| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
 Posted -
25/11/2004
:
14:20
|
I've always been fascinated by the things people do in their spare time when they can do exactly what they want to do. Men and sheds are a particularly fertile field. Women tend to do their thing in the comfort of the house.
I was delighted to see Andy's picture of the clock movement he has made.
It struck me that we could perhaps start a new topic devoted to spare time skill. So Andy starts it off and my contribution is this:
It's a small steam engine made from scratch and is based on the Stuart 5A but a longer stroke. One of these will drive a 14 foot boat with steam at 250psi. By the way, we don't like to call them models, it's exactly the same construction and materials as a full size engine, just smaller. So come on out there, let's hear about what you make in your spare time. I reckon we could be in for some surprises!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
|
|
| Replies |
| Author |
|
|
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 31/01/2008 : 07:52
Malcolm, it would seem to be one of the great mysteries of shipping. Walter was the only person to alert me and Mark at Crating Solutions knew all about it. It isn't a dicretionary rule, it is cast iron. Any suspect consignment has to be sent back to the consignee or repacked under hazardous waste conditions at the consignee's expense.
At the moment I'm waiting for a ruling from the Customs at Fremantle before I start painting anything on the case. Then I'll get a quote for shipping so I can paint the shipping number on as well.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk  |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 12/02/2008 : 06:48
We have now got definitive answers to all my enquiries and the bad news is that the engines won't be going to Oz after all. At least, not sent by me. I got the ruling from Customs and basically I would have to go through a complicated assessment scheme and end up paying anything form £500 upwards in duty plus the shipping. So..... i have informed the daughters that they can consider themselves the owners of a steam engine apiece but until they organise transport I shall look after them..... Perhaps they can get an exemption or something. I shall use the case as coffee table or something and retire to lick my wounds. I did go back and query the original ruling but the answer came back immediately, the duty applies even to dads making presents for their kids...... I think I have fallen into a bureacratic morass.
I shall move the case out of the dhed and be ready for the imminent arrival of the Horace Green motors. Once I get them I shall put the little one on the lathe in the front room and set about motorising Johnny's 1952 lathe. Onwards and upwards!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 12/02/2008 : 06:51
By the way, Dlta Electrics at Nelson agree that I am the most patient customer they have ever met. They are considering putting a plaque up in the works....... I think it was in March last year that they collected the motors. The 1hp single phase has been rewound and they are checking that they have the rotation right and matching a stop/start button for the big one. It will be nice to see them again.......
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
|
Posted - 13/02/2008 : 20:43
Stanley
Disappointing for you. Since we joined the EU, duty rates both ways between us and the old Commonwealth (except for the "developing " bits), have rocketed. On imports, you also pay VAT on the value, plus duty, plus freight costs. Depends how you valued the items of course, but for imports, duty reliefs are only on things like marriage gifts, change of residence etc. One of the daughters needs to get the advice of a good shipping agent out there, preferably through "networking", rather than straight contact.
Hope you can resolve it.
Malcolm
|
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 06:41
You're right Malcolm but no big deal, the kids are dissappointed but OK with it. I am going to put the packing case in the bathroom and use it for the reserve stock of toilet rolls...... A design statement!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Gugger
|
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 08:52
Malcom,
Yes, what is needed is a good, trustful shipping agent that knows all the custom tariffs item numbers and how an item has to be declared to not serve the money people but the little fellow.
In the transport / customs business as a private individual you will be taken to the cleaners.
Networking, good contacts are essential.
Walter
|
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 15/02/2008 : 07:49
My latest displacement activity is getting to the end of the nrg file I am currently scanning. Almost there.... Another 2,500 negs scanned in, only another zillion to go......
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
|
Posted - 15/02/2008 : 19:44
Stanley
You keep at it, I have a stack of old family negatives to fiddle through my new scanner. Haven't been able to get near recently. Since the weather improved, I've spent my odd hours in the workshop. The Matchless Monster is in for a check over, and to have the dynamo connected up (previously the lights have only worked on a battery - just for the MOT).
To get to the dynamo we had to remove the clutch, and I found that the clutch basket, which was badly worn when I put the bike together six years ago, is now even worse. Luckily she shares a clutch with the Ariel Square Four. The main Ariel people do an exchange service, so a quick drive down to Suffolk is required to move the job on.
This is the third bike through the shop since Christmas, each for a "simple job" that ended up requiring more work and parts. You would have thought that by now I would know about "simple jobs!"
Malcolm
|
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 16/02/2008 : 07:05
Simple jobs? Don't talk to me about simple jobs..... My mate Roger once asked me to go down and put the engine in his Lancia Stratos....... Here's a bit from me memoir......
"Later in the year Roger rang me. He was organiser of the Stratos Owner’s Club in UK and they used to book Silverstone for a day once a year and go and play at being boy racers. As soon as he started to explain this I knew what he was after, “You’ve not got the engine back in the Stratos yet have you?” He said I’d hit the nail on the head. I knew the engine was out from my visit earlier in the year. Evidently the arthritis had flared up and Roger couldn’t manage. He asked whether I could go down and put it all back together for him. Of course I said yes, arranged to be away for a week and jumped in the Fulvia. When I got down to Gardiner’s Cottage Roger took me into the workshop and showed me the state of the wicket. The engine was, apart from the crankshaft being already installed in the crankcase, completely in bits! I looked at it and said “Oh dear!” or something like that. Roger gave me the workshop manual which was for the Ferrari Dino not the Lancia version, in addition it was in Italian! Deep joy! I got my stuff into the house, had a cup of tea and a word with Annie and the kids, put my overalls on and went out to get started. Three days and about four hours of sleep later, I had the engine rebuilt and back in the car. There had been one or two glitches, the manual I had didn’t cover the distributor which was fitted to Roger’s engine and in the end I threw the manual away and timed it just as though it was a steam engine. I balanced the three twin choke carburettors as best I could and when we tried it it started first time! The nice thing was that just as it started, the phone rang and when Roger answered it it was his two mates in London who were doing exactly what I was doing, rebuilding the engine completely. I didn’t take a lot of notice what was going on until Roger gave me the phone and said “You’d better have a word with these two!” They were having the same problem that I had hit, the manual bore no resemblance to the engine when it came to fitting the distributor and timing it. I told them I had thrown the manual away and timed it exactly how I would time the steam admission valve on a steam engine, set the engine just before top dead centre on no. 1 cylinder and fit the distributor so it was just sending a spark at that time. It wasn’t quite as simple as this because the distributor had two sets of points, one set operated up to about 3000 rpm and the other set kicked in afterwards to give more advance. They took my advice and must have got it right, they were at Silverstone the following day. Roger and Annie were due on the track the following morning so I worked all that night finishing it off and at about four in the morning took it out for a totally illegal, but immensely satisfying test run. I think I was doing about 100mph in third gear when I decided it would do! We loaded it on the trailer, the family went off to play at racing cars and I had a clean-up and a leisurely breakfast before driving home."
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 13:52
I thought you would all like to know that the engines are stored away on the top shelf of the bookcase in the front room and the kitchen worktop is now clear.
Here's the most expensive reserve toilet roll holder in Barlick. Contemporary chic?
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 20/03/2008 : 09:26
Apologies to all of you for my absence. I have news! I am promised that the Horace Green motors will come home this afternoon! It's only taken a year to get a proper refurb done on these antique motors and I have no doubt it will cost an arm and a leg. However, it will be worth it to have Johnny's lathes working with the same motors he bought for them over 50 years ago.... More when I have actually got them and got over the excitement! I shall have to stop scanning negs and get my hands dirty........
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 21/03/2008 : 09:37
In case you were holding your breath...... You've guessed it, no sign of the motors despite staying in all afternoon. Ah well, par for the course but I think we may be a step nearer.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 21/03/2008 : 15:55
Nelson still keeps to the old textile holiday tradition of ignoring Bank Holidays and having a September holiday so guess what....
The Horace Green motors have come home from hospital! Here is my stock manager inspecting the delivery. The big one has been rewound and both have new internal wiring and bearings. Fully tested and ready for work. The really nice thing is that because they have been away so long and I have been so patient, there is NO CHARGE! So, all's well that ends well. Now I have no excuse. I'll finish tscanning this neg file and then get down to some serious work in the shed.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
|
Posted - 21/03/2008 : 19:44
Stanley
About time too!
I bet the Coop have been very concerned about the drop in Swarfega sales. And your hand towels have never been so clean (yes, I know the signs).
Of course, some of us have been beavering away in secret. But it is really only running to stay still - catching up with what is officially known as "deferred maintenance". Now I have (foolishly) taken on a job that might merit a mention in the near future.
As for blagging the motor refurb for nowt - thats sheer genius!
Malcolm
|
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
|
|
Posted - 22/03/2008 : 06:46
Malcolm, no blagging, just a reward for having patience, a sense of humour and dealing with good men. It's been no sweat for me, glad to get some scanning done so no lost time. Probably better to keep out of the shed in winter anyway, cuts down on heating costs. All told a good result all round and the £300 I had saved out of my pension will be a handy buffer........
New readers might wonder why take the trouble to refurb the old motors. They were built using lots of metal in the laminations and heavy copper windings. A modern motor buzzes like a doorbell when it's running, these are virtually silent. A modern 10hp motor weighs less that the HG 1hp. Built to last!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Shed culture
