From: clare@snyder.on.ca   
      
   On Tue, 1 Jul 2025 10:44:10 -0700, Bob La Londe    
   wrote:   
      
   >On 7/1/2025 1:22 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:   
   >> It was an example of the major components well made in a factory and the   
   >> minor ones in someone's cottage, poorly enough that filing improved   
   >> them.   
   >   
   >I am sure you are aware that some of the old school apprenticeship   
   >projects were to make precision tools with files.  Making something   
   >better by filing is only occasionally within my self taught skill set.   
   >it is absolutely a reality in machining.   
      
   When I was teaching (auto mechanics) in Zambia (1973-74) my class was   
   given some old 2 strike back-pack "dusters" from the Nakumbala Sugar   
   Estates as well as a sachs wankel engine off an old welder from one of   
   the copper mines.   
      
   I had the students practice their "fitting" (mostly filing) by making   
   piston rings for the 2 strokes out of cast iron pipe  - 5 of the 15   
   students actually got their engines to fire up!!!!   
      
    Then they decided they would like to get the Wankel running - and   
   made apex seals out of bed-frame angle. It didn't have the   
   counterballance for the flywheel so when it DID eventually start -   
   bolted to an angle iron frame, it walked across the shop floor with   
   one of the guys standing on it to hold it down. It only ran about 25   
   seconds or so - but they all got a passing grade!!!!   
   >   
   >> Its Brown & Sharpe #7 collet size is almost identical to Morse #2,   
   >> max 1/2", but rarer, so I snapped up all the arbors etc that Wholesale   
   >> Tool had left.   
   >   
   >I have done much the same thing with KWIK 200.  I particularly like the   
   >Kwik 200 Accura-Flex collet chucks.  Of course Kwik-200 was much more   
   >popular being used in CNC machines by both Bridgeport and Hurco.  I once   
   >considered scrapping my Hurco, and sold off some of my tool holders, but   
   >then later decided to rebuild it again.  I of course had to buy back   
   >some tool holders at a higher price.  That was when I really discovered   
   >the Acura-Flex collets and that I liked them even better than ER   
   >collets.  Then I acquired a second machine with a Kwik 200 spindle.   
   >   
   >   
   >--   
   >Bob La Londe   
   >CNC Molds N Stuff   
      
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