tools, materials & knowledge for model makers
Just bought some case hardening compound from EKP Supplies. I want it for a cylinder that I have machined and would like to try and harden the inner surface. I bought 250g for around £14.00 maybe a tad expensive, but if it is anything like the Kasenit of the past then it will last for … Read more
The Sieg SX2.3 milling machine is a machine for the model maker or hobbyist. I often have a browse around to look at the latest milling machines and to see if there is anything new. This means looking at Warco, Axminster Tools and ArcEuro – the latter two selling Sieg Industries made machines. On the … Read more
Whether it is polyfila or fire cement or any other form of cement it is important to keep the air out when storing it. The problem I find is that the various manufacturers often supply a silly piece of plastic that is slightly smaller in diameter than the inside of the plastic tub and so … Read more
A review of the simple Glass Alcohol Burner. I’ve had this glass methylated spirits burner for around 10 years and I use it regularly when I need to heat a larger than normal part for soldering. The body and top is made from moulded glass with a ground interface between the two parts. A very … Read more
I have a heavy duty 3″ wide Soba machine vice, great for general use. However, I often want a small precise vice to hold some of the smaller parts that I make. After much searching I ended up on arceurotrade.co.uk – a very easy company to deal with who deliver promptly. The dimensions are: The … Read more
Using a V-block to clamp the piston of my rotary engine to drill the gudgeon pin hole. As there were 5 pistons (5 Cylinder Rotary Engine) to drill exactly the same I set up the V-block and clamped it to the milling table. The V-block clamp is quite large and would have hit the chuck so … Read more
I was at the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition and looking for a heavy vice for my milling machine (Amadeal XJ12-300). There are a lot of cheap vices around and you can find them starting at around £50 for a 3″ swivel vice. However, the cheaper vices have a very rough action. This Soba vice is … Read more
A box of 9 pairs of wavy parallels. Select a pair of parallels of the correct height, place in the vice. These are not placed correctly – best to arrange them as a mirrored pair as they can then be squeezed up in the vice and the edges support the workpiece at the maximum width … Read more
Specification 220 – 240V 200W 50/60 Hz 4,000 rpm Base with round table of highly stable, die-cast alu, with CNC milled fittings and slides. Table size 230 x 230mm. Weight 6kg. Consult the table for cutting capacities. Review Well it all started good enough, but the saw didn’t actually finish a cut before there was … Read more
I needed some new end mills as I managed ot break an 8mm one last week – quite frankly I was being heavy handed and had not tightened up some of the traverses as well as I should have. I went online to one of the regular places that I purchase this sort of tooling … Read more