Recent content by nealeb

The torch handle has two controls - main gas flow and pilot flow - so you can adjust according to the burner fitted. For example, if I'm using the needle flame burner, I'll probably just use the pilot control as it is a bit more delicate and there's no real point in a separate pilot flame. For...

Getting back to the original question! TerryD pointed to the basic Sievert torch, which is fine, but particularly if you are going to be using the larger burners, the 3488 handle is worth considering. The separate pilot control and trigger for main gas flow is useful to avoid having to hang the...

To clear up any misunderstanding - my problem was silver-soldering a machined phosphor-bronze component to another brass component. I just could not get the SS to flow on to the bronze. I wasn't using phosphorus-bearing rods - as you say, a different kettle of fish. The problem with learning...

The world seems divided into two - those who insist that only the old and generally banned Cd-bearing solders ("the only way to get the stuff to flow into a joint properly") should be used and those who are happy with modern, widely-available, non-Cd silver solders. Personally, I've used Easiflo...

At least the software and all its data are kept on your local machine. At worst, even if you never get another update, you have something that can read what you have done to date and write it out in an industry-standard format. That puts you in a better place than some of the other options. Even...

Try this link. Definitely says free non-expiring licence. Takes more learning than F360 but looks more powerful once you get there. I'm still using F360 for day-to-day purposes but trying to get up to speed with SE for the next stage of my current project.

I mentioned earlier that my local area rate of exchange is the bottle of wine. I handed over the house nameplate I have just made for a neighbour earlier this morning. He knocked on the door just now and gave me a half-box (6 bottles) of wine - look like decent ones, too! I did complain that it...

Standard rate of exchange round here (South Devon, UK) is a bottle of red wine. Two bottles if it's a big job... I'm in the middle of cutting a house sign for a neighbour's new house which might be a two-bottle job as it involves more work than usual (had to 3D scan a relief image from an...

I have come across "submerged jet" carburettors which avoided the need for an accelerator pump by putting the main jet at the bottom of a small well which fed the carburettor venturi. The idea was that in steady running, the jet metered the fuel flow correctly but a sudden throttle opening would...

I gave up about the time I discovered that on one side of the pond you pay a bill with a cheque and on the other side, a check with a bill. :) I suspect that even in the UK these days, the term "slot drill" is used more amongst model engineers than industrial users, certainly going by the...

What there was, was a whole lot of mucky grease that had probably been congealing for the last 50 years! Mine has allen bolts holding things together, so I took those out. Couldn't see a spring in the first one; in fact, there only seemed to be two springs so when one went missing I don't know...

I live in a small village in South Devon, which sometimes feels like being slightly to the West of the edge of civilisation. But our broadband is lots faster than when we lived in Hampshire and the postal service is spot on! I'm currently trying to install the new cams. Or, more specifically...

Haven't actually done anything with it yet but as far as I can there is no licence expiry date (i.e. it is unlimited time) and I don't think that it is locked to a specific machine. I have the "Community" edition as I struggled to see differences between two or three offerings. But given that it...

D1-4 cams ordered yesterday morning, left on the doorstep this morning. Not bad. Blighty - I was looking again at that chunk of steel you are using. That's a mighty big bore down the spindle! My Smart and Brown is somewhat restricted as it is only 38mm clearance but it does have a 5C collet...

I've just installed the free version of SolidEdge 3D. Be interesting to see what it's like compared to F360.