Another hobby. Potentiometer.

Hi,

This is light years away from gardening but what I get up to whilst always learning new things.

My first forum about 16 years ago was a vintage valve radio forum and I got into all kinds of interesting things. A member Called Gerry owned an antique very expensive car and he was having problems with the fuel gauge. The fuel gauge was showing half full when in fact the tank was full; he had managed to get a rare fuel gauge of the correct type but not matched to the tank potentiometer (sender).

I like to experiment and thought it possible I could sort his tank sender unit out for him so he posted the complete sender unit to me.

Home made potentiometer tracks. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum


Making the potentiometer track as an experiment; I reasoned that Whale Tufnol was manufactured using heat so I turned a steel bar to exact diameter in the lathe as seen here with a former being made.

My home made forming tool in action used qith a MAP gas torch.

I rigged this up for varnishing the resistance wire. The wire was slowly drawn through a small varnish bath and heated to dry the varnish. I know I'm barking mad but I'm never bored.

The new potentiometer track successfully made to the exact 50 Ohms needed.Working out the full scale deflection of the float arm against the ohms needed and resistance wire gauge tested me.

The original potentiometer track as removed. I could improve on this.

The new track installed and tested for resistance at full scale deflection.

I've enjoyed learning many skills over the years and still make or modify anything to suit me; I always did such projects totally free just for the challenge. I'll have a go at anything which grabs my interest.

My current violin hobby is really testing me but I'm making slow but steady progress.

I like to encourage anyone to leave their comfort zone to try something new; I also made a very complicated potentiometer track and will add pictures if I can find them.

I'm a bit different from the usual guy because I dislike all kinds of sport; I don't drink or smoke or do drugs and during 48 years of marriage to my wonderful late wife I've been totally faithful to her. The following sums me up very well indeed;




Kind regards, Col.

 

Well I'm glad to meet someone like me. There are not many of us. I find sport very boring, and crowds make me feel drained. I struggle to sit there watching other people playing a game, I would rather be doing something, or creating something ... but we are all different.
You've got some intricate hobbies, I admire you.

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Michael Hewett yes we're all different but I think it's so sad when people retire only to sit in front of their TV until they pass away; there are so many hobbies to choose from many costing very little indeed like drawing and painting or even jigsaw puzzles.


I'm hopelessly colour blind but here's one of mine. Bron was the artistic one of us.


Back on topic; I've found more images. Here's a very complicated potentiometer track which needs to be very accurate indeed; this is out of an AVO valve (tube) tester and I hoped to make a batch of them.


Here's the AVO VCM (Valve characteristic meter) I owned and the potentiometer I'm now describing is out of one of these.


I very accurately made a brass template seen bottom then made four potentiometer blanks.


These are very complicated and the accuracy of the tester depends on this one item.


Here one of the formers is installed. At this point I couldn't proceed further because the correct resistance wire was no longer available; I contacted a company in Birmingham who made resitance wire but was quoted £150 per small bobbin; three gauges of wire were needed; a shame really because I could have helped out so many forum members but at least I knew I could have succeeded had the wire been available.

Time I got off my backside and resume attacking the couch grass in the middle meadow before the rain arrives again. My hobbies are very many and highly varied.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Gosh @Retired , I wish I could paint/draw like you!

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Bluejayway The hardest part is making a start at attempting anything new. I've often taken on projects which proved much more difficult than I first thought but I always see something through once I start however difficult it becomes; I learn so much from my many mistakes.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

Thanks so much @Michael Hewett You and I are different because we like learning and as you say we're all different; we spend our time improving our lifestyle and our home.

I'm not smart or an expert on anything @Bluejayway I was taught mechanical engineering by highly skilled engineers who in those long ago days were genuine engineers not fitters; if the part needed wasn't available they made the part from scratch and I was taught to do the same. Having one such good skill allowed me to collect other skills and I'm still learning new skills; learning to play my violins is very difficult; when I started over four years ago I'd never touched a violin and with a very poor memory I couldn't retain just three notes at a time in my head; I also had problems reading the sheet music even with reading glasses; my distance glasses didn't work and neither did my reading glasses; the sheet music stand had to be a certain distance from me to allow the bow to be used.

Bron had spent a lot of money spoiling me and no way was I going to let her or myself down by giving up. I overcame both problems by having the sheet music enlarged at 50p per sheet; £10 got me enough sheet music I could now see and practice to play; now for my memory problem; not only am I playing my violins now I can read basic music from the sheets and I'm improving; my memory is improving too as I play the same music over and over again; as winter bites I'll progress a lot further having more studio time.

Regarding my painting; as I've said Bron was the artistic one of us to the point of attending night school for art lessons and before we met Bron visited Paris with her art teacher and other students; Bron often told me about her time in Paris when she went to the top of the Eifell Tower; I've never been abroad or even been on a plane; I'm strictly a home lover.


Here's the only portrait I ever drew; Bron liked it so much she framed it in the pretty frame she bought specially; Bron liked framing pictures and used to buy large sheets of heavy coloured card; I used to cut the picture mounts out for her from the card as I did with this one; we always fully supported each other.

I'd never attempted a face drawing so copied the method from a YouTube video such as this one;



There are many such videos; I'd like to encourage you to have a go @Bluejayway it costs very little and for many it becomes their main hobby. I like hobbies which are difficult because once I become proficient in anything I lose interest and look for another challenge.

I've not played my violins for a couple of days due to being busy but I'll enjoy a practice after tea tonight; one of my violin bows needs new hair so it'll be another interesting challenge for me; I've already bought Mongolian tail horse hair and the method is described in great detail on YouTube videos.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Believe me @Retired , my attempts at art have always been a disaster. My first year at Grammar school saw me come bottom of the class for art. Hopeless.
I’m another one who has never been abroad! Never had a passport. Or wanted one Moving from England to Wales has been my biggest adventure

 

Hi,

I certainly believe you @Bluejayway; starting at the senior school I was now taught two hours per week woodworking; I detested the bully of a teacher who enjoyed using a strap on the boys; he was absolute rubbish and called us all "Septimus" he had the habit of breaking a Victory V lozenge in half sucking one half at a time; I think it did something to his brain; I couldn't stand woodworking because of him and during the next four years just put up with it.

I was in the top class when I left school and unsurprisingly I failed my school leaving exam in woodwork; being in the top class meant I was bottom of the whole school in woodworking.

Having got married to Bron we had a huge mortgage; the building society withheld some of the money and we had to pay insurance on it until rotten timber was replaced to the bay window. We couldn't afford to get someone in so we drove to a local DIY store who also sold timber and we bought just enough timber to replace the rotten frame. I made a new wooden frame on a rickety kitchen table in the spare bedroom using very basic cheap tools; the windows like many in those days were leaded; it took ages to remove the pane of glass without breaking it. I replaced the frame then installed the glass and did the painting; the BS inspector passed the frame and the money was released. It was my first woodworking success and with this new found confidence I forgot my loathing of woodworking; now I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of woodworking so in a way you and I have something in common; you with failing in art and me failing in woodworking.


Rear door I made and installed 38 years ago when we moved in to replace broken door. It still looks exactly the same in perfect condition. Made of Russian Redwood. Benjamin Moore paint.


Master bedroom nearing completion. I made the wardrobes over 30 years ago and Bron liked them as they are so weren't painted. We used to visit stately homes so I installed the coffered ceiling and paneling; nearing completion. New paintings on the wall; a new three pendant light fitting and new carpet completed it together with a venetian blind at the window.


Comprehensive front room makeover. Old fireplace removed; wall plastered and wooden fire surround and paneling all made and installed by me; ready for furnishing. I've lost the picture gallery of all these but it gives an indication of what a failed woodworker can achieve and saved an absolute fortune.


I enjoy restoring scrap machinery. Here's a Suffolk Colt mower fully restored and working. I sold it because it couldn't cope with the steep garden.


A batch of currant scones. Bron taught me how to cook and bake due to her failing health; now on my own I'm fully independent and will never marry again; Bron is the one for me; we'll always be married because she was taken away from me through no choice of ours; I miss her and love her.


Very recently completed. the new front porch including door I made and installed. It's 100% waterproof having been severely tested with powerful horizontal rain slamming into the bungalow front. All the wooden paneling is my work too.

With Bron being ill for many years I wanted to make her as comfortable as possible always improving our home; Bron too did a heck of a lot working alongside me until she was too ill to carry on; few marriages are like this these days.

The hardest part of doing anything is having a go and making a start; I've heard many excuses over the years when we've had visitors; I haven't the tools; I haven't the skills; I don't have your machinery; I don't have time; I don't have space; if they didn't try to impress by having foreign holidays or flash cars to show off with?

I'm not special; I'm just not scared to tackle something new. I've enjoyed a violin practice and am now spending a bit of time before settling down to a YouTube movie before bedtime. Keeping busy I hope will prevent me dropping into deep depression.

Kind regards, Col.