ADA: Ask Doc Anything!

[DocsMachine]

Any idea why this phantom I just bought has a milled hammer? If it's an upgrade mod, how can I utilize the lighter hammer best?

-Old trick to lighten the hammer. People have been doing it since the 007 days.

The idea is to try and get more shots per cartridge, and it can work, if you're willing to fiddle.

What you want is, generally, a medium-stiff valve spring, maybe a bit stiffer than the factory CCI. Then what you want is a good stiff main spring, but a short one. That is, when the hammer is not cocked, the main spring should not be pushing on the hammer. (Or at worst, should only have a very minimal "preload".)

The idea is the short, stiff spring gives the light hammer the energy to open the valve, but leaves the hammer free- IE, no remaining pressure from the spring- to 'rebound', or let the valve close, as fast as possible. That gives the best per-cartridge efficiency, all else (like paint/bore match, etc.) being the same.

The only real drawback is that the gun tends to be a little more sensitive to pressure variations- you get more of a swing as the cartridge empties.

Doc.

[Dirklax39]

You are a legend! Thanks for the information.

[Walking Stick]

It's also worth noting that I have done relatively few "full custom" builds in the last... well, quite a few years. I've repaired tons of them, done minor mods or upgrades, made thousands of parts, etc. but not that many 'complete' markers.

Hey Doc, so are you still modifying and customizing markers today? Jeez, I still remember that glorious Doc9000 Model 98 with 68Automag piggybacked on top from my heyday!

I ask because I would love to have one of your ring triggers for a 'Mag, and I have a parts ICD Desert Fox with damaged powerfeed that sits forgotten just begging to be converted into a modern centerfeed...

[Meleager7]

Hey Doc, what is the best method to grill a steak?

[Axel]

Hey Doc, what is the best method to grill a steak?

Set it under a bright light, and bring a buddy to play the "bad cop"

[Meleager7]

well done sir!

[scottieb]

Well done, hee hee!

[cougar20th]

curious what your thoughts are of this. 1940/50s vintage Craftsman 109.21270 Mini lathe.

Everything seems to be free and moving. Ways need attention as they are rusted.not horribly. It sat in a garage for many many years. I do have a couple motors I could use. But not the original.

Obviously part size is limited with it. Not sure about the max size it will hold.

Is it worth restoring? Or atleast getting running.

[Siress]

I restored one of these in my teenage years. Thanks for the flood of nostalgia. The issue I had with it was that the surface corrosion was too significant to recover. The best I could do was avoid carbide tools and use sand paper for finishing the parts I turned. Even then, I think I had to start around 220 grit sand paper.... she was rough.

[XEMON]

How big is this thing?
One thing to consider with older machinery is how many accessories comes with it and how easy/hard/expensive it is to get them if you need ...

[cougar20th]

It is not big at all. I can pick it up and carry it easily holding both ends.

[DocsMachine]

Hey Doc, so are you still modifying and customizing markers today?

-Er, yes. Point in fact, I'm pretty much booked solid for the next month, maybe two.

I ask because I would love to have one of your ring triggers for a 'Mag, and I have a parts ICD Desert Fox with damaged powerfeed that sits forgotten just begging to be converted into a modern centerfeed...

-Both are easily accomplished, but there's no way I could even start on them 'til maybe May. What's your timeline?

Hey Doc, what is the best method to grill a steak?

-Using liquid oxygen, of course!

curious what your thoughts are of this. 1940/50s vintage Craftsman 109.21270 Mini lathe.

-Wouldn't be my first choice, but as I've said before, any lathe is better than no lathe. How much? $100 for that thing as-is is stretching it. Free is ideal.

Everything seems to be free and moving. Ways need attention as they are rusted.not horribly.

-Best way to take rust off of precision ways is a single-edge razor blade. No, really, get a pack of them, and literally shave off the rust. You'll have to replace the blade frequently, especially if they get a nick and start making scratches. Do NOT "flip them over" to use the other side. Use one side 'til it's not scraping as well, toss it, start with a fresh one.

Once the precision surfaces are cleanish, get some Scotchbrite and some WD-40. I use old ratty scissors to cut the Scotchbrite into maybe 2" squares (don't use good scissors- they'll go dull in very short order) and then with liberal amounts of WD, scuff off the surfaces 'til they're clean. They'll never be "bright and shiny" again, but they'll be a lot better than rusty.

For things where the razor blade trick won't work, get yourself a jug of Evap-O-Rust, or try one of the other rust-removal tricks found online. White vinegar is my go-to, or reverse electrolysis for larger bits.

I do have a couple motors I could use. But not the original.

-The original was probably ungrounded and used sleeve bushings, anyway. Find any half-horse 1725-RPM motor (depending on where you are, should be common as dirt- I have like six of them if you want to pay shipping ) and get a cheap pulley to match. Inside the headstock is, I believe, a three-step, maybe four? V-belt pulley. Find a replacement (eBay, McMaster, even Amazon) that's roughly the same size and progression, that fits the shaft of whatever motor you get. (Likely 1/2".)

Obviously part size is limited with it. Not sure about the max size it will hold.

-I'm not overly familiar with that particular model, but I think that's just a 3" chuck. Meaning you can actually hold something up to maybe 1-1/2". Between centers is probably nominally a foot, maybe 14" as a blind guess. Hole through the spindle, if it even has one, is probably less than 1/2".

Is it worth restoring? Or at least getting running.

-Yes, generally speaking. There's a metric F-bomb ton of those things out there, and for the most part, parts are available. There's also a lot of info out there from people who have spiffed theirs up to various degrees.

It'll never be a toolroom lathe, don't get me wrong. Even in top shape it's limited by speed, accuracy and rigidity. But if it doesn't cost you much to buy, and you have a corner of the garage to tinker with it, I'd say go for it!

It's an excellent starter lathe. If you find you need bigger/better, keep an eye out for a replacement, and if/when one arrives, pass this one on to another worthy sort, or keep it on hand for small work. (Believe it or not, it's actually legal to own more than one machine tool. )

Doc.

[XEMON]

Believe it or not, it's actually legal to own more than one machine tool.
Doc.

that's not what my wife was saying when I brought the second lathe home ...

[DocsMachine]

that's not what my wife was saying when I brought the second lathe home ...

-That's specifically why I never got married. 😁

(Seven lathes, five mills and counting...)

Doc.

[Walker]

Hey Doc, What's the status of the stock (L) Market?


Walker

[DocsMachine]

Hey Doc, What's the status of the stock (L) Market?

-No black in stock, last batch I did before Covid apparently shut down any decently-priced anodizer I've been able to find, was pretty much sold before I even got it back. (Months late, again thanks to Covid.)

I have a small stash of unannoed, waiting to be sent off, and a new shop to send them to (crosses fingers) but I've been waiting to finish a couple other batches of parts first.

I also have a handful of partly-done Cater-style tank rings, but holy crap do those things take for-friggin'-ever to drill. (I just need to add a $5,000 indexer to my CNC mill to kick those out. )

I can set you up with either or both, if you'd like.

Doc.

[Walker]

PM inbound......

[Walker]

Both please....

[Walker]

Doc, what did machinists use before Loctite came around?

[DocsMachine]

Informally? Anything they could get their hands on. I have no doubt somebody tried tree sap at some point.

Formally? Shellac. For anything more vital than that, they drilled the head and literally tied it to something with wire, so it couldn't unscrew.

Safety Wire example.

I know I owe you a couple other responses, I'm getting there, I'm getting there!

Doc.

[Walker]

I'm well familiar with using safety wire. Riding dirt bike back in the 60s and 70s, you used a lot of it (or carried a lot of spare nuts and bolts..lol).

You'll get there, when you get there.... No worries, no hurries...

[Roger7pball]

Paint markers and frequent inspections?

(actual markers not our toys)

[BrickHaus]

I work on Nuclear equipment, and safety wire is still used on some of those assemblies. I tell ya, getting a 1/16th hole through the head of stainless 3/8-16 bolt isnt too bad, but you get about 4 bolts to a drill bit.

[un2xs]

How would zero gravity paintball games differ from current modes of play?

[XEMON]

No ball drop and virtually infinite range to begin with ...

[Meleager7]

I think you would could propel yourself around as well , just by shooting in the opposite direction! :O

[XEMON]

A bit yes, but the speed of each object (you and the paintball) will be invertly proportional to the respective mass ...

[XEMON]

As a machinist, how often do you do an operation by hand?
I don't mean break the corner with a file on the lathe, I mean, clamp the part in a vice and file/cut something by hand (like squaring a hole ...)

[Grendel]

This question made me think of my Dad. He would not let me touch either the mill or lathe until I had made a cube with right angles and flat surfaces with hand tools (tested on a flat table with precision angle gauges and dial indicators down to +/- a 0.001. Learning to lap surfaces is a great skill to learn. I remember my Dad making many parts by hand for prototype mechanical assemblies. In particular remember him hand scraping the ways for a LeBlond lathe he bought from work for his home shop.

[DocsMachine]

How would zero gravity paintball games differ from current modes of play?

-Zero gee, but still shirtsleeve weather (IE, indoors) or zero gee, in space?

As noted, no ball drop would be the big one, but if there's an atmosphere, range is still limited due to drag. In outer space, of course, that rope you fired at your opponent would keep going until it hit something, or was pulled in by some gravity well.

At only 200 MPH though, it'd take a couple centuries just to pass the orbit of Pluto.

Now, either way, the actual play style would have to change a LOT. I mean, if you jump up into the air, you need some way to either stop yourself, or at least change direction. Thruster packs? A couple extra 114 tanks with little adjustable gas jets? Might not be enough thrust to properly dodge. More likely the field would have to be basically 3D airball, with the bunkers (or solid shields, maybe) on some sort of support structure or scaffolding, or a whole web of support ropes.

Something sturdy enough that "flying" players could grab and hold, or "jump off" from, but with enough give or elasticity that "crashing into" one wouldn't hurt. Masks would have to be much better secured.

Other issues: It would be possible to run into floating paint, and at the end of the day, there'd be "clouds" of spray and random balls floating about. You'd have to take Spock's advice and start thinking 3-dimensionally; else you could get flanked overhead or from underneath.

[/As a machinist, how often do you do an operation by hand?
I don't mean break the corner with a file on the lathe, I mean, clamp the part in a vice and file/cut something by hand (like squaring a hole ...)

-Pretty much constantly?

I'm an old-fashioned machinist, both in how I learned/was trained, and in the equipment I have. Save for the feed necks, which I made on my new-to-me CNC lathe, every bit of those Vee-Twin bodies has been done on manual machines. The only "automated" part is the power feed on the X axis. Hundreds of manual tool changes, thousands of turns of the cranks, constantly keeping track of dimensions and spacing and sizes, trying to work out the order of operations 'on the fly'...

In the first Vee-Twin video...

You see pretty much exactly how I make a part. That's not staged or mocked up- I was recording the actual work. As I said, the only "automatic" action was the power feed for the table- everything else was 100% manual and pure brainpower.

Doc.

[MrBarraclough]

So basically, zero-G paintball would turn into the battle room from Ender's Game.