Author Topic: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop  (Read 186405 times)

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #250 on: 11 March, 2015, 09:57:59 pm »
Things I have learned this evening: Do not try to run a 'tin-can pulse-jet' on lighter fluid. #earsstillringinginging.  :facepalm:

However, I made a another, smaller beercan stove and am currently enjoying a mug of lesbian tea brewed on it.  :smug:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #251 on: 27 March, 2015, 07:29:18 pm »
What's the fuel for the pulse jet?

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #252 on: 27 March, 2015, 07:42:50 pm »
I usually use meths for the 'Jam jar pulse-jets'. On youtube, there's quite a few videos, and some people are using 'Nitro' model engine fuel, 'HEET', etc.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #253 on: 05 July, 2015, 11:29:20 pm »
Been up to anything recently, WJ?

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #254 on: 11 July, 2015, 01:41:23 pm »
Not really been doing much. After surgury in March, I went back to work after Easter, and found it quite tiring. Also I am losing a workshop at work, so I've had to chuck lots of useful scrap in the skip.  :facepalm:

I've been selling bikes  :o Both the 'F' frame Moultons have gone, also the Bianchi (my work runabout)

I've not really been cycling since the op, either - just over 400 this year.  :(   I don't know if it's anxiety about being able to do any distance, or what, but I lost the 'mojo' for cycling.  :-\

However, yesterday, I went out for a 75 mile ride round North Norfolk.  :D

I need to sort the workshop at home out (more N-1), and build up a touring bike.

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #255 on: 12 July, 2015, 05:34:32 pm »
That all sounds a bit traumatic. Sorry if I've missed posts elsewhere.

However, I'm slightly narked that despite everything (surgery included) you can still do a 75 mile ride, even if it is round North Norfolk.

I look forward to your touring bike. I assume you mean touring as in going abroad loaded and for a period of time, and not as in one end going places the other end doesn't?
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #256 on: 12 July, 2015, 06:48:31 pm »
I have normal bikes as well. The tourer is a traditional Dawes Galaxy frame I bought - should have enough bits to build it up, but I'm considering flat bars.

Don't let the pivot in the middle of the Wobblebike fool you into thinking it's not a useful bike - I've turned up, fully loaded, to a forum camping weekend on the Wobblebike, and also did the Dunwich Dynamo on it!  :demon:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Oaky

  • ACME Fire Safety Officer
  • Audax Club Mid-Essex
    • MEMWNS Map
Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #257 on: 12 July, 2015, 06:56:46 pm »
I have normal bikes as well. The tourer is a traditional Dawes Galaxy frame I bought - should have enough bits to build it up, but I'm considering flat bars.

Don't let the pivot in the middle of the Wobblebike fool you into thinking it's not a useful bike - I've turned up, fully loaded, to a forum camping weekend on the Wobblebike, and also did the Dunwich Dynamo on it!  :demon:

My main memory of the Wobblebike/Dunwich thing was the ease of parking the WB.
You are in a maze of twisty flat droves, all alike.

85.4 miles from Marsh Gibbon

Audax Club Mid-Essex Fire Safety Officer
http://acme.bike

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #258 on: 12 July, 2015, 11:27:09 pm »

My main memory of the Wobblebike/Dunwich thing was the ease of parking the WB.

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #259 on: 15 July, 2015, 01:21:25 pm »
Years ago, before I could afford to induldge my bike building passion so much, I used to satisfy my creative desires in other ways...  ;)


...one of them was building RC model boats. I'm about to pack a few away to store in the loft, so I thought I'd show a couple. They are a bit bashed, have detailling bits knocked off, and dusty now after spending a while in the school workshop (I ran an after school model boat club for a few students several years ago).



This is not a shop-bought moulded plastic hull - it's scratch-built from sheets of balsa, and about as compact as possible with the standard servos and NiCad pack:



Then there is this:



A semi-scale Virgin Atlantic Challenger II



Done in the days before access to vinyl cut lettering - the red decals were hand cut from sticky-back plastic with a craft knife.  :smug:



...and, yes, it's another scratch-built balsa wood model!  :o



 :smug:
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #260 on: 16 July, 2015, 12:10:21 am »
One more - I have done plastic hulled boats...


...Step 1 - Make a pattern/mould of the hull

Step 2 - Vacuum form hull from plastic sheet...



I made no attempt to make this one look like a full size boat as it was an exercise to make a fast mono-hull boat and to see how far I could stretch the limits of our Vacuum former.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Tail End Charlie

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #261 on: 20 July, 2015, 09:58:25 pm »
Those are fantastic WJ, great attentional to detail. I'd love to have access to the sort of kit you mention, you lucky *****

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #262 on: 20 July, 2015, 10:22:12 pm »
The only special kit for the top 2 was a craft knife, sandpaper and a bigger-than-average-soldering-iron to solder together the handrail and ladder (made from brazing rod).
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Tail End Charlie

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #263 on: 21 July, 2015, 09:51:31 am »
Bliley, makes them even more impressive!

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #264 on: 06 August, 2015, 10:49:54 pm »
Bad news.  :(

Because of re-organisation at work, I'm losing lots of workshop and storeage space, so I'm having to clear out all my useful 'junk', and make room in my home workshop for anything I want to keep.  >:(

This is going to severly limit the sort of stuff I post in the Wobbly Workshop thread - no prospect of new projects.  :-[

Not only that, I've had the 'scrap man' round and cleared the home scrapheap of bikes and bits...


...there was toooo much for his truck.  :facepalm:

I've taken the last few bits to the local tip recycling facility.

Today I took the FarRad radiator bike to the tip.

A couple of the guys there were interested, and I explained the story of the bike.
I said to them "I'd have thought you'd seen all sorts come through here", Reply: "Yeah - but we've never had a radiator bike before!"

By the time I left, they had hauled the FarRad radiator bike out of the  metals skip, put the wheels back on it and were riding it around the recycling site.  ;D
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #265 on: 07 August, 2015, 07:31:08 am »
NOOOOOEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Hate it when you have to throw stuffs away.

As long as the Spincycles are safe...
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #266 on: 24 August, 2015, 10:21:37 pm »
I'm getting a little time while jobs are running on the CNC machine, so I've welded up kingpins and done seat mounts on the trike.  :thumbsup:

I may have b*ggered up one of the kingpins.  :facepalm:

Trying out seat shapes:





The real one will be made of Aluminium/plastic sandwich with a 25mm closed cell foam pad.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #267 on: 25 August, 2015, 08:42:53 am »
That is looking great wj  :thumbsup: . looking forward to seeing it completed  :)
the slower you go the more you see

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #268 on: 26 August, 2015, 10:39:22 pm »
Marked round template to cut with jigsaw:



This used to be a sign, and the graphics can just be peeled off:



The closed cell foam is from an old judo crash-mat. This was cut on a bandsaw - a jigsaw just wobbles foam up & down and doesn't cut:



This is what it looks like  :smug::



I'm afraid it will be a while before I get to do any more on this - Start of term is looming and there are new rooms and staff to sort out.  :(
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #269 on: 27 August, 2015, 07:22:16 am »
Did you know you can get a 'knife' blade for a bandsaw?
ie: no teeth, just a sharp edge.
Cuts foam beautifully. Nice clean edge.
Thinking about it, you probably did know  :facepalm:

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #270 on: 27 August, 2015, 08:54:04 am »
When I was doing the tour of foam suppliers pre MA show, they recommended using an electric carving knife!

Nice work, Wobbly John. Shame to have to put the project to one side for a bit just as it's really starting to take shape.
Good luck fettling rooms and staff!


Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #271 on: 27 August, 2015, 09:54:53 am »
When I was doing the tour of foam suppliers pre MA show, they recommended using an electric carving knife!

I've used an electric carving knife on foam before. It cuts it, but you don't get a particularly clean finish with it. A bandsaw with a knife blade in it, is deffo the best way.

For home use I have a long Sabatier filleting knife which is scarily sharp.
Placing the foam on a surface which has a slot in it, keeping the blade wet, and cutting only on the downward stroke, the blade disappears into the slot, cutting the foam cleanly as it does so - you move the foam towards the cutting edge - rather than moving the blade along the line you want to cut.
For cutting neat holes, I have a dozen or so copper and aluminium lengths of pipe, varying from ~3mmØ to ~50-mmØ.
I've put these inna lathe and taken the wall thickness at one end down to effectively an knife edge.
These tubes can then be hand turned into the foam to core out round holes.

I really should get out, a bit more often.

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #272 on: 27 August, 2015, 10:17:17 am »
I didn't know about the knife bandsaw blades. I don't think we use foam often enough to justfy buying one.
A nasty trick is to suggest cutting foam on the electric fretsaw.  :demon:
We have worked foam in the laser-cutter, machined it in the CNC router and even vacuum-formed it.
I'll probably use a heat gun to 'polish' the edges of the foam seat pad.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #273 on: 27 August, 2015, 10:34:04 am »
When I was doing the tour of foam suppliers pre MA show, they recommended using an electric carving knife!

I've used an electric carving knife on foam before. It cuts it, but you don't get a particularly clean finish with it. A bandsaw with a knife blade in it, is deffo the best way.

For home use I have a long Sabatier filleting knife which is scarily sharp.
Placing the foam on a surface which has a slot in it, keeping the blade wet, and cutting only on the downward stroke, the blade disappears into the slot, cutting the foam cleanly as it does so - you move the foam towards the cutting edge - rather than moving the blade along the line you want to cut.
For cutting neat holes, I have a dozen or so copper and aluminium lengths of pipe, varying from ~3mmØ to ~50-mmØ.
I've put these inna lathe and taken the wall thickness at one end down to effectively an knife edge.
These tubes can then be hand turned into the foam to core out round holes.

I really should get out, a bit more often.

*hatches idea for plot of crime novel*
Getting there...

Re: Tales from the Wobbly Workshop
« Reply #274 on: 27 August, 2015, 10:34:35 am »
I didn't know about the knife bandsaw blades. I don't think we use foam often enough to justfy buying one.
I remember seeing one being used by the foam vendor.
Then, whilst at The Museum, we did a shed load of foam work which justified buying one.