Search results

Complete tailstocks often go by on e-thing. One of the benefits of the ML8 is they were made in such large numbers and for so long that used spares are quite common.

I usually don't say anything for several seconds, if its a genuine caller they nearly always say something first. The silence helps me to listen to the background noise of the caller center and the moment they start speaking I hang up.

You don't say what sort of lengths you are after, but assuming you only want small pieces, then the 'bright' range of steels would probably serve you better. The 'black' constructional steels can indeed have hard spots, although 'new' drills can also need sharpening. It all comes down to what...

My basic rule of thumb is, if I am asked to do my trade, then its the proper rate for the job. If I am asked to do something as an enthusiastic diy'r for want of a better term than its on the understanding it's not my trade, the end results are not guaranteed and it might take longer than a...

I wish to tidy, I want to be tidy, I try to be tidy, I spend hours tidying up, but within a tenth of the time it's a tip again. I've given up fighting nature, I'm not tidy, but as an old workmate once said, "Never mind nipper, a tidy bench is a sign of a worker with time to spare, it makes good...

The colour and overall look is very similar to my Parmo set, if you want to go looking for its other half

Are 8' tubes still available?

I have a large wooden side gate/door that I would like to fit with a Yale style lock or something similar. I don't want to use a padlock, I'm after something that closes when shut and can be locked, exactly like the action of a Yale, can these be used outdoors in all weathers, or is there...

I think it was about 1974, I walked through the doors of my favorite Government Surplus dealer in Southampton, To be met by a man saying "sorry mate their closing up". I was so surprised that the shop had gone without warning, that it didn't register till some time later the bloke had been...

I have one as well, must have been expensive when new. Absolutely no idea how to best use it, but I couldn't let stay in the skip it was lying in.

In theory it is possible if the drill ever had a major snatch and the work-piece went round till it hit the pillar or something else, but you say this only occurs with the quill up, so that is unlikely. The other way is mishandling when the machine is being moved. I would have assumed that an...

I don't know that particular version of the Meddings, but the one I had at work was nearly bomb proof. I wonder if on the belt pulleys the key in the key way has slipped. this is usually on the quill pulley. I would like to see about 15mm deflection on the belt from straight with a medium...

Does it make the same noise turning by hand and with the belt removed?

Lift the belt guards and check inside there, look for rubbing or strike marks on the guards, would be my first option. Operate the machine with the guard lifted and see if the noise goes away.

financed and encouraged by idiots who buy nearly new tools from car boot sales

Is it worth the price of the paper sticker? Undoubtedly someone will bid on it just for a laugh, and guess who laughs last.

In the boatyard we used to rely heavily on 'McCloud's tartan paint' for apprentice training.

A flexible type of the old 'Surform' rasp, intersting.

Had to pick my daughter up off the ferry last night, the trip down our road was made much longer by having to replace all the wheelie bins onto the pavement to get to the turn around and then move half of them again on the way out and dodge black bags slowly rolling across the highway

The company I used to work for had one of those Warco mill drills, it suffered horrendous abuse over the years, it wasn't new when the company bought it, but has proved bomb proof, its still going with another company, but I understand they are finally going to retire it. If you are considering...