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Micro Drill Press


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Fixed

a new piece of 1/4 inch with a 1/8th hole offset.055"

IMG_8624x1024.jpg.97abeb010646e700da32129cb606d00c.jpg

pivot end turned down to .125" then parted off the original shaft slipped into hole, it will get fixed with some locktite.

58dbc19647e37_IMG_8625x1024.jpg.3b68d981d3a42d03158e134517fb1323.jpg

now it is parallel in the engaged position

IMG_8627x1024.jpg.4a33c015c7a89e090605053ac7be0ea3.jpg

just need to make the locking carrier for the finger control end and a couple of stop collars at the pivot.

 

IMG_8630x1024.jpg.5e395b4662751cb61635103552a6ee58.jpg

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Guest Riccardo1966

Hello Michael, I like the way this has evolved and you fine tune your design as you proceed. Brilliant work and so pleasing looking.

Cheers Richard

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Riccardo thanks, 

the quill control is now sorted and the thumb-wheel works a treat.

IMG_8632x1024.jpg.d9719bc6495afa5f78f0e686d605b441.jpg

 

and raised a little

 

IMG_8633x1024.jpg.a92e34053f9c007be8005961d0b4c2f1.jpg

 

Next up another dial, which will have to wait until I head into town again.

 

So Mike yes it is now a micro Mill/Drill.

 

Michael

 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Greg Thanks you are too kind, But I have to admit looking at Gerald Wingrove's tooling was my inspiration. it still blows me away that he made all those machines design build in 9 weeks.

 

I couldn't wait to go to town so stole the 1/2 inch travel dial of my magnetic base.

 

 

IMG_8634x1024.jpg.3280945333faa23e0c6e1fbb4874c6e2.jpg

Since the quill doesn't really need to travel any further than that before adjusting the whole thing on the pillar anyway it seemed like a good idea.

IMG_8636x1024.jpg.919ae177feece41f0574b0820ca729b5.jpg

 

I found a reject toolmakers clamp part and butchered it some more to make a tab for the dial to mate against. I had an odd bit of aluminum that was already bored 1 inch with a set screw so substituted the steel one for a brass thumbscrew to make adjusting it easy.

 

IMG_8637x1024.jpg.79e9e02fd2e962a4e72efae79016905b.jpg

 

So now it is good to go .

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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10 minutes ago, WackoWolf said:

So when are you going to produce them for sale.

Joe that is too funny, basically I made this from stuff I had laying around in my scrap and material stock I had to purchase the dials ans the 3/4 hard aluminum plate for the base.

 

Making something like this for sale would be a whole different ballgame. I would have to do a complete review of design considerations, source components like motors gears bearings. I am not sure anyone would want to spend the sort of dollars need to make this a viable option. Bespoke tooling is an exciting idea.

 

One of the things I enjoyed about custom modelwork when i was working full time at it was that basically it was a labour intensive job and low cost on materials, the projects were expensive and I was well paid for them back in the late 70's I was charging $50 per hour shop time and getting it Quite a few of the architectural models were $25,000 -35,000 and took 3 to four months for a few guys. I worked of a fixed price and was sometimes caught short and the shop rate diminished accordingly.

 

I look at the prices of the model machine tools that are on the market and I know that I would not be able to compete price-wise. As you know this tool evolved from a personal need to not have to use my big mill for very small work.

 

A viable tool that I would be willing to sell would need considerable refinements and although would be that same sort of size would be cleaner regarding some of the design elements. It would have to be an individual and negotiated endevour.

 

I need a nap!

 

Michael 

 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Michael, Fantastic job on the drill press. Keep up the great work you are doing! Ken

Ken

Current build: Maersk Detroit"
Future builds:  Mamoli HMS Victory 1:90
Completed builds: US Brig Niagara, Dirty Dozen, USS Constitution, 18th Century Armed Longboat
https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/11935-uss-constitution-by-xken-model-shipways-scale-1768/

 

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That drill press is beautiful, plus it works.  Well done.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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Guest Riccardo1966

Hello Michael, You make highly valid points regarding the cost of bespoke tooling and competitive pricing, however the quality of build and longevity of these would likely out weigh any but the more expensive options on the market. A good small pillar drill will be my first purchase, if I cannot source parts to make one like yourself and KeithAug. An incredibly interesting thread, superb work.

Regards Richard

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Michael,

 

More of a work of art than a production tool. Maybe you should put it in the lounge as objet d'art. Just one point I haven't quite worked out. I know you say you don't want to use the large mill but what is it about your mill that makes you want to go down this route rather than use it. Is it something to do with the "feel" during the drilling operation. You said somewhere that the mill has a DRO so presumably fine x,y,z coordinate control isn't a problem?

Keith

 

Current Build:-

Cangarda (Steam Yacht) - Scale 1:24

 

Previous Builds:-

 

Schooner Germania (Nova) - Scale 1:36

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19848-schooner-germania-nova-by-keithaug-scale-136-1908-2011/

Schooner Altair by KeithAug - Scale 1:32 - 1931

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/12515-schooner-altair-by-keithaug-scale-132-1931/?p=378702

J Class Endeavour by KeithAug - Amati - Scale 1:35 - 1989 after restoration.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10752-j-class-endeavour-by-keithaug-amati-scale-135-1989-after-restoration/?p=325029

 

Other Topics

Nautical Adventures

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13727-nautical-adventures/?p=422846

 

 

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Thanks everyone for the compliments.

 

Keith the large mill drill is out in the shop and the motor on it is 3/4 horse, as i mentioned the poor mans DRO is accomplished with three butchered dial vernier calipers.

The sensitivity is quite a way from the smaller drill inasmuch as the quill on the big mill drill is 3 inches in diameter and the handles are about 12 inches for a radius of 24. which means that when using it to drill tiny holes I need to be able to view the work through a magnifying visor while stretching my arm up to the handle to make very fine pecks at the surface.  I am comfortable doing a lot of work with the big mill drill.

 

The small drill is very quiet and I can get close without feeling like I am doing Yoga stretches to operate it when drilling. I guess the best analogy is the difference between cutting some brass with the jewelers saw versus the 20 in bandsaw, not that I don't use both for the appropriate tasks. I hope that I have clarified why I made this tool.

 

Today another tweak to smooth out the operation I flipped the quill dial over so that it read the proper direction when going down It look a bit tidier as well.

 

IMG_8640x1024.jpg.a36caf43aa96b9a9d00426c593cb2265.jpg

 

IMG_8642x1024.jpg.6b33c05776d7781576c44b1feffbdca6.jpg

 

 

 Also made a small keeper plate for the dial end of the x direction for the table so that the end of the dial does not get caught in the T slots

IMG_8639x1024.jpg.1e6551c0c2b0aeda1f601d921e8a5dd2.jpg

 

IMG_8638x1024.jpg.e42ee4903b56c949682eb66b4bc68872.jpg

 

 

and made another collet out of brass for the 1/8th shanks bits it now runs very true. 

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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That makes a lot of sense Michael. My mill is quite small in comparison to yours - a benefit much of the time but it can be quite tedious when I have to remove a lot of metal.

Keith

 

Current Build:-

Cangarda (Steam Yacht) - Scale 1:24

 

Previous Builds:-

 

Schooner Germania (Nova) - Scale 1:36

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19848-schooner-germania-nova-by-keithaug-scale-136-1908-2011/

Schooner Altair by KeithAug - Scale 1:32 - 1931

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/12515-schooner-altair-by-keithaug-scale-132-1931/?p=378702

J Class Endeavour by KeithAug - Amati - Scale 1:35 - 1989 after restoration.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10752-j-class-endeavour-by-keithaug-amati-scale-135-1989-after-restoration/?p=325029

 

Other Topics

Nautical Adventures

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13727-nautical-adventures/?p=422846

 

 

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I like the worm-drive to the quill. This gives very positive control with tiny drills. I have also been thinking of fitting dial-indicators to my micro-mill, but haven't figured out yet a convenient way to do it. The usual 50 mm (2") diameter bodies are rather bulky and haven't been able to source smaller ones (yet).

 

Could you perhaps show more details of the x-y-table ?

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
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Michael, Everyone says your tools are works of art. That goes without saying. But I love the photography you take of your work! It's like the covers on those high end tool catalogs. Really gets my juices flowing. Do you have any shots of your workshop as a whole. I know we've seen bits an pieces of it, but I don't think the general layout. Being there is probably like being in Disneyland.

 

Kurt

Member: Ship Model Society of New Jersey

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4 hours ago, Kurtrjohnson said:

Do you have any shots of your workshop as a whole.

Kurt  thanks for your kind words about my work, and regarding the workshop see here

Joe see above

Wefalck I am working on preparing the drawing of the mill XY table and hope to post it in a short while, I thought about taking it apart and taking pictures because I did not take very many while I building it, but chose not to do that. I hear what you are saying about the big dials I would have preferred smaller dials like the ones on the big mill but I could not see a way to do it without a great deal of work. so the big dials are a bit if a compromise.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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First of all, I don't remember why my middle initial was in my username, because I never use it. But there was a reason at the time.

 

Mike, I was right it is Disneyland!!!! To bad it's about 1000 miles from where I live. I would love to just tinker around in there on a cold rainy day. Thanks.

 

Kurt

Member: Ship Model Society of New Jersey

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3 hours ago, Kurtrjohnson said:

I would love to just tinker around in there on a cold rainy day

Kurt that was what it was today a cold rainy day

 

Wefalck here is a PDF the drawing is full size on an A0 size sheet

 

production model mini drill press.pdf

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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11 hours ago, wefalck said:

What kind of motor are you using ?

Hello Wefalck, it is a surplus 9volt DC motor that I picked up at a company called Princess Auto here in Canada perhaps 7 or 8 years ago.

 

I do not know anything about it other than the voltage and that it is a DC motor. There was no information on the motor itself.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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  • 1 month later...

Yeah Michael, the problem is the flimsy construction. When I make a drill press, I plan to machine a 12" x 12" solid brass bar for the quill and the post will be 14" diameter hardened steel, made from the boring bar used to cut the 16"/L50 guns of the Iowa class. It will fit into a 6 ton piece of grey iron, 4' x 4' x 5' tall and will sustain a runout of < .001" during an earthquake up to 7.7 on the Richter scale.

 

If I didn't have a good mini-mill I'd be asking you how much I'd have to pay you to make one for me :) How has it been working for you now that you've had it operational for a while?

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On 5/20/2017 at 6:22 PM, vossiewulf said:

Yeah Michael, the problem is the flimsy construction. When I make a drill press, I plan to machine a 12" x 12" solid brass bar for the quill and the post will be 14" diameter hardened steel, made from the boring bar used to cut the 16"/L50 guns of the Iowa class. It will fit into a 6 ton piece of grey iron, 4' x 4' x 5' tall and will sustain a runout of < .001" during an earthquake up to 7.7 on the Richter scale.

Made me laugh out loud, So far I have really only used the drilling aspect of the micro mill/drill quite a few other projects have become priorities. Now that the Yacht club docks are in I can get on with fixing my sailboat after the deck was damaged by a 30 foot mast falling onto it.

 

As I use it I will keep notes about what I like or not about its operation.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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  • 6 years later...

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