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palmerit

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Everything posted by palmerit

  1. palmerit
    Go Bills.
  2. palmerit
    I had to buy additional sheets of thin basswood because of the number of times I did that when doing the half hull. There certainly is a satisfaction that comes with getting a plank to fit just right.
  3. palmerit
    I use 10A (not 10, which a rounded). I haven’t done a direct comparison with 11.
  4. palmerit
    The Swann-Morton work great. I’d suggest buying a 100-pack of blades and replace them often.
  5. palmerit
    I might want to educate myself on what a mill can actually do (and not do). Someone recommended the Home Machinists Handbook (which I think is based on using Sherline). If anyone has other recommendations on books, web sites, YouTube videos, please let me know. This is probably something I'm going to stew on for many months.
  6. palmerit
    That does look like a cool tool. It seems to be about the same price as a Sherline.
  7. palmerit
    Thanks. I'm in no rush for this purchase. It was prompted by being unhappy when trying to carefully drill by hand. Now I'm seeing what others are able to do with a mill, such as creating squared off or hexagonal sections of masts, as well as shaping parts. I know all of that could be done by hand, but playing with a new tool is part of the fun too. I need to better educate myself of what a mill can do (and cannot do) and what accessories can do. I'm not at the stage of skill for serious kit bashing. But I like playing with new toys.
  8. palmerit
    Those both (Grizzle and Little) look like impressive machines. I want to work in my house, not in my cellar (it has only 6ft clearance and is 80% dirt floor, which is pretty common for old houses in the US South) - maybe some day I'll build a he-shack in our back yard (my wife has wanted one for her quilting hobby). I want something I can set on the floor under my work table that I can lift up when I need to use it. The Proxxon is a mini mill and fairly light. I need to look at the (far more expensive) Sherline to check its weight, but it seems a lot heavier (maybe not something that can be easily lifted up and down - and since I work on just a (fairly sturdy) folding table, it might be too heavy for that.
  9. palmerit
    Beautiful. I'm likely going to display my models without a case like you. How to you deal with dust? Do you do something like occasionally spurting with light touches of compressed air? That's the only method I could think of.
  10. palmerit
    I guess the "Little" in "Little Machine" refers to the size of the shop not the size of the machines it sells.
  11. palmerit
    Like one of these? https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3990&category=2122081981 Anyone know how these compare to the Sherline I see recommended a lot? Seems like these are pretty heavy. The specs say 124 lbs. Is that right. Sherline is around 50lbs. Proxxon only 15lbs. (I know these aren't comparable.)
  12. palmerit
    I've had to drill a few holes in parts and masts in two of the Model Shipways "Shipwright Series" boats, the Pram and Smack. Maybe it's not common? None of them ended up where they should be (in the center of the piece, or two holes lines up). Could certainly have been user error (I experience lots of that). (I also had to drill holes in a scrap piece of PE for a rudder when building my Vanguard Sherboune after the piece was lost.) So maybe a mill is more useful (for the rare drilling, even if less efficient, but also for its milling capabilities)? Some responded as if they're doing a lot of repetitive drilling when I asked if a mill would be a better option (and said the mill was inefficient). Or maybe none is needed. (None ended up being the answer when I asked about a lathe.)
  13. palmerit
    I found a lot of people online recommend thinning Vallejo Air. Most say never to use water. I wasn’t clear on what to do: I use 50% Vallejo Air paint and 50% that flow improver / thinner / retarder mixture. I premix it and keep it in a dropper bottle. So if I add 20 drops of paint, I add 20 drops of the mixture. I keep my airbrush at around 25 psi (unless it’s primer, which I bump to 40 psi). I’m no expert, but this works for me and I rarely need to fully clean my airbrush.
  14. palmerit
    One thing I need to think about is that the Proxxon MICRO Mill MF 70 comes with the MICRO Compound Table KT 70. The Mill is $404.10 (MF 70 Mill and KT 70 table). The drill plus table is $306.90. That's just $100 difference. If I can use the Mill as a drill (albeit not as efficient) then I have a drill and a mill. It seems I can use the drill as a mill to some degree too, but it's obviously not designed to do that.
  15. palmerit
    One of the add-ons for the Proxxon (in addition to the x-y table and the vise) is "Chuck for drill bits up to 1/4" for TBM 115" (https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/chuck-for-drill-bits-for-tbm-115). Is that also needed? Another is MICROMOT Steel Collet Set (https://proxxon-us-shop.com/products/micromot-steel-collet-set). Is that needed?
  16. palmerit
    I'm looking for small and light because I do my modeling in the house (sometimes on the dining room table). I have a large shop drill press in the cellar.
  17. palmerit
    Vanguard Models Sherbourne or a Vanguard Models fishing vessels (e.g., Ranger, Zulu, Erycina) - https://vanguardmodels.co.uk. They're a bit more expensive than some, but the materials are fantastic, the build is "easy", the construction is engineered really well, the instructions are great, the support is great (sometimes you'll ask a question here and get a response from Chris Watton himself). I've also been building the Model Shipways Shipwright series (Dory, Pram, Smack). They've been a nice experience certainly, but the materials aren't nearly as good, some instructions are incomplete or wrong, and some parts are wrong, which can make for some frustration. You can buy them together (https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-Shipwright-Series_c_815.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqsW_W5shwDgaH9mCxG9k6XEydv86dswoZcyltnzp44L_hLaLl0) or individually. You can do the Model Shipways Dory for free (https://modelexpo-online.com/free-dory-promo.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo0gCJ8N4rsdccRTZi-LcjpZwHzrfZ-BwJJR3iccGrjWlMRyAis); if you complete the model and send a photo they'll give you a credit for another model (they actually gave me the credit for Dory even though I bought the full Shipwright series). The Shipwright Series (and the individual boats) can come with a starter kit with tools, glue, and paint. I haven't used any of the tools (they're pretty cheap and I have much better versions of them), except for the clips (added them to my stash). I have used the Model Expo paint for these models, but it's not the best quality paint (it kind of works with these models since they're "working" boats), and it gave me some practice doing brush painting (I use an airbrush for other models - I'd never put Model Expo paint in my airbrush). I have refilled the small glue bottle that came with the Shipwright Series (easier to use that the huge Titebond bottle I bought). For both options, there are a ton of build logs. I'm new to this and doing a build log is a great way to get feedback and share frustrations and solutions with others.
  18. palmerit
    Do you have an extension for longer support column? I'm guessing you need a "milling bit" to do something like that? (Is that kind of like a router bit?)
  19. palmerit
    If anyone has a pointer to what kind of support column to get, I'd appreciate it. I looked on the Proxxon site and couldn't find it.
  20. palmerit
    That's a really fancy Dremel right (as in a similar tool)? When mounted in a drill press attachment is it as good as a standalone drill press?
  21. palmerit
    Isn't it true that the micro mill can do everything the drill press can do (and more)? Or is that not the case? Or did you buy the drill press and then later decide to buy the mill? I'm trying to decide if I want to spent $350 for a drill press (and accessories) or spend double+ that for a mill (even if I might not use the mill right now). I was thinking that only because I thought a mill could do everything (and more) that a drill press can do. But if a mill makes a poor drill press (or makes it more complicated) then I'd certainly just get a drill press (and maybe consider a mill in the future).
  22. palmerit
    I'm no airbrush expert, but I've been able to use mine (Iwata Eclipse) repeatedly without taking it all apart (I have taken it apart to clean, but only a few times). I use airbrush paint, not watered down regular paint. I use Vallejo Air, which I thin with a mixture of 65% flow improver, 25% thinner, 10% retarder (I just thin in the paint holder). When I tried to use watered down regular Vallejo paint (you need to water it down a lot), it worked for a bit but then it clogged and I had to clean it. I've never tried non-Vallejo paint. When I'm done, I first clean out the paint barrel with hot water several times (dumping it into a bowl). I then run Vallejo thinner through the airbrush a couple times (I have a small glass thing that I can spray into to collect). I then run Iwata airbrush cleaner through the airbrush. It's a few steps, but way easier than taking the airbrush apart (which needs to be done from time to time). I did find after having not used my airbrush in a while that I did need to take it apart and clean it.
  23. palmerit
    After several frustrating attempts at drill holes in masts and other small parts, I'm thinking of getting a table-top drill press. Looking for recommendations : whether to get a drill press or not? If so, which one? Whether to consider a mill instead? One option is the Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115 listing for $235.80 with the MICRO Compound Table KT 70 listing for $71.10. Another is the Micro-Mark MicroLux 3-Speed Mini Drill Press listing for $199.95 or the Micro-Mark MicroLux Benchtop Variable Speed Mini Hobby Drill Press listing for $379.95. I'm not quite sure the difference between these (apart from the price and the variable speed option) or what add-ons are equivalent to the Proxxon KT 70. I've seen some really inexpensive drill presses like here and here. But I want an add-on like the KT 70 for the Proxxon and I don't know if these inexpensive ones have something like that. Are there other options I should look at? I think I've read enough posts here and elsewhere that say that a Dremel drill press is too imprecise and I'd get frustrated with that option; but maybe there is a really good one that I've missed in my search. I think another option would be to splurge for a Sherline Mill, which I think can be used as a drill (expensive option if only used as a drill press) but I I think there is an option to also convert to a lathe (and it can be used as a mill). Right now, I only know that (I think) I want a drill press, and don't have a clue what I would use a milling machine for. I want something that's portable since I do my modeling inside my house not in a shop. I have some heavy duty tools in my cellar - including a large drill press I inherited from my father-in-law - but I prefer just being able to work in one of our bedrooms (which I need to vacate to our back room when my younger son is home from college).
  24. palmerit
    I’ve now seen a bunch of other build logs note that the pins they supply are way too wide. The pins that came with my Sherbourne fit.
  25. palmerit
    Finished adding the fixtures to the main mast of my Pram. I think I want a mini drill press? (Question mark intentional.) While I found shaping the mast without a lathe (using my drill) just fine (some said it’s easier with a drill), I really struggled to get the small holes lined up right using a small hand drill. Maybe there’s a trick I don’t know about. This step seems to be another case of a disconnect between the plans (which I had to zoom to 103%) and the written instructions and photos. The plans show a small “eye” near the bottom of the mast. The instructions and photos instead show a small copper wire loop (which I shaped with my new round nose pliers). And then plans show a “shroud eye” with an asterisks to “see instructions for alternative fitting” (with the instructions instead showing a pair of copper straps). And finally, the plans show a single hole at the top for a halyard block but the instructions have you make a halyard sheave (simulating I think a block inside the mast). It’s fine to give different ways to build the model, but when you’re new (this is supposed to be the second beginner model) you think you’re just misunderstanding. The instructions say nothing (unless I missed it) about these being alternatives (except for the lone asterisk about the shroud eye).

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