Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
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TEN SHILLINGS WEEKLY for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for any thing else published.
Drivers of commercial-motor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject which is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Workshop taps and smart repairs; long and successful runs ; interesting photographs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" and prepare sketches, where necessary, before publication. The absence of a sketch does not disqualify for a prize. When writing ,se one side of the paper only and mention your employer's name as a guarantee of bona files. Neither your own nor your employer's name will be disclosed. Payment will be made immediately after pub! rertion. Address your letters to I he Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Moroa, 7 15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
We Acknowledge Receipt.
Selected from a number of communications intended for these columns, and which we are unable to acknowledge individually, we have letters from the following correspondents under consideration, with a view to publication :, • "
,LA.'' (Manchester), " A.F1.11." (Cardiff), (Stockwell), " N.C." (Batley), " AL." (Ladbroke Grove), " H.D." (Slough), " U.K.'' (Birmingham), " A .0.'' (Cardiff), " C.T." (Fulham), " P.P." (Mile End) and " (Shepherd's Bush).
Cutting a Keyway in a Lathe.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the 10s. prize this week.
1.6511 "KM." (Darlaston) submits the following contribution.—" I noticed letter No. 640 on the Drivers' and Mechanics" page of the G.M. and was interested in the description of a method for cutting a. keyway by means of a small lathe. I well know the difficulty of cutting a keyway with a hammer and chisel, to one who is not an ex perienved fitter. 1 thought perhaps the enclosed sketch fWe have had this redrawn.—ED.] might, in this respect, be of interest to my fellow-readers. nave seen hundreds of keyways cut in regular engineers' shops in exactly the same way. A very small lathe will admit a very long shaft, and a long keyway may be cut in a very short time. Any number of keyways may he cut, by this method, in different parts of a shaft.
" The shaft upon which it is desired to cut the keyways should be clamped down to the cross-slide of the lathe, in the manlier shown in the sketch. A special chuck must be screwed on to the lathe spindle in order to hold the end-mill or cutter. This tool is made with a
taper shank, and it fits into the hollow spindle; it is held tight in position by the chuck. The shaft must be packed up so as to be central with the cutter ; this can be tested by running the slide across and allowing the cutter just to scratch the shaft. The cross-slide will have from 8 in. to 12 in. of travel, according to time. size of the lathe used if a keyway of greater length than this be required, the shaft must be shifted along on the cross-slide and carefully reset; a second cut can be made in order to extend the length of the keyway. The cutting end of the end-mill is filed flat to about I in. thick. A central slot is cut in this for clearance; this should be about 3-16 in. wide and 5-16 in. deep, and at an acute angle with the diameter of the cutter. Good clearance must be given, in the usual way, at the ends and sides of the cutter. This class of cutter is very useful all round and is quick in operation; it may be used for a number of other jobs besides keyways ; refacing the slide-valves of steam engines is one that coines Lo my mind."
Wanted—A Spare Boiler.
16521 " T.D." (London) is the writer of the following communication ;--" I have several times asked the firm for whom I work to get certain spare parts for a steamwagon that I have been driving about five years, but they ridicule the idea. I ask you, Mr. Editor, is it ridiculous to buy spare parts that would enable the wagon to be constantly employed in profitable work ? When I tell you that three pair-horse vans have to be lured every day that the wagon is laid up for repairs, you will realize the work it does. Our orders often specify motor and trailer,' because customers have found that they can get a motor in position and unloaded, while a carman is whcaing and hacking' and punishing his horses for not being able to do a task which they were never intended to do, i.e., walk backwards and shove a heavy load besides.
"Every four months the boiler of my wagon is opened out for cleaning and scaling, the machine, of course, being idle for three days on each occasion. Even then the job is only half-done; everything is rushed, and the cry is, Bow long are you going to be now f' Every two years the boiler goes away for a week for retubing—more idleness! Now, is it too much to ask for a spare boiler, that could be lifted into position and ready for work during an ordinary wash-out day? The other boiler could then be attended to at leisure and with care, as a staff of engineers is employed at the works. Considering that there is always work for the wagon, I contend that a spare boiler would pay for itself many times over ; besides, I believe that the life of a boiler may he greatly prolonged by giving it a rest, and, also, by dosing it with boiler fluid, carefully washing out and then repeating the dose.
In this way the opening out and chipping and scraping may he avoided, thus saving labour and any amount of studs, nnts and bolts that get broken during the operation. Fitters have a knack of scrapping things and of constantly requisitioning new parts. All this could be saved by having a spare boiler, not forgetting the lost days of the men on the wagon. Then again, the wheels are constantly requiring attention in the shape of new steel tires, loose felloes and bolts, and they have to be sent away for two days at the least—more idleness for men and vehicle. Two spare wheels, one front and one back, would save all this trouble and delay, as well as the expense of hiring horse-drawn vans. Spare parts are considered an expensive item, but 1 believe they are worth their weight in gold, especially when, from experience, you know that they will be required.
"There is another point about which I am very sore: a horse is provided with a stable, but a motor, which costs such a great amount of money, is left out in all weathers, and is always expected to be ready for work. Many a time have I suffered in health through having to do repairs out in all kinds of weather, when the job might have been done much better, and in comfort, in a shed. Now that the winter is here, repairs, washing out and cleaning are heartbreaking jobs, when an easterly wind is blowing across the yard.
"The successful running of a steam-wagon depends upon these things. Spare parts save days of idleness, and a shed for a wagon saves burst pipes in winter through frost. Anything done with a view to making the conditions more comfortable for the driver result in greater interest's being taken in the wagon. the nork, and the master."
Picking Out Old Packing.
[6531 "J.A." (Crmston) writes as follows :—"As a regular reader of Tun COMMXRCIAL MOTOR, I am pleased to say that 1 have got some very useful tips out of the C D. and M.' columns, I notice, in your issue of 9th December. a letter from RN.' (Gateshead) in which is described a tool which he has made to remove the old pack
ing from the glands of steam engines. I quite admit that such a tool would be very useful in some cases, when the engine is not under steam, and where there is sufficient room to use it.
"In my opinion the best time to get the packing out is while the engine is under steam ; then it is quite an easy matter without any fear of doing damage to the rods. Perhaps, if I describe my method of getting it out, it might be useful to some of your driver readers, who may not have had so much experience.
" When I am going to pack the glands on a Sunday, before going into the shed on the Saturday I just slack the glands back a little, so as to give the packing a chance to ease off the rods. I always remember to keep a fair pressure of steam up, and, when I get into the shed, I slack the glands well back and run the engine round out of gear for a short time. Then I ,scotch the wheels up tight, back and front, and turn the engine round until the valve is full open for admitting steam to the back end of the low-pressure cylinder where the packing is. 1 next screw the gland right off, put the engine in gear again and open the auxiliary valve, which, of course, admits the steam against the packing and blows it right out. I then just screw on the gland again, take off the valve-spindle gland and open the auxiliary valve again, and blow it out of that. I turn the engine round again until the valve is open to admit steam to the back end of the high-pressure cylinder where the packing is, put in the gear again and open the regulator this time. It is always best to start with the piston glands first, or too much steam will escape from the steam chest if the valve spindle gland be taken off first. I have never had the least difficulty when the job has been done in this way; it need not take more than ten minutes.
" Never run the engine with the glands unscrewed. I have seen this done, with the result that the glands and nuts have been damaged beyond further use."