Re: Digitizers, Renishaw (for bill phillips)

Hi Ian,

Ouch! I can appreciate that! Just a thought, would it be possible to
make a wooden hood, like a printer cabinet, get the top of the lathe
warmed up with local heat, just before using? Or a "poncho" (plastic
mac?) to cover up the lathe. A 100w light bulb would warm it up a bit,
and drive out the moisture.

With all my junk, maybe I have a phono cartridge or two.

What do you think of the electronically driven mechanical clocks? Is
that of interest to build? Or is it strictly weights and springs?

Alan KM6VV (sunny, central California coast). Well, raining now!


Ian Wright wrote:

>
> Hi Alan,
>
> I'll have a look at that program.
>
> I don't think there would be too much trouble locating phonograph pickups
> yet - I saw about half a dozen old 'radiograms' thrown away at our local
> dumpster site yesterday and plenty are still used in children's toy record
> players.
>
> Timing clocks and watches is not an exact science. Many very expensive
> machines are sold to adjust their timekeeping commercially but these usually
> only time them over a very short period - seconds or minutes at the most.
> This is fine for getting an approximate idea as to whether the watch is set
> up 'in the right area' but, due to the fact that some gears go round less
> than once a day, any faults or inaccuracies in these wheels will not show up
> on a short test. Consequently it is still necessary to check the timepieces
> the long way to be at all sure they will keep accurate time. This is, of
> course, the main failing with the 'one hour repair' franchises in the
> department stores (also their staff training and workplace cleanliness etc.
> are big issues).
>
> When I eventually finish my little milling machine project its primary use
> will be in making parts for watches and small clocks (for me smaller is
> better!!). At the moment I'm getting quite frustrated as I have one axis
> working under computer control but need to get out in the workshop to make
> the bits and pieces for the other two and the remaining toothed belt pulleys
> but, with an unheated workshop, its just too d****d cold at present! Any
> ideas how to heat up the lathe handwheels so I don't freeze to 'em!!! ;o{
>
> Ian
> --
> Ian W. Wright
> Sheffield UK