt to have a political statement when it's common knowledge that such things are not appropriate for this board. He knows better.

I suspected it was either that or the side-effects of some kind of medication.

NP317 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:42 pm

???????
RN

That's two of us, amigo mío. I'm completely at sea as to about what he's posting.