jhearl

I started out with a Proxxon mill. I didn't really use it much because it is small and there are few accessories available. Last year, I bought a Sherline mill and I have used it even more than I thought I would. With the Proxxon, you can only use very small cutters, which break easily. The X-Y travel is pretty limited besides. I bought the rotary table with it as well and in addition to being very small, it's hard do do anything accurately. The table has degree markings, but no gear mechanism to move it - you just rotate it by hand, hoping you get it aligned with the degree marking closely. With the Sherline rotary table, there is a crank that allows you to turn it precisely (or you could go whole-hog and get a CNC-controlled table) and the chuck is a separate part, so you can move between the mill and the lathe by moving the chuck rather than the part. That also means you can use a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck as needed. With Sherline, you can get a vise base that rotates as well as a tilting table - both useful. I bought the digital readout with the mill and have found it VERY useful. In short, I wish I'd never wasted my money on the Proxxon. Now, it's just taking up space in my attic. Yes, the Sherline is considerably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you're considering a mill, then you're probably in the hobby for the long haul. A few years down the road you won't even remember the additional expense and you'll have a far more useful tool.
 
Although you may not be considering a lathe, I'll mention one thing if you are. Sherline makes an 8" and a 17" lathe. I thought I'd have no need for the longer lathe so went for the smaller one for $100 less. Mistake. I could upgrade it now, but it would cost about $300 to buy the needed parts.

I started out with a Proxxon mill. I didn't really use it much because it is small and there are few accessories available. Last year, I bought a Sherline mill and I have used it even more than I thought I would. With the Proxxon, you can only use very small cutters, which break easily. The X-Y travel is pretty limited besides. I bought the rotary table with it as well and in addition to being very small, it's hard do do anything accurately. The table has degree markings, but no gear mechanism to move it - you just rotate it by hand, hoping you get it aligned with the degree marking closely. With the Sherline rotary table, there is a crank that allows you to turn it precisely (or you could go whole-hog and get a CNC-controlled table) and the chuck is a separate part, so you can move between the mill and the lathe by moving the chuck rather than the part. That also means you can use a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck as needed. With Sherline, you can get a vise base that rotates as well as a tilting table - both useful. I bought the digital readout with the mill and have found it VERY useful. In short, I wish I'd never wasted my money on the Proxxon. Now, it's just taking up space in my attic. Yes, the Sherline is considerably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you're considering a mill, then you're probably in the hobby for the long haul. A few years down the road you won't even remember the additional expense and you'll have a far more useful tool.
 
Although you may not be considering a lathe, I'll mention one thing if you are. Sherline makes an 8" and a 17" lathe. I thought I'd have no need for the longer lathe so went for the smaller one for $100 less. Mistake. I could upgrade it now, but it would cost about $300 to buy the needed parts.

I started out with a Proxxon mill. I didn't really use it much because it is small and there are few accessories available. Last year, I bought a Sherline mill and I have used it even more than I thought I would. With the Proxxon, you can only use very small cutters, which break easily. The X-Y travel is pretty limited besides. I bought the rotary table with it as well and in addition to being very small, it's hard do do anything accurately. The table has degree markings, but no gear mechanism to move it - you just rotate it by hand, hoping you get it aligned with the degree marking closely. With the Sherline rotary table, there is a crank that allows you to turn it precisely (or you could go whole-hog and get a CNC-controlled table) and the chuck is a separate part, so you can move between the mill and the lathe by moving the chuck rather than the part. That also means you can use a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck as needed. With Sherline, you can get a vise base that rotates as well as a tilting table - both useful. I bought the digital readout with the mill and have found it VERY useful. In short, I wish I'd never wasted my money on the Proxxon. Now, it's just taking up space in my attic. Yes, the Sherline is considerably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you're considering a mill, then you're probably in the hobby for the long haul. A few years down the road you won't even remember the additional expense and you'll have a far more useful tool.
 
Although you may not be considering a lathe, I'll mention one thing if you are. Sherline makes an 8" and a 17" lathe. I thought I'd have no need for the longer lathe so went for the smaller one for $100 less. Mistake. I could upgrade it now, but it would cost about $300 to buy the needed parts.

The now discontinued Midwest kits had very good instructions. Model Shipways kits tend to have very good instructions. Bluejacket kits are a mixed bag. If the kit is one that Bluejacket got when it acquired Laughing Whale, the instructions can be pretty bad. (Look for KLW in the kit part number to indicate it's a Laughing Whale kit). Bluejacket's own kits tend to have good instructions. Unfortunately, none of those may be readily available where you live.

The now discontinued Midwest kits had very good instructions. Model Shipways kits tend to have very good instructions. Bluejacket kits are a mixed bag. If the kit is one that Bluejacket got when it acquired Laughing Whale, the instructions can be pretty bad. (Look for KLW in the kit part number to indicate it's a Laughing Whale kit). Bluejacket's own kits tend to have good instructions. Unfortunately, none of those may be readily available where you live.

The now discontinued Midwest kits had very good instructions. Model Shipways kits tend to have very good instructions. Bluejacket kits are a mixed bag. If the kit is one that Bluejacket got when it acquired Laughing Whale, the instructions can be pretty bad. (Look for KLW in the kit part number to indicate it's a Laughing Whale kit). Bluejacket's own kits tend to have good instructions. Unfortunately, none of those may be readily available where you live.

No problem. The nails will be useful in any case. I looked at probably the same item of 500 nails but someone asked a question about the thickness of the nails and someone responded that they were 2mm. I doubt that's really the case - in the picture, they certainly don't look that thick. But the ones I got will be plenty for a long time to come.
 
Cheers -
John

No problem. The nails will be useful in any case. I looked at probably the same item of 500 nails but someone asked a question about the thickness of the nails and someone responded that they were 2mm. I doubt that's really the case - in the picture, they certainly don't look that thick. But the ones I got will be plenty for a long time to come.
 
Cheers -
John

I ordered these nails and they came in today. The quantity looked a lot less than 500 to me so I decided to count them. There were 238 in my package, two of which were bent and one was not well blackened. The listing does not mention a quantity - only a weight, so I can't blame the seller. I like the black coating well enough. The nails appear to be steel as I expected since, when you cut off the end, you can see silver. Just wanted folks to be aware that you probably won't get any more than I did since they're sold by weight.
 
If you need a lot of these, you may be better off doing a web search for "PECO PEC-SL14" One site I clicked on had the same package for $2.49. I don't know what they charge for shipping. The price on Amazon is $5.88 with free shipping.
 
Cheers -
John

I ordered these nails and they came in today. The quantity looked a lot less than 500 to me so I decided to count them. There were 238 in my package, two of which were bent and one was not well blackened. The listing does not mention a quantity - only a weight, so I can't blame the seller. I like the black coating well enough. The nails appear to be steel as I expected since, when you cut off the end, you can see silver. Just wanted folks to be aware that you probably won't get any more than I did since they're sold by weight.
 
If you need a lot of these, you may be better off doing a web search for "PECO PEC-SL14" One site I clicked on had the same package for $2.49. I don't know what they charge for shipping. The price on Amazon is $5.88 with free shipping.
 
Cheers -
John

You might want to try silver solder paste. It is available in different melting temperature and the flux and solder are mixed together. I just use Medium. It can be applied to small joints in very small amounts using a toothpick (cocktail stick). One source is Rio Grande
They say it's best used within 6 months of purchase, but I've had mine for over a year and it's still working just fine. I use a butane torch (Blazer GB2001) to heat the metal. There are a few advantages to using silver solder. It can be blackened. You can apply tiny amounts so there's no build-up of extra solder that has to be cleaned off. It's very strong.
 
It does take a while to get used to soldering this way, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. One key is that the parts to be soldered must touch each other and the solder will stick only where the parts actually touch. Silver solder does not fill gaps like regular solder does. The other thing to be careful of is that you can easily melt small brass pieces with the torch. That's where the practice comes in. I recently made some small shackles and on my website I show how I soldered them. In the third image, you can just barely see the solder on the joints before heating with the torch. You can't see the solder at all once they are finished. I don't think I could have done these with an iron.
 
Because silver solder paste comes in different melting temperatures, in theory you can solder one joint with hard, then an adjacent joint with medium or easy without melting the first joint. I say in theory because I've never tried it myself. I suspect that would take even more practice.
 
All of that said, I also use Staybright sometimes. If you're soldering a larger joint, you can cut off small pieces of the Staybright and lay them against the fluxed joint. It melts quickly and flows nicely. I still use a torch in that case. I don't use an iron at all any more. The torch provides instant heat. I also have a resistance soldering unit and there are a few times when I find it useful but I likely wouldn't buy it again if I had it to do over. It's pretty expensive.
 
Cheers -
John

Good deal - thanks!

I doubt you counted these, but any guess as to how many were in the package? The listing doesn't say.
 
Thanks -
John

I doubt you counted these, but any guess as to how many were in the package? The listing doesn't say.
 
Thanks -
John

I don't think it makes any difference. Any model you build should help to improve your skills. I'd suggest building the one that really excites you at the moment. I'm betting that's the cross section since you just acquired it.
 
Cheers -
John

You might want to try silver solder paste. It is available in different melting temperature and the flux and solder are mixed together. I just use Medium. It can be applied to small joints in very small amounts using a toothpick (cocktail stick). One source is Rio Grande
They say it's best used within 6 months of purchase, but I've had mine for over a year and it's still working just fine. I use a butane torch (Blazer GB2001) to heat the metal. There are a few advantages to using silver solder. It can be blackened. You can apply tiny amounts so there's no build-up of extra solder that has to be cleaned off. It's very strong.
 
It does take a while to get used to soldering this way, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. One key is that the parts to be soldered must touch each other and the solder will stick only where the parts actually touch. Silver solder does not fill gaps like regular solder does. The other thing to be careful of is that you can easily melt small brass pieces with the torch. That's where the practice comes in. I recently made some small shackles and on my website I show how I soldered them. In the third image, you can just barely see the solder on the joints before heating with the torch. You can't see the solder at all once they are finished. I don't think I could have done these with an iron.
 
Because silver solder paste comes in different melting temperatures, in theory you can solder one joint with hard, then an adjacent joint with medium or easy without melting the first joint. I say in theory because I've never tried it myself. I suspect that would take even more practice.
 
All of that said, I also use Staybright sometimes. If you're soldering a larger joint, you can cut off small pieces of the Staybright and lay them against the fluxed joint. It melts quickly and flows nicely. I still use a torch in that case. I don't use an iron at all any more. The torch provides instant heat. I also have a resistance soldering unit and there are a few times when I find it useful but I likely wouldn't buy it again if I had it to do over. It's pretty expensive.
 
Cheers -
John

You might want to try silver solder paste. It is available in different melting temperature and the flux and solder are mixed together. I just use Medium. It can be applied to small joints in very small amounts using a toothpick (cocktail stick). One source is Rio Grande
They say it's best used within 6 months of purchase, but I've had mine for over a year and it's still working just fine. I use a butane torch (Blazer GB2001) to heat the metal. There are a few advantages to using silver solder. It can be blackened. You can apply tiny amounts so there's no build-up of extra solder that has to be cleaned off. It's very strong.
 
It does take a while to get used to soldering this way, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. One key is that the parts to be soldered must touch each other and the solder will stick only where the parts actually touch. Silver solder does not fill gaps like regular solder does. The other thing to be careful of is that you can easily melt small brass pieces with the torch. That's where the practice comes in. I recently made some small shackles and on my website I show how I soldered them. In the third image, you can just barely see the solder on the joints before heating with the torch. You can't see the solder at all once they are finished. I don't think I could have done these with an iron.
 
Because silver solder paste comes in different melting temperatures, in theory you can solder one joint with hard, then an adjacent joint with medium or easy without melting the first joint. I say in theory because I've never tried it myself. I suspect that would take even more practice.
 
All of that said, I also use Staybright sometimes. If you're soldering a larger joint, you can cut off small pieces of the Staybright and lay them against the fluxed joint. It melts quickly and flows nicely. I still use a torch in that case. I don't use an iron at all any more. The torch provides instant heat. I also have a resistance soldering unit and there are a few times when I find it useful but I likely wouldn't buy it again if I had it to do over. It's pretty expensive.
 
Cheers -
John

You might want to try silver solder paste. It is available in different melting temperature and the flux and solder are mixed together. I just use Medium. It can be applied to small joints in very small amounts using a toothpick (cocktail stick). One source is Rio Grande
They say it's best used within 6 months of purchase, but I've had mine for over a year and it's still working just fine. I use a butane torch (Blazer GB2001) to heat the metal. There are a few advantages to using silver solder. It can be blackened. You can apply tiny amounts so there's no build-up of extra solder that has to be cleaned off. It's very strong.
 
It does take a while to get used to soldering this way, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. One key is that the parts to be soldered must touch each other and the solder will stick only where the parts actually touch. Silver solder does not fill gaps like regular solder does. The other thing to be careful of is that you can easily melt small brass pieces with the torch. That's where the practice comes in. I recently made some small shackles and on my website I show how I soldered them. In the third image, you can just barely see the solder on the joints before heating with the torch. You can't see the solder at all once they are finished. I don't think I could have done these with an iron.
 
Because silver solder paste comes in different melting temperatures, in theory you can solder one joint with hard, then an adjacent joint with medium or easy without melting the first joint. I say in theory because I've never tried it myself. I suspect that would take even more practice.
 
All of that said, I also use Staybright sometimes. If you're soldering a larger joint, you can cut off small pieces of the Staybright and lay them against the fluxed joint. It melts quickly and flows nicely. I still use a torch in that case. I don't use an iron at all any more. The torch provides instant heat. I also have a resistance soldering unit and there are a few times when I find it useful but I likely wouldn't buy it again if I had it to do over. It's pretty expensive.
 
Cheers -
John

You might want to try silver solder paste. It is available in different melting temperature and the flux and solder are mixed together. I just use Medium. It can be applied to small joints in very small amounts using a toothpick (cocktail stick). One source is Rio Grande
They say it's best used within 6 months of purchase, but I've had mine for over a year and it's still working just fine. I use a butane torch (Blazer GB2001) to heat the metal. There are a few advantages to using silver solder. It can be blackened. You can apply tiny amounts so there's no build-up of extra solder that has to be cleaned off. It's very strong.
 
It does take a while to get used to soldering this way, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. One key is that the parts to be soldered must touch each other and the solder will stick only where the parts actually touch. Silver solder does not fill gaps like regular solder does. The other thing to be careful of is that you can easily melt small brass pieces with the torch. That's where the practice comes in. I recently made some small shackles and on my website I show how I soldered them. In the third image, you can just barely see the solder on the joints before heating with the torch. You can't see the solder at all once they are finished. I don't think I could have done these with an iron.
 
Because silver solder paste comes in different melting temperatures, in theory you can solder one joint with hard, then an adjacent joint with medium or easy without melting the first joint. I say in theory because I've never tried it myself. I suspect that would take even more practice.
 
All of that said, I also use Staybright sometimes. If you're soldering a larger joint, you can cut off small pieces of the Staybright and lay them against the fluxed joint. It melts quickly and flows nicely. I still use a torch in that case. I don't use an iron at all any more. The torch provides instant heat. I also have a resistance soldering unit and there are a few times when I find it useful but I likely wouldn't buy it again if I had it to do over. It's pretty expensive.
 
Cheers -
John

Just wanted to follow up that I contacted Little Machine Shop to let them know how unhappy I was with this vise. I got a nice reply from them as seen below:
 
That particular vise is about the smallest and cheapest vise we sell and we make no claims on its accuracy. On the product page what we have listed in the description is the product dimensions and the sentences: “This is our smallest vise. The ratchet device makes it quick to adjust.” That’s about all we could come up with to say about this little vise. This small vise is adequate enough for some to put it to use and be quite happy with it. That said we want you to be happy with your purchases from us. You are more welcome to send the vise back for a full refund, including your original shipping charges. You should be able to put it in a USPS regional rate A box for around $12.  Or, if you cover the shipping to send it back to us we will upgrade you to a 2” screwless vise (item 1591) and ship it out to you upon receipt of the 1276 vise at no extra charge. Please let me know if you would like to proceed with one of these options.
 
I still feel like they should stop selling this thing, but that's their business.

Just wanted to follow up that I contacted Little Machine Shop to let them know how unhappy I was with this vise. I got a nice reply from them as seen below:
 
That particular vise is about the smallest and cheapest vise we sell and we make no claims on its accuracy. On the product page what we have listed in the description is the product dimensions and the sentences: “This is our smallest vise. The ratchet device makes it quick to adjust.” That’s about all we could come up with to say about this little vise. This small vise is adequate enough for some to put it to use and be quite happy with it. That said we want you to be happy with your purchases from us. You are more welcome to send the vise back for a full refund, including your original shipping charges. You should be able to put it in a USPS regional rate A box for around $12.  Or, if you cover the shipping to send it back to us we will upgrade you to a 2” screwless vise (item 1591) and ship it out to you upon receipt of the 1276 vise at no extra charge. Please let me know if you would like to proceed with one of these options.
 
I still feel like they should stop selling this thing, but that's their business.

I don't think the product is defective in the sense that getting another one like would be any better. It's just a poorly designed and poorly made piece of junk. Believe me - it looks a lot better in the pictures than it is in reality. If you tried to slide the jaw back and forth, you'd see how bad it is.
 
I have a screwless vise for my mill, but I wanted a vise for the bench that is easier to adjust with a handle rather than always trying to find the hex wrench. This is not the answer. I have one of the cheap Microlux/Proxxon vises and it's a lot better than this thing.

You're right - the vise is not designed to allow the jaw to be retracted with the screw and I admit I didn't understand that when I bought it. If I had, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. Of course, some preservative is necessary, but having to completely disassemble the vise before even being able to use it is a bit of an annoyance and strikes me as a good deal more preservative than really necessary. I was lucky I had metric hex wrenches. A bit of emery paper would not save this thing - not with the jaw being as loose on the base as it is. It wouldn't be worth my time to even try. I made a mistake in buying the thing - I just want to warn others not to do the same. I wouldn't even use it if someone had given it to me, let alone having thrown good money into it.

I don't think the product is defective in the sense that getting another one like would be any better. It's just a poorly designed and poorly made piece of junk. Believe me - it looks a lot better in the pictures than it is in reality. If you tried to slide the jaw back and forth, you'd see how bad it is.
 
I have a screwless vise for my mill, but I wanted a vise for the bench that is easier to adjust with a handle rather than always trying to find the hex wrench. This is not the answer. I have one of the cheap Microlux/Proxxon vises and it's a lot better than this thing.

You're right - the vise is not designed to allow the jaw to be retracted with the screw and I admit I didn't understand that when I bought it. If I had, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. Of course, some preservative is necessary, but having to completely disassemble the vise before even being able to use it is a bit of an annoyance and strikes me as a good deal more preservative than really necessary. I was lucky I had metric hex wrenches. A bit of emery paper would not save this thing - not with the jaw being as loose on the base as it is. It wouldn't be worth my time to even try. I made a mistake in buying the thing - I just want to warn others not to do the same. I wouldn't even use it if someone had given it to me, let alone having thrown good money into it.