Author Topic: Curious About A Couple Of Things  (Read 3872 times)

Offline George_Race

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 66
  • Magnetic Clock Build
    • Race Consulting
Curious About A Couple Of Things
« on: July 26, 2012, 03:32:50 PM »
I am really curious about the different categories where you enter engine builds.  What does barstock mean?  Why is the place for my Mendocino build in the category it is in?
Why are there not categories like, wobbler, IC, Hit And Miss, etc...?

Next, I notice different descriptions under the users Avatar. like Just Starting On Journey, Full Member, etc...

What is the criteria for moving up in the ranks on this board?  Is it all described somewhere on the board?

Thanks,
George
Airplane Builder - Pilot
Ham Radio - WB8BGY
Retired - Having A Ball!

Offline Stuart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1785
  • Tilchestune UK
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2012, 03:54:53 PM »
the term bar stock to me means no castings involved  and chewed ( machined ) out of bar or flat sections


as to the names JSO is valid up to 50 posts and then you get a change at 100

that is just from observation not fact


Stuart

ex G4IJX , G8OSK station now dismantled
« Last Edit: July 26, 2012, 04:05:48 PM by Lordedmond »
My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

AdeV

  • Guest
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2012, 03:56:24 PM »
Hi George,

I'll answer your Qs here just quickly. A full FAQ will follow when time permits....

Barstock = lumps of  metal, or "billet". i.e. you take a length of bar, or a chunk of steel, and machine something out of it.
Castings = as you can probably guess, where you take a pre-cast shape, and just machine off the roughness.

In theory, castings can produce a more intricate engine. In practice, as Bogs demonstrates with his flame eater, castings present a whole different set of machining difficulties.

Like you, I wondered about the categories; but, I deferred to an experienced engine builder.

As for the "ranks", ugh, I hate them. But they came with the board "out of the box", and I've not yet thought of an alternative - if, indeed, we even need it at all. Basically, it's purely down to how many messages you've posted. Less than 50 = "Just starting on journey", Less than 100 = "Jr. Member", and so on. I think 500+ = "hero member".

It's all nonsense of course. I have terrible verbal diarrhoea & end up with massive post counts; but my machining knowledge is as nothing to some of those members who have post counts only in the low 100s or less.

In short, you can largely ignore the "ranks", or just treat it as a measure of how much someone likes the sound of their own keyboard....

Offline arnoldb

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1341
  • Windhoek, Namibia
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2012, 04:01:20 PM »
 :facepalm: Stuart & Ade beat me to it - but I'll post anyway....

Hi George

Barstock means from raw materials, like plate, rod and flatbar - not from castings that already defines the engine's part shapes.

You're not working from a set of plans for your Mendocino, and you're building it from raw materials without a CNC, hence the classification in Handmade Barstock Engines - Own designs

For now, there's no separate categories for the different types of engines, as we don't want to add too many headings and subfora.  The groupings chosen were done based on the typical types of machining, setups and methods required.

The rank is an indication of how many posts you have made in threads.  Once you reach a post count of 50, you become a Jr. Member, at 100, a Full Member and so on.  Many of us are averse at using the term "Newbie" which would have been the ranking for new members on the forum, hence it was changed to "Just Starting On Journey"

We haven't gotten around to making a write-up, but in general most of the members that signed up don't worry about the "status"; members become better respected by the quality (rather than quantity) of their contribution toward the forum.
Kind regards, Arnold


Building an engine takes Patience, Planning, Preparation and Machining.
Procrastination is nearly the same, but it precludes machining.
Thus, an engine will only be built once the procrastination stops and the machining begins!

Offline Stuart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1785
  • Tilchestune UK
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2012, 04:04:48 PM »
Ade

if you dislike the rank system then why not pre load the post counter with a large figure to fudge the system  just a thought



Stuart
My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

AdeV

  • Guest
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2012, 04:07:11 PM »

if you dislike the rank system then why not pre load the post counter with a large figure to fudge the system  just a thought


I only started thinking about it as I wrote my previous note.....  :embarassed: I'd probably use a really low number, though, like 1. So as soon as you posted, you became a "Member", or something. Dunno, more thinking time required. But I've just negotiated a long weekend, so I shall be getting some shop time in hopefully  :pinkelephant:

Meanwhile, time for some thinking lubricant:  :DrinkPint:

Offline Stuart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1785
  • Tilchestune UK
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2012, 04:38:24 PM »
dont tempt me with that thought

8 paracetomol and 8 codeine a day and alcohol do not mix so as I need the pain killers the booze has had to go something to do with the liver storing up up the morphine ( codeine breaks down to morphine  so i am told ) and lets it all go at once


not good around rotating bit


Stuart
My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

Offline George_Race

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 66
  • Magnetic Clock Build
    • Race Consulting
Re: Curious About A Couple Of Things
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2012, 07:21:43 PM »
Thanks for all the reply comments, I guess for a still learning, non machinist by trade, I am always kind of confused when things just don't make sense to me, so I ask a lot of questions.  So I guess, with my new found knowledge, everything I do will be barstock to some extent.  But also, everything I do has a CNC component as well.  I have a couple of engine builds that are competed, they will go into that finished and showing it off category that is further down the list.

Fine on the categories.   They really mean nothing to me at all.  As far as I am concerned you can just turn them off and then everyone on here will be on equal footing.  Sometimes those kind of indicators can be intimidating to new folks who are just reading, possibly making them hesitant to join in.  And a great big thanks to not having NEWBIE as the first rank.

Again thanks for all the information, it really helps.
George
Airplane Builder - Pilot
Ham Radio - WB8BGY
Retired - Having A Ball!

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal