Well we’re moved and I’m setting up the shop and I believe it was here that we were talking about atlas craftsman steel lathes.    Anyway I dug out my craftsman lathe and yes I need a new base and deep cleaning but this is what I have.             ..read more

Nothing to do with me but I saw this on eBay so I hope it helps someone   https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186416714352?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20240131095853%26meid%3D8def67556d804af1b662f9d2c097a3da%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D186416714352%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2Mobile&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3A202fce9818f0a8cd77bf80b9ffff20f6|pageci%3A5f064672-04ab-11ef-8221-ee1deb3fac2d|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage ..read more

Hi Group,   I purchased an Emco Unimat 3 with an extra motor and milling attachment a few years ago from a fellow member and never set it up.  Last year I purchased a Taig Mill and love it - its sturdy and powerful with a long bed.  It was ready right out of the box without any modifications and has been used extensively on my Le Gros Ventre build.   I am considering selling the Unimat on ebay and buying a new metal lathe - not only for ship building but also to turn wooden pens for clients.  I am leaning towards another Taig  However I am curious about the Sherli ..read more

Epson EcoTank 4-color A4 Ink Tank Printer L121 just bought off Ebay.  I wonder what program gives a 1:1 print.  LibreOffice draw and GIMP are my graphic programs.  Right now masts and spars are what is being made.  Later much more will be drafted.   So, what program to print from the gives me an accurate print?   ps.  You guys have to stop me from spending money.  I private tutor when money gets low.  Do you know how mean people get when they hate math ..read more

As it goes now one bedroom is my office/plastic kit assemble/painting.  The other bedroom is wood kit assemble/sanding/mast-yard making.  And then there is an empty garage.  My thought is to put scratch  builds and power tools out there.  Montana gets cold in the Winter and the snow between my house and garage too deep for my wheelchair.  So, I can only use that space from late Spring to early Fall.   So, paint and glues have to be brought in for the Winter.  What about wood stock, cut parts and the scratch model?  Do these need to be brought in out ..read more

Greetings to all friends. I came into possession of two bottles of viscous cyanoacrylate, "ARKA" brand: one specific for plastic, the other for 3D printing (so, I suppose, ABS and similar). When I need a cyanoacrylic I usually use another brand (Colle 21) and, if I don't have any or can't find it, the common SuperAttack Power Gel (wood) or the original (if I need it to be liquid, for example to block certain rigging). I was wondering: what are the real differences between the various cyanoacrylates, designed for specific uses? That is: what problem could I have using a 3D cyanoacrylate - for e ..read more

I seem to keep snapping any drill bit smaller than about 1mm. Any suggestions a good brand that seems to hold up?  Or is this just a normal thing to deal with ..read more

This may have been mentioned before but have any of you tried cutting with cricut or similar device?    I’ve used my wife’s once and it did a really good job (surprisingly).  I was cutting out a building out of 1/16” thick basswood clapboard.  You have to put your work face down for the windows and doors to be a tight fit but the cut was good and clean ..read more

Hello All,   I use my Proxxon micro-mill a lot when it comes to precise shaping of wooden parts. The complete setup consists of a MB 200 drill stand, a MICRO compound table KT 70 and a 230V ISB/E drill/grinder.     One of my frustrations with this setup is keeping track of the position of the end mill relative to the workpiece. How many turns did I already gave in the X or Y direction? Of course each decent mill is equipped with a Digital ReadOut system (DRO).     But adding such hardware to the KT 70 is not obvious, especially because the KT 70 is a ‘MICRO’ xy-table ..read more

I have a Vanda Lay AcraMill with the drill press accessory.  It has an X-axis adjustment that I used on my riverboat to drill a bunch of holes the same distance apart.  I realized I no longer need the X-axis accessory; my hobby CNC machine can do the same thing.  I bought the Micro Lathe accessory to repurpose the AcraMill and it works.  I can switch it back to the drill press configuration with a few screws.  It is a versatile tool. The Vanda Lay is designed to hold a smaller Dremel tool than what I have, I got stiffer springs for the drill press configuration to han ..read more