June 2018

The May Meeting

We had a couple of visitors/prospective new members at the meeting: John Poaps who is interested in all sorts of engineering and Don Hayes who is looking for a hobby when he retires. Don had just bought an old Emco Compact 5 CNC lathe - more later.

Bruce Mannerow started by discussing club finances: We are going the opposite way to our province in that we not only have a surplus but a growing one. The subscription of $20 per annum was set a long time ago when we had club insurance to cover us for exhibiting at different shows and in the dim and distant past for giving rides on the club track. This was always the most significant on-going expense but we stopped taking insurance a few years ago when the previous arrangement we had with other clubs fell apart, getting insurance on our own became very expensive and the need for it essentially went away. (Basically, we stopped exhibiting where insurance is required.)

Since then we have been accumulating a surplus and there has been no pressing need to spend any money buying equipment etc. Bruce therefore proposed that we reduce the subscription to $10 per year and review the situation annually so that we still maintain a reasonable balance in the bank. This proposal was approved by a vote of members present.

NAMES was discussed: Several of us went along to both exhibit some models and look at the show. Because the April newsletter came out after the show I did put in some comments and a few photographs. However, it is worth mentioning again that we all felt that it was a good show and it was nice to meet up with a few people in the model engineering world who we have come to know but only really get to see at the exhibitions. The only disappointing part was the lack of seminars because of some issues within the organizing committee. Some YouTube videos of the show have been posted on the web:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjs6uE_Q0e0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mmGX7sMASM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyf91iH8r3I

Last time Bruce talked about needing to make some Bellville type washers. This time he brought along the

jig he has made to produce the dished shape required in the spring washers.

He also talked about O’keef’s vise casting sets. Apparently, this person started producing these and the demand became so great that he had to stop taking orders – a very nice situation to be in for someone making and selling something. They must have taken down any references on the web because it is difficult to find much information. I personally have a problem with making one’s own "tooling." This is probably because having spent a long time working for an engineering company, the rule is that you never make something yourself, on a one-off basis, if there is anyone out there making essentially the same thing by the thousand, that will do the job as well if not better.

Murray Bennell was discussed. He had been a club member for some time but died of cancer in February 2016. He bequeathed his body to medical science, with the provision that it be cremated afterwards. His daughter Sara has now received the ashes and wishes to dispose of them in a manner that is fitting for an ex-model engineer and model train enthusiast – possibly at the Komoka track.

In the workshop tips category, Bruce talked about a system for measuring the diameter of a parallel bore using two matching wedges and an external measuring device. Most people have outside micrometers to cover a range of diameters but internal micrometers or bore gauges are less common.

knows the person who owns the collection and will look into the possibility of a visit.

Shows this summer were discussed and Bruce promised to put together a list for inclusion in the newsletter (next time.)

Telescoping Internal Gauges are another option.

There was some discussion about another field trip to see a tractor collection near Dutton. Tony Koolen

Having a few other things going on I have not made very much progress on my Sealion. I did get the intake/exhaust manifold casting machined and mounted on the engine.