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Bob Blarney

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  1. Bob Blarney
    Regarding mitigation of clutter, it is true that neatness is a virtue, but unfortunately it's not one of my virtues. To help with that, tools that are not in my hand are not placed the main work surface. There is a gutter (a piece of rain gutter actually on one bench) or a mobile tool rack next to the bench. Over the vac inlet, window screening or hardware cloth (1/8 or 1/4" grid) will catch small parts. In fact, when cutting off small pieces on a table saw this method works very well to keep the pieces from jamming in the slot or disappearing inside the saw. Here's pic of the rack where I build guitars, and my shopbuilt cyclone separator HEPA vac system that takes up 1 sq.ft of floorspace (it's attached to the wall).
  2. Bob Blarney
    By the way, I have my cheapo Ryobi placed on a dense 1" foam mat to reduce vibration. Also, it occurred to me that waxing the blade from time to time might help, because It certainly does ease cutting with handsaws and planes. But most of the time, the scroll saw sits on a shelf unless I need to cut from inside a hole. I always go to my 12" or 14" bandsaw first. I understand that one may prefer one tool over another for reasonable reasons, but really, a 12" bandsaw is a much better buy in my opinion. As for the occasional internal hole cut, just use a jeweler's or coping saw.
  3. Bob Blarney
    Shorter-cuts 4U: Popular Mechanics: https://books.google.com/books/about/Popular_Mechanics.html?id=RdMDAAAAMBAJ Popular Science: https://books.google.com/books?id=wzsEAAAAMBAJ&as_pt=MAGAZINES&ei=QVtqTfSyLIf6zAThl82MBg&source=gbs_other_issues
  4. Bob Blarney
    Time was, that one could buy the plans from the PM/PS publishers, and I believe the plans were more detailed. I inquired, but it's no longer possible to buy the plans. Are yours the original mail-ordered publishers' plans? Like many other PM/PS projects that I've reviewed and collected, I think that 'back when' ,that workmen, homeowners, and modelers were expected to have a higher degree of manual skills, ingenuity, and basic 'know-how' than most people have nowadays. That I said, I've noticed that sometime in the late '60s, these magazines became mostly vehicles for product advertisement, rather than learning/project oriented publications.
  5. Bob Blarney
    How about a cookie sheet from the supermarket, at $5-15? Plain steel would be ok, but one that is teflon coated would be easy to clean. Stainless steel might be nice too, but test first to make sure that magnets will be attracted to it. The magnetic clamp blocks look like they were scavenged from cabinet latches (~$1ea), but you could make them by cutting some modeling plywood (square or any other shape) and then gluing on neodymium magnets (such as the powerful ones that may be scavenged from defunct computer hard disks).
  6. Bob Blarney
    Oh, and don't forget about saving the very powerful magnets that show their magnetic strength almost completely on one side due to the properties of the mounting shield. BTW, a hard disk spins at around 5000 to 7000 RPM. Isn't that a bit fast for sanding? Since they're DC motors, can you adjust speed by varying the voltage?
  7. Bob Blarney
    That's very ingenious. It'll take me a while to read and look it all over. There's another thing about hard disks. The polished aluminum disk is very flat and balanced. They're excellent front-surface mirrors, a one use might be....
  8. Bob Blarney
    I think that the MSDA description indicates that it is a diluted solution of polyvinyl acetate, aka PVA, glue. It appears to be similar to Weldbond, which can be diluted and might be significantly less expensive.
  9. Bob Blarney
    The timeless advice is "Test on scraps first".
  10. Bob Blarney
    Thanks for the very informative post. It clears up some important things.
  11. Bob Blarney
    I believe that HD will order other brands for you, if you ask. I've heard good things about DeWalts; look here: http://www.spiralsbysteve.com/shells.php As I recall, the 'Rolls-Royce' of scrollsaws is a Hegner. Have look at them, and see if you can find a used one.
  12. Bob Blarney
    Thanks. Hmm, it should be possible to calculate roughly, the diameter of the tubing and pressure head needed to achieve 10 l/m. As for placing the stock material at the correct height, maybe a laboratory scissors jack would be useful. Do the Google for one, to see if there is one of suitable size and cost: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/laboratory-scissor-jack-8-x-8-stainless-steel?fee=2&fep=740&gclid=CIGu_5nOjsoCFZWCaQodd0gBPQ If only a small adjustment in limited space is needed, then I have an idea that would likely work for you. The cost would not be excessive at all, but it would take time to make it because it's not available on the market so far as I know.
  13. Bob Blarney
    What's the flow rate of the cooling water? I could set up next to the basement laundry sink, so as to feed a high-flow system with a 6' pressure head. There would be an overflow reservoir at the top to keep the pressure head and flow constant.
  14. Bob Blarney
    Hmm, I bet you could make a go-around to make your machine useable again. Try repair or molding with some J-B Weld. If you have a drill press, then maybe you would be interested in a rig like this thing. You could probably make most of it with what you have on hand: http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Sanding/Luthiers_Friend_Sanding_Station.html
  15. Bob Blarney
    I haven't see this thing yet, but I'm imagining how useful accessories might be made in the shop, instead of bought. Air assist might be accomplished with a fan, an aquarium pump, or a compressor. The water coolant might be supplied by an aquarium pump arrangement, or a slow-drip gravity feed. In my basement shop, I have heat detectors conntected to a central alarm system, and not smoke detectors that might be triggered by fine dust. But a smoke detector would likely be better than nothing. Just remember prevention is always better than discovering a blaze too late.
  16. Bob Blarney
    Hmm, that looks interesting. How fine a line can the laser cut? I suppose that it has a fixed focal length, and so there would be an optimal distance for focusing the beam. Are there adjustments to place the material there? Also, I would imagine that the fineness of the cut may be somewhat dependent on the power of the beam. (Forty watts of laser energy is actually quite powerful.) I have aiming lasers on my drillpress, and at first they weren't very useful. Then I noticed that as the 9V battery weakened and the lasers fainter, then also the projected laser lines became finer. So I substituted a variable voltage 'wall-wart' adapter so that I can adjust the brightness of the beam, and eliminate the battery as well.
  17. Bob Blarney
    Kits or scratch? Use it as needed. Some kits are very nearly finished pieces, and others are rough blocks of wood. And some times it's necessary to shape a part from scratch to replace a ruined piece or add a feature.
  18. Bob Blarney
    When I think of how much time and occasionally disappointing results that I got with sandpaper and other implements, versus the efficiency of a handplane followed by touch-up sanding, then... Hmm, if you shave your face with a sharp or a dull razor, then you'll imagine something about the usefulness of a handplane. It's about the sharpness, and the weight, stability, and speed of the stroke with the hand. That said, there is another part about using a plane. It can not be used 'in midair' - a stable bench and fixture(s) that holds the material firmly, is required.
  19. Bob Blarney
    Bob, that's a good point about sharpening. One of my favorite Youtube stars is Paul Sellers, who teaches the basics of traditional handtool use and care.from the British perspective. His teaching style is very clear. Oftimes I do sharpen freehand, and other times I use a simple guide if I want to achieve a particular angle (which isn't too often). But I doubt much is lost by using a guide, time or otherwise. I disagree with you on dust collection, however. Although it is likely not an issue in respect to the hobby of model shipbuilding, fine dust is a significant health hazard for woodworkers, especially with many hardwood species such as cocobolo. A HEPA-filtered vac is an important tool as any other, just as a chisel, a plane, sandpaper, or a table saw.
  20. Bob Blarney
    Hello, I ran across this article, and I thought it might be interesting to those who have limited space to work. As shown, it is meant to be clamped in a large workbench vise, but it could easily be altered for C-clamping to a table or desk top. https://books.google.com/books?id=UyYDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA158#v=onepage&q&f=false It occurs to me that the persons who would find this most useful probably do not have the facilities or tools to make one. If that's so, then I could make this or a customized workboard for you in exchange for compensation for materials & labor. Please PM me if you're interested. And before I forget, here's a source for good quality tools and other items at reasonable prices: C.R. Hill of Berkeley MI. http://www.crhill.com/
  21. Bob Blarney
    Try heating the bit red hot (hold it in pliers), and then stir it in vegetable oil to harden. Let it cool. Then bake in oven at ~400F for 30' or so. You can tell when it's hot 'n ready to dunk in the oil when it is no longer attracted to a magnet, but don't heat the bit beyond that point.
  22. Bob Blarney
    If you have a spot of flatness around, e.g. some steel or a granite countertop, then try rolling the bit between the hard surface and a piece of hardwood such as maple. And even if you don't have a hard surface, then try rolling it between two pieces of maple for a while. It might likely work for you. You might also reduce the driving pressure when drilling -- let the bit do the work.
  23. Bob Blarney
    Don't get me wrong. I think this is a fascinating piece of machinery, and I admire those who designed and built it. But I think it's overkill for shipmodeling, unless someone has discovered a lucrative market that justifies mass production.
  24. Bob Blarney
    Hmm, considering it's from Montana, I wondering if this is an for a gunsmithing machine, and someone's going to sell programming for converting an AR-15 to...
  25. Bob Blarney
    Hmm, that's Tool Pornography if I ever saw it: "If I had that, I could do....!" Well, I guess it's not a bad thing to view it. But if you think about it, that machine is actually moving in a sequence of movements that mimics the actions of a human, albeit with perfect choreography of the tool and workpiece, as well as with a perfect mimicry and repetition of movements. Once you've figured out how to program the machine to make a particular item perfectly, then you can turn out a million. (Yawn.) Is that why you're here? Don't get me wrong. I don't have a strong prejudice about hand- versus machine- work. But I can't understand how this is important to the artistic hobby of modeling ships. Why not just buy a completed model? (But I can certainly understand the usefulness of buying a kit when starting out, to learn and get an idea of how things are done, or maybe to get past some of the drudge work.)

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