Public domain and creative common media

A proportion of what I do ends up on this blog in the public domain. I restrict some of my work to non-commercial use but much of it is freely usable. This has the limiting factor that when I create something, such as a circuit diagram, chart, manual or 3d model, I have to only include things that I have created myself.

There are times when it would be a waste of time recreating things that others have already done. This would be for common icons, signs or symbols. I've previously mentioned standard components for 3D models and some sources for those can be found on the following linked page:

https://blog.discoverthat.co.uk/2019/12/sources-of-components-for-3d-models.html

At the moment I'm working on a car circuit diagram and wanted the standard ISO symbols for the dashboard warning lamps. Too many of the top results from searches took me to sites with a pay wall where the alternative free version required each icon to have separate attribution, which just does not work on some documents that I want to share.

If I was creating documents commercially then the nominal fee needed would be well worth it, but I'm not, I give my stuff away for the benefit of others.

Here I will list those sites where I have found creative common and more importantly public domain images that can be downloaded for free:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Dashboard_SVG_icons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:92/58/EEC_style_emergency_exit_signs

I'll add more sites as I find them.

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Weber adapter for a Rover V8 manifold

The SU carbs that came with the engine, destined for the hot rod, have seen better days. This led to the idea of replacing those with a Weber carb.

This is a common adaptation and already modified manifolds for the Rover V8 3500 are readily available, at a cost. However, Dean picked up a damaged manifold from an SD1 at a bargain price and I have a mill :-)

The carburettor is a Weber 38 DGAS. Dual 38mm bore with synchronous operation. It has an automatic choke, but most likely we will replace that with an electric one. The Weber carbs, spare parts and upgrade components are all readily available in the UK, making this a good choice.

I'd already managed to hold the manifold on the mill table to clean up the cut off top. I've now milled an adapter plate.

I'm using M8x40mm set screws as mounting studs. On top of that goes the thermal insulating spacer and then the carb.

The adapter will be attached by someone more experienced with welding aluminium.

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Hydraulic leaf spring spreader

We are now on the third version of adaptations to use my pre-existing 10-ton body repair press as a leaf spring spreader for use on Dean's emerging hot rot.

This latest version has an adjustable length. This solves the issue that none of the combinations of tubes supplied with the 10-ton strong arm were quite the right length to get the spring eye's where we needed them. Prior to this, full extension was not quite enough but we could not get the next longer tubes in between the eyes when under no compression!

I turned up an adapter to slide into the strong arm tubes. This is simply to keep the M24 threaded bar central. A nut at the interface and flat faces for a spanner on the threaded bar allow the length to be adjusted, even under load.

Worked but not ideal

Our first attempt used a combination of whatever we had to hand to deal with the reverse eye on the spring. This did not always work out. The picture shows the lifting shackles overhanging the holes that we need to get the spring mounting shackles into!

The second version used some plates to push against. They avoided anything obstructing access to the spring shackle mountings. Although these brackets worked, and still do, the plates and the M12 bolts bent significantly.

The current version works well and it is relatively easy to fit and remove the spring. If I make another version it will be to strengthen the brackets that are used to push on the spring eyes.

Scientifically tested :-)

To get the tension right, the spring has been on and off the car a few times. Using the best measuring techniques we have to hand, it now feels about right :-)

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Organise the workshop

One of the exciting things about planning my new workshop is to have a place for everything, so I do not have to hunt through loads of boxes and move things about to find what I need.

I want the materials and the tools to be easily accessible. My commonly used tools are all on the walls, using Bott wall boards. These have been brilliant.

For everything else, I've been through an evolution of various ideas, starting with shelves, movable shelf units and finally movable drawer units and roller cabinets.

I find that shadowfoam works well for some tools but to compliment that the latest improvement is to add custom 3D printed trays to fit each of the drawers and the tools or stock within them.

Not everything lends itself to being completely organised but much of what I use regular, does.

I've opted for the very popular Gridfinity system. This uses a 3D printed grid that aligns all the trays and makes it easy to swap things round. There are loads of articles and YouTube videos going into detail about using Gridfinity, so I won't repeat that.

I've designed a lot of my own custom trays to fit the exact tools that I have as efficiently as possible. The photos give a good idea of the solutions I've used.

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16mm tools in the WM250V lathe

I have just taken the first couple of cuts with 16mm tooling in my Warco WM250V lathe.

These have been the best I have ever had. The tool easily removed more metal in one go than I was comfortable doing before, and without trying, the surface finish is better than I have had before. 

The photo shows what was supposed to be a roughing cut. Better than any of my previous tools.

The WM250V is intended to take a maximum of 12mm tooling, which is what I have been using up until now.

The reason I tried this is that I had noticed that the T51 quick change tool post I have was just large enough to fit 16mm tooling and I took a chance that there was enough height adjustment to centre a 16mm tool. I had already replaced some of the tool holders with longer M8 grub screws to be able to centre and lock the 12mm tooling reliably. Those same M8x40mm grub screws gave me enough movement to adjust the 16mm tooling.

It's a bit close with the bottom edge, having only about 0.5mm movement left, but, as they say, "clearance is clearance."

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Spacers for the hot rod

The hot rod build has progressed. Dean has made the main rails of the chassis and the engine, gearbox and front suspension are in place. He is making sure that everything lines up as he goes. Sticking with the original model A hubs and trying to get the alignment of the available brake discs and calipers has been challenging.

He's tried a few that sounded on paper to be close, but searching on the internet for accurate enough information is difficult, so the only option is to buy bits and try them out.

With a bit of trial and error, and only one adjustment to the spacer that I made on the lathe, it has all gone together nicely. With the information from that mock-up Dean can make up the various mounting brackets needed for the final assembly.

Parts:

• Ford front spindle (c.1940)
• Volvo 240 brake caliper.
• MGC or Austin Healey 38mm offset brake disc.

Lathe:

• Warco WM250V

As a side note, I have been very pleased with the lathe.

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Welding fixture plate

No surprise here, now that I have my own TIG welder, I am likely to do more welding :-)

I can't justify taking up a lot of workshop space with a permanent welding table, so I've made a surface suitable to weld on.

Prior to making this I've had to find something workable at the time. I've tried using a paving slab to protect the workbench and a scrap of steel plate.

The newly constructed welding fixture plate is made from 10mm thick steel plate, 600mm wide x 400mm deep. Specifically to fit across my workbench with a welding blanket under it. I am glad I did not get it cut any larger because I would have struggled to lift anything much heavier.

The plate is slightly raised up to get G-clamps round the edge, plus I've added a few 16mm holes in the middle for fixture table clamps and stops.

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