tools, materials & knowledge for model makers
A section for the model maker, home DIY enthusiast, professional engineer and for the tool tart who just wants to collect.
The Record Power BS250 had lost its edge and so I went and bought some Bedford bandsaw blades. The BS250 bandsaw is available with a number of different makers marks on it. However, this is a good functional bandsaw for the hobbyist. I think a bandsaw is one of the most important tools in the … Read more
Just bought a few Dormer centre drill bits as my box of centre drills are getting very tired. By tired I mean worn. Not having an accurate sharpening method means for small centre drills (~1/8th inch or 3mm) I tend to throw them away and get new ones. I know that is wasteful and I need … Read more
Prometheus kiln handle designed and made by Alan at Woody’s Workshop. The Prometheus kilns are quite small and a reasonable weight at just under 6kg. But they can still be awkward to move around. In my small workshop I find myself keeping the kiln in it’s original packaging when not in use. Thus protecting it from knocks … Read more
For flycutting a saddle I’m using the example of the cylinder saddle for the miniature traction engine. The saddle was flycut on a manual milling machine (Sieg SX2.7) with a flycutter. The flycutter doesn’t have any fine adjustment, it just has grub screws to hold the tool in place. Here I will show you my … Read more
Special lathe tools for brass are actually quite reasonable to make. You can machine the tool from a piece of square mild steel and then case harden the cutting end. This means it’s quite easy to make intricate designs as mild steel can easily be machined on the milling machine. The lathe tool machined from … Read more
Why am I sand bagging the milling machine? A great way to add damping to a structure is to use sand. Loud speaker stands are commonly damped using sand. Thus adding mass and damping to the structure. This means the stands don’t vibrate and so radiate sound. The milling machine in question is the Sieg … Read more
Mill Stiffness = Top Finish is a fundamental equation for any milling machine big or small. Increasing stiffness reduces vibration. I increased the column to base connection stiffness with this mild steel plate. The fundamental design principle was to add a thick plate and increase the bending stiffness of the plate using beams. So the … Read more
Whilst fitting the DRO I realised that I had created a space for a Sieg SX2.7 stiffening bracket. A bracket that could link the column and the base adding significant stiffness to the machine overall. Whilst fitting the DRO I had to move the power supply case on the machine back 22mm. This was required to … Read more
The Sieg SX2.7 DRO installation has not been straight forward, but all of the work in the end is very worthwhile. Therefore, I thought I should share my experiences warts and all. The kit I’m fitting is supplied by Machine DRO and is the 3 Axis M-DRO Mill Digital Readout Package including 350mm, 450mm and … Read more
The Blacksmith’s anvil is a heavy iron or steel block upon which metal is forged or hammered. The blacksmith′s anvil is made from steel or forged iron and may vary in weight from 2kg up to 500kg. It is fixed to a wooden block, normally elm as this doesn’t split so easily. Throat – This … Read more