Bob Cleek

Byrnes Model Machines recently came out with an adjustable speed 4" disk sander with variable speed settings between 200 and 2,000 RPM and it also features reversible  disk rotation. Byrnes Model Machines - Variable Speed Disc Sander  It is otherwise similar to the earlier Byrnes 5" disk sander. Getting rave reviews. It's not shipping at the moment due to Jim Byrnes' sad passing, but I expect they will be up and running in due course. The price isn't listed on this unit at the moment, but, as one might expect, it's not inexpensive. That said, all of the Model Machines products are monuments to the principle that "you get what you pay for." They are the finest of their kind to be had anywhere. I'm not comparing the Byrnes disk sander to the Ultimation sander, of course. The Ultimation products are less expensive, being hand-powered, but still have earned an excellent reputation for quality. 

Thanks for the video! These certainly look like quality tools. They aren't inexpensive, but money spent on a good tool is money well spent. I doubt that there is anything better than these on the market today that isn't electrically powered, and the powered tools are often overkill for the needs of many modelers. 

Every time I see a Liberty Ship project it reminds of Edwin O'Hara, one of 142 cadets from the US Merchant Marine Academy killed while sailing as cadets during WWII.  They are the only cadets from any US Federal academy that were killed while sailing as cadets during the war.  The story of O'Hara is worth reading. https://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/blogs/wwii-hero-edwin-o-hara-the-honor-but-not-the-medal  I vividly remember the painting in the article hanging in O'Hara Hall at the USMMA.  Photo of O'Hara's ship, the SS Stephen Hopkins is below.   Acta Non Verba    
Allan

Here's a video just showing how accurate the machines are.  Please I know there are other machines out there that may be just as good.  I just didn't want a powered machine.  And I liked the Ultimation tools.  Thank you for your interest in anything I do, it is really appreciated.  I really enjoy this forum and don't want to offend anyone.  Yeah, we all have differences of opinion which is good and I'm really happy we all can talk about all kinds of things.  Thanks again for allowing me to share my hobby with all of you.
 

Video.mov    

Byrnes Model Machines recently came out with an adjustable speed 4" disk sander with variable speed settings between 200 and 2,000 RPM and it also features reversible  disk rotation. Byrnes Model Machines - Variable Speed Disc Sander  It is otherwise similar to the earlier Byrnes 5" disk sander. Getting rave reviews. It's not shipping at the moment due to Jim Byrnes' sad passing, but I expect they will be up and running in due course. The price isn't listed on this unit at the moment, but, as one might expect, it's not inexpensive. That said, all of the Model Machines products are monuments to the principle that "you get what you pay for." They are the finest of their kind to be had anywhere. I'm not comparing the Byrnes disk sander to the Ultimation sander, of course. The Ultimation products are less expensive, being hand-powered, but still have earned an excellent reputation for quality. 

There are lots of 45 degree dental engine handpieces in different styles, as well as other angles. Take a look at Paul Budzig's YouTube video above. He explains how an air turbine dental drill can be run off of a shop air compressor, which was news to me. The turbine drills are high speed / low torque, of course, so they are available at much lower price points than the heavy-duty bench engines used for making bridges and dentures, etc. There's also now a whole generation of "micro-motor" motorized handpiece technology on the market now. The older-style belt-driven "dental engines," which are still used for lab work, can really put out the torque at slower speeds which is best for micro-carving with shaky old hands.
 

 
I scored my Buffalo Dental engine (picture below) on eBay for seventy-five bucks. Heavy Duty Bench Engines - Buffalo Dental Manufacturing Co. Inc.  It was described as "not running," but it looked brand new and it came with a handpiece that I knew was worth about $250, so I took a chance that it was something I might be able to fix. I checked it out when it arrived and, BINGO!, The motor brushes were gone and it was otherwise brand new! A phone call to the manufacturer and a new set of brushes and a drive belt arrived in the mail and it was good to go. My guess was that it was in stock in a large production dental lab and somebody's engine needed brushes and none were in stock, so they just cannibalized this new machine in the supply room to get the brushes and forgot to order replacements for the ones they took.  I got lucky on that one.  Must be my clean living.  
 
I just checked eBay out of curiosity, and somebody's got one listed as "buy it now" for $138.00 + $25.00 shipping.  BUFFALO DENTAL BENCH ENGINE NO 10 JEWELRY HOBBY POLISHER GRINDER ARTICULATED ARM | eBay  
 
Below is what my Model 16 looks like. It has a 1/5 HP motor. The one for sale on eBay is a Model 10 and has a 1/10 HP motor. The Model 16 which is currently in production retails for $800.00. The interchangeable handpieces are separately priced and retail for around $200.00 and up, but there's lots of them on the used market, as well. These are expensive, very high quality tools and because of changes in the dental lab technology these days (3D printing of custom dental prostheses) they are showing up on the second hand market with some regularity. If you can find a used one in decent shape, you can score a great modeling tool at really great savings. 
 

 

Greater specificity would be helpful, but based on a guess as to what you want to accomplish with a "miniature angle drill / drill adapter," I'd say you won't find much of anything that will do the job other than an inexpensive dental drill. You can go with a relatively inexpensive air-turbine model or a more substantial and more costly (although not on the used market) belt-driven dental lab "dental engine" and handpieces. They come in many different angles and styles. The burrs (bitts) come in many configurations, as well.
 
Dremel makes a right angle attachment, but it is generally too large for "getting in close" in modeling applications. Amazon.com : dremel right angle attachment

These videos may help to answer your question.
 
 
 
 
 

It's been my understanding that the 1/8" shaft "plastic collared" micro-bits are designed for drill presses and break very easily when used in a pin vise. I must confess that I have never used them, though. 
 
Brass comes in different hardnesses, and some alloys are easier to work than others. Have you tried annealing the brass you're working on? Sometimes that helps the bit "bite" into the metal better. Just thoughts, for what they are worth. 

It's been my understanding that the 1/8" shaft "plastic collared" micro-bits are designed for drill presses and break very easily when used in a pin vise. I must confess that I have never used them, though. 
 
Brass comes in different hardnesses, and some alloys are easier to work than others. Have you tried annealing the brass you're working on? Sometimes that helps the bit "bite" into the metal better. Just thoughts, for what they are worth. 

The process of assembling a support for a torpedo tube.

Brass Work Hardens.  This means that when deformed at room temperature it gets harder.  This can happen when the drill fails to bite And just sort of massages the surface that you are trying to drill.  So, trying to drill with a dull drill can make it even harder to drill later with a sharp drill.  You might try annealing the piece with the partially drilled hole to see if it makes a difference; heat to dull red and quench in water.
 
Are you clamping the piece that you are drilling in a vise?   You should be applying a reasonable amount of pressure to get the drill to bite and it’s much easier to do this if the work piece is immobilized.
 
I have had zero luck with the 1/8in. shank plastic collar carbide bitts.  Just looking at seems to cause them to shatter.
 
I am not familiar with ceramic bitts.  
 
Roger

There are lots of 45 degree dental engine handpieces in different styles, as well as other angles. Take a look at Paul Budzig's YouTube video above. He explains how an air turbine dental drill can be run off of a shop air compressor, which was news to me. The turbine drills are high speed / low torque, of course, so they are available at much lower price points than the heavy-duty bench engines used for making bridges and dentures, etc. There's also now a whole generation of "micro-motor" motorized handpiece technology on the market now. The older-style belt-driven "dental engines," which are still used for lab work, can really put out the torque at slower speeds which is best for micro-carving with shaky old hands.
 

 
I scored my Buffalo Dental engine (picture below) on eBay for seventy-five bucks. Heavy Duty Bench Engines - Buffalo Dental Manufacturing Co. Inc.  It was described as "not running," but it looked brand new and it came with a handpiece that I knew was worth about $250, so I took a chance that it was something I might be able to fix. I checked it out when it arrived and, BINGO!, The motor brushes were gone and it was otherwise brand new! A phone call to the manufacturer and a new set of brushes and a drive belt arrived in the mail and it was good to go. My guess was that it was in stock in a large production dental lab and somebody's engine needed brushes and none were in stock, so they just cannibalized this new machine in the supply room to get the brushes and forgot to order replacements for the ones they took.  I got lucky on that one.  Must be my clean living.  
 
I just checked eBay out of curiosity, and somebody's got one listed as "buy it now" for $138.00 + $25.00 shipping.  BUFFALO DENTAL BENCH ENGINE NO 10 JEWELRY HOBBY POLISHER GRINDER ARTICULATED ARM | eBay  
 
Below is what my Model 16 looks like. It has a 1/5 HP motor. The one for sale on eBay is a Model 10 and has a 1/10 HP motor. The Model 16 which is currently in production retails for $800.00. The interchangeable handpieces are separately priced and retail for around $200.00 and up, but there's lots of them on the used market, as well. These are expensive, very high quality tools and because of changes in the dental lab technology these days (3D printing of custom dental prostheses) they are showing up on the second hand market with some regularity. If you can find a used one in decent shape, you can score a great modeling tool at really great savings. 
 

 

Yes, you basically got it with my prior message...  and yes, saw the Dremel adapter and thought of it too big as well.
 
Appreciate your assistance...  this I will try to see what I can do with a small burr wrapped in masking tape for some type of greip.
 
Thanks again!
 
Jorge

There are lots of 45 degree dental engine handpieces in different styles, as well as other angles. Take a look at Paul Budzig's YouTube video above. He explains how an air turbine dental drill can be run off of a shop air compressor, which was news to me. The turbine drills are high speed / low torque, of course, so they are available at much lower price points than the heavy-duty bench engines used for making bridges and dentures, etc. There's also now a whole generation of "micro-motor" motorized handpiece technology on the market now. The older-style belt-driven "dental engines," which are still used for lab work, can really put out the torque at slower speeds which is best for micro-carving with shaky old hands.
 

 
I scored my Buffalo Dental engine (picture below) on eBay for seventy-five bucks. Heavy Duty Bench Engines - Buffalo Dental Manufacturing Co. Inc.  It was described as "not running," but it looked brand new and it came with a handpiece that I knew was worth about $250, so I took a chance that it was something I might be able to fix. I checked it out when it arrived and, BINGO!, The motor brushes were gone and it was otherwise brand new! A phone call to the manufacturer and a new set of brushes and a drive belt arrived in the mail and it was good to go. My guess was that it was in stock in a large production dental lab and somebody's engine needed brushes and none were in stock, so they just cannibalized this new machine in the supply room to get the brushes and forgot to order replacements for the ones they took.  I got lucky on that one.  Must be my clean living.  
 
I just checked eBay out of curiosity, and somebody's got one listed as "buy it now" for $138.00 + $25.00 shipping.  BUFFALO DENTAL BENCH ENGINE NO 10 JEWELRY HOBBY POLISHER GRINDER ARTICULATED ARM | eBay  
 
Below is what my Model 16 looks like. It has a 1/5 HP motor. The one for sale on eBay is a Model 10 and has a 1/10 HP motor. The Model 16 which is currently in production retails for $800.00. The interchangeable handpieces are separately priced and retail for around $200.00 and up, but there's lots of them on the used market, as well. These are expensive, very high quality tools and because of changes in the dental lab technology these days (3D printing of custom dental prostheses) they are showing up on the second hand market with some regularity. If you can find a used one in decent shape, you can score a great modeling tool at really great savings. 
 

 

It's been my understanding that the 1/8" shaft "plastic collared" micro-bits are designed for drill presses and break very easily when used in a pin vise. I must confess that I have never used them, though. 
 
Brass comes in different hardnesses, and some alloys are easier to work than others. Have you tried annealing the brass you're working on? Sometimes that helps the bit "bite" into the metal better. Just thoughts, for what they are worth. 

Greater specificity would be helpful, but based on a guess as to what you want to accomplish with a "miniature angle drill / drill adapter," I'd say you won't find much of anything that will do the job other than an inexpensive dental drill. You can go with a relatively inexpensive air-turbine model or a more substantial and more costly (although not on the used market) belt-driven dental lab "dental engine" and handpieces. They come in many different angles and styles. The burrs (bitts) come in many configurations, as well.
 
Dremel makes a right angle attachment, but it is generally too large for "getting in close" in modeling applications. Amazon.com : dremel right angle attachment

These videos may help to answer your question.
 
 
 
 
 

Fascinating post! I think you've really hit on an interesting thing here with the perception of lions in various cultures. I wonder why, as well. You've got the makings of a great "coffee table" picture book or a TV travel documentary. The similarities between various cultures are really surprising and yet they don't really look like lions at all.
 
Just to drive you really, really, crazy if you haven't been there before, have you checked out Chinese lions? Particularly the "lion dancers" in the Chinese New Years parades.
 

Some of the Chinese lions look a lot like your "wide" Russian lions. I wonder if the Russians got their stylized lions from the Chinese, or did the Chinese get theirs from the Russians or the Byzantines. The interesting thing is that there are no native lions in China. See: Lunar New Year: Lions aren’t native to China, so where did the traditional lion dance come from? | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)
 
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And the Chinese also use lions in their architecture. There is a Chinese custom, as it seems there is the world over, of placing "guardian lion" statues at the entrances of buildings. Here again, the Chinese "guardian lions" have the same sort of look as the Russian lions you've been studying.
 

 

 
Perhaps it's some primal impression in the human DNA that goes back to when we all were lion food. A Jungian anthropologist would have a lot of fun musing about this subject. Somebody could probably write a doctoral dissertation on it.
 
 

I have wanted an angled drill for work inside a hull. 
I have a right angle adapter that fits a Dremel.
I have a right angle adapter that fits a Foredom.
What I most want - for sanding in tight quarters is a 45 degree adapter.  No luck there.
 
The adapters are bulky and awkward for use in the tight spaces we work in.
 
I have a different approach for you.
Use a small Chinese DC motor instead. 
Aliexpress had/has  vendors that offer a wide variety of DC motors.  Many quite small.  many with collet chucks and Jacobs chucks.  A variety of chuck sizes.
They are not at all expensive.  Some are two, three, four finger width long - minus the chuck and bit, but if you can get your hand in there are motors that will fit.
As for a power source, why not cut to the chase? 
A benchtop DC power supply -  this one has clicks for 1.5V, 3V, 4.5V,... to 14V  so the rotational speed is under your control.
No batteries  or set DC plugin with a set output to try to parse a value for.
https://www.mpja.com/15-14V-2-Amp-Variable-Output-Supply/productinfo/36688+PS/
and
There are smaller gauge wires, but the plug that fits at one end and small alligator  clamps at the other are handy.
The rotation reverses if you switch the leads.
https://www.mpja.com/Set-of-2-Test-Leads-2-meter-Silicone-Ins-Red-Black-Pair/productinfo/32734+TE/

I'm sincerely glad the topic is of interest to you. 
When I thought about this project, my thoughts started on a different path. I have been carving ship decor for a long time and I was primarily interested in this particular direction. Agree that carvings come in many different types. It can be a volumetric sculpture, bas-relief and even in the form of engraving on a flat plane. And each part of these styles easily overlaps with other types of creativity. Flat carving is very close to a drawing or fresco. Volumetric sculpture flows just as easily into stone sculpture, bas-relief into architectural types of decoration. And here it is very difficult to find clear boundaries. Everything is interesting. I decided to limit myself to ship sculpture. Even this narrow part of carving can be very diverse and have its own nuances.
And I was interested in comparing exactly how jewelry was made in different countries. The best option for comparisons is to choose one common image. It seems to me that in ship sculpture it is difficult to find a more universal and more common image than the lion. That's why I settled on it. It would be possible to take another image as a basis, for example, some anthropomorphic character - a man or an ancient deity. There is also someone to choose from. However, this option will lose. Because there are a number of countries where people were not depicted at all, such as in the Turkish navy or another Islamic country. The lion has a distinct advantage here. 
This is how exactly I was thinking about it. 

I know about the Chinese lions, of course. If you are interested in how images spread in different parts of the earth, there are already such studies. They're not hard to find.
The lion came to China with Buddhism from neighboring India. It is difficult to meet lions in India itself, other types of feline predators are more widespread there. But the world even in ancient times was quite intertwined. And people did not live in isolation from each other. Traders and merchants swam or walked. The silk road across almost all of Eurasia is worth a lot. Silk was transported from China to Europe, spices from India. From the north of Europe, traders from Scandinavia traveled or sailed to Byzantium along the so-called Varangian-Greek route. So there were a lot of different things. It is quite likely that lion skins. It is very easy to imagine ancient "bloggers" who told amazing stories about distant countries and showed drawings. Including lions.
Well, wars also "helped" to learn about foreign symbols. For example, Alexander the Great brought to India ancient images from Greece, Africa and Persia. 
So one should not be surprised that China knew lions. If people in different parts of the Earth know dragons that never existed, they could certainly learn about lions.

Yes, you are right, Chinese lions bear some resemblance to the Russian lion I chose for my sculpture. However, there was no single canon in Russia. There were also "skinny" lions on Russian ships, which looked more like European versions. I chose this particular image for several reasons. Firstly, the original museum figure of this lion has more elaborate detailing. And secondly, it is much more interesting to choose different styles. 
It would be possible to trace a connection with the Dutch school and the British school on the basis of Russian lions alone.
You should have seen how many disputes arose on the Russian forum. There is a ship that is considered the first Russian ship. It's called the Eagle. And of course the first ship was built during the reign of Peter the Great. Not a single image of this ship has survived. Only small descriptions. And since the Russian language of that time has changed very much, and during the construction of the first ship has not yet come into use ship terminology, it is impossible to say exactly what the ship was now. Some believe that it was a flute, others are inclined to the fact that it was a galleon or some other kind of ship. And since it is difficult to determine even with the forms, it is even more difficult to guess what exactly was the sculpture on the breakwater. And there was also a lion, although the ship had the name "Eagle". So the debate was very heated. It's a very interesting subject. Someday I will make my own version of the lion from this ship and it will definitely be very different from this "wide" version. 

I would really like to contribute a Chinese lion to this project. Or a Japanese lion.
But, unfortunately, I have not found any mention that the image of this beast was used on ships in any Asian country. I've seen dragon heads, but no lions. If anyone can give information that such instances can be found, I would be very happy. Maybe someone has pictures or links to some sites related to the subject I need? So far, apart from the European variants, I have only found a Turkish lion. And only one. 

Great to see you back in the yard Keith
I know the shroud rat line struggle very well.   I build only clippers.  
Happy new Year and I’m looking forward to seeing you move ahead.  Great work. It’s been a long haul since we first talked about scaling your masts.   
 
Rob

Merry Christmas! Keep up the good work!

Right you are. Gyros is another Chinese pirate product. The "real deal" original is the U.S. made V.F. Rogers Drill Bit Set - #61 to #80. However, V.F.Rogers, the original manufacturer, doesn't seem to be in business anymore. MicroMark is selling the Rogers Drill Bit Set which they say they get from Excel hobby knives company. Excel's catalog says they are made in the U.S.A., but I don't know if Excel is now making them or just wholesaling them or what. They've been around for a long time. Another mystery thanks to the world of "offshoring" and Chinese import tool clones. 
 
$30 from MicroMark. The Rogers Drill Bit Set, #61 - #80 (Set Of 20), 20 drill bits from #61 to #80, Includes an indexed drill bit stand, Ultra-sharp high-speed drill bits (micromark.com)  $30.00 USD from MicroMark.  $53.51 USD from Excel Hobby Blade Corporation, which makes or wholesales them these days. 20 Piece Drill Dome Set – Excel Blades You can get individual wire gauge bits from McMaster-Carr, but they aren't cheap! drill bits | McMaster-Carr.  MicroMark sometimes sells little plastic tubes with ten or a dozen wire gauge bits of the same size at dramatically reduced prices as "loss leaders" when they have their big annual sales. I bought the whole range of 20 bits for the Rogers' stand in tubes of ten from MicroMark some time ago. So far, they seem to work fine. Buying them singly to replace broken bits in the drill stand can get painful quickly. McMaster-Carr wants $5.54 USD apiece for an 80 ga. 3/4" long uncoated HSS bit and $1.39 USD for a 60 ga. 1 5/8" one. I don't doubt that the McMaster-Carr bits will cut better and be better all-around in terms of quality control, but I have no idea if they break any less than the cheaper (and probably Chinese made) bits from the hobby outlets. There's a break-even point there somewhere, but I have no idea whether paying top dollar for U.S. made commercial quality bits is worth the money for general modeling use. 
 
Original V.F. Rogers Drill Bit Set. Note "Drill Stand" embossed on top of base center, not "Gyros" letter "G."

 
Original Rogers drill stand bottoms: Manufacturer's ID and patent number: