got that lathe today

[georgeld]

Hot dog, many thanks for the links and info.

Too late in the am to look now, but, will in the morning when I can get back.
One time while on the lake after a heavy rain up river I just happened to be dragging my alum boat behind the cruiser when I saw somethign big floating. Turned out to be a dozers fuel tank. I wrestled it into the rowboat alone out in the lake. Wasn't very easy either. They're big and heavy andthis things had 1/4 tank of water in it too. Anyway, I've had it in the shop maybe ten yrs now awaiting the day I could install the boiler and floor. That tanks been planned for storage of used oil's of all kinds, what ever happens to come along.

I'll make a deep feed tube with fine screen strainer to fill the oil into the tank thru. IF need be, I can thin it with something else. Was going to say diesel, but, todays price's blow that away. Might be cheaper to heat it all with natuaral gas.

The many used oil heaters I've seen have been out in the country where smoke dont' matter. One guy's shop was a diesel truck repair shop so he had many drums of used oil every year. Imagine I could go out there and get a few yet even though he died five yrs ago.
Problem with his, he'd fire that sucker up with just a drip tube and the smoke would roll out the stack. Since I'm in town and middle house on the block I'm limited to as little smoke as possible. That's why I wanted to atomize the oil. I could even pipe in compressed air if that would help.

Beyond bedtime, I'll be back on this. Thank you.

[quasi]

The reason no one makes engine lathes in America (other than Hardinge) is because Americans stopped buying them. $18,000 for a Southbend 10L when it was last made?

[PatMarlin]

Hot dog, many thanks for the links and info.

Too late in the am to look now, but, will in the morning when I can get back.
One time while on the lake after a heavy rain up river I just happened to be dragging my alum boat behind the cruiser when I saw somethign big floating. Turned out to be a dozers fuel tank. I wrestled it into the rowboat alone out in the lake. Wasn't very easy either. They're big and heavy andthis things had 1/4 tank of water in it too.

Reminds me of me..

WAY to go George..

[Sam]

The way to clean up that burn is to do a water drip onto the burner plate. Flashes into steam and atomizes the oil as it does. Have to start smokey but soon as the plate is hot, start the water drip and Voilia.

Sam

[jlchucker]

The reason no one makes engine lathes in America (other than Hardinge) is because Americans stopped buying them. $18,000 for a Southbend 10L when it was last made?

Very few machine tools of any type are made in the USA today. We're really very lucky, as a country, that we haven't been faced with a World War II type situation in recent years. It would now be impossible to retool American industry again as quickly as they did in 1941, since most industrial machinery in use today is foreign made. These days the US would have to get most of its new industrial machinery from abroad. Think about what a job that alone would be.

[PatMarlin]

I wonder how many people are still around that could run those lathes compared to 1941 even if we had them here?

[PatMarlin]

The way to clean up that burn is to do a water drip onto the burner plate. Flashes into steam and atomizes the oil as it does. Have to start smokey but soon as the plate is hot, start the water drip and Voilia.

Sam

You've got my attention with that comment. Can you expand on that process Sam?..

[jlchucker]

I wonder how many people are still around that could run those lathes compared to 1941 even if we had them here?

Not very many--but in 1941 there probably weren't nearly as many as there were in 1942. The American education system back then must have taught better math skills than today. I recall back in the early 1980's I left a production control job at a machine tool company (just before the start of the end of that company) and took a job at a Government contracting office at the GE cannon factory in Burlington, VT. My dad, a longtime machinist at another machine tool company, asked me what it was like at that GE plant. I mentioned that they did a lot of jigbore work there. His comment was memorable: "What cemetery are they digging up all of those jigbore operators at?" His experience, typical in the machine tool industry, was that machinists did all of their own setups, and much of their own methods work--a practice that was quickly becoming very rare. Very few machinists even used calculators to do trig and geometric calculations, but all knew how to do them with paper and pencil. Real machinists of that kind today are rare--nearly extinct. In today's CNC world, programmers have replaced the machinists who did their own setups. Even still, in the US today, most CNC equipment is manufactured abroad. Procuring more quickly for new facilities if a huge industrial surge was required would be very difficult, since most US machinery producers have gone out of business. We need our industrial base back!

[PatMarlin]

Well fact is we've been sold out by politiains and attorneys that have robbed this country of it's independence, independence of the individual for greed and power plain and simple.

Maybe to late to turn back now as a nation, but as an individual we can fight for our own brick by brick at home. This is all that is left I'm afraid...

[Buckshot]

.............I'm afraid beyond basic arithmatic (and a little geometry) I'm no great shakes at math. I'm a real cheater too as I have a calculator that does chip load, feed, DOC, and etc. Punch in the material, cutter OD and number of flutes and voila', you have the feed in IPM and the spindle RPMs. Ditto the same thing for lathes. Of course there is still room in there to learn, and the recommendations are based on HSS and are fairly middle of the road.

Sometimes though the thing that makes a good machinist are the tricks and shortcuts they've learned. Like cutting morse tapers for instance. Instead of mucking around with sine bars or DI's you just set one up between centers. Put a straightedge in the tool holder, loosen the compound and slap it around until the straightedge lies against the MT, then cinch down the compound and you're ready to go. Of course your cutting tool has to be dead nuts on center, but it does anyway you do it.

Not that the above makes ME a good machinist, it just means I've read some good old machinists

..................Buckshot

[georgeld]

Been awhile since my last visit. Been fighting that light coming down the tunnel. Everyone of them have just been more train wrecks for me.

aug 1st, 4yr g/f dumped me instead of going camping as planned. Found out I'd gotten some elsewhere. Oh well=happens they claim. get it while you can if you're single. Right??

Decided since even the ice and chow was packed to go anyway. She's cancelled out all summer and I've had enough. Gassed it up and headed to the mtns. Got 20.1 miles down the road and a huge cloud of smoke started blowing out the left fender well at 55mph pulling the trl. Just barely recognized it as smoke when flames replaced it. Started hunting for a place to abandon ship. Too close to the brush and grass and wasn't inside yet. Decided to make another 100yds or so to get along side an exit ramp where nothing could burn.

Once I got there, shut down quick, popped the hood on the way out. Ran around to see, too late. fire ball three feet in dia. About that time a trucker came running over with his f/e, two more got there shortly. I grabbed what was loose in the cab, then dropped the trl. Asked for help to push the trk away from the trl after I'd set the gas can, tool box and generator out. OTher's packed them away.
About that time the local vol's f/trk got there. Filled the dash full of water to kill the smoudering. Called for a camel ride home.

Engine has less than 3000miles on it. No one wants it even when I tell them I'll refund their money if the fire damaged it any. Believe the little plastic oil line from the sender to the gauge melted and blew oil on the hot exhaust pipe til everything was soaked in oil then caught fire. Can't prove it of course but, pretty good idea. Lost my **** this time, no coverage, just liability. It was an '88 with 257,000mi. Dumb idea it wasn't worth another $50 a month insurance. Hope no one else makes that mistake. Sure hurts the wallet.

Then last week the computer gave out. Haven't been able to get my links figured out. Had to ask on another board to get this one fwd'd so I could get back in here.

Ok: Traded a couple new blackhawks for a bunch of machinists tools.
Anyone need a small dial indicater? Inch mic, or maybe a depth mic? Anything else you need, mention it and I'll see if it's here. I've had most of these things already and don't need more. Let alone four more of some items.

Don't want to give them away, but, maybe we could swap something. Cash just gets spent around here.

I also need some info about high mileage GMC 6.5 diesels. Am looking at a 93 GMC with one and 325k. Price is within reach ,or close. More truck than I need but. Have elk and muley, antelope tags in my pocket and no way to drag camp up there. Can always find a new owner later once funding come's in for better matched equipment. I think at least. Sure not having any luck selling the ashes.

Was supposed to have a little minor surgery lastweek too. x rays show a nodule in my R lung. Has me spooked as Mom's side has lot's of cancer, got her in Dec. Now my BP is out of hand. Am sure that, burnt truck and such have a lot of bearings on the readings.

Told a buddy yesterday it's good thing I don't drink. I'd end up jailed over it.

Wish you all well, hope I'm the only one these trains hit.
George

[1hole]

"I think that some of our top military brass deserves some time in the brig for not buying American."

I feel confident in saying that such decisions are NOT made by anyone in uniform. It either came directly from congress OR the civilian "leadership" in the Pentagon, with the tacit approval of congress' oversight commitees.

[PatMarlin]

George- you're not alone with that BS. Had my share this year.

On the 6.2's and 6.5's I love em'and have been running those diesels for near 14 years.

That many miles on the original 6.5 is approaching the very top. If you buy it, plan on a new engine, injection pump, injectors, and other items soon depending on what's already been replaced.

I have an 84 GMC 4x4 with a custom built 6.2 and the an all computerized 6.5 in a 95 Chev extended cab 4x4 long bed. 250k miles on one and 200k on the latter.

THe rigs cost money to set up right, but once you do they are dependable. I get 21 mpg with my 95.

[georgeld]

Pat:
Thanks for the info. Second look it's a 2wd, gotta have a 4wd where I go elk hunting. So passed it up.
Still looking for a buyer/trader for the burnt trk yet. Have one offer of $500, thats not enough with a new engine that's not hurt. I'll pull that and all the gears and store 'em first.

Hope you're fresh out of train wrecks. Gets old fast don't it?

Did get good news about the lung though. "nodule they saw was just a "nipple shadow".
Lungs are clear, but, I do have gallstones. I can live with that. Sure was a relief to hear about the lungs though.

Take care,

[PatMarlin]

That's probably best anyway. A good 6.5 rebuild and all the rest could easily approach $6,000 and more.

The same vintage in a 350 gas engine pickup will get near that mileage on the hwy.