RichardG

3 minutes ago, modeller_masa said:

I have to redesign the entire machine and buy more parts...

Ah, the joys of prototyping 😀

I will be following your progress with interest. I like the idea very much.

21 hours ago, dvm27 said:

I do love my Sherline lathe with it's extended bed (17" between centers). Not sure if the smaller version with it's 8" distance between centers would be worth the additional cost. However the hole through the headstock can accommodate a no.1 morse taper so I often use this to turn longer stock. I guess you need to figure out what scale you would like to work in. While the Sherline is essentially a metal workers lathe I use it for turning wood all the time. Their T-rest works just fine and is not expensive.

Just as an FYI, Sherline no longer makes the T-rest. I bought the mounting bracket as a spare part from a dealer last year; this leaves me with the T part to make (which should be fairly easy😀). 

This is why I make my own. They're nothing like as good as these though.

Looking good 😀

On 10/21/2022 at 10:57 PM, Capella said:

I know that heat created between the spinning dowel and the tailstock is a concern that I need to resolve. 

Would something like this work for you?

This is a small bearing (3mm hole). It can just be screwed to any flat service. Sharpen the end of the dowel for the bearing and this would remove the friction. 

https://www.gobilda.com/1603-series-face-thru-hole-pillow-block-3mm-bore/. I have bought a few items from them in the past and have always been happy.

When I moved into our home about 19 years ago, there were already 2 benches in an L against the back and side of the garage. Over the years I found these to be ok. There were 2 problems, I couldn't get to both sides and the depth at 28 inches was too far for me (I have short arms). This year I made 2 additional benches both smaller and on locking casters. I also made them different heights. A shorter one for heavier work, which also, by an odd coincidence, is the exact height of my 10" small table saw. This also has a wood vice at one end. The other is about 4" taller for detail work. I'm also planning to buy an adjustable height stool. 

Looking at the longer term, both benches are "portable" and only bolted together. We are expecting to move to a smaller home in a few years, so these should still work there.

3 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

As your new workshop in the garage is presumably attached to the house and not removed some inconvenient distance away, you will almost certainly encounter the problem of household members employing your shop benches and tabletops... indeed any available horizontal surface in your shop... as a place to dump whatever they don't want to be inside the house at any given moment. Alas, as hard as I've tried, I've never discovered a solution to this problem that didn't involve getting a divorce. If anybody's solved this problem, please share your secret!

My garage is reasonably (aka to my wife as really. really) dusty. That keeps people at bay.

Seawatch have a 25% off all books sale this week. From their email notification.

Excellent!

Could dry-brushing with a slightly lighter color bring out the detail?

5 hours ago, lee matthews said:

i am used to  model engineering in metal, i wish to build a clyde puffer but have no experience reading line drawings with ships, are there any decent video tutorials available , and can anyone recommend the best set of drawings please?

Welcome Lee,

I can't help you with reading line drawings (I still have to learn that). However, you can read my search for plans here https://modelshipworld.com/topic/29641-source-of-plans-for-a-clyde-puffer/. 

I hope everything goes well with your move. Having moved from the UK to the US, I know that moving to another country is complicated. At least here in the US I could mostly speak the language.

All the best.

Richard.

FYI, Fusion 360 is free for hobbyists (https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal). It is cloud based as you say (although files can be saved in an offline (local computer) cache). Is it the best? For me it's working well. My usage is for 3D printing and designing parts to be made on my lathe and mill. However, my 3D printing is not for models. I make jigs, brackets, tool holders, etc.. My last drawing was a prototype for a bracket to be made on the mill from aluminum (when I finally get it right 😧). I chose Fusion 360 because it seemed best for me and the price was right. There is a steep learning curve but I actually found it easier to learn than all my previous attempts in 2D cad - which was a surprise. Like learning most complex things nowadays, internet searching is essential. 

Yes, safety is always important with any machinery, even with a small lathe like mine. I also have a variety of woodworking power tools. The 10" table saw in particular makes me very safety conscious (AKA "it terrifies me").

Wonderful.

I'm just beginning my machine shop journey. Hopefully I will reach your Beginner+ stage 😀.

I got a Sherline lathe in October last year. Now spring has arrived it's out of storage and in the garage and I've got as far as turning a few test pieces in 1/2" 12L14 steel rod. I enjoy Blondihacks' YouTube channel. I'll have to check out Keith Appleton. 

Thanks for posting this.

Mark,

Some of them are available in 1:64. E.g. https://thenrgstore.org/collections/model-figurines/products/seaman-5 and https://thenrgstore.org/collections/model-figurines/products/american-officer-pose-2

Thanks Toni. I may order one to help me with a sense of scale.

On 12/19/2021 at 11:33 AM, jjolls said:

You might want to take a look online at the Beall Collet Chuck for ER32 collets (USA). Designed for full sized lathe woodworkers, Beall makes one threaded to fit on the Sherline lathe. Along with this, I have a set of 25 ER32 collets from Amazon that will hold 1/16" to 13/16" in 1/32" increments. I use it for both wood and metal work.

 

Most collet sets are from Asia... I paid about $65 (mid-range cost) for the set and the collets work fine. The Beall Collet Chuck solved the problem for me!  This may be helpful to someone looking to turn small wood/metal parts without breaking the bank!

 

JJ

Mine arrived this afternoon. Very good quality. Runout is small. 

I still have to buy the collets - that's for another day (they're easy to find).

Thanks again JJ

I appear to have congenital "measure twice, cut three times" syndrome. Added to this is a little procrastination along with a bit of analysis paralysis. These problems and a full-time job make me a very slow builder. On my current build, I've planked the deck twice and rebuilt the main "cabin" three times.

However, that doesn't stop me enjoying this hobby. For me it's the journey that matters. 

I've bought belaying pins from them. Product and service were excellent.

To allow a secure https connection, a website has a certificate issued by a 3rd party. This has expired and so the browser is warning you that it cannot make a secure connection which is a risk. You should be able to proceed to the site, look for the advanced link. Whether you want to place an order is up to you. You could also contact them by email. I assume they use a web hosting company to manage their site and they may not be aware of the problem.

Ditto and Ditto.

My local store had a bit more. I should have checked when I originally noticed they were going to stop selling it. 

For those of you with a Michaels in the area, they getting rid of all their basswood, balsa, and plywood at good prices. 

I have used gilmerwood (including for holly) and would recommend them. Another couple of suppliers I have used are https://www.cookwoods.com/ and https://www.exoticlumber.com/. The availability varies from week to week. 

Holly is really expensive though. I assume you're looking for supplies to mill?

Generally I've found Exotic Woods to be cheapest but supplies are very limited (beware of their search, it will show out of stock items). Cook Woods is usually the most expensive but do have 1/8" and 1/4" sheets. Shipping will just add to the eye-watering cost.

1 hour ago, kurtvd19 said:

The Fein units are quiet enough I can hear my radio across the room from the bench.  The common shop vac is noisy enough to need hearing protection if you are in the same room.  When I have the Fein unit going and I am using the small Preac saw the noise from the air being sucked down around the saw blade is heard.  I always back the power off a bit when using the Preac for an extended time due to this being distracting.  To me the extra cost of the Fein is well worth not having to use hearing protection and being aware of my surroundings.

That's good to hear (😜), this was on my list so I can move out of the garage and into the basement. Having a real person's opinion is better than 5-stars on a web site.