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REPORTS ON A 1914 HUMBERETTE RESTORATION


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You are supposed to use a "pinch bar" but any decent crowbar will work. I'd only lift it about 1/2". It might be a good idea to find four, 4" squares of wood to go under each corner. Then, depending on how far out it is you can use anything to true it up. The usual technique is to level it in one direction (left to right)...then level it in the other direction. Then check the first level and make smaller corrections. I've used slips of paper for the final adjustment.

 

It's amazing how much stress is relieved on the frame of the machine when it's level.

Edited by JV Puleo (see edit history)
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Yes, I think so. I've used 1/4" masonite as well but I doubt that the expansion of wood would make a difference unless Mike was making parts for supersonic jet fighters. They installed milling machines on ships and used them effectively so the level is more to relieve stress. Theoretically, it's not critical since the machine itself is square but I've found it was handy to have it level when setting up odd shaped parts...my exhaust manifold was one where I wanted to level it but there was no square edge on the underside to grip or the piece had to be held down with clamps. you might also want to raise one side a tiny bit in order to get a very slight taper...all that is easier if you can use the level to check it.

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Jvpuleo, I’m just thinking out loud sort of speaking. Metal does the same as wood, just not near as much. I do quite a lot of woodworking and have to take approbate measures to allow the wood to move. Even two pieces cut from the same piece will change at different rates. Masonite is more resin than wood and is more stable than wood. We do some shimming of pumps and such and alway use metal, plastic shims or construction grout. Mike

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15 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said:

You will have to have some type of lip or stop at the end of the bar so it wont slip off. You wont have to go very high and keep your fingers away.

 

Laughing Coyote, that was very well spotted in the photo, When I first saw the photo I thought "That looks very similar to my machine", then I realised it was my machine - D'oh!

 

14 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

You are supposed to use a "pinch bar" but any decent crowbar will work.

 

Pinch bar is a new one on me. I am guessing this is what we call a pry bar?

11 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

. . . . but I doubt that the expansion of wood would make a difference unless Mike was making parts for supersonic jet fighters.

 

Darn it! You've guessed my next project!

 

I didn't manage to get out to the workshop yesterday, I spent too much time looking at the computer, I will try and get out there today. I will check the mill level but I doubt if I will have enough strength to lever the mill up. Any exertion is still making me gasp for breath. I even struggled with putting jump leads on a BMW 325i touring battery yesterday, to enable Jane to move it, so she could mow the grass in the vegetable garden.

 

On a different note I had a message from a scammer yesterday, he said he was breaking a 1914 Humberette and did I want any parts. I replied asking what parts he had. He then replied saying "Let me know the parts you want, plus a load of blurb about how he couldn't sell the car and that was why he was breaking the car". How do I know it was a scam? Because he sent me a photo of the Humberette he was breaking and it was a photo of MY Humberette that was taken by the previous owners son when he put the car on eBay nearly 2-years ago!

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These scammers will stoop to anything and it seems, many aren't that smart!

 

While we do call pry bars, "pinch" bars, we should call them "smash" bars because when they slip out of position, we usually end up smashing our fingers or hands. At least I always seem to. I actually cut off my thumb and ring finger because a pry bar slipped while trying to work a 100 HP electric motor into place to drop the mounting bolt through the foot of the motor. When the bar slipped, my closed hand banged into the connection box on the side of the motor that was made of thin stamped sheet metal. The edge of the box was in perfect line with the first joint of my thumb and ring finger (if you grasp a 1" round bar in your hand, you will see how the joints can line up on the high side of the bar) and when it slipped, the edge "popped" both joints leaving both digits connected by skin and some veins on the bottom of each. A trip to the emergency room, an excellent hand plastic surgeon, some temporary metal pins inserted in the bone, and three months of healing gave me back total use of both digits and almost no indication of damage. I'm pretty lucky for sure and credit the plastic surgeon completely for his work. I watched the whole process and how he, wearing a single eye magnifier,  pulled up, then stitched each tendon on the top of my digits so it allowed me to open my hand back up. The metal pins were drilled into the tips about 2" with of all things, a battery powered Milwaukee hand drill. I find surgery like that just as interesting as everyone's threads here! LOL

Edited by chistech (see edit history)
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15 hours ago, chistech said:

I find surgery like that just as interesting as everyone's threads here!

 

Gee thanks for that Ted!  I find operations interesting too, except for the BLOOD. Perhaps the AACA should add a CRINGE smiley to the thumbs up at the bottom of the posts. If you have a video of the operation please don't post it here. :)

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5 hours ago, Mike Macartney said:

 

Gee thanks for that Ted!  I find operations interesting too, except for the BLOOD. Perhaps the AACA should add a CRINGE smiley to the thumbs up at the bottom of the posts. If you have a video of the operation please don't post it here. :)

Actually wasn't much blood Mike. I forget sometimes, I grew up a butcher and cutting one's self is a common occurrence so you quickly get used to the blood thing. I did have a cousin that worked with us that would faint if he cut himself and saw his OWN blood. Funny thing is he's still a meat cutter in a local super market. Want me to send the video by PM!!!! LOL

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On the my Southbend lathe I drilled holes in the concrete floor and installed expansion bolts

With washers and nuts so I could make fine adjustments as needed. Might be overkill.

 

I am sure the new owner of that particular home spent some time wondering about the bolts as well as

the many additional, random holes in the floor that I had drilled and stuck dowel pins on so I could bend the 

gunwales for a traditional skin-on-frame kayak.

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2 hours ago, chistech said:

. . . Want me to send the video by PM!!!!

 

How much do I have to pay you to not send it!

 

Back to some work - not on the Humberette I am sorry to say, but at least I am having some fun actually managing to do a bit in the workshop, even if it is for only an hour or so.

 

I found my spirit level and checked the Bridgeport milling table for level.

 

Firstly front to back of the mill

 

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That's not far out at all.

 

Then I checked it side to side.

 

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That is out, it needs to be higher on the left of the machine. I rang my pal Robert and he has a long pry bar with a decent foot to it. As we are both have been sent a letter from the National Health Service, informing us that we are 'vulnerable' to serious illness if we catch the coronavirus, we are not allowed away from our properties until this pandemic has run its course in the UK, I will just have to wait until such time that I am allowed to venture out.

 

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I set the vice in the middle of the table and 'jiggled' it about until the vice jaws were in-line (I am not sure if that is the correct term) with the quill when the table was moved from one side to the other. I found I had this Verdict 'gauge' and used this as the others I bought on eBay had not arrived yet.

 

Of course 'Sods Law' being what it is - when I returned back to the house, from the workshop, there were two parcels for me that had just arrived in the post.

 

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This one, . . .

 

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. . . . and this one!

 

Looking at various You Tube videos on using a Bridgeport milling machine, I came across machinists who protected the milling table with polycarbonate or plywood. I thought "That's a good idea". So I had a hunt around and found some thinnish plywood that would do.

 

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I made a paper pattern of the vice end and transferred that to the plywood.

 

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. . . . cut it out . . .

 

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. . . . checked it fitted . . . .

 

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. . . .  and added a 'locating' bit of wood.

 

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. . . . and it fitted really well, so although I was starting to get tired, I decided to make another one for the other side of the table. NOT A GOOD IDEA!

 

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Decided that was enough for the day - I will pick up all the bits tomorrow when I am feeling less tired!

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Jane came an did the bending down to pick up all the bits on the floor. I put them back in the box and none of them had gone missing - amazing.

 

Finished my protection boards for the milling table.

 

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It has cleaned up well. Maybe soon I can get around to doing some work with it! Started sorting which collets I had that would fir the Bridgeport R8 Autolock chucks. I still have the surface grinder to spruce up and check over.

 

I had forgotten all about the wings. I asked Noah, to do the metal bashing and welding on the wings, as I new my lungs were not up to the job. He made an excellent job of the front wings. When you have been used to doing these sorts of jobs yourself, in the past, it comes as a bit of a shock when you get the bill for the work! To put towards the wing repairs, I decided to put the hand shaper that I bought at the end of last year, back on eBay.

 

I was surprised when the winning bidder was from the USA.

 

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He did not want the sturdy bench that the shaper was fitted to. I will save the bench to use for a tool and cutter grinding machine if one comes up on eBay for a reasonable price.

 

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I had some more woodwork practise making a packing case to send the shaper to the other side of the big pond.

 

I had forgotten all about taking photos of the wings when they came back from Noah. I noticed some surface rust just starting and Jane said she would put the rust passivator on, just in case the fumes may affect me.

 

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She didn't realise how little Kurust you needed. A little goes a long way.

 

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The original holes for the leather weather aprons have been left in the sides of the front wings. Still not sure whether or not they will get used?

 

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I am going to turn one end of this spanner into a brass headed 'hammer' for tapping out the R8 tooling from the quill of the Bridgeport mill. This bit of scrap brass will do for machining the head. The other end is 3/4 AF which fits virtually all the nuts and bolts on the Bridgeport.

 

Seeing this photo below in my file of Humberette photos has just reminded me . . . .

 

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. . . . my Humberette friend Kevin, in Australia, contacted me to say that there was a suitable original Bosch magneto for a Humberette on eBay, adding that they were like 'hens teeth' to find, and I should bid for it, I bid in the last 10 seconds of the auction and won it. Hopefully, it will be OK, the person I used to use for rebuilding my motorcycle magnetos (Salmon) does not seem to be in business anymore. I know he retired, but I thought his son was taking over the business. A while back, I tried the phone number and got no reply, I then searched the internet but could find no details of him.

 

I received this in a email this morning. It amused me, it may also give you a chuckle in these worrying times.

 

I heard a doctor on TV saying in this time of Coronavirus staying at home we should focus on inner peace. To achieve this we should always finish things we start and we all could use more calm in
our lives. I looked through my house to find things I'd started and hadn't finished, so I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Chardonnay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of wum, tha mainder of
Valiumun srciptuns, an a box a chocletz. Yu haf no idr how feckin fablus I feel rite now. Sned this to all who need inner piss. An telum u luvum. And two hash yer wands, stafe day avrybobby!!!
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Just so you know that I am still in the land of the living, I thought I better write another post! I am sorry to say there is not a lot to report, especially on the Humberette. With a workshop full of stuff to sort, and wanting to put it onto shelves, out of the way. The main problem is trying to buy plywood for the shelves, with the UK in lock down and our having to isolate ourselves from other people, it seems very difficult to get on with much. I have more or less finished tidying up the Bridgeport and have finished my modified spanner, come 'knocker', for unscrewing the drawbar and tapping the drawbar to loosen the tooling to remove the tool from the quill.

 

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With my breathing, I am still only managing an hour or so in the workshop, until I need to pack up. It will be interesting to see, whether or not, my breathing improves with the warmer weather that is expected here in the UK over the weekend.

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MIke, great work as usual.  The one positive we have during this time is more time to work on our cars.  I find when I'm in the garage, all I think about is the project at hand, all the worries of the world disappear completely.  The only thoughts of the future are of driving down a country lane with finished project on a spring day with the top down, and all the pubs are open again.  Cheers, and be safe everyone.

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Sorry to report another setback with the old breathing. It got really bad on Saturday and Sunday so I started on my emergency pack of steroids and antibiotics on the Sunday evening. Felt pretty good yesterday, managed an hour or two in the workshop, sorting through the Clarkson type threaded milling cutters, some metric thread and some Imperial thread, putting them away in the multi-draw filing cabinet, using corrugated cardboard in the bottom of the draws to keep the cutting edges apart. Missing doing some real work on progressing the Humberette forward. Today is not so good and I don't feel up to venturing up to the workshop. I definitely want to stay away from hospital with the Covid-19 virus about! I keep smiling and am enjoying reading other members posts. Thanking you John for your message.

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Mike,

 

I hope you feel better! Over here in Northern Maine we still have snow on the ground and more on the way!

The ice is going out of the river which is always a concern. 

 

Anyway, sounds like its time to settle down with a good book. I just found my copy of

"Smogless Days, Adventures in 10 Stanley Steamers" by Stanley Ellis. I think I have re-read it at least a dozen times but

its one of my favorites. 

 

Anyway, hadn't thought about corrugated cardboard for the tools! 

 

Take care!

 

Terry

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17 hours ago, Terry Harper said:

Anyway, hadn't thought about corrugated cardboard for the tools! 

 

The corrugated cardboard seems to work well very well for drills, reamers and milling cutters. I was a little dubious whether or not that 30 drawer cabinet was going to be of much use to me. It has turned out to be one of my better buys. I seems to hold a hell of a lot of stuff!

 

17 hours ago, Terry Harper said:

Smogless Days, Adventures in 10 Stanley Steamers

 

I'll have a look on the internet for a copy of that book.

 

You can keep your snow. Here it is a very pleasant 'Spring like' day with no wind and warm sunshine - a nice change. I do pity the folks in the big towns that live in flats and are having to stay indoors with this Coronavirus lock down.

 

Thanks Terry for your post.

 

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Hello Mike,

What is the latest over on your side of the pond?  We are dealing with Coronavirus....still.., here in the US.  I understand we have more active cases and fatalities than anywhere else.  The news suggested that Israel may have a serum ready by August.  That should be good news if it works.  How is your breathing?  I certainly hope that you get your breathing back up to a workable level and then address your connecting rod situation.  We are all on your team and are ready to cheer!  Your updates keep us going........

Regards,

Alan

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Mike...while you are waiting for better weather you should see if you can find "Horsless Carriage Days" by Hiram Percy Maxim. Maxim was the son of Sir Hiram Maxim (inventor of the Maxim machine gun) and the first chief of Horseless Carriage development for the Pope Company in Hartford, Connecticut. His early adventures - most before the turn of the century - are very entertaining.

 

Cheers,

 

Joe P

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Hello to all of you who have been following the ‘blurb’ that I write on this site. Unfortunately, have some not so good news. After attempting to venture out to the workshop on numerous occasions, in an attempt to do some ‘proper’ work, since my last visit to hospital, and speaking with my medical practitioners, it looks as if I am ‘flogging a dead horse’. My breathing is just not up to doing any actual work anymore. The COPD is not going to get any better, even if the weather improves, as it did over Easter, I now have to come to the realization, that my messing about with cars and motorcycles is over, I will have to try and find something else to keep me amused and the old brain active.

 

Looking back, I am very lucky, having retired at 58, I have had fifteen enjoyable years with the hobby and learned a lot during that period. The Humberette and other projects are going to have to find enthusiastic enthusiasts to finish them off and hopefully use the vehicles when they are finished.

 

Alan, thank you for your kind words. As to the Coronavirus, so far, the USA, seem to be having it far worse than many other countries in the world, it is all a bit scary. If the virus takes hold in countries like India and Africa those countries will see a lot of deaths. I doubt very much if a vaccine will be generally available by August as that will not give enough time for the testing. Staying at home and away from others has been no hardship at all for me, as being situated in rural Norfolk and just outside the village, it is easy to avoid contact with others.

 

Joe, many thanks you for your suggestion re the "Horseless Carriage Days". I searched on eBay and could only find one copy for sale, and that was in South Africa. I have put a search on eBay so if another one turns up on eBay, they will email me.

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Mike, I am so sorry about the latest news on your health. You  are an inspiration to me and  countless folks who have followed  the restoration on the Humberette. As I have mentioned in the past, you are part of the Family on this forum,  and whatever, if anything,  we can do for you, please ask. As always , you will and your Family will be in my Prayers. God Bless and stay safe. John

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Mike very sorry to hear . I do not know if you had the opportunity to take a good respiratory rehab class . But if things settle down i would highly recommend . i live on o2 24/7 , but have damage from Pulmonary Fibrous  . In my class where 5 with copd most stopped getting around and did not want O2 . Eight weeks latter all improved enough not to need it for normal walking and activity . Those that continued at  gym or home and lost weight continue to progress .

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Mike,

 

I am so sorry to hear about your health issues. I know its been an ongoing battle and I  - and I am sure others - have been inspired by your determination, 

positive outlook and creativity. As others have said you are part of a large family. When one of us is struggling and hurting we all feel it and pray that we

may comfort and help in some way. 

 

Though the project may seem like its run its course (I am sure your going to find days to fiddle a bit!) I hope you still remain active here on the forum.

I for one always know that when I post a comment your always the first to react - that always makes me feel good. You have a lot of experience, thoughts

and ideas to contribute and I look forward to reading them. 

 

On another note just finished reading "Open Cockpit" and "No Parachute"  both by Arthur Gould Lee - fascinating story!

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Mike,

 

This is terrible news!!!  I do hope the Dr is wrong and future days will bring better health.  It was a joy to be a part of your restoration of the Humberrette.   I do hope that you will stay involved in the forums as I know we've all enjoyed your company.  Your knowledge is so valuable and knowing that you're following my posts always gives me joy... and I'm sure it does others as well. 

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Many thanks for all your kind words. I do really feel part of this forum family and will continue with reading and commenting others posts. I do have some ideas for continuing with my posts, before starting, I will 'run them by you' to see what you think. I did actually manage half an hour in the workshop yesterday, which I enjoyed. I will reply in more detail to your posts later today. I just wanted to thank you all, as soon as possible, after reading the posts first thing this morning. Mike

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On ‎4‎/‎14‎/‎2020 at 10:00 PM, ArticiferTom said:

I do not know if you had the opportunity to take a good respiratory rehab class .

 

Hello ArticiferTom, I did do a rehab course about 10-years ago when I was first diagnosed with COPD. It was very useful at the time and the breathing exercises I learnt have helped me over the following years. I am booked on another course and had been waiting for them to contact me, when the UK Coronavirus 'shutdown' put a stop to all those types of courses. I must admit I never kept up the physical exercises, that we did on the course, as I was still very active at the time, and felt that the work I was carrying out on my cars and motorcycles was keeping me fit. Your post has made me think again, and that doing some physical exercises would help me now, especially as I have put on twenty eight pounds since last September. I have looked and found the details of the exercises they gave me to do 10-years ago and will have go. I am very sorry to hear that you are on oxygen 24/7, it must make life very difficult. Thanking you your helpful suggestion. Mike

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18 hours ago, Terry Harper said:

Though the project may seem like its run its course (I am sure your going to find days to fiddle a bit!) I hope you still remain active here on the forum.

 

Terry, I seemed a little bit better today and managed a bit of time in the workshop. Jane helped me by emptying the dehumidifiers and fitting the 3-jaw chuck on the lathe. I thought I would try a little job on the lathe, making a 'spacer bush' for the 5C collet drawbar. I will remain active on the forum, even if it is just reading other peoples posts, the first thing I do every morning, even before I get dressed, is to read the new AACA restoration posts! Mike

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I have managed to get up to the workshop on some days, since I last posted a week ago. It does seem that when the weather is warmer my breathing improves a little. On Saturday and Sunday I did not manage to get to there at all as my breathing was so bad, but this morning, I managed a couple of hour before I could do no more. There is not a lot to show for a 'weeks work' but at least it is something, which is better than nothing, and at least it makes me feel better psychologically.

 

I had been meaning to make a spacer for the drawbar for the 5C lathe collets. On the gear train end of the lathe spindle, where the BMW 3 series clutch release bearing, that I used, is pushing against, it does not hold the drawbar central to the bore of the spindle. To put it very crudely, the drawbar flops about 'like a cock in a sock!' As drawing takes no special effort in breathing I thought I would do a drawing to see what I could devise that make that would in less floppy.

 

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When I had finished drawing my '1st Try' I went up the workshop and checked to see if it would work, before actually stating to machine anything. I realised then that the spacer bush, when the lathe was running, could 'migrate' out of the spindle and into the bore of the clutch release bearing, so it was 'back to the drawing board' for another design endeavour on my part. Hence the '2nd Try' on the drawing. The next day I physically checked my dimensions, all seemed OK apart from one measurement, I decided to make the diameter that fitted into the lathe spindle 0.010" smaller.

 

Jane helped me fit the 3-jaw chuck to the lathe. After the effort needed to fit the chuck, I had worn myself out, the machining would have to wait until another day.

 

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I looked in my box of scrap metal to see if I could find anything suitable to make the bush out of, this 'lump of steel' was the only piece I could find, so I . . . .

. . . . faced the end . . . . turned a tiny amount off the diameter to clean it up . . . . machined the diameter down at one end to fit inside the lathe spindle. . . . used the cut-off tool to cut near to the bore diameter I wanted. . . . drilled and bored the centre out to fit over the outside diameter of the drawbar.

 

I then cut off the machined part and turned it around in the chuck to machine the end that would fit in the bore of the clutch release bearing.

 

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Will the clutch release bearing fit?

 

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Yes, it fits OK. I then forgot all about taking a photo of the bush fitting on the drawbar.

 

Not much for a weeks work, but it is better than nothing and it beats sitting about reading or watching the telly, Saturday and Sunday had really dragged by.

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