The Binding of my PhD Thesis

Unfortunately, and in typical style, I had no time to take photos of the two copies that I bound and handed in for examination (this was of course done the night before the deadline).  The one here, is my own copy, which is substandard in every way – the page numbers are not right, the binging has no cover, and it is generally more shoddy.  The principal was similar though, I simply clamped the spine of the pages between two slivers of teak wood I had knocking about.

The first ones you hand in are suppose to be ‘soft-bound’.  After I have the viva exam and do any changes they want to the text, it will be ‘hard-bound’ ready to be hidden away in the library. It is pretty self explanatory (see pics below), but if anyone is interested in the details of how to do this just ask.

With the drill up and running now (see my last post), I have been making some hold down clamps.     It cuts wonderfully through steel, on a nice slow consistent speed. In the photo below I am using the hold down (drilled and tapped with the new drill press) to secure a van part that required a new hole and thread.

As you an see this was taken before I touched up the paint.

Yummm. Here it is in use making some whipped cream ;)

So yeah, it is working very well.  Only thing that I might improve now perhaps, is the adjustment of the drill’s table. To raise it up is quite an operation, as it lacks any rack and pinion system.  I love the way you can quickly swing the table round out of the way, but some kind of raising system would be useful.  Haven’t seen any mods on the net, anyone got any suggestions? Some sort of simple jacking system between the bottom and top table maybe…

I have been in the process of renovating a pillar drill for a while now (PhD work kept getting in the way). I thought I would share some of this drill press jazz. After drilling and tapping innumerable holes in thick steel by hand (all be it a Bosch powered hand;) while I was engrossed in the wood lathe project, I can see the value of a pillar drill.  This would have been soooo useful, it seems ironic that I am doing this now.

The original Meddings Drill Press

The idea was that by getting a second hand three phase drill, it is possible to get a really high quality and functional machine, if you are willing and able to convert it to run off single phase electricity supply. Three phase drills tend to be better quality machines suited to industrial use. …Continue reading »

Just getting a chance to upload the final photos of the big bowl, which was given over as a present for the wedding we went to this weekend.  Hopefully they will be pleased…  Here it is after a fine sanding and a light oiling.

The home mixed oil is bringing out the fantastic swirly depths of the grain. …Continue reading »

This is the latest turning project – a fairly large lump of sycamore I roughly chainsawed from a fallen tree at my parents house in the Welsh hills.  It has actually been hanging about in a plastic bag for a few months (while I finished my PhD) waiting to be used.  My original plan had been to cut it into two or more separate pieces to make some matching plates.  Feeling the lack of a bandsaw though…

It was plenty mouldy when I uncovered it, and also a new nest of little flying ant like creatures, which was unexpected!  My hope was that it would have nice spalting patterns all through.

So the first step was to scrub of as much of the surface mould as possible and brush away the bugs.  I then began to …Continue reading »

So I published the instructable of the lathe project the other day. It already has had a whole load (like 10,000) views! Which I find quite amazing… People have made a range of comments (check them out on instructables link) but most are very positive.

A load of other blog sites like hackaday have noticed and featured it – all good.

It gives me more incentive to get going with this site anyway…

Ok, so we have decided to put the lathe project into a new ‘Project’s section‘, rather than the bolg, which was getting confusing. Go check it out using the drop down menu above.

Like the rest of the site it is all still a bit experimental at the moment, any feedback or suggestions most welcome!

The latest lathe project – made while Sam was away under high security conditions and an elaborate web of deception (it is a present for her). It is a big chunk of sycamore that I got from my parents house.  The tree has been lying in the field for the best part of year – so the wood was still wet – which made turning very fun – long pleasing ribbons of wood.

Hello and welcome to the first flowering elbow blog post.

Not much here, other than for us to wish you welcome to the new Flowering elbow web presence.