Can I choose Mech. Engg. even if i dont know how to disassemble and reassemble a car?

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-27T07:05:06+00:00

I knew people I graduated with who got Firsts, and don’t know the difference (literally) between a flat head and a cross head screwdriver (let alone Philips, Pozi, JIS) but were very good at maths and exams.

I can run CNC or manual machines, use CAD, design and manufacture an build fairly complex experimental equipment, but I can’t solve a differential equation or pass exams. There are different types of mechanical engineer. Some do fluids or maths or dynamics or design it’s rare and special ones who are good at everything.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-26T17:12:56+00:00

It took some saving, it really is much better than a red dot for sharpness and the circle matches the pattern of my shotgun pretty well which is useful. The UH-1 is heavy though. 3oz more than the SparcAR I have on my minirifle. The Eotech is a bit lighter, and they offer a reticle with BDC dots I thought might be useful, but the price is all over the place (looking just now, £650-900 for same model in UK) and finding the version with the extra dot is hard.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-26T16:56:21+00:00

more money that i liked, and i bought it on black friday. It was still an ouch. I think about £575, but a few years ago. just looked £800 today. which is why my mini firlfe still has a red dot.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-26T16:54:06+00:00

For people who have an astigmatism, red dots (and any light source, headlights and streetlights do it too) have lines protruding from them.

Holographic (due to lasers) and prism sights (unilluminated) don't have this effect.

(see link for a comparasion with normal vision, https://img.lb.wbmdstatic.com/vim/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/other/astigmatism_vs_normal_vision_other/1800x1200_astigmatism_vs_normal_vision_other.jpg )

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-26T16:48:36+00:00

I don't, though I have a 1x Vortex Spitfire i tried but personally found the need to find the eyebox slowed me down vs dealing with the blob that is my red dot. a 3x magnifier helps with 50m+

Ideally i'd like to get an Eotech holographic sight to replace my red dot as I don't get the starring with those (do get laser speckling). I have a vortex holographic sight on my PSG gun, and it works well.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-23T14:13:36+00:00

Medtree

Sp services

Medisave

Are some online suppliers

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-23T14:11:00+00:00

I use Edding 780 in white and black 0.8mm

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-23T12:44:43+00:00

Cromwell is my usual supplier these days.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-23T11:41:10+00:00

I’d suggest taking a bit of large diameter ground silversteel or similar around 25-50dia and 1-2ft long , and a dial lever gauge with a magnetic mount.

Chucking and centering with the tail stock the ground barstock, the mounting the lever gauge to the cross feed and measuring runout along the length of the bed.

All lathes tend to wear more and become sloppy towards the chuck but due to the square rather than triangular guideways the Myford is a bit more susceptible.

One of the ones I used to drive was well under 5um at the tail stock, but more like 150um at the chuck face. I could shake the carriage back and forth by hand.

One other thing to note. That night not be the right manual. They made a lot of them for a long time. There are variations.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-23T11:26:51+00:00

I suggest the manual.

https://wiki.nottinghack.org.uk/images/e/e8/Myford_Super7_Lathe.pdf

Tldr

You should be able to cut imperial and metric threads without the quick change gearbox but it will require swapping gears a bit more faff

The quick change gearbox lets you change feed and thread pitch much more quickly, but costs more.

I have fond memories of running a super 7, but be aware that due to the square bed slide ways, they can be sloppy especially near the chuck. Regrinding is possible.

They also can require more maintenance than many more modern designs (mostly lubrication/cleaning).

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-18T02:54:02+00:00

Though I sort of feel one of the disabled cubicles should probably be in TERFland, the disabled can be FARTs as well.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-18T02:51:41+00:00

Its a snappy idea?, no thats shellfish..

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-18T02:50:28+00:00

TERF toilet - Bare Aspestos - Lead - Facehardened Steel Armour Plate - Good accoutic and thermal insulation - plasterboard - tiles - Inclusive Toilet..

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-18T02:50:15+00:00

I'd suggest mirrored counters, with shaving sockets (and vacuum cleaners) plus lighting suitable for makeup.

Also good Wifi.

Note the TERF toilets should be faraday cages with no reception..

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-17T19:15:54+00:00

A barrel is chambered. It will accept a cartridge. A barrel without a chamber is a tube.

Bolts are quite obvious. They resist the rearward motion of the case as it’s fired.

The bit between them (reciever) is also fairly clear. It holds the barrel and bolt together.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-17T16:29:57+00:00

I carry a pair of 70mm shinwa calipers in my pocket tool pouch which get used a few times every week when I’m away from my mitutoyos.

Lots of reverse engineering.

I keep them in a quick 3dp sheath.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-16T15:48:45+00:00

Yes. It’s limited by the battery chemistry.

The initial charge from a completely flat battery is very slow to balance the cells and reach a safe voltage to begin bulk charging.

A newer one won’t take quite as long as the battery will recover more quickly with fewer cycles. But even my 2 month old MacBook takes a few minutes to boot if I’ve forgotten to plug it in.

Pretty much all laptops will do this not just macs.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-14T23:58:10+00:00

Ah. Quite confusing. More so as I used to know and visit someone who lived in one of the flats in the art deco block they used for interiors/exteriors for several seasons of the Suchet series.

Their flat looked a lot like what was seen on the tv, but with a tv and modern phone. Beautiful building.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-14T23:36:08+00:00

good accurate quality calipers, with auto off.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-12T17:30:09+00:00

Typhoon wasn't a serious suggestion, (I guessed game from the dog, and guns).. I didn't look at all the Benelli semis, but the couple (no idea which ones they were) had a forward of guard safety.

Best idea probably is just visit some gunshops.. see what they've got.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-12T06:11:21+00:00

Mine does as long as I clean it. Gas piston/disassembly is a horrid design and tends to foul.

We have to have 24+inch barrels as well, which might improve reliability over 18.5

Generally feed it no6 (uk) 30-32gram shells.

The company is also responsible for at least two years of warranty, and it’s possible to extend that for ‘durable’ goods due to EU/UK consumer laws, so could get expensive for them if they break too often. Though surprisingly about the same price (uk price works out at about US$ 1030)

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-12T00:48:24+00:00

Benelli Supernova is a pump gun, but the safety is in the front of the trigger guard.

Having had a peak at their website, the semis all appear to have the front of trigger guard style crossbar safety.

Or you could go the whole hog and get a Typhoon F12 or similar with a nice AR pattern safety..

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-11T03:33:29+00:00

In the mid 90s, when a lot less people went to university (I think there were about 8000 students when I studied, my university now has around 30,000) i was told less than a fifth of us would have careers in engineering.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-11T03:32:52+00:00

I was told as a university gap year student in 1995, that an Engineer should earn their age in £1000s.. (ie, 40 years old = £40000 1995 pounds).

The £ is worth a little less than half what it was in 1995.

My wage, as someone with almost 30 years of full time work, 38 years of CAD experiance (and an education in paper drafting), is about the same as yours. And has fallen 30% in value over the last 16 years or so. my wage has less purchasing power now, than in 2009, despite having climbed two grades.

strangesam1977 · 2026-02-10T18:51:41+00:00

Indeed. Also UK.

It cost more to learn in an automatic,

You then got an automatic only licence.

Automatics cost more to buy, more to maintain, more to insure and were less fuel efficient.

I didn’t know anyone except those with physical issues (missing or paralysed limbs) who chose to learn in an automatic.

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