New Shop equipment!

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

Hi Mike,



Sign of the times that metal working is not interesting to younger guys and being dropped in schools. I guess Facebook and Twitter will build the physical world of the future- yeah right.

Sorry I missed the VMVC Swap. My wife was in hospital on that weekend. Nothing serious, but it kept me away.

Brgds,

Jacques

I think its because of the tighter health & safety laws at schools nowadays .

Most of the schools have ditched the 'dangerous' machinery like lathes and the brazing blowtorch that we all used at school . But the kids still manage to injure themselves at school sport activities for some reason.

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Spot on Mike.

OH & S has a lot to answer for! Especially if it prevents the training of the next generation in practical engineering practices. Oh well, the immigration department can always fill the skills shortages.

Brgds

[maple_leaf_eh]

Just to follow this theme further, there was a news story about a coal mine in British Columbia hiring Chinese foreign workers to operate Chinese long wall underground equipment to extract Canadian coal. The local labour union bosses were predictably dismayed, and this time I agree with them. I personally have little interest in going underground, but with enough money and incentive there must be people interested to train to dig coal. It is hard work but someone has to do it.

It almost makes me wonder if too many people in the school system think only of clean hands, indoor jobs without due respect for developing the physical and technical trades.

[Harry Moon]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Just to follow this theme further, there was a news story about a coal mine in British Columbia hiring Chinese foreign workers to operate Chinese long wall underground equipment to extract Canadian coal. The local labour union bosses were predictably dismayed, and this time I agree with them. I personally have little interest in going underground, but with enough money and incentive there must be people interested to train to dig coal. It is hard work but someone has to do it.

It almost makes me wonder if too many people in the school system think only of clean hands, indoor jobs without due respect for developing the physical and technical trades.

To often we propagandize our youth about mining raping the earth and other rubbish, no one wants to kill the planet right!
Lots of well paying jobs go wanting but for someone who will move or get there hands dirty. Tried to get a hard rock mining course going at the tech school... no applicants!
Any TV or movie always charecterizes such work as done by hicks and not the really high tech but honest hard work that it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRVdiHu1VCc
Rant off!

[Harry Moon]

I piucked up a very nice Clausing lathe a few years ago and the more my son teachs me the more we like this machine.
12X36 with a great solid steel tables. Manual gear change for threading. Got the manual on the net for free. Very low serial number probably made 40 or 41.

[Jacques Reed]

A friend of mine has just offered me her late husband's Qualos 5-1/4" swing lathe. Her twenty-something sons don't want it so I was the next person she thought that would be interested in it.

It looks to be in good condition. Been in the garage over 10 years but not run for over 7 years when he passed away. It has a lot of tools, holders, live centre, tailstock chuck, and a 3 and 4 jaw chuck. It has also been converted to a 1.1 HP single phase motor.

Found this British website that shed a bit of light on the company's history and the lathes. www.lathes.co.uk/qualos/‎

They were made in Melbourne from WW2 to mid fifties. RAAF used a lot of them to train their apprentices and now the company is Mitutoyo Qualos an importer of mainly precision measuring equipment.

Anybody have any experience with them and does anyone have any ballpark figure what they are worth? Guess that is very subjective without a close visual inspection? I want to the right thing by her and pay a fair price for it. Can't find a date of manufacture of this particular one. Is there a stamped plate or stamping somewhere on it with that date? Any info greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Well things are settling down a bit since our son-in-laws accident over 3 months ago. There hasn't been any improvement in his situation but we are starting to come to terms with it and getting on with our lives.

I haven't done any work on the Blitz since April but I have started to get back into related things gradually. I have reverse engineered the plans for my tyre chain boxes from a banged up sample with a missing lid. I had to take a bit of artistic license with the lids as the only photos I've seen of them does not give the full picture.

I also have found a really great guy who does horse float work for my daughter who has a large pan brake and guillotine in his workshop and has offered me the use of it, plus training, anytime I want to fabricate them.

I have also finally bought the Qualos lathe from our friend so the next nice day when I can get some strong help I will bring it home. Luckily it is only a 2 km trip but I will still lash it down like I did to cargo in the past for a sea voyage.

As my late dad used to say "It never hurts to ask." I emailed Mitutoyo Qualos here in Melbourne last weekend on the off-chance they might still have an Operator's/Maintenance Manual on their lathes in the archives from which I could at least get a photocopy. Lo and behold on Monday AM I received a PDF of the manuals and sales brochures of the era (see attached)
It is really nice to get a reply, let alone good information, sixty years old at that. So often requests for information don't even get a reply in these days Unless a sale is involved!

Cheers,