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Every level of government can write electric code which cannot be lower than the federal cod, but may be tighter. Basically. it is only CSA approval that requires dealing with the Feds. Things like inspecting building wiring is done by provincial and sometimes municipal inspectors. From this...

Congratulations Dennis. Now you will find how much time demand there is on someone that is retired. Go in the shop and lock the door, no phone, no email, just the quiet hum of a machine tool awaiting your attention.

Mike: Let us know what the local inspector required and what you ended up doing. There is usually more than one legal way and a 'good' inspector will give good advice. Some inspectors still belong to their local union and will discourage DIY work to the point of being miserable. They can find...

You probably need advice from an electrician that is familiar with the codes for wiring machine tools (not just a house electrician). You have to start from your entrance panel and depending on access will determine if you can run concealed wire or if it has to be on surface. Any wiring on...

We are surrounded with high voltage air dielectric capacitors. Some times they short out (lightning) and sometimes the charge just disappears. Interesting discussion!

That is interesting. If the charge is on the dielectric, do capacitors with air as the dielectric work the same way?

Very nice work. Your machining skills must have been fantastic before they became so rusty.

They look great and I can't understand why anyone installs drawers without full extension drawer slides. When I had our kitchen cabinets replaced with custom cabinets, the cabinet maker was aghast that I wanted, and would pay the few extra dollars for full extension slides on all the drawers.

Try and get a download or buy a copy of the famous book by Southbend "How to run a lathe". IIRC it says that a lathe like the 10K will reduce the diameter by 3/8" on the roughing cut. Edit: Just so there is no confusion - a SB 10K is a light duty 9" lathe. They were a very popular high school...

It must be a lot warmer in Pennsylvania than I thought. Running a B&S in the house with a muffler on it is a very dangerous practice. In Canada washing machines came with a B&S or the more popular Iron Horse engine, no muffler, but a length of 1" flexible steel exhaust hose that the housewife...

The weight of the lathe doesn't have much to do with the motor switch. If you are asking if you should use that switch on a 2 HP lathe motor - it depends. OK for most home shop applications if used with common sense. It would not last long on single phase for frequent stop-start cycles. It...

Cryptic post. Please tell us why you posted that link.

Congratulations on a great project. As you found out, a small spill of alcohol quickly becomes a big fire. Some time ago, I pointed out the importance of having an adequate vent hole in these simple burners. If there is insufficient venting, pressure will build up in the tank and it becomes a...

A few years ago, weed-eater engines were the power of choice. Very light and high power to weight ratio.

Somo: You sound like the ideal person to be self employed. You have the ability to run a one man shop which can provide a very comfortable income. You would likely have to keep it as a one man shop because I don't think you could find employees that meet your standards. A few basic machines and...

Aircraft drills sold by the pound at the Boeing surplus store and other aircraft manufacturer surplus They can be used in any electric or pneumatic drill. You don't need the quick change chuck. Almost all the drills of that type are are number sizes for rivets (such as #30 - .128" for 1/8" -...

I just assumed that the need was for drill rod or similar. If the needed material is to replace 1/16" drill bits, then drill rod is the best choice. For those who have trouble cutting small drill rod, use a Dremel with a cutting disc. 10 seconds to make the cut and another 5 seconds to deburr...

Try the rack in your local hobby shop.

Good job Rick. Anyone who has done industrial maintenance knows that the only requirement is 'make it work'. We need it yesterday and we can fix it right later and of course, later never comes.

The average home machinist doesn't have all the specialized tools that the commercial shop uses. Even the ones that have surface grinders may not have the ability to grind aluminum so have to improvise. Since I have used a surface plate with wet&dry to flatten and polish a lot of aluminum. I...