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Other Stuff => Misc / Open => Topic started by: Wenman on March 06, 2019, 10:56:15 AM

Title: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Wenman on March 06, 2019, 10:56:15 AM
Morning!

Can anyone recommend a good engineer shop that could lathe up some spacers for me?

Obviously within the UK, I’m located in Devon but I assume most places can deliever them!

Thanks

Alan
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Johnwebley on March 06, 2019, 11:15:42 AM


  any competent engineering company,

  just provide a basic drawing and dimensions .


  http://www.hmsengineering.co.uk/

 this is who I use,and they are brilliant .
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: matthewmosse on March 06, 2019, 01:38:46 PM
Buy a lathe if you need much doing. They pay for themselfs very fast in my experience.
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: K2-K6 on March 06, 2019, 11:07:39 PM
I trained in engineering,  but wish I'd learnt more about economics so I could afford to spend more on engineering  ;D

Matthewmosse,  now you've got me looking at myford add listings  :D although a nice Hardinge would be good,  or a  Colchester 2000. See what you've done  ;D
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: matthewmosse on March 06, 2019, 11:12:31 PM
Lathes are simple  to use, I taught myself after 5 minutes tuition at a work experience placement - saw the possibilities bought a brand new warco machine, which took a few years saving up to buy plus bought an old tuition book ' machine tool operation' I think it paid for itself inside of 5 years. Of course it's another way to spend yet more money, chucks cost £100 and various other tools become neccessarily as jobs crop up, but it's very very handy to have. I now have 3 excluding the dedicated woodwork machines - the latest ones a 1920's treadle lathe bought off Facebook for £100. Was seized solid and covered in 60 years of dust and rust when collected. It's now functional and rather appealing looking in its patinated old paint wiped over with an oily rag. Operates amazingly smoothly and has a  full set of thread cutting gears - amazingly the only dammaged gear was available new in a very similar pattern so was a simple job to modify the replacement to fit. Only  downside to the lathe being so old seems to be that chucks and other accessories may not be readily available with the right headstock thread - that lathe will be required to make an adapter for my 1914 lathe to carry alternative chucks as  the treadle lathe can cut stupidly coarse threads. Once that is done I'lll be able to skim and re line drum brakes without stripping the wheels down to a bare hub, in fact it will  with the right chuck be able to mount a cb550 wheel up with the tyre still fitted. I didn't do metalworking st school - that class was oversubscribed and I had the best language skills of the bunch who wanted to do wood and metalwork so I had to study German instead. I did a year of blacksmithing but lathes were not covered.
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: matthewmosse on March 06, 2019, 11:25:32 PM
My current collection, Oliver kfc31 pattern makers gap bed lathe, circa 1914 - does wood or light metalwork, massive machine. IXL 1920s treadl lathe with full thread cutting and wood turning attachments. Warco wmt300/2 lathe / mill / drill machine centre. I've since had some paid work on a local firm's myford 7. It's a very satisfying hobby in itself and need not be that expensive, the Oliver lathe was £80 delivered and as much again converting it to single phase as it was 3 phase 2 or 4 hp off a switch and a phase converter big enough to run that would have broke the bank. Putting on a single phase motor and jackshaft with step pullies gave more speeds and was cheap. Variable speed drives are cheaper now and on the wish list.
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Seamus on March 07, 2019, 08:46:32 AM
I dont need a lathe, my brother in law and my brother, both have them. Quick visit and it all done for me.
Lazy mans option.. ;D
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Laverda Dave on March 07, 2019, 09:20:41 AM
I bought a s/h Myford Series 7 about 10 years ago, one of the best tool purchases I've ever made. Although Myford are no longer in business you can still buy any parts you need from various suppliers. I managed to buy a milling attachment a couple of years ago. There's even a tutorial series on YouTube of how to strip them down and rebuild them!
I was lucky to have studied metalwork, woodwork, TD and motor engineering at my comprehensive school in Acton. I had the best and most inspirational teachers throughout my 5 years of secondary school. My TD teacher was ex-Rolls Royce and was involved in designing the Merlin engine (he always called us 'Chaps' at the start of a lesson) and my teacher for metalwork, woodwork and motor engineering designed the articulated seat rails for Concord. He also built a harpsichord from scratch in his lunch breaks!
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Moorey on March 07, 2019, 11:48:28 AM
To say there are all theses lathes about there are not many volunteers to knock up a couple of spacers. He is obviously happy  to pay.  ;)
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Wenman on March 07, 2019, 04:27:13 PM
That’s what I was thinking moorey! Lol
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Moorey on March 07, 2019, 04:43:37 PM
How quick do you need them?
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: matthewmosse on March 07, 2019, 07:11:48 PM
Lead time on any new projects in my workshops 6 weeks at the moment- I reacon he'll want spacers sooner than that  ;). Too many jobs, not enough time......
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Moorey on March 07, 2019, 07:20:57 PM
Lead time on any new projects in my workshops 6 weeks at the moment- I reacon he'll want spacers sooner than that  ;). Too many jobs, not enough time......

I would hardly call a couple of spacers a project. Turning doesn't come any simpler. They are a shove it in, between proper jobs. Were I used to work it would have been just do these and they would more than likely have been FOC.
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: taysidedragon on March 07, 2019, 07:40:19 PM
It's very easy to volunteer other people, isn't it? 😊
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Moorey on March 07, 2019, 07:44:11 PM
It's very easy to volunteer other people, isn't it? 😊

How little you know.  ;) I have already volunteered myself.
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Trigger on March 07, 2019, 08:31:07 PM
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Wenman on March 08, 2019, 08:55:27 AM
Thanks moorey for your help! It was much appreciated!

I’ve managed to find someone locally who has a small lathe and is confident he can whip these up in an hour for £30!!
I think he said he would whip them up in between projects lol!

Cheers again

Al
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: Moorey on March 08, 2019, 09:01:53 AM
No problem just get back to me if it falls through. I will squeeze them in during my dinner time.  ;D
Title: Re: Where can I get some swingarm spacers made in the UK?
Post by: taysidedragon on March 08, 2019, 11:13:09 AM
It's very easy to volunteer other people, isn't it? 😊

How little you know.  ;) I have already volunteered myself.

Good to hear. ☺
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