Stuff you have fixed today

[8ob]

Last building we did a base for we set all the anchors onto templates and cast them in, didn't have to alter,podge or bend any of them to drop the steels on. It can be done but it takes a few moments longer to check and double check. Also has the benefit of a perfectly flat land for the base plate to sit on when the ply comes off.

Bob

 

[m_c]

Finally got this 'easy' job starting and running reliably.

Had it over a year now, and due to various delays getting different parts, I've only just got it running reliably on petrol.
It still has a couple issues, but I'm hoping the owner will be happy to sort them out themselves, as I'm fed up looking at it!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

The other week I got a Coffin/Coopers plane.



I knew it was in a bad way, but I wanted a challenge and to prove a point, again.
That even if google says it is dead and your limited experience says it is as well. You can be wrong.

The front handle is missing and there is a chunk missing.



I knew it was split, the 4 dark rings are rusty nails. The marks is the rust leeching into the wood.
What I did not know was how bad the split was.

First I cleaned all the old wax, dirt and oil residue off the parts with "Meths.", wire wool and a scraper. Then a few hours in a Vapour tank to remove the rest.

On one side the nails came out easy. So the holes were opened up to 8mm. The wood is warmed up and 8mm rounds are inserted, the split flooded with glue and the lot clamped up.
The rounds are cut from a dead wooden plane.



The damaged from the missing handle was a bit more involved.


The old dowel hole was opened up to 3/4", all the way through. The damaged was cut to a "V" shape and wood recovered from a dead plane it was filled
Then a 19mm round was made and fitted. But I used 2 wedges to make a tight joint. The glue is a bit of brace a garters.



A dark solvent stain was made and applied. About 8 thin coats are applied, rubbed back. Any defects are filled with hot melt traditional glue and sawdust.



The blade and wedge hole is a slice through the body and exposes the end grain, on a slop. This will absorb the stain and you have to be careful not to let it get to dark. The straight cut end grain, on the ends will be darker, but is easier to control.



The blade as a curve on it. But what I like about this image is the simple fact you can just see the burr forming.
Even through the blade had a vey good edge, but the cutting edge was soft. So it would not keep one. So it was heated to red heat in a charcoal fire.
Quenched in cold salted water, cleaned. Them tempered in the same fire to a deep blue.



A few coats of button polish and a new front handle.
Yes a new one, off the shelf one. But turned down in the lathe to a more pleasing feel and look.
Held in place by 2 wooden dowels, salvaged from a old chair.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Part 2.



More Button polish.
The wedge is upside down. The pattern you can see is from the way the rust has effected the wood.
The blade is cleaned up and has a sharp cutting edge
On the side of the body of the plane you can see 3 "rounds". The other marks are a mix of rust stain and filler. This is were the nails were.
For those interested they were 1" annular ring nails. Or a pain in the ...... to remove. You also can see the spilt. It is now a solid body and the stain is very hard to disguise.



This shows how bad the split was. The vertical line is mouth rubbing plate. This is a consumable part and can be replaced.
The sole is French polished and waxed.
To get a smooth finish it was sanded, then a cabinet scraper, wire wool and wax. Finally soft cloth and wax.

Finished.




I like this view for the following reasons.
It shows up the depth of finish.
Plus I managed to maintain the history in the wedge.

This was done over a few nights with no power tools. Not even to cut the rounds.
That was done with a hole cutter for the 19mm, plug cutters for the 8mm.
To melt the hot glue a paraffin stove was used.

Even the blade was brought back to life on a hand cranked wet stone.



There it is, 2 Tilley lamps, one is out of site.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I met a kind man the other day, one of the items he left was this.



It is from Green Goddess Fire engine. It was used to replace any damaged hose fixings in times of emergency. Designed to fit UK fittings. Yes I have the box. But no gaskets and fixings.
Yet.
This how it was.
The plan was do more "how to do" items for MIS.
Chemical Paint stripping.
Citric acid de-rusting.
Cleaning brass.




This how bad the brass was.




The mounting face. Cleaned and flattened on plate glass and grinding paste. Mounting holes cleaned up with a adjustable reamer.
Yes I did remove the hard water deposits.



Being rebuilt.
The shut of valve is repacked with horse hair and underwater grease.
The locking lever is seized, this is after I fitted what I thought was a suitable new spring.
So I reused the old one. After boiling it in grease.
This was done outside and in a safe, if smelly manner.



Not long after dawn. As in sun up. So please no jokes about being up the crack of Dawn.
In near back ground the main body is on a hot plate.




Finished, RN Type 12 standard. In other words polished up. Black valve top. Later in other ships they were red valve top, red body, the hose connection was left paint free.




New sealing washer, the packing French chalk still on it.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Old 1960's metal box. But to most that all it is.
But I knew what it was and I was very happy to see it and see what was in it.



A clean up was started.



As it soaked in Citric acid more details appeared.
It could not be saved as not only was it rusty the other layers of paint was lifting.




After soaking you can see how bad the paint was, here it is drying out. The remains of the paint was easily removed with a wooden scraper.




Zinc primer.
A few of the joints needed to be re-soldered. At the same time the few pin holes, from rust, were filled with solder.



When I received this, the latch was inside the box. So I repaired the damage and fitted the latch.
LHS front face are 2 holes. That is where the NSN brass label would of been fitted. I may make one or hunt one down.

The tray, LHS would of held the gasket, fixings and a tube of lubricant.

 

[badabec]

I had my spine decompression surgery on Thursday. Back home Friday. I can now walk and stand without both my legs and feet going numb. Self isolation for 7 days (in case it goes tits up and I have to go back in), no driving for six weeks, no lifting for eight weeks. Nor hoovering, result!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Yesterday, between Cat, during coffee and before beer I managed to finish a few jobs.



Nice, but incomplete 1/4 imperial socket set. I don't use imperial sockets on a daily basis.
So.



A quick paint job.



Then refilled with spare metric sockets and the missing parts added.



But I did keep the old sockets and the original label.

Some one left some items to long in the citric acid.



They never had the spring, but they are now seized.

A few minutes with a wire brush, a raid of the odds n sods bin.



In the box of bits the spring was found I found this small ball pein hammer.



Should of been on a fibre glass shaft.
The resin plug was drilled out, the annoying casting ridge in the hole removed.



Hickory shaft, oak wedge and Linseed oil finish.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Madness did descend in the afternoon.

MIS was not happening, due toa few reasons, but we did get an unofficial session at my place.

The end of the wooden planes is in sight.


A nice complete, with a bit of worm rebate plane.
Nice job, but getting it into the components was not simple.



Oh.
Using a plug cutter the remains were removed and a nice hole was left to be filled with a dowel made from a dead plane.
The old trick of heating the screws with a hot copper soldering iron allowed me to remove all other screws.



Finished.

A set of concaved planes was also finished, this lot had worm. Ranging from one or two holes to lots.



This is a good example of bad worm damage, also a old repair.




The worm in all the planes was treated with chemical killer and micro wave.



Wax and saw dust to fill the holes. The holes and damaged is filled in small layers and built up. Then cut back.
The saw dust will allow the polish to take and stain the repair.
Also working the dirt into the repairs also helps.



Polished, waxed and the cutting irons sharpened.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Got this lantern the other day.
For the reason I have not seen one like this.
Battery operated, 1/2 turn to switch on.

But not makers details or any details on it.



In bits.
The main body has a rubber/ wax lining. That means the battery would of been a lead acid one.
But not a size I have seen before.
All bras would indicate a marine use. But with no markings had to be sure.

The glass is curved to enhance the light from the lamp.



Odd bulb as well.
No markings on it, but 3v lights it well.



The contacts.



Hand polished.

 

[Arc Tourist]

View attachment 316968

Got this lantern the other day.
For the reason I have not seen one like this.
Battery operated, 1/2 turn to switch on.

But not makers details or any details on it.

View attachment 316974

Hand polished.

View attachment 316975

That's a nice lamp !

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

That's a nice lamp !

Thanks, but google is not helping to find out about it.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Don't see a switch, is there an exterior magnetic slide ?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Don't see a switch, is there an exterior magnetic slide ?

No you turn the top a half turn. To engage the contacts.

 

[Farside]

The main body has a rubber/ wax lining. That means the battery would of been a lead acid one.
But not a size I have seen before.

Similar to this (just a quick googly)?

CYLINDRIC.LEAD-ACID BATT.2V 4,5Ah

CYLINDRIC.LEAD-ACID BATT.2V 4,5Ah

www.elcart.com

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Similar to this (just a quick googly)?

CYLINDRIC.LEAD-ACID BATT.2V 4,5Ah

CYLINDRIC.LEAD-ACID BATT.2V 4,5Ah

www.elcart.com

Have seen that type in the past, it is similar.

I am now trying to find more details about the bulb.
But just got home.

 

[nickk]

I’m not completely sure I have.....but have left the clutch lever tied in and the bleed nipple open as there’s no fluid movement.
New piston and seal has been fitted.

 

[James1979]

Thanks, but google is not helping to find out about it.

I’ve no idea but brass leads me to think it’s mine or sea related?

I did wonder if it was roadworks because of the twisty top. But brass would get nicked.

Just thoughts more than answers, sorry!

 

[Mick Annick]

I’m not completely sure I have.....but have left the clutch lever tied in and the bleed nipple open as there’s no fluid movement.
New piston and seal has been fitted.View attachment 317028

Is that an early Montesa / Honda?

 

[KemppiFrog]

No pix, but I got a call from the BIL of the guy I fitted a new boat engine for. Couple of hours drive, but I liked the boat guy and so did the favour. BIL was an aquitect and had sold his house (after two yrs..) It had an oil fired Rayburn fitted, not used for the two years and not happy. Never seen one before, but I did buy and fit an oil AGA many years ago. Prob one of the very few non AGA people to have done.
Anyway, this sorted of started, puffed white smoke and timed out.Started by cleaning the flue, no end of crap came out, about a bucket full.. Then started on the burner. It was the type you see in most CH boilers. Changed the jet and cleaned the electrodes and magic eye. Then tried it, same puffs of some black & white smoke and quit. The sniff of the smoke pointed to unburned fuel, but..
Tried the filters, The previous tech had plastered goo all over the joints, which made me very suspicious of anything else he did.
Filter looked OK, but.. no flow from the tank ??? It was about two metres above the unit, so?
Looked at it, clear plastic and some fuel, not a lot, but.. Managed to get the 'shed' half off and looked in. AH! The pick up was too high, so it had run dry. The whole arrangement was very badly fitted, the pick up pipe was just stuck in the tank with no fixings and a big curve, due to the very limited access from the top.
So, with the shed half off, straightened out the pipe and made sure the pickup was well into the remaining fuel. Then back to the burner. Several attempts to get it going suggested it could not suck the fuel up from the tank enough to flow down. Nothing loth.. I attached a spare line to the filter and sucked, for a while, then rewarded with a some tastey fuel!
Bled the pump via the nozzle line and off she went.
Those of you with oil boilers with the same type of units know that they are not exactly quiet and this was no exception. I can't imagine living with that thing in ones kitchen/ living, roaring away all day... It did the heating too, so not just noisy when cooking..

The AGA I fitted, one of the early oil ones and not cream enamel, but apple green, had a wall flame burner. Prob less efficient that a pressure burner, but no noise. Great to put ones feet in the lower oven after a hard day at the cold hanger...and commuting on a Greeves.
KF