wefalck

The maker of the miniature Bridgeport is the British model engineer Barry Jordan: http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/jordan.htm @hof00: Proxxon (and all the other makers of small milling machines) don't make a machine of the Aciera/Sixis/SIP type as I discussed above. They all are conventional 3-axis-machines, to which perhaps a fourth axis can be added by deploying a rotary table or a dividing head. Even the smallest Proxxon, the MF70, still is somewhat bigger than what I am building here. Updates will follow over the weekend, didn't have time to take and process the pictures yet.

The author's name is Jean-Pierre Mélis, as stated on top of the article ...

BTW in the last number (No. 281) of Neptunia a series on traditional Japanese boats was started: http://www.aamm.fr/neptunia/derniers-numeros/1168-n-281

Somehow I haven't had the time to look at the building-logs here for quite a time, so this exquisite and unusual model completely escaped my attention Will now have a look from time to time ...

Actually, I wanted to continue with my SMS WESPE model, but run into some technical difficulties and then this project came my way ... The complex manual machining of very small parts on a milling machine requires smooth and precise movements of the slides as well as small masses to be moved. The slides of a watchmakers lathe fulfill these requirements. In addition, work-pieces and tools should be visible very well during machining. Milling machines such as the Aciere F1 (or the older F12) or Sixis 101 are ideal for working on small parts, but are still far too large for my workshop (and have a too big price tag ...). Interesting from a design point of view would be also jig-borer and milling-machines by SIP (Société Genevoise d'Instruments de Physique), but they are very rare and difficult to come by. All these machines are massive and heavily constructed in order minimise vibrations by their inertia during the machining of precision parts for watches and instruments – too massive for my small workshop. Aciera F1 milling machine (Source: http://www.lathes.co.uk/aciera/) Sixis 101 milling machine (Source: http://www.lathes.co.uk/sixis/) SIP jig-borer and milling machine (Quelle: http://www.lathes.co.uk/sip/) A special feature of these machines is that the x-slide is not arranged horizontally under the milling spindle, but vertically in front of the main column. This permits the easy installation of a fourth and fifth machining axis. However, this arrangement means that the movement in the y-axis is not effected by the cross-slide, but by the milling head. This in turn means that milling head and motor should ideally form a unit. A belt-drive is more difficult to arrange, because the angle between the pulleys changes, when the milling head moves along. The SIP jig-borer for these reason originally was driven through a flexible shaft. A watchmakers lathe is a good starting point owing to the precision of the slides and spindles, but it lacks the z-axis. In more recent years kits became available to convert Chinese-made watchmakers lathes into small vertical milling machines, but the milling table on them is arranged in a conventional way. Conversion of a modern Chinese watchmakers lathe into a vertical milling machine In my stock of watchmakers lathe bits and pieces I have collected over the years parts for several D-bed lathes of variable state of conservation. Some ‘scrap’ was also bought on purpose. From this parts I now want to construct a micro-milling machine with as little work as possible. As design specifications I decided that the mill should be able to machine in a space of u 20 mm x 20 mm x 20 mm. This requires movements along the x-, y-, and z-axes of around 40 mm. There should be a fourth axis with a 360° rotation, that should be able to rotated under load. This axis should also be able to be moved from the vertical into the horizontal (5th axis). All those movements should be realised with parts from watchmakers lathes, so that no dove-tail slides need to be machined from scratch. The back-bone of the mill will be a special D-bed that I obtained recently. It was originally meant for the conversion of a lathe into a small precision pillar-drill. Its lower end is turned down to a diameter that fits into a lathe foot. The foot that I am going to use probably came from a British Pultra-lathe (http://www.lathes.co.uk/pultra/page8.html). Column and foot Another key part is an old and somewhat battered cross-slide from a Lorch, Schmidt & Co. D-bed lathe. This will be the x- and z-axis of the new milling machine. Cross-slide from a D-bed watchmakers lathe The y-axis will be constructed with the help of a nearly scrap lower-slide from the cross-slide of a Lorch, Schmidt & Co. WW-lathe that I was able to buy cheaply. The spindle and micrometer-dial will have to be made from scratch. A 6 mm-grinding spindle of unknown make will serve as milling spindle. This limits somewhat the maximum diameter of cutters that can be used to ones with about a 4 mm-shaft, but the machine is meant for light work after all. On the other hand, many years ago I made an adapter for 6 mm end-mill for use in the lathe together with a vertical slide (before I owned a milling machine). Lower slide from a WW-lathe cross-slide and grinding spindle Future arrangement for the y-axis of the micro-mill The fourth and fifth axis will be formed by the dividing head that I made some years ago from a 6 mm-watchmakers lathe grinding-spindle. For the moment it will be simply screwed onto the cross-slide as for use with a lathe. This gives considerable flexibility for the positioning at any angle between vertical and horizontal. The setting will be a bit time-consuming and has to be done with templates. Column, cross-slide and dividing head assembled Column, cross-slide and dividing head assembled So far the existing parts that need to be re-conditioned somewhat at a later point in time. To be continued ...

Well, this is the 'tools-to-make-more-tools'-syndrom … I know this all too well

The sanding disc has a diameter of 50 mm (2"). More details on the micro-grinder can be found here: http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/tools/microgrinder/microgrinder.html

You are right about holding down pieces. In many instances I found my fingers the most versatile clamps, actually I have been thinking about this, but left it to the actual practical experience, to see what is needed. For very thin strips and wires I made a little holding device for the micro-grinder a while ago, that I can also use on this contreivance here: If I was to make this gadget again, I think I would change the design sligtly. Rather than having the sanding block moving in a channel, I would make some sort of rail and cut a slot into the sanding block that engages with the rail. This would give more flexibility in the kind of sanding tools to be used. For instance, I am thinking of adapting a fine diamond nail-file for the purpose. I have used such nail-files for decades in my workshop as they give a very smooth finish. However, I am not sure how cut the files to size and drill them without ruining my tools Anyway, this is a first attempt at miniaturising a gadget I saw somewhere and adapt it to my small-scale work.

When I look at the price of these saw-guides mentioned above, I rather buy a motorised one … These saw-guides are not really a novelty, I have a 1920s hobby handycraft book that describes how to upgrade an ordinary fret-saw in this way.

Although I recently constructed a micro-grinder and –sander (http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/tools/microgrinder/microgrinder.html), I found that some hand-sanding device would be desirable for very delicate operations. Sometimes just a few strokes would be sufficient and the process would be difficult to control with a motor-driven machine. A guided sanding block allows to achieve flat and square edges. After some rummaging in my collected stocks I found a piece of aluminium rail with a T-slot at one end (I don't remember its original purpose), a piece of thick aluminium sheet, some square aluminium stock, and a well-seasoned piece of pinewood of just the right dimensions (5 cm x 8 cm x 2 cm). Holes were marked out, drilled and countersunk for the pieces to be screwed down onto the wooden block. The four sides of the wooden block were squared off in the milling machine with the aluminium pieces in place. The wooden block then was carefully levelled in the machine-vise and a slot milled into the aluminium as a guide for the sanding block. Finally the surface was evened with some light cuts with a fly-cutter. A mitre-guide was fashioned from a piece of flat steel. It can be mounted left or right and in different configurations. The sanding block is fashioned from some 8 mm x 8 mm square aluminium stock. It has shallow recesses milled into both sides to allow for the thickness of the sanding paper. A knurled screw M3 serves as handle. to begin with a glued a strip of 600 grit wet-'n'-dry paper onto one side and a strip of plastic coated with abrasives as used by dentists for grinding and polishing teeth onto the other side.

Apart from (longer-term) accuracy on which I cannot really comment, as I don't have one, the problem with these combination machines is the time that is needed to reconfigure them, particularly, when you work on complex parts that may need turning and milling as subsequent and iterative operations.

I don't do that much sawing with a fret-saw these days, put it seems that a 'standard' (as Otto Frey term it) jeweler's frame does the job to me. As with all fret-saw judicious tensioning adapted to the blade and material to be sawn is required. I don't seem to have a problem fitting the blade to the frame and then pre-adjusting the moveable part of frame before tightening it with the thumb-screw. You may need to play around a bit with pre-adjusting the arm and tightening it in order to not put too much tension on it. In any case it is tool proven in the trade for more than a hundred years. Being in Europe, I wouldn't buy from Otto Frey anyway, but too me they always seem to be a bit on the expensive side. One has to always check that such supply houses, like the modellers' ones, don't put a too high mark-up on (certain) tools. Such jewelers' frames are bog standard and one can get them from many different sources. Their 'standard' model seems to be reasonably priced, but they also have titanium-frame ones for the price of which you can get a table saw I would also support the view that the modellers' supply houses flog-off to modellers a lot of stuff that can be had from jewellers' or dentists' supply houses at better prices and often better quality.

Anatomically, the HO-scale (1:87) Preiser (http://www.preiserfiguren.de) figures are still the best on the market. However, they are meant for model railways and in consequence focus on the 20th century, but with a bit of carving and putty they can be dressed up really in any way you like. They come in packs with large numbers of unpainted figures. There is also a small range of HO-scale 17th century naval figures by Artitec (http://www.artitec.nl/index.php/en/kits/item/60006?category_id=121) in cast resin. I have never seen them in 'real life', so I cannot comment on their quality. Their animation seem to be good, but their detail treatment is not as fine as the Preiser miniature sculptures. They are meant to go with Artitec's models of 17th century ships, which in turn are a spin-off from their commercial model building business for museums etc. (see e.g. http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/maritime/texel/texel.html). You don't give in your profile the country you are residing in, so I cannot make recommendations, where to get any of the above. You will have to check on the Internet. BTW, the scale 1:89 is rather unsual ...

Haven't tried this one, but such plating kits are also available from jewellers' supply shops.

That's what I do, if I want to have brass parts look like steel, but rather use a 'self-tinning' solution. This are solutions that precipitate a very thin layer of tin onto the brass. Some model-suppliers sell such solutions. The surface has to be chemically clean, so degreasing (e.g. with acetone) and possibly pickling in acid are needed. In fact, if a brass part does not have to look like brass and forms a component of something that is going to be soldered together, I always tin the part before - it makes soldering a lot easier.

I think, when you build old-time ship models, the workshop should match this - somehow building old ships with modern plasticie tools looks out of place

Sorry for that ... *********************** Testing the diefiler in anger requires a suitable power supply with enough ampères and the right voltage. After my large Proxxon transformer blew out, I constructed from mainly scavenged parts a unit that would fit into the worktable. From the estate of my late father I had a large transformer, a rectifier, and a nice 'antique' volt- and ampère-meter each plus various kinds of sockets and a radio knob. I bought an electronic speed-controller and two switches from Chinese sources. One switch allows to change between the two voltage ranges and the other is set up as a reversing switch. Depending on the size of leads, I am either using small Japanese-type power-supply plugs or 3.5 mm mono-plugs and sockets for both are provided. In addition, I provided sockets for 4 mm laboratory banan-plugs, one going through the speed-controller, the other directly to the rectifier. The power supply is connected via a foot-switch to the mains. This allows to work with hands free and as the transformer is not constantly connected, the energy consumption is reduced and, hence, the waste heat, which is necessary, as the ventilation of the unit in the workbench is not very good.

Thanks, yes they are straightforward MPGs. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer should work without a problem. I am actually working from a MAC.

Finally, with the machine completed, I managed to make a couple of short movies, showing it in action. However, it still needs to be tested in anger ... http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/tools/diefiler/DieFiler-video-1.mpg http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/tools/diefiler/DieFiler-video-2.mpg http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/tools/diefiler/DieFiler-video-3.mpg

Clare, I was not looking for anything in particular. I am interested in 'vernacular' or 'indigeneous' boatbuilding and noticed that not much seems to be available, at least in western languages. I have seen some scholarly studies on ancient Japanese craft, but not really anything on say the mid-19th (after the Japanese opening) to mid-20th (WW2) period. The link to Douglas Brooks is very interesting, thanks a lot ! I also noticed quite a few more models of Japanes boats in your 'recent builds' list. Are these somewhere on the Internet ?

I am not so much into kits and the scale is way to big for me. Does anyone know of plans sources for traditional Japanese craft ? I know that Pâris has couple, but was more looking for a modern treatment of the subject.

Advice always depends on what you want to do with the things and what level of precision you expect. Perhaps you can describe this in some more detail ?

If you have a lathe, you could turn yourself an end-mill holder that screws onto the thread on the spindle. The holder should be bored out to a tigh sliding fit for the mill shank, which would be held by three set-screws. However, the MF70 runs at speeds of 5000 to 20000 rpms, which might cause some serious balancing problems, so I would be rather not doing this.

I assume that the kit was designed after David McGregor's plans, so it may be worthwhile to get hold of a set. I vaguely remember that there was a model of SCOTTISH MAID in the museum in Aberdeen, but I think it is probably a modern one. Didn't take pictures in the dimly lit museum during my pre-digital age visit there.

I gather the problem is that wood is elastic, so the cutting edge has to be fast to cut, rather than to push the wood sideways and rip it. This why one needs (in theory) a sharp cutter and high rpms. Slower feed rates mean that shorter and thus less elastic fibres can be cut (my theory).