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Screw a piece of wooden dowel (roughly trimmed with a knife works perfectly as uneven edges deform more easily) into the bolt hole, when you screw it out again you will see thread marks on the dowel. This will let you count the tpi. From there you should be able to identify the thread. Our...

Re paint colour, if you take a sample part to an automotive paint supplier they will colour match it for you and mix up a spray tin. Edit: OK, see Jameshow has already suggested automotor paint!

Senior moment! Ooops 🙃

9/16 af socket?

Horrific! Not only using the side of the wheel, (okish up to about 6 mm dia for very light grinding) but that jigged set up will go round the workshop like a rocked closely followed by wheel shrapnel if the drill digs in. The work should always be below wheel centre unless using a very solid...

I've used round headed coach bolts for years. Choose ones where the square bit is a reasonable fit in the top of the slot and file equal flats on either side of the round head to fit the T. Gives a reasonable load distribution on the the slot providing you don't go full blown Hulk when...

Usually years of grit, gunk and old oil! Think they were originally made a close fit and over the years as the wood shrinks it binds. I released one once to find that the stone was in fact a compound, black on one side and a llilly white on the other totally hidden.

My favourite for using on an oilstone is water with a little dish soap (Fairy Liquid Eco-Ver or even ecconomy basic) The rubbing action on the stone produces foam that clears the swarf and helps prevent pinning. Discovered this while polishing badly 'dragged' brass clock plates. Qiick wash and...

Mix and match. Oilstone (I actually use water and some wash up liquid, the foam helps clean the stone but oil tools after to prevent rust) for plane irons chisles etc and diamond plates for cobalt steels, carbide or stone dressing. Each has a different feel and you need to learn the difference...

I argued with the guy installing the new boiler and system about putting it in the hallway instead of through the wall in the living room. Would have none of it. Council House, council heating! Pity the council don't pay the bills. Herself is disabled so the living room needs to be warm, not a...

Thrupney Joeys were round, and silver!

Have looked on Evil bay for a thread dial indicator but they are pretty expensive and the single bolt fitting for an ML7 type isn't suitable. The ML10 I have has two 5/32 BSW tapped holes to fit it onto. The job is fairly simple and it should be possible to make one from some old tube tent poles...

Only reference I can find: http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=2296

Run a dial indicator on each side tips of the blade. Only one needs to be off line to the set on that side to put a score on the finished wood. Also, does anyone balance wheels to limit vibration? Learnt this from doctoring old steel blades.

I see old bits of rail an I think 'lathe bed!'. That's a nice wee job you have done there. Love the old deep rust texture you have left. This is my little old 28 pounder anvil, (JB, John Brooks?) very abused when I got it. Top gets rubbed with diamond block periodically. One day all the marks...

That is one superb program you have written! We are not worthy! 👏😎 Not had much chance to do much work on things the last few days but I have managed to source a 100T change wheel, £15 + p&p. Pretty reasonable considering a Mehanite blank would probably cost as much. The lathe does appear to...

An 8oz ball pein hammer. Belonged to my dad, had the War Department arrow on it and the date 1947, year I was born. Not pretty, not beautiful but a nice piece of steel that takes a good polish. One of the hammers used to make this ring from Scottish gold, panned by me, smelted and hammered into...

Not quite sure of your problem but 1mm brass is normally OK to bend by hand. You need the Yuri Geller fingers and feel the brass as it just starts to get from the stage where it springs back to the point where it goes plastic and starts to retain the curve after the pressure is released. Takes a...

Oops! Yeah, it was the 42mm screw on lenses I was meaning. I used to do some ultra close up photography with 42mm screw lenses and extension tubes. + adaptor. Worked well with my old Canon Rebel but my newer Canon 750d has to talk to the lens so it won't work., just throws up an error. As far...

I come at this more from a clockmaking and resoration angle. Hand built antique clocks usually use a cycloid profile, rather than involute. Generally it was a case of repairing the wheels or duplicating them. Hand filed form tools in either silver steel or gauge plate, hardendend and tempered...