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The Water Cooler / Re: Frost Heaves
« Last post by vtsteam on Today at 03:28:07 PM »I loved my 3 months living in UK back during winter 1969, and can confirm it is a good place to live! 
Recent Posts
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The Water Cooler / Re: Frost Heaves
« Last post by awemawson on Today at 01:20:59 PM »This just confirms my belief that despite the current political chanigans the UK remains basically a good place to live. No major climate excursions or geophysical extremes such as you describe. I listen to my sons stories of extreme heat in Houston and constant air conditioning running and sit back and enjoy what I have. Spring is just begining - first lawn cut today - and the birds are chirping away. Calendar says our lambs are due starting tomorrow and the cycle of life keeps turning.
I hope that you get sorted Steve.
I hope that you get sorted Steve.
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The Water Cooler / Re: Frost Heaves
« Last post by vtsteam on Today at 01:12:21 PM »Heh, Ade, you know it! We actually just got back from a family vacation to New Orleans. Ate seafood, heard jazz, fished, and canoed. Saw alligator, ibises, etc. Back to the frozen mud was kind of a letdown. But two weeks from now and the ice and snow will all be just memory.
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The Water Cooler / Re: help from MEM Mods
« Last post by ozzie46 on Today at 06:22:30 AM »Probably. 
The way everything is hacked anymore, you never know!
Ron
The way everything is hacked anymore, you never know!Ron
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The Water Cooler / Re: Frost Heaves
« Last post by AdeV on Today at 05:39:01 AM »At times like this, I guess Florida starts to look attractive as a place to live...
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The Water Cooler / Re: help from MEM Mods
« Last post by AdeV on Today at 05:36:00 AM »I figured it out. There was a setting in my browser that was causing the issue . reset everything to default and all is well with the world and MEM access!!!
Thanks for the help
No worries Ron!
Was it the "Kim Jong Un" switch?
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The Water Cooler / Frost Heaves
« Last post by vtsteam on March 22, 2026, 06:56:15 PM »We often get frost heaves here in early spring. The expanding thawing earth moves into ridges and sometimes sinkholes while last winter's snow melts. This can run overground or under a heaved layer of ice as deep as 4 feet. The water doesn't absorb into the ground but stays on or near the surface, on top of a lower layer of ice, creating lots of mud. We call this time of year Mud season.
Unfortunately, this year the height of my shop's concrete floor is below the recently heaved earth around it, so the spring snow runoff has entered, flooded the concrete floor and alternately freezes on cold nights and thaws during the day. March rains have added even more water.
This should all subside once truly warm weather gets here and the base ice in the earth thaws. At which point the shop floor will again be above the normal ground level. But for now, my shop is unusable.
Just waiting for warm weather....
Unfortunately, this year the height of my shop's concrete floor is below the recently heaved earth around it, so the spring snow runoff has entered, flooded the concrete floor and alternately freezes on cold nights and thaws during the day. March rains have added even more water.
This should all subside once truly warm weather gets here and the base ice in the earth thaws. At which point the shop floor will again be above the normal ground level. But for now, my shop is unusable.
Just waiting for warm weather....
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New from Old / Re: The Sequel - Oh Blimey I bought a CNC Lathe (Beaver TC 20)
« Last post by awemawson on March 22, 2026, 08:12:11 AM »So at long last the O rings have arrived to re-seal the mounting face of the two way valve to it's mounting face. Rather an odd size - 9.25mm x 1.78 in hard nitrile - they are apparently BS012 seals.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]
Removing the four valve mounting screws (which previously I'd only slackened) I was surprised to find that it was mounted on an intermediate block. I suspect that it's an over pressure bypass but cannot find any diagrams. Sure enough two of the original seals were distorted but I probably (or maybe) did that when I'd slackened those mounting screws.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]
Luckily I'd bough excess of the seals so was equipped to replace all eight involved with this valve.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]
I'd previously pumped just short of a gallon of hydraulic oil from the base of the cabinet with an Amazon Oil Sucker (bargain at ?23 special offer)
All reassembled using a light smear of grease to hold the o-rings on the vertical surface as I tightened the bolts.
Moment of truth - I fired up the machine took it out of eStop to power up the hydraulic pump and held my breath - phew no spurts of high pressure flying about
Now I've mopped the residual oil from the cabinet base as best I can, but it's still seeping out of nooks and crannies and probably will for a while as there is a 'false corner' bolted on to protect some wires which will have filled up. Rags stuffed everywhere to absorb what I can.
This means that I can resume fault finding on the turret (which is where this all started) - I have a feeling that I'm going to have to do an 'in frame rebuild' on the turret - it's jammed solid but far too heavy for me to lift out onto a bench.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]
Removing the four valve mounting screws (which previously I'd only slackened) I was surprised to find that it was mounted on an intermediate block. I suspect that it's an over pressure bypass but cannot find any diagrams. Sure enough two of the original seals were distorted but I probably (or maybe) did that when I'd slackened those mounting screws.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]
Luckily I'd bough excess of the seals so was equipped to replace all eight involved with this valve.
[ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]
I'd previously pumped just short of a gallon of hydraulic oil from the base of the cabinet with an Amazon Oil Sucker (bargain at ?23 special offer)
All reassembled using a light smear of grease to hold the o-rings on the vertical surface as I tightened the bolts.
Moment of truth - I fired up the machine took it out of eStop to power up the hydraulic pump and held my breath - phew no spurts of high pressure flying about
Now I've mopped the residual oil from the cabinet base as best I can, but it's still seeping out of nooks and crannies and probably will for a while as there is a 'false corner' bolted on to protect some wires which will have filled up. Rags stuffed everywhere to absorb what I can.
This means that I can resume fault finding on the turret (which is where this all started) - I have a feeling that I'm going to have to do an 'in frame rebuild' on the turret - it's jammed solid but far too heavy for me to lift out onto a bench.
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The Water Cooler / Re: help from MEM Mods
« Last post by ozzie46 on March 20, 2026, 04:36:24 PM »I figured it out. There was a setting in my browser that was causing the issue . reset everything to default and all is well with the world and MEM access!!!
Thanks for the help
Ron
Thanks for the help
Ron
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The Water Cooler / Re: help from MEM Mods
« Last post by AdeV on March 20, 2026, 05:53:57 AM »I tried the contact button Ade and it said an error had occurred.
Hmm, odd... what was the error? It should let you use that, even if your IP is on a ban list... God knows I get enough spam through it!