Today in the workshop .....

[Cato]

My, you are showing your age!

Will you be following the British Authorities example by using 1000lb bombs and napalm to "fix" the problem ?

It is tempting, but I think it may be wiser to do something a little more conducive to getting paid like replacing the seal. Alternatively I suppose I could use the time honoured sales pitch of "They all do that mate.".

 

[addjunkie]

My, you are showing your age!

Will you be following the British Authorities example by using 1000lb bombs and napalm to "fix" the problem ?

Hes not that old I can remember that too, and if my memory is still working a year or two later a bigger one Amoco Cadiz

 

[OJCar]

Torrey Canyon

1967, 161 of 1,000 lb bombs, 11,000 imp gal of kerosene, 3,000 imp gal of napalm and 16 of other missiles.

Amoco Cadiz

1978, 12 of 350lbs Anti submarine depth charges.

Who says we don't learn from our mistakes ...


Much better idea to replace the oil seal and get paid to do it!

 

[Cato]

A bit more crank bench action.

The 'V' blocks will take care of checking and truing. Alternatively I can rotate the 'V' block plate through 90 degrees, and use the rotary table to check cam lift & duration, cam or crank phasing, shafts for tru etc etc.

 

[Beanwood]

A bit more crank bench action.

The 'V' blocks will take care of checking and truing. Alternatively I can rotate the 'V' block plate through 90 degrees, and use the rotary table to check cam lift & duration, cam or crank phasing, shafts for tru etc etc.

View attachment 530498View attachment 530499

I can see it now - in 50 years time that device is going to show up in a workshop clearance of some sort, and people are going to be asking (Maybe even on a future Migweldingforum) what it's for, who made it....

 

[Robotstar5]

I can see it now - in 50 years time that device is going to show up in a workshop clearance of some sort, and people are going to be asking (Maybe even on a future Migweldingforum) what it's for, who made it....

Or more likely it will be bought by an "artiste" and upcycled into a designer lamp stand

 

[Cato]

I can see it now - in 50 years time that device is going to show up in a workshop clearance of some sort, and people are going to be asking (Maybe even on a future Migweldingforum) what it's for, who made it....

Funnily enough I was having that conversation with Simon (engineer across the road) this morning. He has all sorts of weird and wonderful machines, jigs, etc, a lot of stuff made for working on things like Villers engines, Sturmey gearboxes and what not.

The upshot was that most of the specialist stuff in both our workshops, and many others, will be bean tins in 20 - 30 years. The only people who're likely to know what they are or are for will be too old to use them, and anyone younger won't have the knowledge, skill or will to use them.

It's a shame, but the world turns and in the same way that I have no idea how to make a cartwheel as I have no need to, it's unlikely anyone will need to know how to tru a pressed up crank in 2050.

 

[MattF]

and anyone younger won't have the knowledge, skill or will to use them.

Not necessarily. There will always be inquisitive tinkerers who are willing to learn, from any source available to them.

 

[Cato]

Not necessarily. There will always be inquisitive tinkerers who are willing to learn, from any source available to them.

Maybe, but the most inquisitive of tinkerers isn't going to be able to build a 4 cyl pressed up crank without having been shown/taught. If there are any of those then they'll need access to a 20 tonne press with associated plates and spacers, and the necessary measuring equipment. It's a completely different animal to a single cyl two stroke crank. You have to have all three (knowledge, skill and will).

So that's going to be a very small list, which will be taken to zero by the need to do it as the '70s and '80s Japanese four cylinder 'muscle bikes' will be suffering the same lack of interest then as the British bikes, Villers engined carts etc are starting to now.

 

[Greeves246]

Simon across from you isn’t Simon Bateman by any chance? ( Nametab Engineering )

 

[Cato]

Simon across from you isn’t Simon Bateman by any chance? ( Nametab Engineering )

The very same, and a handy man to have as a neighbour when your engineering skills are as limited as mine.

 

[Greeves246]

Clever man. He did a main bearing conversion to needle rollers on a Greeves crank for me some years ago. Give him my regards.

 

[Cato]

Clever man. He did a main bearing conversion to needle rollers on a Greeves crank for me some years ago. Give him my regards.

Will do, and yes he knows his stuff. Like many of our age we often have a chat, give/receive advice and info do small "can you just ..." jobs for each other, use the barter system and so on. It's nice to have kindred spirits around who're old enough to remember how the world of work and business should work, a real world version of the way things are (mostly ) on here.