Little machining Job - slightly OT

[Paul Parry]

Hi Guys,

Anyone suggest where I can get some little spacers made ( brass preferably ) I need 15mm O/D with a 9.5mm I/D hole and 7mm in height. They are to allow me to fit some little glass tubes that hold little Neon colon indicators into some regular 15mm copper pipe fittings.

It would take someone with a lathe about half an hour, but it isn't something I have. I would need 20 of them and clean out of ideas. One engineering company quoted me a 3 figure price just to set a lathe up :(

Kind regards,

Paul

[Nick]

Steampunk Nixie clocks, perchance?

Local car restoration places often have a lathe and may do that. I have a small engineering lathe, but no time :(

People who work at tech colleges also sometimes moonlight... Model railway enthusiasts... etc.

Nick

[gregebert]

I've done similar things with a drill-press; do you have one ? 

[Jan Rychter]

I’ve been looking at Chinese machining services for a while now, wondering why everybody seems to want to buy a CNC router from China instead of buying services. If you search the web you’ll find lots of people buying CNC machines or building their own. At the same time, a quick look at alibaba.com shows hundreds of companies seemingly willing to do prototyping work even in single-unit quantities. Just search alibaba.com for something like “cnc machining prototyping” or similar and you’ll see what I mean.

I intend to try some of those out, but perhaps someone can do that first :-)

I’ve had very good experiences with both buying from aliexpress.com and with ordering PCBs from iteadstudio.com — inexpensive, with quality meeting expectations every time. I don’t know why CNC machining would be any different.

To keep this message on subject, I’ve been thinking about a nixie clock with an enclosure made from CNC-machined brass, requiring a 5-axis machine.

So, you might want to look at some of those companies and try them out. It shouldn’t cost much. And please let us know if you do!

—J.

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[Instrument Resources of America]

The key to buying or using the services is, whether or not you can
justify the expense of buying, maintenance, and ownership of the machine
vs. farming it out to one of the shops. How much use can you, or will
you, be able to find for such a machine!!! Ira.

[Paul Parry]

Yes, it might just happen to be another SP Nixie clock Nick LOL, I was thinking model railway enthusiasts as I get quite a few parts from model steam engine suppliers, bushes / glands etc.

My workshop consists of a spare bedroom in the house (warmer than the garage) and I don't have many 'large' tools, but I do have a drill press, but don't see how I can use that to turn brass? kind of like a vertical lathe? The chuck only opens up to 13mm so I wouldn't be able to make what I need, but intrigued as to how you manage?

If I had the room, I might get a small engineering lathe, but it would probably sit there 95% of the time gathering dust, so best to sub out the work. I did find someone on eBay offering CNC turning at £6 / hour plus materials so I told them what I want, but not heard anything back. I would like to keep the work in the UK, as I would like to think we still can make a 15mm Dia spacer for a reasonable cost in this country :) Besides which it would probably take weeks to get anything in from China.

I will let you know if this eBay company comes back.

Cheers,

Paul

[petehand]

Have you looked to see if you can buy brass tube stock? Here's some I found in a few minutes -

https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=19814&step=4&showunits=inches&id=84&top_cat=79

It's 25 thousandths oversize outside diameter but precisely right inside. You need about seven inches, allowing for waste. Now this is of course in the USA and we've never heard of that metric hooha, but if you look I'm sure someone in Europe must sell brass tube with 15mm OD and 3mm walls. You can clean out 0.5mm inside with a drill more easily than you can turn down the outside, then cut it into 7mm lengths with a pipe cutter or even a hacksaw.

If you want, I can buy this stuff and make them for you.

[gregebert]

Having a drill-press is a game-changer. If you cant find exactly what you need on Ebay, you can reduce the diameter of what you do find by clamping it in the chuck of the drillpress, and use a file to grind-off the outer material. Fine sandpaper will put a nice finish on it. If the stock already has a hole thru the axis, it's easy to enlarge it by drilling into it. I use vise-grips to hold it.

Cutting it square into short lengths will be tricky, but if you have a rotary tool (ie Dremel, etc), it's pretty easy.

If you dont have a rotary tool yet, I suggest you buy one with the money you save by not going to a machine shop; you will find many uses for it.

[Instrument Resources of America]

Rotary tools, like the Dremel, are and have been available from Harbor Freight Tools, HFT for short, also known as ""The Adult Male Toy Store". I've seen complete kits being sold there for under 'ten bucks'. I do not have one but I 'SUSPECT' that the quality is 'O.K.'  I have a number of HFT tools, both power and non power and have been pleased with them, especially the VALUE of them. No failures yet.   Ira.

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[Instrument Resources of America]

P.S. 'SMALL'  drill presses can also be had from HFT for under $60.00  new in the box.    Ira.


\

On 2/5/2015 7:42 AM, gregebert wrote:

[petehand]

Paul Parry's in England. I don't think they have Harbor Freight over there - they have to pay double price for everything, and then 20% tax on top. A Harbor Freight tool costs less than the tax they charge on a similar tool in England.

[Instrument Resources of America]

OOps. sorry about that. I didn't know. But I do know about that Value Added Tax V.A.T. though. The gummint over there really socks it to em. Makes me wonder how they all manage to survive. I wonder if they have an income tax??   Ira.

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[Jon]

On Friday, February 6, 2015 at 5:56:29 AM UTC, I wrote:

OOps. sorry about that. I didn't know. But I do know about that Value Added Tax V.A.T. though. The gummint over there really socks it to em. Makes me wonder how they all manage to survive. I wonder if they have an income tax??   Ira.

Oh yes don't worry, the government kindly provides us with one of those too. And there's a handy local property tax. All of which helps ensure we don't waste too much money on little pieces of glass with noble gases inside (trying frantically to keep the thread on topic :) )

Jon.

[electrofish]

Paul
Whereabouts in the UK are you?
I have a Myford 7 which I rebuilt but haven't really used. I might be able to have a bash for you.
Regards
John

[Paul Parry]

Hi John,

I'm in Staffordshire - just outside of Cannock if that's any use to you?

No one yet on eBay has responded - probably not worth them bothering with. - Seems we're missing out on all the good stuff they have on the other side of the pond..!!

Bet they don't have our amazingly generous Tax scheme on diesel and Petrol either..

[Paul Parry]

Hi All,

I'm very pleased to say that faith has been restored in good old British Engineering, I tracked down Olly at OKR engineering http://www.okr-engineering.com/cnc-precision-engineering and he's more than happy to assist, 20 Pcs that I need for £1.50 each including shipping, which I think is excellent.

Please feel free to Contact Olly yourself if you have any projects bubbling away :)

Cheers,

Paul

[Instrument Resources of America]

Good for you. Glad that you got it done.  Have a great week end.   Ira.

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[John Sturgeon]

Likewise : )

Regards 

John

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<IRACOSALES.vcf>

[Nick]

On Friday, 6 February 2015 05:56:29 UTC, I wrote:

OOps. sorry about that. I didn't know. But I do know about that Value Added Tax V.A.T. though. The gummint over there really socks it to em. Makes me wonder how they all manage to survive. I wonder if they have an income tax??   Ira.

We have 20% VAT on most stuff, but that's on the lowish side for Europe where it goes from about 20% to 25%.

Certain things, like baby stuff & heating fuel is either VAT-free or at a lower rate.

Oh, and by the way, I'm not sure, but I suspect its true, that we have pretty good & reasonably-priced machine tool shops over here too :)

Nick 

[petehand]

Touch of Stockholm Syndrome, Nick? "Our captors aren't so bad! Those other people over there are much worse!"

Or is the the British stiff upper lip - "It's only a flesh wound!"

Or has it reached the point of, "We've always been at war with Oceana, and the chocolate ration has been increased!"

I remember when the British VAT was introduced, at 8% by the way, that it was going to reduce the income tax.How's that going? I guess what they didn't explain was that the British VAT was going to reduce the income tax for the rest of Europe.

[Nick]

On Sunday, 8 February 2015 10:10:14 UTC, petehand wrote:

Touch of Stockholm Syndrome, Nick? "Our captors aren't so bad! Those other people over there are much worse!"

Or is the the British stiff upper lip - "It's only a flesh wound!

Not really - its called "irony" - the *real* irony being that VAT (TVA in most of Europe) stands for Value Added Tax and was supposed to be on luxury goods only... but there you go :)

In the USA it seems to vary from 0% to 7.5% and is called Sales Tax instead(*), but like here, its just part of the way you live. If you want to be tax-exempt, live in Canton Zug or somewhere similar - I have lived in Switzerland (went to school there too), but chose to move back to the UK.

Pretty much every location has pros and cons - death & taxes being the only certainties !

Nick

(*) Sales tax and VAT are very similar, differing really only in the way they are collected.

[Grahame Marsh]

On 08/02/2015 10:33, Nick wrote:
>
>
> Pretty much every location has pros and cons - death & taxes being the
> only certainties !
>
> Nick

> --

And rice pudding

[Nicholas Stock]

I miss rice pudding...oh, and a proper pub. They just can't seem to get them right here...

Sent from my iPhone

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[Nick]

On Sunday, 8 February 2015 14:49:22 UTC, Pramanicin wrote:

I miss rice pudding...oh, and a proper pub. They just can't seem to get them right here...

This is all getting a bit off-topic. I'll just say that I really don't like rice pudding much - probably a hangover from school lunches - and that the pub in our village is...

... hang on, make that "one of the SIX pubs" in our village has been a pub, continuously, for nearly 600 years.

Not sure its ever been cleaned properly though...

Nick 

Note: The church is about 1,000 years old, but the one in the next village is slightly older, so has bragging rights.

[Nicholas Stock]

Ah, but does your village have the remains of a Norman Castle in it and is mentioned in the Magna Carta? I think not....ha ha. The oldest thing in San Diego is actually pretty old due to the missions and the old town...but they just don't make them like they used to....just like Nixie tubes!

See, brought back OT...well, just..:-)

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 8, 2015, at 09:49, Nick <ni...@desmith.net> wrote:

On Sunday, 8 February 2015 14:49:22 UTC, Pramanicin wrote:

I miss rice pudding...oh, and a proper pub. They just can't seem to get them right here...

This is all getting a bit off-topic. I'll just say that I really don;t like rice pudding much - probably a hangover from school lunches - and that the pub in our village is...

... hang on, make that "one the SIX pubs" in our village has been a pub, continuously, for nearly 600 years.

Not sure its ever been cleaned properly though...

Nick 

Note: The church is about 1,000 years old, but the one in the next village is slightly older, so has bragging rights.

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[Nick]

On Sunday, 8 February 2015 18:09:07 UTC, Pramanicin wrote:

Ah, but does your village have the remains of a Norman Castle in it and is mentioned in the Magna Carta? I think not....ha ha.

OT WARNING - NO NIXIE CONTENT!

Ummm. How shall I put this nicely :)

The answers to your questions are actually, "Yes" and "no parishes were" - the Magna Carta is not about parishes, its largely a bill of rights and responsibilities. Further, we have the remains (not a lot, I'll admit) of a Norman wooden motte and bailey fort in the river valley here - I can see it from my workshop.

In these parts, we tend to regard the Magna Carta as rather "nouveau" - a bit passé - the village and its priory are mentioned in the Domesday Book, published in AD 1086, i.e. nearly 130 years earlier than the first Magna Carta, and Bedgebury Forest (also in the parish) is the longest piece of continuously managed woodland in the Western World, fully documented without interruption (including wars etc.) from AD 1067 when Bishop Odo, the half-brother of William the Conquerer, took it over to the current day - however, even he was a late-comer - the forest is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon charter in AD 841 . The current church has been there since AD 1119. :) See Goudhurst Village Website and lots of other places! The village high street looks much the same as it did several 100 years ago (except the road is not mud any more!).

Beat that!

[Grahame Marsh]

Ancient and Modern
From my workshop I can see a neolithic (4000BC - 2500BC) burial cairn in the field beind the house.
Beyond that is Black Rock Gorge which was used in part of the Harry Potter dragon chase sequence in film 4.

On 09/02/2015 09:54, Nick wrote:

On Sunday, 8 February 2015 18:09:07 UTC, Pramanicin wrote:

Ah, but does your village have the remains of a Norman Castle in it and is mentioned in the Magna Carta? I think not....ha ha.

OT WARNING - NO NIXIE CONTENT!

Ummm. How shall I put this nicely :)

The answers to your questions are actually, "Yes" and "no parishes were" - the Magna Carta is not about parishes, its largely a bill of rights and responsibilities. Further, we have the remains (not a lot, I'll admit) of a Norman wooden motte and bailey fort in the river valley here - I can see it from my workshop.

In these parts, we tend to regard the Magna Carta as rather "nouveau" - a bit passé - the village and its priory are mentioned in the Domesday Book, published in AD 1086, i.e. nearly 130 years earlier than the first Magna Carta, and Bedgebury Forest (also in the parish) is the longest piece of continuously managed woodland in the Western World, fully documented without interruption (including wars etc.) from AD 1067 when Bishop Odo, the half-brother of William the Conquerer, took it over to the current day - however, even he was a late-comer - the forest is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon charter in AD 841 . The current church has been there since AD 1119. :) See Goudhurst Village Website and lots of other places! The village high street looks much the same as it did several 100 years ago (except the road is not mud any more!).

Beat that!

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[Nicholas Stock]

Touché sir! That made me laugh....I miss Blighty..

Nick

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 9, 2015, at 01:54, Nick <ni...@desmith.net> wrote:

On Sunday, 8 February 2015 18:09:07 UTC, Pramanicin wrote:

Ah, but does your village have the remains of a Norman Castle in it and is mentioned in the Magna Carta? I think not....ha ha.

OT WARNING - NO NIXIE CONTENT!

Ummm. How shall I put this nicely :)

The answers to your questions are actually, "Yes" and "no parishes were" - the Magna Carta is not about parishes, its largely a bill of rights and responsibilities. Further, we have the remains (not a lot, I'll admit) of a Norman wooden motte and bailey fort in the river valley here - I can see it from my workshop.

In these parts, we tend to regard the Magna Carta as rather "nouveau" - a bit passé - the village and its priory are mentioned in the Domesday Book, published in AD 1086, i.e. nearly 130 years earlier than the first Magna Carta, and Bedgebury Forest (also in the parish) is the longest piece of continuously managed woodland in the Western World, fully documented without interruption (including wars etc.) from AD 1067 when Bishop Odo, the half-brother of William the Conquerer, took it over to the current day - however, even he was a late-comer - the forest is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon charter in AD 841 . The current church has been there since AD 1119. :) See Goudhurst Village Website and lots of other places! The village high street looks much the same as it did several 100 years ago (except the road is not mud any more!).

Beat that!

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[Alex]

My workshop window has a perfectly framed view of Salisbury Cathedral in it. Maybe one day I will take a Z566 down and get it and the Magna Carta in the same image :-)

There has to be some perks to putting up with the british climate :-)

[Nick]

I went to see the Salisbury Magna Carter with my daughter in late December 2012 when the chapter house was undergoing repairs.

We were the only ones there and had it to ourselves for nearly an hour, inspecting it closely and talking to the curator.

It's absolutely magnificent - in near perfect condition after 800 years - beautifully written - supposedly the best of the surviving originals...

Nick

[GastonP]

I've been in Salisbury last year's summer, and visited the cathedral too. The chapter house was still undergoing repairs and it was closed to the public :( .
However I got to visit the nearby Stonehenge and the city itself is well worth a visit too.
Blighty has such a huge lot of historic (and pre-historic) places to visit that it could take a life to get to know all of them.

   Gaston