rtropp

Jim, does the extended table attach to the current table or replace it? Thanks, Richard

I am looking for another chuck for my Proxxon wood lathe. I have the one that uses two posts to tighten but my hands are beginning to have difficulty. I would like to find one that uses a t-bar type screw to adjust the jaws. Does anyone know if the 27024 independent four jaw chuck use a t-bar type adjuster? If not, what other ones will fit the db250? Cost is a consideration Thanks for the help Richard

hi Mark, I saw your comments about mills. I had looked at the mill you linked to from little machine shop. One reason for leaning towards the Sherline is that most of the accessories from the MMark will fit the Sherline so would not have to reinvest as much by switching to R8. But, I use the mill for drilling and like the lever like handle on the Sieg. So, I am wavering Richard.

Very nice, the photos will be helpful when I get to that point Thanks, Richard

I am new to epoxies. I have been using CA but thought that would be the safest (strongest) for metal on wood. What brand of epoxy do you all use? Also, do you use it for eye bolts as well as larger parts? Thanks Richard

Jesse, your cannon look good. they are part of what inspired me to try to make my own in wood. Are you using basswood? I gave up on it and started using boxwood. I bought a number of boxwood "planks" and milled them down to the sizes I needed. I originally intended to use up the basswood for anything painted, but it does not carve cleanly. Part of the look is the use of very fine files and I have also been using three grades of sanding sticks which are very narrow and do a nice job on the finishing. The hardest part was developing a light touch. I have been using a lot of wood. I went through about 20 cannon while practicing and still average 2 out of three that are near acceptable. Also, I have not put the detail into the barrel rings that you have. I just kept ruining them so, getting impatient, I just went for the flat look. I intend to make a number of extras so that when cleaning up the breach ring and adding the bottom piece, I have room for mistakes. That said... your cannon look pretty good.

Its been a long time and I felt I should post something. I have been working on making wood carronades. I went through a number of different attempts but making templates to use as cutters did not work. making them on a wood lathe by hand seems to work better. I went through a bunch of wood developing skills for uniformity. I thought it would be similar to making the belaying pins but the variance in the thickness of different parts was much more noticeable. So, I few feet of boxwood later I seem to be getting the hang of it. I spend more time stopping and measuring than actually cutting. But, they are getting better. I have been experimenting with painting but was covering the detail. I read the experience of others using multiple thin coats rather than one thick coat and might try that. But in the meantime I decided to go a different route and use wood dye. With two or three dips, drying between dips, and then a thin coat of poly they look pretty nice to me. But, I will continue to experiment. the picture below is an early attempt and i am hoping that the newer carronades have sharper detail which should help the dye job look better. The tools are the same mixture I used on the belaying pins and work pretty well. I ordered a set of PSI micro lathe tools (LCAN8MD) but it only took one day to sent them back. The sizes were great but the quality was awful. I could have sharpened out the nicks but when a sliver of brass from the ferrule drew blood I packed them up. (It is the sharp end that is supposed to cut :-) Richard

Glad it wasn't worse. I live near the woods and have all kinds of critters trying to get in. I keep a can of bug spray by the door to the shop. I am too clumsy with a rolled up newspaper... found that out the hard way :-) Richard

Hi Jessie, You cannons look good. I think that the suggestions about sanding or using steel wool should help greatly. Your cannons are carved nicely and have a great appearance. Much nicer that the ones supplied. It is especially nice to see them to scale and happily they still work with the sled supplied. I am working on turning my own out of boxwood. I tried a few different ways to paint but was not happy with any of them. At my skill level they looked painted. So, to try and get a smoother look that kept the detail, I decided to try wood dye. As I experiment I liked the way it is turning out. If I look really closely I can see it is wood not brass. Actually, after a coat of poly it is beginning to look better. Just for a comparison, I may go back and try painting using the suggestions listed here. I am experimenting on cannon rejects. The good news is that I have lot to experiment on. The bad news is that... I have a lot to experiment on :-) I will be posting the pictures on my build log. Your work has been great to watch and since I am only a bit behind it is very helpful. Thanks, Richard

nicely done, Richard

Good Luck, Richard

Al, I am curious. How long did it take to set up and, do you have any pictures of the set up? Thanks Richard

nice idea on the ca applicator. I will have to try it. With the cut needle tip I am using now, rather than solvent, I keep a lighter near the work station and just burn off the excesses. The lighter is set to a very low flame. Of course, I keep that away from anything flammable, and away from my build. Richard

Well, you all have me pretty well convinced that DRO is a good thing. I have been trying to compare power (watts). I am not sure how to calculate that. The Sherline lists specs are: Duty rating: Continuous–10 oz. in. at 6100 rpm, .85 amperes; Intermittent–30 oz. in. at 5500 rpm, 1.75 amperes (5 minutes on / 15 minutes off) Output horsepower: .06 KW (60 W) at 10 oz. in. / 6100 rpm AC voltage (input): Normally 115 VAC, 60 Hz, Single Phase to rectifier (Sherline electronic speed control converts any input from 100 VAC to 240 VAC, 50-60 Hz.) DC voltage: 90 VDC to motor (60 Hz) Normal full load current: .85 amperes Starting current: 17 amperes instantaneous starting current ( Can anyone tell me how many Watts power this lathe? (and is that part of a valid comparison between various mini lathes?) Thanks all, Richard

yes, digital readout. Richard

I am getting closer to purchasing a Sherline lathe. I am still not comfortable with the zero wheels on my mill. The calculations seem to go very slowly especially when having to reset or when there is play in the gibs. Thus my inquiry. Does anyone use a dro on the sherline lathe and is it worthwhile in ship modeling? Thanks, Richard

Jessie, I understand that sometimes life gets in the way. I am retired and I still have difficulty spending as much time on my build as I would like. I am going to continue trying to see what I can accomplish in wood. I have been seriously considering a sherline lathe and if I go to brass I will definitely pull the trigger. Richard

Hi Jessie, I am at the point of making carronades. As you found out, the metal template doesn't really shave the form to specs. I found that I can use it to shave in a rough shape and then finish by hand. This gets me uniformity of shape along its length but still have some problem getting the various diameters to be uniform. Its probably and issue of practice. As I put together the prototype, mounted on the sled, I am starting to think about how to finish off the fittings on the rear of the carronade, i.e., lug, breech line ring, threaded piece for the elevator screw. etc. I need to decide if I want to use wood or brass. Have you thought about it or come to any decision? Richard

Do the aligning piece need to be unscrewed and move to the next position to continue framing for the entire hull? Thanks, Richard

thanks for the rope coil tip Richard

I use the DB250 and have found a way to support long pieces that works for me. I remove all the components on the tail stock. The dowel slips through the head stock and then through the tail stock. I move the tail stock as close to the head stock as necessary to provide rigid support for the dowel. At first i used a piece of foam around the dowel in the tail stock to keep it from vibrating. That worked ok but the foam would eventually work its way out requiring me to stop work to re set it. Next I tried a piece of dowel that would fit securely in the tail piece. I drilled a hole through the center of the jig/dowel just a bit larger than the work piece (mast). I fit the jig dowel into the tail stock and fixed it with the locking screw provided. This worked well. I could slide the tail stock to the optimum distance to provide a rigid work piece (no sag or vibrating). At first I worried that their might be burning from the friction of wood spinning against wood but that never happened. If it did I would remake the jig from a smooth plastic. this jig is part of my lathe tool box and has been reused multiple times. Also, the piece of dowel that sticks out of the feed end of the head stock can whip around if not supported. A piece of foam there kept it steady. I show all of this in my Syren build where I was working on belaying pins. Richard.

Mark, thanks for the info. Re-machining is beyond my skills right now so I will probably stick with the current speeds and just run slower feeds. Thanks, Richard

Dan, Do you know if this was generally used or limited to certain size ships, or ships built by certain nations, etc.? I really like the way it looks, but would not want to use it incorrectly. Thanks Richard

Sal, Thanks for the tip about spacing the belaying pins. I removed and remade one of the pin rails. A lot easier to do now than discovering this later. I followed your lead and soaked the parts in Minwax poly. They look nice. I still have not glued the eyebolts or cleats. Earlier inexperience has built in some errors and I am not sure if I should wait to glue, or just deconstuct if there is a problem. Richard

Dan, There is a different pattern for the six hull strakes just below the whales that seems to be repeated on the deck. Can you tell me about more about the origins of that pattern. I only see it rarely in the builds here or the models in museums. Thanks, Richard