Discs, saw blades etc all on Bang good

I wouldn't swap my lovely little Peatol (Taig) lathe for anything. I've had it over 30 years and it's never ever given me a moment's trouble. I had a new drive belt about 20 years ago and bought a spare but of course that's gone somewhere. it uses a British Thompson Houston 1/4 horse motor, whose fan blades are almost all broken off, but which still runs perfectly.
My son recently got a Peatol with all available extras, even a book on making goodies for it, for £200 off ebay and was a lucky man to find it.
And yes, Minicraft (also known as Maxicraft) were a great make. I never paid more than £25 for any one attachment.


Martin

Ahhh! MiniCraft, Good stuff.
I have their 'Buffalo' drill (with chuck), miniature jig saw, and table circular saw. All driven off the same variable power supply. Can't get spares for the saw blades any more 😭😭
Bought the whole set about 40 years ago in a special offer from the AA (Automobile Association NOT what U lot are thinking!) . Drill been dismantled and cleaned / re-greased 4 or 5 times but still goin' strong 👍
Proxxon not cheap, but good, well made. My lathes, milling machine and grinder are all Proxxon. They just go an' go an' go.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Doug, I dread to think what a Proxxon version of a Jacobs chuck would run to. They seem to be outrageously expensive things. I only have a Proxxon drill because it was on a deal too good to miss, but the electronic speed controller went nappoo after a few weeks, so I cut it out and wired it direct, so it's flat out all the time. Having said that it has tolerated that for literally years since. I also use the Proxxon transformer to power my other mini tools, which are all the much missed and very reasonably priced Mini(Maxi)craft stuff. I have a circular saw, orbital sander and disc sander and all are plugged into the Proxxon power box when required. The circular saw must have cut miles of deck planking by now!

Cheers,
Martin

Agree Martin, I thought you previously meant hassle with purchasing from Germany! Maybe the cutting takes two minutes but the setting up longer and at the end you've expended two or three not exactly cheap cutting discs🤔 Like Mike I also find the discs useful for accurate cuts in thin sheet material; mostly non ferrous metals and plastic. But not in hardened machine tool steel!
Check the spindle threads on you 'Lidl' drills. You might find (like I did) that it's the same as the Proxxon so you can get a spare chuck from Proxxon to fit!😉 Did the same with my mini milling machine as it also came with a collet set.
Have ordered from Tracy dies with slits and dimples 😊
Strangely on their site the die diameter wasn't given but they answered my mail query by return so I also ordered the appropriate die holder / wrench. Cheers, Doug 😎

If you have a lot of cutting of steel sheet to do, no doubt, but the setting up of a die safely outside (sparks, etc.) and the buying of discs that will be worn almost away, not to mention the doing of it is hassle, especially with a Dremel. As Doug found, Tracy Tools were easy to deal with and he'll have a set of threading tools, all I assume with splits and dimples, like the one I just did his shaft thread with.
I already have several sets of useful bits for my Minidrill, which is a Proxxon or one of three others that have cropped up in Lidl's over the years, cheap. The Proxxon has a Jacobs chuck, the others, alas, are collets. I find the discs useful where I can't get a saw in. But slitting a die? No thanks, in my world that's hassle.

Cheers,
Martin

No hassle Martin it takes less than 2 mins to do, and the discs are really useful for other cutting jobs, I use them instead of a hacksaw for cutting thin mild & stainless steel sheet.

Good tip Mike 👍 thanks.
What hassle Martin? Reichelt are on my side of the channel and the delivery is much cheaper😉 Could use an angle grinder for other jobs too, but not the huge things in most DIY stores. Will check what Reichelt has.

As for Dremel; recently bought a set of their Speed-Clic cutting, sanding and polishing attachments. Amongst them were a couple of diamond tipped metal discs. Haven't tried 'em yet though.
Anyway new proper cutting dies and a decent holder, + tail-stock die holder are on their way from Tracy. So I should be armed for the next task in this area - threading the 4 shafts on my Belfast 😊
Cheers, Doug 😎

For what Tracy Tools charge, Mike it really isn't worth all that hassle.

Martin

Doug Dremel do cut off wheels which will cut through a die, it may take a couple of discs. However if you have a 4" angle grinder you can also get cut off discs at 0.8mm thick which would do the job.

Dremel - http://www.dremel-direct.com/acatalog/Cutting.html

Angle grinder - https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/?LANGUAGE=EN&CTYPE=0&MWSTFREE=0&CCOUNTRY=447&ARTICLE=197000&PROVID=2788&wt_guka=54951081595_263550074078&PROVID=2788&gclid=CjwKCAjwj4zaBRABEiwA0xwsP1-YAvAQZHG4S7W2QNILT9d51-1DRbUspNKCWzL7vX49AkckPzlDFxoCjwsQAvD_BwE&

Hi John,
I wondered about cutting slits, BUT figured the steel would be very very hard and my Dremel cutters wouldn't manage it, (my other cutter is for bricks an' such), AND the damn things have no dimples, they are hex nut shape 😭
Figured I'd screw up my drills trying to put a dimple in it🤔
Recovery system On Hold till I get my cutter and PTB renovations 'on the road'. Cheers, Doug

Doug create your own split dies by cutting through with thin cutting discs in a good mains powered mini grinder. Cut through the middle dimple on the edge.This will enable spreading for first cut.Closing down bit by bit 'til a good fit achieved on the screw thread without any slop. I've fallen for solid/restoring dies sold on line etc as cutting dies too.The edges of the split form the cutting edge. Got to be very clean thin cut though. if you can arrange for the cutter and the die to be held rigid as you cut and take it slowly to avoid heating. Some of your cutting oil might help too.It might take a few discs .If you can find metal cutting circular saw blades they may work better/cleanly.👍
P.S. How's the recovery system coming?

Problem with that method is you would have to make the window hole fit the window, with railway line frame, because once you'd bent the rail up to fit it would be very difficult to rebend to fit the hole. However, if filing out the hole to fit the finished rail frame is not a problem, I would say the finished item (if you use flat bottom rail with the flat base to the outside) could be quite impressive and as rail is nickel silver would polish up a treat and look like chrome, but it would be a very fiddly and rather long winded process. Don't forget, when you bend that rail to a tightish radius, the flat base of it will bulge a bit so you would have to file it back to line up with the rest of it on the straight bits. Keeping it trimmed exactly at the joint and in line with itself would be your other problem.
Cheers,
Martin

Well back to the windeys,thanks for the info on windey fitting,been wondering meself how best to glaze em.now I iknow. Never tried it but my mate says he makes his frames from>> model railway lines the flexy type>> glued round the glazing and poped in the hole,anyone else done it this way ?
Jim

Well at least they went to a good home. I have an Adept shaper which I am restoring in the Winter.

Martin

Myford went into liquidation in 2011 with only a staff of 20 remanding on the faitful day my work bought a lot of tooling at the liquidation sale for our 4 super 7s we gave 3away to folk who could make use of them as students are more interested in Laser printers than real engineering now a days ,getting rid of the shaper in the next day or two as the cost of the guarding is making it not viable good old H&S so its going to a good home to a nice man who makes steam locomotives

Myford liquidated? Oh, dear God, is nothing sacred? I had an old ML7, but it was driven by a linked leather belt and shook so much I couldn't steady it. Also the Burnerd chuck was less than accurate and at the time I was looking for something to turn tiny parts so I swapped it for my current modelmakers lathe, which I've had for 30 years without a moment's trouble. Ironically, I have bought decent key worked 3 jaw and 4 jaw independent chucks for it from RGD. made in india, they are superb quality and a very decent price.

Martin

Agreed Ian, after the tip from Martin I've just ordered some useful stuff from Tracy Tools. They were very helpful and answered my questions within minutes of my mail. 👍 Doug 😎

Just a point of interest RDG tools are also Myford they bought Myford when it liquidated. Can vouch for their quality as I have bought numerous accessories from RDG direct before they owned Myford for my Super 7. The other one is Tracy Tools in Torquay they are very helpful and sell peculiar things like left handed drills. Need to get a screw out?😊😊. Worth looking at their site.

Hi Michael, I chose 0.6mm pitch cos it should be robuster not finer😉
Cheers, Doug 😎

Customer satisfaction, sir. Otherwise known as keeping a fussy friend happy . I wouldn't know a .6 from a .5 till Doug asked. Turns out I have a .6 tap from somewhere, so it made sense on that level too.

Martin
There should be a Grin sign after the fussy friend comment (I don't do emoticons), but this forum won't print it. Why?

Martin is there any reason you went for a fine series M3 X 0.6 pitch rather than standard 0.5 pitch?

Well, the die got here today, so the shaft is now done, all threaded M3x 0.6.
Still ludicrously hot, so nowt gets done outside, except after about 7 in the evening.

I've also got 4 figures from this morning's boot fair that I have already started converting into RAF boat crew. Huge amounts of Milliput epoxy putty later, the action figures will have RAF uniforms and the odd hat, suitable for 1/16th scale Crash Tenders, etc. Once done, my slot racing chum will cast them in resin and they will be available for sale.
Don't know how much till he gives me a price for casting.

Cheers,
Martin

Damn good service👍 Much like Conrad, is often worth paying their price to get things very quick and free delivery 😊
Can't say it's too hot here, temp has dropped 10°C to about 18 and torrential rain all day so far 🤔 Tomorrow back up to about 28-30°C apparently 😎
Maybe I can spray my two hulls then.
Just made a new keel for the cutter, the wood behaved itself where the silver steel didn't. Now about to pin and epoxy it on.
Then make the rudder skeg and think about fitting the rudder stock.
Now then, where did I put me camera ....
All the best, Doug 😎

Ah yes, bloody VAT ...AND they charge it on postage which I regard as a fraud.

Astonishingly, I just got the Bridge Rectifiers from RS! And they were only ordered yesterday afternoon, but they came via courier, free!
Whereas the idiot post woman consistently ignores the note i signed for them leave stuff with the neighbours or put it behind the recycle bin. if the old bat got here at a decent time in the morning we wouldn't be out when she finally deigns to turn up.
Funny how the Polish woman half her age AND the young lad get here at 10-30, innit?

Let's hope the die gets here on Monday.
Too bloody hot to do anything much and nothing outside.

Cheers,
Martin

Sooo, appropriate dies, die stock and tail stock ordered.
Didn't order any 'Boring Bars' though! Yaaaawn! 😁
Sheesh 20%VAT 20% delivery😡
Oh well, if it gets the job done!
Cheers All. Doug

That's OK, my "old lady" comes with a stick!

M

Watch out for old ladies with brollies though 😁

I do love a good deed before shopping. The one cancels out the other!

Cheers,
Martin

Even better, thanks 👍
Also here I can just buy the dies I need without duplicating the taps I already have 😊

Doug, hold on. They only do 0.5 pitch. These do 0.6:- and are cheaper:-https://www.tracytools.com/

Cheers,
Martin

Super, thanks for the link Martin,👍
Will order the metric set pronto. Maybe also a BA set, might come in handy😉
Costs as much in £ as my useless set was in € !
Thinks! Better get all this sort of stuff I need from UK BEFORE BREXIT! 😁

Searched all my usual tool suppliers over here, all solid dies!
Don't understand that but there ya go🤔
Ta much for the help, Cheers, Doug 😎

There you go, Doug:-
https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/TAPS_AND_DIES__SETS_AND_INDIVIDUAL_.html

Cheers, Martin

Hi Martin, have you got a link to RDG?

Evening Mike,
The trick with the milling machine wouldn't work as the shaft was a few cm too long to get it in the upper chuck!
Hmm How much wood could an upper chuck chuck if a ......😁)
Got curious so I checked the OD of various 3mm screws; all around 2.87mm, so thought I'd turn the shaft down to that. Still no go 😡
Just no purchase to get the thing started.
Guess the die is crap, only worked once and that's it!
Now looking for a better die set NOT SOLID.
Annoying cos the set I bought claims to be a 'cutting' set, not just cleaning. Worked fine with the 4mm thread on the new shaft for my Sea Scout, weird! Ho hum!
Was just considering sweating the hub on by heating the thread reducer I made and freezing the shaft in ice water plus salt!
Bang the reducer on and let cool. What do you reckon??
Will also look up the die holder. Thanks for that 👍
Yours, EXASPERATED! Pesky mechanicals 😁 Cheers, Doug 😎

RDG tools are a good company. I have bought lathe chucks from them and they were superbly made and accurate (India, not China).

Martin

Doug I didn't realise you had a lathe so chamfer is easy but your suggestion of holding the die in a chuck on the table and the shaft in the machine chuck should work
also the solid die you have is known as a die nuts or gun nose die and are usually used to clean up existing threads and not for cutting new threads as you have found out since you can't expand the die for the first cut. However I hope it works out well. I would for future treading exercises think about making or purchasing a machine die holder have a look at this site you should be able make your own.
http://www.neilsniche.com/lathe-tailstock-tap-die-holder.html
https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/Die_Stocks.html

New pics of the Crash Tender on the build blog.

Martin

Colin,
thanks for the kind words. The Miss Britain III is all aluminium. Thin sheet, either Litho plate or K&S Metal centre. The Miss America X is sanding sealer and yacht varnish, brushed on with a sable brush. MBIII is 1/12th scale. MAX is 1/8th.

Cheers,
Martin

Thanks Martin, yes I have suitable centring drills, also drill bits from 0.3mm upwards. I buy the 0.3 - 1mm bits in packs of 10 cos you only have to sneeze an' they're busted 😭
Will have a go at the punch shortly, result in the 'Jessica' Blog.
PTB hull also needs some more TLC, all go folks 😊
How the hell did I ever find time to go to work!?
Ciao, Doug😎

Couldn't wait - got curious😉
Yoohoo, the die will fit in the chuck so will be fitting it to the machine tomorrow .. er .. later today😁 Results in the 'Gina 2' Blog.
G'night All

Doug, blimey your lathe looks better than mine. I was just under the impression that you didn't have one. if you make a 0.5mm dip in the end of a bit of silver steel with a centre drill or even the centre in the tailstock just screwed (pressed) into the end of the silver steel, then turn a long taper down to the dip, the remaining edge will give you a nice ring impression.

As to the die, I have removed the chuck and used the end of the tailstock shaft to keep it square before or even just opened up the chuck jaws until the die sits nicely on them, but with the dieholder to hold on to.

You only need some surface to keep the die square to the shaft.
Good luck with both jobs. A 7mm ish screw head in 1/16th scale is 0.4 mm, but half a mil will do.

Cheers,
Martin

Mike, maybe I can utilise the little milling machine!
If I turn your suggestion upside down; mount the shaft in the chuck (fortunately it's very short 9.5cm) and the die in a machine vice underneath, also have a 3 jaw chuck I can mount on the table but not sure yet if it's big enough for the die.
Will try it tomorrow - after chamfering some more😉.
Thanks for the prompts 👍
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Guys, many thanks for the responses👍
So, in chronological order:-
Mike: I did chamfer but probably not enough 🤔
Yes I know about the lead in side of the die 😉 and I know the one step forward half step back technique 👍
I bought this tap n die set recently, made by Toolcraft so not cheap rubbish, maybe expensive rubbish?🤔 3mm is the smallest in this set and the holder (with ratchet action🤔) is big an' clunky and weighs 340gm so not the easiest tool to keep level.
Maybe good for a 1/2" Whitworth but not so super for a 3mm which is the smallest in this set. My 'Fine thread' set only goes to 2.5mm 🤔
As you can see from the pics the die is solid and there is only one locating screw so I can't open the die slightly as you say, and I remember from my car restoration days. Cutting oil I also have, mostly used on my two lathes, both Proxxon, one for the BIG stuff and one for the twiddly bits, pics 4 & 5.
Have just used the littl'n to drill a 4mm brass bolt screwed into a 35mm prop so I can reduce the thread to 3mm for the shaft, pic 6. IF only I can get a decent thread onto the shaft 😲
I'll put the shaft back into the littl'n and turn a taper on the end as you advise. My Milling machine is only a teeny weeny one with no possibility of mounting the die on it, pic 7. it's very useful for pre-drilling precision holes in in spray rails an' such to take the 0.5mm pins for fixing. Just used it to pre-drill the new keel for the cutter.
I have tail stocks for both lathes but no possibility to mount a die holder. Will investigate that pronto cos I'm gonna be faced with this snag again soon; 2 new shafts for my Graf Spee and 4 for my HMS Belfast.
Might also look for a different die set😲
In the meantime I'll try improving the chamfer👍

Martin; as you can see from above I do have lathes, and a good selection of silver steel rod, so many thanks for your kind offer but now you've pointed the way I'll have a go at making my own punch.
That piercing saw set looks good so I'll spring a few € for that 👍
You never know I might be able to use some shortened blades in my ancient Minicraft jig saw, for which you can no longer get spares 🤔

Your MB III looks great, and I can see why you were taken for that German musician - Doppelgange!
Thanks for all the advice Gents 👍👍 G'night. Doug 😎
PS Just put me name down at Frau Schmutterputz's,
but I'd more likely be found in the roses or perhaps petunias singing-
"I'm a lonely little petunia in the onion patch ...." 🤓😲

Awesome looking craft. Must have taken a good while getting such a stunning finish. Cheers Colin.

Talking of screws on ally...here's my Miss Britain III with about 10,000 screw impressions done my way and then they even have a tiny slot in the end too. MBIII was screwed to its frame with thousands of monel metal nuts and bolts.
M

Doug, sorry, I should have answered you last time on that. A good impression of a dummy screw can be made in aluminium with a piece of tube sharpened on the end so it looks like a miniature leather punch. Obviously better if you can do it with something you've done in the lathe, in steel, but you don't have one.
SO....PM me your postal and I will send you something I will knock up for you tomorrow in steel. That will last you into your dotage, when you will be found dribbling into the geraniums with this little tool in your mitts making impressions on the window cills of Frau Schmutterputz's Home for Englische Modelbauen.
You will be able to "sharpen" it buy running it round on a stone lightly, rolling it as you draw it backwards.

Can't add to Squire Turpin's words at all. I have a slide tailstock on my wee Taig lathe which makes screw forming easy as the thread takes the tap/die as it wants it, square and true.

The piercing saw has clamps for much finer blades rather than the relatively big fret saw blades which generally have a pin at the ends. Sometimes you'll break a blade at one end. Then the adjustability makes sense as you just re work the length and re-use the broken blade. Tight wads like me appreciate such things.
Car booked in tomorrow for repairs. About £300, so not as bad as I thought it might be. it's passed for the last two years.

Busy boy today as I sprayed the Crash Tender grey on its upper works and by the looks of it it just needs a few areas of fine filler and a rub down on the toe rails and one more coat then it'll be ready for the gloss sides and the hull proper.
Then I even used my brand new saw to mitre the corners of the topping to Chris's new garden pond casing. it's a stand up one to save our backs. So now, I am gonna sit and watch shite telly, even shiter than normal as it is all infested by ball kickers playing grown ups and failing miserably . G'night.

Martin

Hi Doug , about your problem with the thread. First of all have you put a 45 degree chamfer on the shaft which must be concentric, secondly have you got the die in the correct way round, its has a "lead in" n one side and the other side is for going close to a shoulder. Having put the die in the stock which should have 3 screws, tighten the centre screw to open the die slightly this should allow it to start easily, cut the thread to the required length using a good cutting fluid and one turn forward then reverse to break the chip. I usually do all my threads in the lathe using a tailstock mounted die holder, however you mention a milling machine, if you can mount the shaft vertically in a vice you can place the die under the flat face of the spindle (centred) and use this to pressure down as you twist the die stock onto the shaft.
Apologies if you've done all this, because if you have its your die thats goosed!

Evenin' Martin,
Beat ya 2 it! just made the ally jaw covers 😉 I do have smooth jaw vices (or vici !?) but they are only small machine vices. I use 'em mostly with the milling machine.
Ta for the frame info (tilt type), must say I'm relieved, simplifies the sawing and fettling👍 I did the filing and fettling of my windows in the vice as well, with wood blocks between them and vice😉 except the last few irritating thou which I did freehand on the end of the bench.

Ta for saw link as well. Looks like a more versatile fret saw, which I have but fixed length and I suppose the metal blades I have for it are probably too coarse for 1mm ally. Will probably order the set with 144 various blades. Funny, most of 'em seem to be made here in Germany but so far I can only find 'em on English sites!? Know what you mean about V block, will probably make one.

My 'mechanical problem' now is cutting a 3x0.6 thread on the 3mm propshaft I made. First attempt bent the shaft 😡
Stupid die just doesn't want to bite, an' it's 'nigel nagel neu'. Hilfe!

Nice frames and gutters 👍

Sorry about the car, hope it's not toooo expensive😲

Marky; Rasp? or raspberry ? Fruit is less painful 😁

Commodore; but is your 'raincoat' tinted and scratch-proof ?😁

Cheers All, Doug 😎
Nearly forgot; Martin can you please elucidate (yes it is legal😉) on the 'dummy screws with a sharpened tube'. Not quite with you yet on that!
Glad you like the glue👍

I've just ordered a pot of that canopy glue. I like the description mentioning that it's thicker and slightly tacky.

Thanks, Doug.

Martin