Bob Cleek

Good point. I have one, too. It was my father's. He bought it in 1951. I still have the sales papers from Sears and Roebuck. It cost $50 new, which was serious money back then. It's set up so that the motor mount slides on a rail and the belts from either the saw or the 4" jointer can be driven from the same motor. It's been pretty much replaced by my 10" Delta Unisaw, but I still use it for milling trim occasionally because I have a set of milling heads for it. It's particularly scary, given it's 1950's era total lack of any safety devices. I walk around it to switch on the motor and never reach over the table and blade to do that. Caution is the watchword for any table saw, of course. The fence is quite primitive and setup is fiddly. It's got plenty of power, though. Very well made "old 'arn."
 

Kurt's comments are worth a "sticky." 
 
We are vigilant when it comes to pirated model kits, but piracy doesn't end with model kits. One of the "most-pirated" aspects of modeling are the tools we use. 

Airbrushes are one of those things where you really do get what you pay for. "A cheap tool is the most expensive in the end." is a maxim that is especially true when it comes to airbrushes.
 

There's lots of information about ropemaking in general and the Domanoff machines very similar to this one here: Discussions about Rope Making - Model Ship World™

Kurt's comments are worth a "sticky." 
 
We are vigilant when it comes to pirated model kits, but piracy doesn't end with model kits. One of the "most-pirated" aspects of modeling are the tools we use. 

Oldsallt1950:
Your signature line of "I stand firmly against piracy!" is misplaced with this post as at a minimum one of the 3 brushes is pirated from Binks.  The bottom black airbrush is a direct copy of the Badger 350 - who took over the design from Binks - their neighbor across the street when Binks stopped making airbrushes.  I have both the original Binks "Wren" I got for Xmas and two of the 350's from Badger.  I think this is the most copied airbrush on the market.  And there is a reason, ass it is a very good airbrush for it's intended use.
I am willing to bet that all 3 are pirated, but I know the black one is a knockoff of the 350.  I consult with Badger, so I know of what I speak.  Why do I have two of the 350's?  I teach airbrushing for Badger using Badger brushes.  I have many Badger brushes (two were custom made for me) and they are all great.  They fit my large hands perfectly with the exception of their Crescendo 175 model.  I use the Badger Modelflex Marine Colors for all my models and teaching.  I developed these colors for Badger a bunch of years ago.  They are acrylics.  I was using the Badger 360 and Modelflex paints long before I had a relationship with Badger.
http://www.badgerairbrush.com/library/175.jpgIt is too fat for me to hold comfortably which was why I sold my Paasche brush and bought my Badger 360.  I know what you are asking?  I thought he had big hands?  I do but the fat brushes just don't fit my hand.
 
I love my Badgers, but they are only one make.  All of the legitimate name airbrushes are great brushes - IF they fit your hand and you use the right brush for the job.  In my local IPMS club that I attend there is another modeler who does essentially what I do with Badger except he goes to more trade show for Iwata.  When somebody asks a general question about airbrushes we are both given equal time to answer the question unless it's specific with one brand or another.  Many times all that the other will have to say is "I agree completely" because the name brands produce near identical results with comparable models.
 
But, please purchase name brand brushes - you will benefit in the end.  And try getting somebody from the Pirates to answer questions or come to your club meeting to show the latest brushes, paints or let you spray with one.
Take care,
Kurt

To expand on Bob's comment: Should this brush perform like the knock-off it is, others will have to follow.  You will find yourself sneaking up, at wasteful cost of time and money, to the brush you should have bought in the first place.
 
Even if the knock-off sprays like you think it should, you will be forever asking yourself if the "real one" could do better. 
 
You may find the needle is too soft to resist bending, or the threads at disassembly points for cleaning don't hold up.
 
Pride of ownership is not based on hollow emotional feelings.  It comes from demonstrable performance and the saving of time and money.  Think of the time to redo the finish on your model due to poor performance of the brush.  The real deal is worth owning.

Airbrushes are one of those things where you really do get what you pay for. "A cheap tool is the most expensive in the end." is a maxim that is especially true when it comes to airbrushes.
 

There's lots of information about ropemaking in general and the Domanoff machines very similar to this one here: Discussions about Rope Making - Model Ship World™

One very handy accessory that I obtained for use with my Domanoff machine is a bobbin winder. These gizmos are sold in fabric and sewing machine stores and online. They are a stand-alone version of the bobbin winders incorporated in the design of sewing machines. They make it possible to vary the tightness of the thread wound on the bobbins and to wind the bobbins with the same amount of thread on each and all at the same tension. The tension of the thread on the bobbins is one of the determining factors in the quality of the rope made. 
 
Amazon.com: Simplicity 388175A Sidewinder Portable Automatic Bobbin Winder Machine, 120 Voltage, White
 

Airbrushes are one of those things where you really do get what you pay for. "A cheap tool is the most expensive in the end." is a maxim that is especially true when it comes to airbrushes.
 

One very handy accessory that I obtained for use with my Domanoff machine is a bobbin winder. These gizmos are sold in fabric and sewing machine stores and online. They are a stand-alone version of the bobbin winders incorporated in the design of sewing machines. They make it possible to vary the tightness of the thread wound on the bobbins and to wind the bobbins with the same amount of thread on each and all at the same tension. The tension of the thread on the bobbins is one of the determining factors in the quality of the rope made. 
 
Amazon.com: Simplicity 388175A Sidewinder Portable Automatic Bobbin Winder Machine, 120 Voltage, White
 

For Cotton thread, Arifil is decent enough. I use it for my rope currently. I buy it from https://bytownethreads.com/. they can get any color or size.
 
Gutermann Mara thread is synthetic but I've been testing it and am really liking it. There is no fluff or fuzz and it's not shiny like most synthetics. You can buy quite a few sizes from https://www.wawak.com/. 

 

I used 32 ga cotton-covered floral wire to make bolt ropes which I formed into clews at the clew of each sail. The bolt ropes were glued (white glue) to the edges of the sails.  For cringles I forced small loops of rope in between the sail material and the bolt ropes.
 
I got the wire from Amazon but they don't seem to stock it any longer.  It's available from other sources though.  Below is a photo of how it looks.  If you want a close-up reply to this and I'll post one.
 

My daughter is a pro artist and she warned me about low-end brushes. She has tossed half a dozen in the bin over the last few years.
Vivo makes an OK compressor but personally I would shy away from the brushes on her recommendation.
 
I don't know about NEOECO, but a $40 airbrush seems too good to be true... I guess it couldn't hurt to try it, at that price it is essentially disposable.
 
The barrel looks startlingly similar to my $300+ Harder and Steenbeck Infinity but I'm pretty sure that's where the similarity ends.
I have been more than happy with my brush, it is a joy to use.

I believe that reference would be to the type of anti-fouling coating that was used rather than any anti-chafing sheathing. The "white lead" clearly refers to white lead oxide pigment paint. (White would be the preferred color for boats' bottoms carried out of the water. The white reflects the heat of the sun and so reduces shrinking planking. Less plank shrinkage means the boats would have to be placed overboard and towed less frequently when voyaging t sea. I'm not sure exactly how "rosin" was used, but I can't imagine it providing any anti-chaffing  protection.

Sacrificial wood chaffing strips have long been used on boat bottoms to protect them from rough landings. Lead, and I presume copper, have been employed for the same purpose, but metal, particularly lead, has the downside of adding weight. As for rudders, however, most, if not all, landings would have been done under oars which provided better control than a rudder in any event and if there was any concern of damage to the rudder, I expect the rudder would have been unshipped prior to landing. All that takes is to lift the rudder off the gudgeons. Rudders were routinely shipped when the boats were stowed aboard or hung in davits. Moreover, landings were planned to the extent possible to avoid rocky areas that risked stoving in a hull what might come down on a rock in the swells. These are just general assumptions made in light of basic seamanship considerations, mind you. I don't profess to be an any sort of particular authority on period small boat handling.

I believe that reference would be to the type of anti-fouling coating that was used rather than any anti-chafing sheathing. The "white lead" clearly refers to white lead oxide pigment paint. (White would be the preferred color for boats' bottoms carried out of the water. The white reflects the heat of the sun and so reduces shrinking planking. Less plank shrinkage means the boats would have to be placed overboard and towed less frequently when voyaging t sea. I'm not sure exactly how "rosin" was used, but I can't imagine it providing any anti-chaffing  protection.

Sacrificial wood chaffing strips have long been used on boat bottoms to protect them from rough landings. Lead, and I presume copper, have been employed for the same purpose, but metal, particularly lead, has the downside of adding weight. As for rudders, however, most, if not all, landings would have been done under oars which provided better control than a rudder in any event and if there was any concern of damage to the rudder, I expect the rudder would have been unshipped prior to landing. All that takes is to lift the rudder off the gudgeons. Rudders were routinely shipped when the boats were stowed aboard or hung in davits. Moreover, landings were planned to the extent possible to avoid rocky areas that risked stoving in a hull what might come down on a rock in the swells. These are just general assumptions made in light of basic seamanship considerations, mind you. I don't profess to be an any sort of particular authority on period small boat handling.

What sort of alcohol can be used for thinning Acrylic.
 
It's going to depend on the chemistry of the particular brand of acrylic coating. Acrylic, like most all modern coatings, is tricky stuff. Old-fashioned oil-based paints and varnishes are much easier to work with because, basically, they are all just mixtures of linseed oil, pigment, and, solvents like turpentine and minereal spirits (paint thinner) and, if you are sophisticated about it, Japan dryer. All of these materials are complementary and work well together. They are hard to screw up. Acrylics are a mixture of a complex modern chemicals and they vary from brand to brand. Some can only be thinned successfully with the manufacturer's own proprietary thinner. On the other hand, most can be thinned with water or with alcohol, which mixes well with water. Most of the manufacturers won't tell you that, but are happy to sell you water, alcohol, or a bit of both, in a bottle with their label on it for a lot more money than plain old water or alcohol. There is information on YouTube and modeling forums (particularly from the wargame figure painters who favor acrylics) that discusses what common low-cost thinners and condtioners (e.g. "Windex" glass cleaner) can be used for thinning the various brands of acrylic paints. Otherwise, what you have to do is experiment with various materials and see what works. Keep in mind that acrylic paint "pre-thinned" and bottled as "for airbrushing" is basically, if not virtually, identical to the thicker paint the same manufacturer sells for brushing, but it's priced the same, so you're paying a big premium for the thinned paint. (Thinner is cheap. Pigment is expensive.) In fact, many sophisticated airbrush users purchase "fine artists' quality" tubed acrylic paste (and oils, as well) and use that tubed, concentrated paint paste as the base for airbrushing paint they thin themselves. The biggest advantage of this approach is the cost savings and the fact that the thicker "artist's oils" medium keeps much better in the tube than opened bottled paints. I can't say which type of alcohol can and which cannot be used for thinning any particular brand of acrylic paint. I doubt that it matters, except that I'd avoid alcohol that is mixed with something else, such as bottled rubbing alcohol. In my shop, alcohol is a "staple" solvent (used also for fueling alcohol lamps, cleaning, etc.) and I purchase plain denatured alcohol from the paint or hardware store in gallon tins. I do the same for mineral spirits and acetone. I decant these into smaller containers, often squeeze bottles, as the occasion dictates. You can purchase a pint or quart tin of denatured alcohol (called "methylated spirits" in the UK) and play with it and some of the other concoctions discussed in the airbrushing forums and see what happens. The big advantage of thinning with alcohol rather than water is that alcohol is a "hot" solvent, meaning it evaporates quickly. This speeds the drying time of your airbrushed medium exponentially over water, which evaporates slowly in comparison. Spraying with a hot solvent allows you to spray a thin film, application after application, and build up your coats without having to wait a long time between coats. Properly mixed, your sprayed paint will appear to dry in an instant, although it will take some time to harden enough to permit sanding. It goes without saying that, when working with acrylics, it's best to "dance with the girl you brought" and stick with the brand that you come to like best and with which you've become most familiar because they are all a bit different from each other. The second thing to keep in mind is that period ship modeling generally doesn't require a large pallet. A few tubes of basic colors will be all you need to mix all the colors you'll ever need. (I'm always amazed at the pictures of plastic modelers with shelves lined with hundreds of little bottles of differently colored modeling paint.) Larger tubes of black and white and smaller tubes of brown, yellow, red, blue, will cover most requirements if you learn the "color wheel." (There's a very good article on mixing colors for shop modeling in Volume II of the NRG's Ship Modeler's Shop Notes on sale by the NRG and well worth the investment.)
 
When using alcohol or brand name thinners is there a general recommendation on mixing % or do we use the milk like consistancy as a general rule.
 
It is not an exact science. There's no way to give you a recipe. Things like the ambient temperature and humidity that vary from day to day are but a few of the variables. You can find paint in a previously opened bottle has thickened some over time, so the amount of thinner is going to vary on that account. Certainly, the thickness of paint will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. You just have to "eyeball it" and see how the mixture looks when it comes out of your airbrush. Remember that the nozzle size of your airbrush and the air pressure you set will also dictate the consistency of the paint it is going to perform best with. You just have to mix it, experiment, and see. Practicing will give you a feel for it. For airbrushing, think "skim milk" and then add thinner from there as needed. These variables demonstrate the fact that paint bottled "for airbrushing" isn't going to free you from the need to condition your paint. They just get you closer, perhaps, and charge you dearly for that convenience. Getting the hang of conditioning paint isn't rocket science and it's easy to pick up, but it's one of those things that's a lot easier to learn by doing than by trying to explain in words. Let your airbrush show you what it's happy with. These same realities also demonstrate that if you are modeling ships, you really don't need a lot of colors, particularly if you learn to mix your own. (Get a "color wheel" that will give you the proportions to yield particular colors.) The fact that a particular manufacturer offers many colors in little relatively expensive bottles is meaningless to ship modelers. If you are a "rivet counting" railroad or military modeler, you will appreciate the ability to buy ready-mixed "Santa Fe boxcar brown" or "Union Pacific reefer yellow," or "1943 German field gray" or "1944 USN battleship gray," confident that your color will be historically accurate. Ship modelers, particularly period ship modelers have no such concerns or historical limitations on color accuracy. 
 
Perhaps for a beginner one should use the paints own thinning medium and perhaps they would offer the correct %  for their own paints/primers or varnishes
 
Yes, that is true, I suppose, but that's only going to take care of what thinner you should use. There's no way to know "how much" except by working with it and finding the "sweet spot" that works best for you and your airbrush in any given situation. If you can find advice on the YouTube wargaming figure painting videos as to what you can use other than the proprietary thinner for the paint you're using, you can try it and see if the convenience of the manufacture's thinner is worth the additional cost or not. The proprietary thinners and other conditioners (accelerators and retarders) do provide some certainty that you are using material that is compatible with the chemistry of the brand of acrylic paint you are using.

First off, there is probably no "ready to go" paint, acrylic or otherwise, that is made for airbrushing that doesn't require some sort of conditioning. If there is, you can bet it will require some conditioning the second time you open the bottle to use it. There is a bit of a learning curve to painting and it's best to learn from someone who knows what they are doing and can show you. Writing out instructions takes a long time and I've done it several times over the years and have no taste for doing it again. Suffice it to say your paint for airbrushing must be around the consistency of skim milk or just slightly thicker than water. To get the right consistency, you will have to experiment with your particular airbrush. They are not all exactly alike. Some will atomize quite thick material and others are partial to much thinner material. Follow the instructions with your airbrush to set it up for the material you are using. You should use the manufacturer's recommended thinner and other conditioners, at least until you get the hang of it. Acrylic coatings are best thinned with alcohol, which mixes with the acrylic's water base, but evaporates quickly to permit the best application behavior for spray painting. Alkyd paints should be thinned with mineral spirits or acetone, which, like alcohol in the case of acrylics, dries quickly when applied with an airbrush. Lacquers, should you use these, require lacquer thinner. You should practice with your airbrush until you become comfortable with it. You can use water in it and spray it on cardboard material to practice using the airbrush. Once you have the control mastered, you can use the coating you intend to use applied to a piece of cardboard to make sure you've got the actual material application down pat. Always do a test before any application to the model itself. It's a lot easier to throw a piece of cardboard or paper in the wastebasket than it is to remove sprayed paint from the workpiece.
 
As for colors, I mix my own. I use artist's oils mainly, but acrylics on occasion as well. I buy the paint which is sold in "toothpaste tubes" in art stores.  Mixing your own paint is a simple skill that will save you a lot of money over time.  You can purchase any color you want ready mixed or primary colors you can use to mix your own colors. You can purchase modeler's paints in any color under the sun, as well. They sell them in "brushing" consistency and in "airbrushing" consistency. I see no reason to buy the paint thinned for airbrushing because you are paying the same price as thicker paint with more pigment and getting only paint thinned for airbrushing. Paint is a lot more expensive than thinner. You can go to the painting and airbrushing section of the forum and read the reviews and comments on the various brands of premixed paint. As for colors for copper sheathed hulls, use your eye. I doubt that anybody sells "oxidized penny copper" as a color. I use a medium-dark brown with a fair bit of red in it as a base color for copper sheathing or bottom paint. You'll find many shadings of this color in the "boxcar colors" section of the modeling paint companies' model railroading selections. Verdigris is verdigris color. It's often sold as "copper green" or "verdigris. It's a fairly common color, so pick it off the color chart or rack in your  hobby shop. All I can say about colors is what I've said before: search the web for photographs and replicate the appearance of the real thing, always keeping scale in mind.  Refer to the pictures I posted in post #3 above. The "green" bottom is the vessel hauled and exposed to the air, hence the green oxidation, and the "brown bottom" is the vessel with new copper just applied and about to be launched. 
 
You can use whatever sealer and primer you wish on your wood, providing that your later coats will stick to it. Anything and everything sticks to shellac. I prefer using shellac because it is very thin and soaks into the wood and dries very quickly. Its thinness doesn't build up on parts and "thicken" crisp details. It also cleans up easily with alcohol. You should sand lightly after sealing, but make sure not to sand so much that you remove all of your sealer in spots. If you do, reapply the sealer and sand lightly again. You can spray shellac if you wish, but you'll need to clean your airbrush with alcohol, of course. I find it easier to brush it on, since it soaks right into the wood and brush strokes are not an issue with shellac. Recognize that acrylic coatings often will not adhere well to oil-based coatings, so if you are using acrylic top coats, you'd be well-advised to test your acryllic top coat material on any oil-based  undercoat you may have used. When using different types of coatings it is always best to spray test pieces before you shoot the real deal. 
 
"Some brush strokes with a fan-shaped brush" will not make your hull look more realistic. It will make it look like you are a poor painter who leaves brush strokes when you paint because you don't know how to condition your paint. In the scale you are working with, I'd say you'd be better off forgetting about trying to "make it look realistic" beyond painting it.  At your scale viewing distance, the individual plates aren't going to be discernable, really. If you want to apply paper "plates," you can do so, but you should be careful to apply plates that are of scale thickness. These can be applied using shellac as an adhesive and then shellacking the whole hull afterwards. You will, of course, have to take care also to apply those plates in the proper orientation correctly lined off and so on. That would be extremely tedious, however. The bottom of your model isn't an area that contains much detail and the viewer's eye isn't drawn to it. There's no point in distracting from the finer details of the model with an out of scale and improperly colored coppering job. There is a reason why a realistically depicted coppered bottom on a ship model is an extremely rare thing to encounter. 
 
Your hull will not look better by failing to sand it well. In fact, it will look bad. The whole point of an airbrush is to apply paint thinly so it doesn't build up and ruin the crispness of scale detail. Any lack of sanding is going to be more apparent after having been spray painted. You must sand your hull and topsides until they are as smooth as a baby's bottom.  I use 220 grit for coarse sanding, followed by 320 for finer sanding. I will spray color coats after sanding to 320, but I will sand between finish coats with 600 grit. The sanding must be perfectly smooth with no scratches, nicks or dings. It must also be totally free of all dust. Blow the worst of it off with compressed air (if you have it), then wipe the workpiece down with a tack rag (available at any paint store.) Follow the instructions on the tack rag package or have somebody show you how to use it. If you fold it correctly, you can get a lot of use out of a tack rag. You should also store it in a ziplock plastic sandwich bag after you open its original packaging and it will last you a good long while. Only a tack rag will pick up any dust from the surface, which is what it is designed to do. "Cleanliness is next to godliness" as they say.
 
On a large painted area like a hull, should dust specks end up on the painted surface, these can be removed after the paint dries by hand rubbing with pumice and rottenstone applied to a cloth dampened with water. 
 
See: Amazon.com: Vallejo Game Color Verdigris Paint, 17ml : Arts, Crafts & Sewing
 
Modeling Verdigris: The Weathered Patina of Copper Roofing - Bing video
 
 
 
 

I believe that reference would be to the type of anti-fouling coating that was used rather than any anti-chafing sheathing. The "white lead" clearly refers to white lead oxide pigment paint. (White would be the preferred color for boats' bottoms carried out of the water. The white reflects the heat of the sun and so reduces shrinking planking. Less plank shrinkage means the boats would have to be placed overboard and towed less frequently when voyaging t sea. I'm not sure exactly how "rosin" was used, but I can't imagine it providing any anti-chaffing  protection.

Sacrificial wood chaffing strips have long been used on boat bottoms to protect them from rough landings. Lead, and I presume copper, have been employed for the same purpose, but metal, particularly lead, has the downside of adding weight. As for rudders, however, most, if not all, landings would have been done under oars which provided better control than a rudder in any event and if there was any concern of damage to the rudder, I expect the rudder would have been unshipped prior to landing. All that takes is to lift the rudder off the gudgeons. Rudders were routinely shipped when the boats were stowed aboard or hung in davits. Moreover, landings were planned to the extent possible to avoid rocky areas that risked stoving in a hull what might come down on a rock in the swells. These are just general assumptions made in light of basic seamanship considerations, mind you. I don't profess to be an any sort of particular authority on period small boat handling.

Looks like the Paasche gives you 3 different tips. Acrylics need the bigger nozzle than enamels and lacquers.  The Micro-mark probably has a medium tip, and if you spray acrylics, you'll be cussing the tool. Can you get a larger tip from Micro-Mark?

Paasche are US made.  They were always in the Chicago area.  Badger, Binks and Paasche used to be on the same block within sight of each other.