My old Crypton Battery Charger ~ Risen like the Phoenix ...

[mbrenn]

Well done John. Repaired my Dad's old charger a few times over the years replacing the bridge rectifier diodes with bigger ones. At least 40 years old. Hard to beat the old gear. Some new chargers won't charge if the voltage drops to less than 6V.

[hogweed]

I dated a lady from Leominster some years ago whose surname was Morris. She told me a charming story of her family having been toolmakers, once a big company called Morris of Leominster, or MOL, and that they had invented the Mole (MOL) Grip. Utter bolleaux it would seem! Actually she was a bit weird anyway.

Interestingly, I note from Wikipedia that “The first locking pliers, named Vise-Grips, were invented by William Petersen in De Witt, Nebraska in 1924”. In Northern Ireland, where I grew up, they were always called “vice grips” (Yanks please note correct spelling) – I never heard the term “mole grips” till I came here in 1982.

Agree totally about “Of course that sort of proudly displayed product origin would be considered un-pc today.”

Have a bit of pride, you English! At least we still have the little Union Jack on our Rovers…

[HarryM1BYT]

Is that lot to start a Saturn rocket

[ratchet]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Is that lot to start a Saturn rocket

Nah, he's building a hybrid

I recently picked up a Duco DBE 5 charger at a bootfair for a couple of quid. It looks like it had never been used, and proudly declares that it was made in Swindon.

Our local plod picked up a bloke yesterday who had been drinking battery acid and eating gunpowder.......... he didn't know whether to charge him or let him off

[COLVERT]

However I'm still using things that are 77 years old.---( And still in good condition. )--



Colvert.--

[HarryM1BYT]

..and yesterday, apart resetting the handbrake up and doing a pre-MOT, I fitted a new self re-winding airline I'd treated myself to. Works quite well, Aldi £20. You just pull on the end to extend it, pull more gently and it recoils itself out of the way. Quite pleased with it, better than I expected for the money.

I've a mains compressor in the garage, until now I've used a long extension line to reach the car, wheel barrow caravan tyres. Its a bit of a nuisance to get it out and put it away.

My first idea was mount the unit outside, above the middle of the big front door under the lip of the roof - in the weather. I just stopped myself in time and decided to mount it at ground level under one of the steel shelves, just inside the garage door. Its much longer than the 20' its supposed to be and much longer than my extension, making it easy to reach all of the tyres with the car out on the drive.

[COLVERT]

Glue a bit of wood inside the case to stop the con rod coming off.----

[Abbadon]

I've got one of those black and Deckers, it was my grandads, I inherited it when he passed in 1994, as at the time I had nothing and my dad didnt need another drill and I've had it since, altho I have others too now, it's built to last and it's been used on porting, honing, etc.. on friends engines too

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by MGJohn

Reviving this thread with another "Back from the Dead" Tool Resurrection! Some of you may have read elsewhere about two electric Tools of mine which expired coming to a standstill with a shower of sparks out of the Motor's side vents.

By carefully filing and reassembling the carbon brushes, I was able to get an angle grinder back to good health. Used it several times.

However, taking apart my Rockworth Electric Hammer Drill revealed one Carbon Brush completely worn away leaving just the clip and spring! Like this :~



Extensive searches on the internet eventually convinced me that they were no longer available. I looked at many similar brushes but none had the same retaining clip design. I contacted a carbon-brush specialist on ebay who listed many brushes asking if he can suggest any similar brushes which I can adapt to fit. He could not do that but, if I sent the old worn ones, he'd fit new brushes of the correct size using the same retaining clips and springs. They arrived this morning... less than a tenner posted.



So John Boy, your mission should you accept, put this lot back together :~



Got stuck in and soon realised I would need to trim 3mm off the Carbon to enable them to fit in their housing. Careful use of a Junior Hacksaw with the brushes in a miniature vice soon had them trimmed. Finished off with a fine rasp file. I also used some Grade 180 then Grade 1200 Wet and Dry used wet on the Commutator. Came up like new. Ran a sharp knife between each segment of the commutator to remove any carbon dust and metal from the wet and dry treatment. The Motor went back into the assembly quite easily but, I saw to my chagrin several of the numerous wires to-from the double switch and other parts of the motor has become dislocated from where they should be. Four in all. I had not been heavy handed. They simply just drifted out during careful handling. Two were grub screw secured whilst two others were micro-crimped ... and not very well. But, the problem. What wire went where. I used the memory bends in the wires to indicate approximately what went where after carefully positioning the small electric switch and components in one half of the handle. That gave me a clue although I was not 100% certain I got them right.

Anyway, by patiently routing the numerous wires where I thought they should go, I was able to fit the other half of the handle and fasten the complete handle with the seven self-tapping screws. So, it was all back together. Now for the acid test. Plugged it into the wall socket and holding only the plastic parts of the drill, pressed the trigger. The drill burst into Powerful Life! Another dry run just in case :~




Looks like it is set for a few more years active service again. Good eh! On the manufacturer's plate there's a UK address. However, alongside are three letters PRC .... None of yer "Made in England" mullarkey ...

Finally, I must mention and give a thumbs up to ebay specialist seller "carbon-brush" who was able to fit new carbon pieces to my old Carbon Brush components. Very helpful for what is after all such a small order. Said it before and worth repeating. There is GOOD SERVICE out there. Trick is finding it. When you do spread the good word.

Mr MGjohn.

I do all the things you do to repair things and just hate this new throw away world.

Still got most of my tools from a 5 year stint as an apprenticed toolmaker. ( 1954--1959 )

Come in handy for a variety of jobs.

Started out life near to you in London too. Islington --1937.

Colvert.---

[kaiser]

Originally Posted by Gino

Well done, it looks really good. I often find old tools are superior to the new versions.

That applies to cars too