Matt's projects

[Fretters]

I have not liked the heat this week either

It's just been too hot to be comfortable, hasn't it. Soon as you start doing owt, you're lathered with sweat. At work I've been trying to find shaded spots outside the building to work in, and failing dismally. The ladies seem to love this weather though.

How many lathes does that make at the moment?

Too many, still. I now have one less than I did, (and they've gone to a good home). The current overall count is:

Pre-B's: 2
Roundbeds: 2
5" dual beds: 3
M types: 2
MS type: 1

I need to stop collecting. One of the M types, and one of the 5" lathes, are consigned as parts machines now though. Pointless me making replacement parts when I have some to hand.

That latest pre-B does need some work if I decide to restore it, but it's the earliest design of that model, so very early turn of the century. It's missing the powershaft which goes underneath the bed, to transmit drive between the leadscrew and headstock, (plus the respective coupling gears at the tailstock end), the banjo is missing, (though I acquired a spare with one of the M types), and the casting at the rear of the bed which the banjo seats on has a chunk missing.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: don't call it COLLECTING and call it more like preserving cool old stuff to pass on in better condition to the next user.

anything happening in the shed or is it still too hot or muggy out there? it could be worse like here in Seattle where we have 90 degrees and had a huge thick layer of smoke from wildfires 200-300 miles away in Canada this past week or so.

cheers

 

[Fretters]

Not done much of late in here. Currently in the process of making an alternative countershaft mounting setup for that M type, so that it's not bolted to the back of the bed.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: your English humor blew over my head with the HEADBOARD COMMENT so i'll let it be, but wanted to see how you are enjoying your summer.

any new upgrades to the modified thing you call your car/pickup/rig/jalopy? last I (we) heard it was your main transport vehicle for all these cool old lathes and cast iron goodies and as I recall you were doing some dash modifying?

cheers

 

[Fretters]

That vehicle has moved onto another owner now, who's currently pussifying it and making it more original again. At least it's still being used & not scrap. She'd been stood for well over a year before I sold her. Current job, I don't earn enough to run a vehicle that thirsty, and with the previous job, I daren't risk using such an old vehicle on the distances we regularly ran, when the jobs were to a deadline, so unfortunately, she'd been stood unused for a good while.

Finally enjoying summer now that we've got shut of that damned hot weather. I'm not good at coping with heat.

 

[Fretters]

Penny has just dropped regarding your headboard comment. I was referring to the lathe bed. The countershaft, (pulley), assembly was bolted to the back of the lathe itself with quite a heavy welded channel assembly, so I'm moving the pulleys onto a pivoting beam mounted to the floor instead, so that it doesn't stress/twist the lathe bed.

 

[Craptain]

Had me wondering about drives question too.

Carry on Fretters.

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[drivesitfar]

Fretters; yep sometimes my thinking does head in the wrong direction.

here's something you should pick up in case you need to haul something home and all you need is a trailer hitch. my new acquisition is 4x8 foot and almost 40 years old and built like a tank.

hope it's not raining to hard in your part of the world now that Fall season is approaching on us again.

cheers

 

[Fretters]

If I'm hauling anything these days, it'll be out of the workshop, not into it.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: one thing a small space will do is keep you from collecting TOO MUCH STUFF so i'll quit trying to get you to build more storage or a shed or building in your garden area. best of luck sorting your stuff out!!

any updates on the shoe polish finish you put on a couple vises and how is the Linseed oil with beeswax and a few other goodies holding up?

good to have you back cause I for one miss your posts.

did you finish restoring one or two lathes last fall? pics??

 

[Fretters]

How's things DIF? I've done absolutely ****** all recently, workshop wise.

 

[Craptain]

Nice to see you around. What's keeping you so busy that you have no time for shed or Forum?

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[Fretters]

Nice to see you around. What's keeping you so busy that you have no time for shed or Forum?

Divorce. How are you keeping?

 

[Craptain]

Sorry to hear that. I hope all works out for you. I was there once and it eventually proved to be a much happier time for me.
I am trucking along. Semi retired, but still taking a few jobs. And I moved into a bigger shop and somehow managed to have less space. Still scratching my head at that. But finally managing to do some work there.

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[drivesitfar]

Fretters: best of luck with that and whatever else that life is throwing at you at the moment. I know when my wife and I had stuff going on with the kids there were some dark days that we somehow managed to get thru without filing for divorce. we're much happier now that the kids are all grown and making their own decisions that don't always affect us and not sure that's the reason for your split or you just changed too much to keep together.

you are a good man with plenty of skills and as RED GREEN says "if the women don't find you handsome at least they'll find you handy" so you are a catch as a single guy if that's the way its going to end up. BTW RED GREEN is sort of like Benny Hill without all the *****.

good luck!!!

 

[Fretters]

Cheers chaps.

Sorry to hear that. I hope all works out for you. I was there once and it eventually proved to be a much happier time for me.

Other than the obvious near term disruption, time will tell whether I made a good choice or not.

I am trucking along. Semi retired, but still taking a few jobs. And I moved into a bigger shop and somehow managed to have less space. Still scratching my head at that. But finally managing to do some work there.

The larger actual area, less available space conundrum, is up there with: "understanding the female mind", with regard to the mysteries of life.

 

[Fretters]

Benny Hill without any *****.... That just seems wrong DIF.

 

[drivesitfar]

Red Green makes up for ***** with more than enough creative ways to use duct tape!! I think you need to watch a couple shows and tell us if it made you smile.

Cheers buddy!!