Druidic Dabblings and General Twaddle !!

[Canal Navvy]

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all having a good week. The weather's been a bit up and down here, but that's nothing new, eh? I've been lurking in this thread for a bit and loving the mix of banter and proper chat. It feels like a real online pub.

Seeing some of the machinery photos got me thinking about the switch to direct drilling. It's a huge topic these days, and I'm curious what everyone's biggest hang-up is with it. Is it the initial cost, the learning curve, or the worry about slugs and weeds? It's a big decision to make, and I think it's worth getting different perspectives on it.

What's on your mind?

I think a lot of people were put off by earlier direct drilling experience, these days minimal tillage into repeatable slots has great promise.
GPS and autosteer has made a lot possible and there are plenty of retrofit systems that get offered for sale in the most surprising of places

 

[V8Druid]

they made a mess of my arm yesterday ..... Pam cannulates me every Sunday and never leaves a mark - picture doesn't really show the colours, now I look at it

these arrived yesterday

they were supposed to be three of these

new delivery on the way from sellers

and this arrived today - 3MT and a parallel shank - wanted a #4MT but couldn't find one at a sensible price (30 odd quid was just silly) - want to make a revolving chuck for the tailstock of the Harrison

will have to wait a while to see that one - still collecting bits

 

[6feetdown]

they made a mess of my arm yesterday ..... Pam cannulates me every Sunday and never leaves a mark - picture doesn't really show the colours, now I look at it
View attachment 75436 View attachment 75439
these arrived yesterday
View attachment 75440
they were supposed to be three of these
View attachment 75441
new delivery on the way from sellers

and this arrived today - 3MT and a parallel shank - wanted a #4MT but couldn't find one at a sensible price (30 odd quid was just silly) - want to make a revolving chuck for the tailstock of the Harrison
View attachment 75442
will have to wait a while to see that one - still collecting bits

Direct drilling your arm?

 

[sfrs4]

they were supposed to be three of these

are these so they don't have to keep butchering your arm, just directly plumb in.

 

[Canal Navvy]

I think a lot of people were put off by earlier direct drilling experience, these days minimal tillage into repeatable slots has great promise.
GPS and autosteer has made a lot possible and there are plenty of retrofit systems that get offered for sale in the most surprising of places

I think in hindsight and with a bit of basic research I did wrongly malign Jeff, should have recognised Claydon on his avatar

 

[V8Druid]

Oh and I'm not allowed to 'play' with machinery for 24 hrs

well I was well past that today ...
got the centre 'found' on the Tee nut and centre drilled it, then piloted the hole, 'fore opening it out to tapping size

started and set the tap square in a chuck

and then wound it through with a tap wrench

job did

and trial time ........

got to knock out the base centring washer to fill that gap - the one in the pic above is for the top of the tool post

fit in the compound slide is sweet

I am how ever considering upping the thread diameter as that 3/4" just doesn't look 'right' to my eye -- and now is the time to do it

 

[V8Druid]

stuck the tee back in the Ajax, re-centred it and opened that 3/4" threaded hole out to 19.25 mm (49/64th) to retap it to 7/8" whit -
much more manly chunk of thread ..................................................................................................................................................then finished parting off the tool post centring washer and very carefully set it in the chuck to face t'other face off

then put a 7/8" step onto t'other end of me main spindle lump (can utilise the other end - may even have to trim it yet?).. ..

started the 7/8" whit die with the tail stock and ran it down the stepped shaft ... then ran out of time to put a relief at the base of the thread with a parting tool - tea time - so'll chuck it back in tomorrow and sort it so's it'll wind right into the Tee block ..
but you'll get the idea ....... ........................................................................................................................................................................... centring washer fitted sweet as

you can see the need for the relief on the thread shoulder, with such a big thread to get it to bottom onto the Tee block - easier to relieve that than the block's threaded hole

very pleased with the way the centring washer turned out -- tricky little item to produce

 

[TiltyShaun]

It is all very impressive……..I am looking forward to seeing what it is all for!!

 

[Stroppymonkey]

thanks Guys - was back by noon ..... spaced out from the sedation ..... was more like an anaesthetic TBH .. can't recall a great deal after I started to struggle to swallow - they anaesthetise your throat and it feels like you're choking - then they zapped me.
woke up in recovery 2 hrs later, to be told I'd be coming back in two weeks for another go ...... pancreatic ducts still too inflamed / swollen to get where they wanted to go

cast of thousands in the theatre - 8 people and a student observing - couple of firsts for me ... never had anything stuck up me bum - suppository drug job to decrease the risk of peeing off my pancreas and then an endoscope down me throat (but was out of it for that) so hardly counts as 'an experience'

and then the top man walks in, brandishing paperwork--
Mr Ransford had the bedside manner of a stale kipper ...
"Sign the consent form please" .....
" I've a few Q.s first -
" OH!! - OK "
" what's your rate for inducing pancreatitis, given my history of three episodes already? " --
he looked a bit taken aback
" er - national average is 17.8% "
" yeh I've read that too, but what's YOURS? "
" 2% " He said proudly

" Where's that form - that's good enough for me "

Just about getting my head together now - the 6a.m.kick off didn't help - or the lack of brekky, but fair play they gave me a real nice cup of coffee and a chicken sandwich when I woke up
throat is getting progressively sorer as the day wears on though


Oh and I'm not allowed to 'play' with machinery for 24 hrs

Sounds like they looked after you. I had endoscope a couple years ago. As you, I recall little about the aftual experience after the throat spray and the drip. Vague memories of lying on my side gagging and some chat about giving me more? Then it was lights out. Fentanyl I think? Some people opt out of the sedation......bugger that!

 

[V8Druid]

All the way to Hereford this afters --
massive traffic queues in two places -
temporary lights -
some knob in a truck blocking both directions waiting to reverse into a site, he couldn't get into 'til what was in there ferked off out the way -
so just ****ing sat there for ten minutes instead of parking up at the side of the road like any normal person would -
utter *rick !!!

got there just in time .... "Oh - mr Shetty's on holiday - someone should have cancelled this appointment " FFS
at least I get to talk to my Lysosomal specialists in Caeeerdiff on Thursday, 'fore I get to see him now
got a lot of Q,s for them

wasted day though

 

[Furniss]

Sounds like they looked after you. I had endoscope a couple years ago. As you, I recall little about the aftual experience after the throat spray and the drip. Vague memories of lying on my side gagging and some chat about giving me more? Then it was lights out. Fentanyl I think? Some people opt out of the sedation......bugger that!

Yeah I opted out of anesthetic years ago ...said just crack on and put it down...not the most pleasant experience !

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Yeah I opted out of anesthetic years ago ...said just crack on and put it down...not the most pleasant experience !

Hardcore...

 

[Furniss]

Hardcore...

 

[hiluxman]

Hardcore...

I did the same, especially when they said you can't drive for next 24hrs or do this that and the other....just get it down and I'll put up with it. Wasn't nice but was alot better knowing I was walking out the hospital instantly and carrying on regardless

 

[TiltyShaun]

Hardcore...

I had to be fully sedated after becoming abusive!! Not my finest days attitude towards NHS staff. Been added to wife’s company health insurance so I can find out if it is any easier to swallow privately!!

 

[V8Druid]

I had to be fully sedated after becoming abusive!! Not my finest days attitude towards NHS staff. Been added to wife’s company health insurance so I can find out if it is any easier to swallow privately!!

well you do tend to panic a bit when you feel like you're choking and all they do is say you're fine

 

[V8Druid]

got there just in time .... "Oh - mr Shetty's on holiday - someone should have cancelled this appointment " FFS
at least I get to talk to my Lysosomal specialists in Caeeerdiff on Thursday, 'fore I get to see him now
got a lot of Q,s for them

wasted day though

rang his bookings team yesterday - they were very sorry that no one had cancelled the appointment - wonder how many others turned up yesterday too ??? -- re-booked for 3rd October at a sensible 11.30
then rang the endoscopic bookings desk, to see if they'd 'heard' anything about my supposed return for a.n.other ERCP in two weeks (like next Wed.s) - nope-not a thing
Mr Ransford sorts his week's clinics on a Wed.s, so might hear from them today - if not chase them !!
feeling fine, no pains, he can leave it a while longer would be my thoughts - give the old pancreatic duct a chance to calm down - no point in having another go if it hasn't and increasing the risk level with each failed attempt
let's hope he's of the same mind - 's been 10 weeks since I went in with the pancreatitis - would've thought it'd 've calmed down by now - 'praps some more antibiotics 'd be a plan - 9 weeks since I last took/was given anything

 

[V8Druid]

as said elsewhere - got an hour or so on the Harrison, earlier ... ran the main bolt down to 19mil, having decided that the top thrust 'washer' supplied, with the new tool post, is like glass and ain't gonna be able to open it out to 7/8"

got that out, put the lump of 50mm back in and ran a skim cut down it to clean up the badly rusted surface after I'd centred it up and got a rotating centre in place
then it was time to open up the bore, after I'd drilled it through to 16.25 mil at the far end for the 3/4" Whit tap and opened up the rest of the depth for the 19mm spindle
had to produce a 48mil dia socket, 10.5mm deep

to accommodate the 'best fit' thrust bearing I could find (next closest was too small a diameter ) - left me with a slightly less than 1mm wall to 'capture' the bearing in

using a thrust bearing instead of just the washer will allow a greater pull down on the tool post and an easier tighten down too
apologies for the poor image quality - either my phone's camera now identifies as Rory's camera , or I got an oily finger print on the lens at some point - or there just wasn't enough light, but it seems to be a focus issue with some of 'em.

In The Heath for a 09.30 appointment with my Lysosomal storage specialists tomorrow, for a grilling (for them) and Harper 'll be here, by the time I get back, so might not get a lot done tomorrow - getting closer to fitting it though

 

[TiltyShaun]

as said elsewhere - got an hour or so on the Harrison, earlier ... ran the main bolt down to 19mil, having decided that the top thrust 'washer' supplied, with the new tool post, is like glass and ain't gonna be able to open it out to 7/8"
View attachment 75609View attachment 75608
got that out, put the lump of 50mm back in and ran a skim cut down it to clean up the badly rusted surface after I'd centred it up and got a rotating centre in place
then it was time to open up the bore, after I'd drilled it through to 16.25 mil at the far end for the 3/4" Whit tap and opened up the rest of the depth for the 19mm spindle
had to produce a 48mil dia socket, 10.5mm deep
View attachment 75607
to accommodate the 'best fit' thrust bearing I could find (next closest was too small a diameter ) - left me with a slightly less than 1mm wall to 'capture' the bearing in
View attachment 75602 View attachment 75603
View attachment 75605
View attachment 75601 using a thrust bearing instead of just the washer will allow a greater pull down on the tool post and an easier tighten down too
apologies for the poor image quality - either my phone's camera now identifies as Rory's camera , or I got an oily finger print on the lens at some point - or there just wasn't enough light, but it seems to be a focus issue with some of 'em.

In The Heath for a 09.00 appointment with my Lysosomal storage specialists tomorrow, for a grilling (for them) and Harper 'll be here, by the time I get back, so might not get a lot done tomorrow - getting closer to fitting it though

Getting closer to fitting it.
I might understand then what all this technical talk has been all about!!! When are we you back onto the welding and painting???

 

[stephenmenhen1]

Wish I was half as good on a lathe as you are bloody hell. best I can do is make a mess