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Chopper Lesson Learned


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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

regardless how I cut my pieces, I always cut them a bit long and then sneak up on them with the table top disk sander to get the finished length

Alan O'Neill
"only dead fish go with the flow"   :dancetl6:

Ongoing Build (31 Dec 2013) - HMS BELLEROPHON (1786), POF scratch build, scale 1:64, 74 gun 3rd rate Man of War, Arrogant Class

Member of the Model Shipwrights of Niagara, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada (2016), and the Nautical Research Guild (since 2014)

Associate member of the Nautical Research and Model Ship Society (2021)

Offshore member of The Society of Model Shipwrights (2021)

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7 hours ago, bigcreekdad said:

I threw my chopper away years ago. Couldn't get a straight vertical cut out of it. Wish there was something else to get perfectly straight vertical cuts.

You could look at this tool. I have one and it works very well.

https://www.micromark.com/Miter-Rite

 

Cheers

Richard

 

Next build:

Completed builds:

AL's Endeavour,  Corel's BellonaAmati's Xebec,  Billing's Roar Ege, Panart's Armed Launch

Ships' Boats - Vanguard 1:64 and Master Korabel 1:72

 Alexander Arbuthnot,  Christiaan Brunings,  Pevenseall by World of Paperships, card

HMS Pegasus by Victory

Captain John Smith's Shallop by Pavel Nitikin

Rumpler "Taube" 1911 by HMV, card

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18 hours ago, Richard44 said:

You could look at this tool. I have one and it works very well.

https://www.micromark.com/Miter-Rite

 

Cheers

 

Or this one that I have works great, but it's limited on size and flexibility for angles:

https://www.micromark.com/Extra-Long-Micro-Miter-Box

 

Rick

                        

Current Build: MS Mayflower II

Completed: MS USF EssexMS USS Constitution Cross SectionMS 18th Century Armed Longboat  

 

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17 hours ago, bigcreekdad said:

Thanks Richard....looks pretty sturdy.

I fastened mine to a board, then fashioned a moveable stop from aluminium (aluminum 😁) angle so that I could cut multiple pieces all the same length.

 

Cheers

Richard

 

Next build:

Completed builds:

AL's Endeavour,  Corel's BellonaAmati's Xebec,  Billing's Roar Ege, Panart's Armed Launch

Ships' Boats - Vanguard 1:64 and Master Korabel 1:72

 Alexander Arbuthnot,  Christiaan Brunings,  Pevenseall by World of Paperships, card

HMS Pegasus by Victory

Captain John Smith's Shallop by Pavel Nitikin

Rumpler "Taube" 1911 by HMV, card

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Posted (edited)

It all depends on the 'chopper' you have. When I was a student, during vacations I worked in a DIY store and one of my tasks was to cut picture frames to order. The foot-operated 'chopper' would cut mitre notches for frames as much as 50 mm thick ... 

Edited by wefalck

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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  Having a very sharp steel blade is key.  I'm talking about 'razor sharp', which really needs a sharpening jig to get the right angle on the water stones used ... and also a final 2 degree finer bevel at the very edge - then stropped.  The process starts with being sure the back face is truly FLAT.

Completed builds:  Khufu Solar Barge - 1:72 Woody Joe

Current project(s): Gorch Fock restoration 1:100, Billing Wasa (bust) - 1:100 Billings, Great Harry (bust) 1:88 ex. Sergal 1:65

 

 

 

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On 3/5/2024 at 3:35 AM, Richard44 said:

I fastened mine to a board,

I have an original version of the Dobson   J never found a way to get satisfactory work out of it.

The whole unit wants to move and rock when the blade is being used.  After your comment, I can see that it being fixed to a large enough base solves that problem. It does greatly increase the real estate occupied by the device though. 

The blade is inside a sleeve and held vertical by two plastic screws - and I have not been successful in finding the sweet spot between a wobble and too much friction for the blade to slide easily.  The grab helps cause the sliding and rocking.

The stock wants to  move back and forth with the blade.  The brass wires for a hold down are too flimsy.

It requires four hands.   If fixed to a base, it is then down to three hands.

I am not sure that razor saws models that allow for just the steel blade to be replaced are thin enough to fit the sleeve.  This important because I have come to prefer a cut being on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke.

NRG member 50 years

 

Current:  

NMS

HMS Ajax 1767 - 74-gun 3rd rate - 1:192 POF exploration - works but too intense -no margin for error

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - POF Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - POF Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner - POF framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner - POF timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835 packet hull USN ship - POF timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - POF framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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... but this thing is just a miniaturised mitre-saw, not a 'chopper', i.e. there is a saw-blade with teeth.

 

From an engineering perspective, this thing is not a terribly intelligent design, as it lacks a proper adjustable guidance for the saw-blade. If anything, there should be a gib-strip to control the clearance with which the saw moves.

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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On 3/3/2024 at 7:51 AM, bigcreekdad said:

I threw my chopper away years ago. Couldn't get a straight vertical cut out of it. Wish there was something else to get perfectly straight vertical cuts.


I am a little late with this info, but I think bigcreekdad’s issue of straight vertical cuts may be solved with a single bevel blade.  See my review of the Ultimation Slicer.  It isn’t inexpensive, so some modelers will stay away.  If you can justify the price it is very well made.  
 

I have seen YouTube videos of people using it on material that looks to be about 4 mm thick, but I don’t think go any bigger though.  
 

 

Aon’s solution works also.  
 

 

Completed Build:   HMS Beagle - Occre

Current Builds:       Frigate Diana - Occre  https://modelshipworld.com/topic/33530-frigate-diana-by-rossr-occre-185/

Santisima Trinidad - Occre - Cross Section https://modelshipworld.com/topic/37130-santisima-trinidad-by-rossr-occre-190-cross-section/

On the Shelf:           NRG Half Hull, the US Brig Syren - Model Shipways and USF Essex - Model Shipways

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4 hours ago, Jaager said:

The blade is inside a sleeve and held vertical by two plastic screws - and I have not been successful in finding the sweet spot between a wobble and too much friction for the blade to slide easily. 

Hi Jaager,

 

The screws are now metal, but it is fiddly trying to get that sweet spot. I had no trouble with stock moving around, but I was only ever cutting small sectioned wood. It's not perfect, but it worked for me.

 

Cheers

Richard

 

Next build:

Completed builds:

AL's Endeavour,  Corel's BellonaAmati's Xebec,  Billing's Roar Ege, Panart's Armed Launch

Ships' Boats - Vanguard 1:64 and Master Korabel 1:72

 Alexander Arbuthnot,  Christiaan Brunings,  Pevenseall by World of Paperships, card

HMS Pegasus by Victory

Captain John Smith's Shallop by Pavel Nitikin

Rumpler "Taube" 1911 by HMV, card

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