Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 22

Thread: Two workshop mysteries.

  1. #1
    ccdjg is offline Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Leeds
    Posts
    2,039

    Two workshop mysteries.

    While working on my current project, a couple of very irritating mysteries cropped up in the workshop. Luckily for my sanity I eventually found the answers, but I wonder if anyone here can work out what the hell was going on?

    First there was the case of the blunting drill bits. I came into the workshop one morning with the intention of drilling two holes in a block of mild steel, as a follow on from some drilling I had done the day before. I selected the appropriate drill bit from my favourite set and using my trusty old Myford lathe I set about drilling the hole. To my surprise the drill made hardly any impression on the steel. I wondered if I had picked up a piece of hardened tool steel by mistake, so tried again with a scrap of definitely mild steel, only to find the same problem. I presumed then that it must be the drill bit that was the problem and I must have seriously blunted it the day before. So I then took a drill bit of the same same size from a new pack and this also refused to drill. Something seemed to have taken the edge off all my drill bits overnight. I tried few other drill bits and none were any good. Any thoughts?


    The second mystery was the case of the kamikaze bluebottles. During one of the recent hot spells every 10 minutes or so a bluebottle would fly into the workshop and drive me nuts with its incessant buzzing and crashing into the lathe and the windows. It go so annoying that I had to keep a can of fly spray at hand and waste a lot of valuable time chasing the beggars around. I couldn't understand why they would come into a sterile workshop, having to fly through a narrow gap in the outer garage door, cross a large floor space and find a narrow gap through the workshop door. I suppose I could have completely closed the two doors but it was too hot to do this for very long. It took me a while to figure the problem out and get it sorted. Any suggestions?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Wet Cold Downtown Leicester
    Posts
    18,523
    Reverse the rotation

    Can’t help with the flies
    A man can always use more alcohol, tobacco and firearms.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    City of London
    Posts
    9,735
    I suspect Richard has nailed the drill blunting problem. Was there some food around or something attracting the flies? They have an almost uncanny knack of locating eg. a bit of dropped sandwich in my experience...
    Vintage Airguns Gallery
    ..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
    In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Wet Cold Downtown Leicester
    Posts
    18,523
    Quote Originally Posted by Garvin View Post
    I suspect Richard has nailed the drill blunting problem....
    Been there
    A man can always use more alcohol, tobacco and firearms.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Blackburn, Lancs. (under a bridge)
    Posts
    22,944
    Quote Originally Posted by RichardH View Post

    Can’t help with the flies
    Spray them with hair spray.
    It doesn't kill them - they just have to glide everywhere.

    HTH
    Ian
    Founder & ex secretary of Rivington Riflemen.
    www.rivington-riflemen.uk

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    I am forever sharpening drill bits, its difficult to find good quality ones today. I was one of the best at sharpening them during my apprenticeship, but I hated the tiny ones. Any suggestions where to buy good quality ? RPM speed is also a big factor in easy drilling, depending on diameter.


    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    905
    If you were drilling in the lathe & it was spinning in the right direction but all the bits were "blunt" was the tailstock properly locked on the bed?

  8. #8
    ccdjg is offline Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Leeds
    Posts
    2,039
    Quote Originally Posted by RichardH View Post
    Reverse the rotation

    Can’t help with the flies
    Spot on Richard! The old Dewhurst switch on the lathe had come loose inside and somehow I had put the lathe into reverse. As I had never used the reverse setting before (why do they have the option when Myford tell you never to use it in case the chuck unwinds?) it was not something that came immediately to mind. So there's a golden nugget of information for you all - drills don't work very well in reverse. You don't get these sort of tips in the text books!

    As to the bluebottles, Danny more or less has it. No food of any sort in the workshop, but I did begin to notice a smell of something like cat crap. Searching behind all the cupboards etc, in case a moggy had crept in and left a deposit proved fruitless, as did a close inspection of the soles of my shoes. Eventually the penny dropped and I realised it was a sheet of emery cloth made in China I had recently got out of the drawer and left on the bench. It sure did stink. God knows what they use as the adhesive but I hope they never get round to using it on envelopes. I know recycling is all the rage, but cat crap should stay as cat crap however cheap it might be.

    The fly spray was pretty effective but I thought it was a bit cruel, so I used spray varnish instead. They took a bit longer to die but they did have a lovely finish.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    leeds
    Posts
    573
    Any scale on the block of steel?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    The 80 shot Bug-A-Salt is more fun for killing flies "humanely"

    Baz

    [IMG][/IMG]
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    905
    That's a pretty dodgy switch then.

    Agreed there are some drills for sale that aren't up to much. I've got some old ones which seem to be lasting well with an occasional touch on a wheel to sharpen them. Bought some off Reeves a long while back, not sure of the maker but the model engineering websites might be a good place to look for reviews or recommendations on modern made drills. Quite like stubbies over jobber length ones for some tasks.

    Like the bug gun but I'll stick to rubber bands easier to pick up than a pinch of salt, but that's just me.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    Quote Originally Posted by trajectory View Post
    That's a pretty dodgy switch then.

    Agreed there are some drills for sale that aren't up to much. I've got some old ones which seem to be lasting well with an occasional touch on a wheel to sharpen them. Bought some off Reeves a long while back, not sure of the maker but the model engineering websites might be a good place to look for reviews or recommendations on modern made drills. Quite like stubbies over jobber length ones for some tasks.

    Like the bug gun but I'll stick to rubber bands easier to pick up than a pinch of salt, but that's just me.
    Not a pinch, you have a whole magazine full. Just pump and fire ! Believe it or not I used a 9 mil pistol to shoot flies and spiders in my house in South Africa. (there is a story to that).
    Last edited by Benelli B76; 17-06-2018 at 11:11 AM.
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    905
    Sounds a bit extreme, a 9mm blank might be messy enough. Guess you liked decorating! Reminds me of the stories about WW1 where they sometimes took potshots at the rats with.455 revolvers....in the dugouts. As if nerves weren't on edge enough, imagine someone doing that while you were looking the other way?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    Quote Originally Posted by trajectory View Post
    Sounds a bit extreme, a 9mm blank might be messy enough. Guess you liked decorating! Reminds me of the stories about WW1 where they sometimes took potshots at the rats with.455 revolvers....in the dugouts. As if nerves weren't on edge enough, imagine someone doing that while you were looking the other way?
    I resized the fired 9 mil cases and put them upside down in a tin of melted candle wax. When the wax set I pulled out the cases which now had wad cutter wax projectiles. Just put in a primer only with Lee primer, and hey presto had indoor practice rounds. Of course you could only load and shoot one at a time, but they had enough oomph to break yogurt cups I used for targets. Wife did no like greasy marks on the wall so had to pack it in.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    905
    Wax practice loads for trigger control & sight acquisition.(& flies too) brings back memories, but the flies are a new to me.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •