For DRIVERS, MECHANICS & FOREMEN.
Page 27
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TEN SHILLINGS is Paid to the sender of any letterichich we pv:!.,.7ish on this page, and an EXTRA FIVE SHILLINGS to the sender of the one which we select as being the best each week. Ali notes are edited before being published. Mention your employer's name, in confidence, as evidenee of good faith, Address, D., M. and F., "The Commercial Motor," 7-16, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C. 1,
Lamps Alight,
On Saturday, February 21st, light your lamps at 5.4 in London, 5.43 in Edinburgh, 5.41 in Newcastle, 5.53 in Liverpool, 6.13 in Birmingham, 6.2 in Bristol, and 6.39 in Dublin.
Improvising a Parallel Vice.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the extra payment of 5s. this week.
[2,056] "A.W." (INwsb.ury) writes :—" In most old. shops there are one or two of the old--fashioned leg vices knocking around or on the scrap heap, having been placed there out of the way when the shop was fortunate enough to be equipped with the newer and more convenient type of parallelfitting. If not available from that source, one can be picked up cheaply from a marine store dealer's. We had need of an additional bench vice the other day, and the occasion did not justify the purchase of another parallel vice, as it was only required for occasional use. We had one or two of these leg vices in the place, but, owing to limitations of space; it was not possible to use one of them as it stood. It occurred to me, however, that one of them might be altered to suit the circumstances. I set about the task, and in the end made quite a creditable parallel vice out of it, as you will realize by reference to the accompanying sketches— (Which we have had redrawn.—En.). " I dismantled the old vice entirely, and commenced operations on the outer leg, forging it at right angles to the main part of the vice, the angle being formed at a point a little below the hole for the screw. The horizontal portion was also trimmed up to a convenient rectangular shape, and dressed up so that it would slide in and out of the other. The other leg was also treated in the smithy. It was jumped up, split, and the two parts opened out to form a flat seat fOr this part of the vice. In the middle of the nnderside of the platform thus formed I slotted a recess of such dimensions that it would nicely accommodaite the horizontal leg which I had made on the other part of the vice. If this explanation is not so clear as it might be, reference should be had to the sketch, wherein the parts are shown separately an well as assembled. The base is made from a piece of -a in or in. steel plate, machined to form a, continuous supPort for the sliding leg of the vice and shaped to accommodate the upper and fixed part of it. The whole is mounted direct on to the top of the ben ch.
"The vice, so made, has been in continuous use now for SOP1(3 time, during which I have only been able to discover one fault in it."
Magneto—Trouble.
[2,057] "J.W." (Kirriemnir) writes :—" The`sort of troubles which call for considerable exercise of ingenuity are those which occur when the driver of a van, car, or lorry is far from a garage or smithy and has to improvise some means of repairing an unlooked-for breakdown-of his machine. Not only is he called upon ft) exercise his brain in devising means of repair, but there is often call for a littlethought and speculation before he arrives at the source of his temporary trouble.
" My vehicle is a three-ton lorry, a Daimler, Y type. The other day I had to make a journey of about 25 miles amongst the hills of Perthshire. The journey out—and up—was all right. I was carrying a load of luggage, by the way. After I had unloaded., however, and came to start up for my return journey, I encountered trouble immediately. The engine, usually a docile enough power unit, 'refused to start. I examined the petrol supply ; the tap was turned on. ',The carburetter was all right, and flooded on trial. ''Presuinatily, then, the gas supply was in order. I therefore turned my attention to the ignition, and commenced investigations by taking out a plug. I gave the engine a turn or two, but the plagadid not give any sign of being aware of the fact, so that I was at last on the track of my trouble. The wiring was and the switchon. I therefore thought that it must be the magneto, and removed the cover of the make-and-break. Still all in order. Next I took off the distributor cover, and had a looksat the distributor. It seemed all right, too,,but I gave it a wipe down, and cleaned it with a drop of petrol. Finally, as so it proved, I thought I would have a look at the carbon brush Which collects the currentfrom the slip ring. On removing the brush holder, I found that the brush was firmly fixed therein, the hole in which it should reciprocate having become choked by an accumulation of carbon dust, so that the spring which should push it into contact with the surface of the ring was not strong enough to perform its function in the adVerse circumstances thus created. I bad then, as I thought, completed the first half of my job —I had located my trouble-. It, appeared to be a simple matter to remove the brush, clean both it and the interior of the holder, and to thus at one and the same time restore them and the magneto to their original state of efficiency and efficacy. Alas, I crowed too soon. In removing the brush from its holder, I had the misfortune to break it in two, so that I had two Pieces each about half an inch long. Neither of them was long enough to serve even temporarily as a makeshift brush. "I was 25 miles from a. garage, indeed, almost 25 miles from 'anywhere,' certainly 25 miles from a place where I should be likely to obtain any assistance which would be of use. I wa-s therefore turned back upon that forlorn hope, my own resource. Of course, I had no spare carbons. Even had I been accustomed to carrying such unusual spares about with me, it is more than likely that on this day of all days I should have left them in the garage. Feeling in my pocket, I put my hand on my pocket electric lamp, the battery of which was nearly run down. The latter had narrow stieka, of almost the right size for my purpose, so that I determined to sacrifice the remainder of its life for the sake of the carbon. I was easily able to file one of the carbons clown to fit the brush holder, and ultimately had as good a replacement repair effected as you could desire. I refitted the magneto, gave the engine a turn, and she started and ran with the old facility."