Soo.... What did you just get???

[GazzaS]

Heh...  You guys posting all of those great new models...  almost makes me ashamed of my little book.

Had a leaf through it.  Some great info and great profiles.  The coolest fact I got from the first page I read was that to claim a kill, the pilot had to submit his info on a standard form as well as a sketch of his aircraft and the colors of the aircraft.  Most of the records were lost in the final days of WWII when the archive was bombed.  Otherwise we'd know what every claiming pilot's aircraft looked like.

 

I ordered it from Amazon on March 18.  From Kentucky to my door in Australia in 11 days.

[DocRob]

4 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Heh...  You guys posting all of those great new models...  almost makes me ashamed of my little book.

I thought about this too, seems to be an interesting one.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

What is better than tools, right guys, machiiines. Today, I received my Proxxon Lathe and disc sander, which will be very helpful for my wooden ship projects.

The sander is equipped with adhesive sanding discs, which are easy to interchange. the adjustable table and the tiny gap, will make it ideal for sanding planks and other small parts and the best, it's relatively quiet. 

The lathe will be helpful shaping the masts with different diameters and sanding the yards conical.

To add to the woodworking experience, I recieved almost two tons of firewood today. Finest Brezo and Haya wood, which are different types of beechwood. My back can tell you something about the two tons .

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

18 minutes ago, DocRob said:

What is better than tools, right guys, machiiines. Today, I received my Proxxon Lathe and disc sander, which will be very helpful for 

Very nice haul Rob, isn’t it the wrong end of the season for firewood....

[GusMac]

3 hours ago, DocRob said:

What is better than tools, right guys, machiiines. Today, I received my Proxxon Lathe and disc sander, which will be very helpful for my wooden ship projects.

The sander is equipped with adhesive sanding discs, which are easy to interchange. the adjustable table and the tiny gap, will make it ideal for sanding planks and other small parts and the best, it's relatively quiet. 

The lathe will be helpful shaping the masts with different diameters and sanding the yards conical.

To add to the woodworking experience, I recieved almost two tons of firewood today. Finest Brezo and Haya wood, which are different types of beechwood. My back can tell you something about the two tons .

Cheers Rob

Nice well dried and seasoned firewood there Rob. 

[DocRob]

3 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Very nice haul Rob, isn’t it the wrong end of the season for firewood....

 

59 minutes ago, GusMac said:

Nice well dried and seasoned firewood there Rob. 

Gracias Amigos, this fresh cut wood has to dry for some time. In the next winter it will give our house a nice aroma when the fireplace is in use.

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

9 hours ago, DocRob said:

What is better than tools, right guys, machiiines. Today, I received my Proxxon Lathe and disc sander, which will be very helpful for my wooden ship projects.

The sander is equipped with adhesive sanding discs, which are easy to interchange. the adjustable table and the tiny gap, will make it ideal for sanding planks and other small parts and the best, it's relatively quiet. 

The lathe will be helpful shaping the masts with different diameters and sanding the yards conical.

To add to the woodworking experience, I recieved almost two tons of firewood today. Finest Brezo and Haya wood, which are different types of beechwood. My back can tell you something about the two tons .

Cheers Rob

Oh, you must tell me about your lathe!  Is it usable for metal parts?  I've been tempted to get a lathe for ages.

[HubertB]

7 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Oh, you must tell me about your lathe!  Is it usable for metal parts?  I've been tempted to get a lathe for ages.

I can already give you the answer to that, Gaz, and it’s a flat « no », unfortunately.

A metal lathe requires a vey rigid chassis, torque more than speed, a strong attachment point for the cutting tool, i.e. a travelling chariot rather than a tool support like Rob’s new baby,  micrometer advancement settings for the tool, a strong chuck, etc. The only way to machine metal on a wood lathe is to have a very soft metal like aluminium (and then not all aluminiums alloys) and use a file. You cannot do much this way.

You can find some new, small dimensions, metal lathes - made in China - in a price range between 500 and 1000 USD. For the price, they can be surprisingly precise ( the key criterion being concentricity tolerance). And then you can also look for second-hand ones.

The small Unimat 1 could do some small-diameter metal work, provided you changed the motor, and added stiffener plates everywhere, or changed the plastic chariots to metal ones. Not really cheaper than a dedicated small metal lathe as described above, in the end. And it still lacked the bulk and weight of the small metal lathes you can find on the market.
On a machine that exerts cutting and tearing forces on metal, mass, that increases inertia, dampens vibrations, and is also a signal of the size of the chassis, and therefore of its rigidity, is actually a helping factor. The Chinese-made small dedicated metal lathes weigh around 50 kg and up.

And, btw, conversely, do not expect to turn wood on a metal lathe. Plastic, yes, perspex yes, soft metals or steel yes, on these cheap-end metal lathes, but not wood... Ask me how I know  

So that means two lathes if you want to turn wood and machine metal (the semantic difference is actually meaningful)

Hubert

PS: nice little machines, Rob. These Proxxon machines are actually fairly good, robust and precise for modelling.

[GazzaS]

2 hours ago, HubertB said:

I can already give you the answer to that, Gaz, and it’s a flat « no », unfortunately.

A metal lathe requires a vey rigid chassis, torque more than speed, a strong attachment point for the cutting tool, i.e. a travelling chariot rather than a tool support like Rob’s new baby,  micrometer advancement settings for the tool, a strong chuck, etc. The only way to machine metal on a wood lathe is to have a very soft metal like aluminium (and then not all aluminiums alloys) and use a file. You cannot do much this way.

You can find some new, small dimensions, metal lathes - made in China - in a price range between 500 and 1000 USD. For the price, they can be surprisingly precise ( the key criterion being concentricity tolerance). And then you can also look for second-hand ones.

The small Unimat 1 could do some small-diameter metal work, provided you changed the motor, and added stiffener plates everywhere, or changed the plastic chariots to metal ones. Not really cheaper than a dedicated small metal lathe as described above, in the end. And it still lacked the bulk and weight of a the small metal lathes you can find on the market.
On a machine that exerts cutting and tearing forces on metal, mass, that increases inertia, dampens vibrations, and is also a signal of the size of the chassis, and therefore of its rigidity, is actually a helping factor. The Chinese-made small dedicated metal lathes weigh around 50 kg and up.

And, btw, conversely, do not expect to turn wood on a metal lathe. Plastic, yes, perspex yes, soft metals or steel yes, on these cheap-end metal lathes, but not wood... Ask me how I know  

So that means two lathes if you want to turn wood and machine metal (the semantic difference is actually meaningful)

Hubert

PS: nice little machines, Rob. These Proxxon machines are actually fairly good, robust and precise for modelling.

Thank you for that, Hubert.  I am still tempted to buy a metal one...   but short on space and fearing anything that I have to buy sight-unseen that costs that much.

[DocRob]

4 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Oh, you must tell me about your lathe!  Is it usable for metal parts?  I've been tempted to get a lathe for ages.

I couldn't have said it better than Hubert, thanks for that. Another aspect in working with metals by machines is, most kinds of metal need cooling or lubricating while working on. You can't do that with the Proxxon.
When I was young, I worked in light engineering for years, using all types of machines for a wide array of metals and these were definitely another breed.
The tiny Proxon is only sufficent for small wooden parts. It has a relatively low torque and you can fit long parts through it's spindle only up to a diameter of 10 mm. You are able to work with bigger diameters, but I doubt, the torque will be enough.
It's a machine specialized for working on the masts and yards, which have a surprisingly variety of conical areas or indentions and this is, where this machine will shine, working with a chisel or sanding paper.
I got the pair relatively cheap and they will be used for my shipbuilding projects with the additional benefit of working relatively quite and not covering too much space on the bench.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

4 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

Thank you for that, Hubert.  I am still tempted to buy a metal one...   but short on space and fearing anything that I have to buy sight-unseen that costs that much.

Working with lathes on metal does include a lot of learning and understanding of the different metals and their characteristics. Metallurgy is a wide field and you absolutely need the knowledge, to get decent results, guess how I know .

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

Just now, DocRob said:

Working with lathes on metal does include a lot of learning and understanding of the different metals and their characteristics. Metallurgy is a wide field and you absolutely need the knowledge, to get decent results, guess how I know .

Cheers Rob

Well...  a lathe really opens up your ability to scratchbuild.  Gun barrels, masts...  all of that cool stuff.  I once tried to scratchbuild a Type 36A (Mob) Zerstorer in a scale somewhere between 1/48 and 1/72.  Carved the barrels by hand puttied them to get rid of the woodgrain, and sanded smooth.  But they just never had that machined look.  Some things just can't be faked.

[Landlubber Mike]

Rob - I had that Proxxon lathe a while back and used it for my Badger.  It's only built for wood though, not metal, as others have said.  I found it really helpful for tapering the masts and spars.  Put the dowel in, turned it on, used calipers, sandpaper and steel wool to finish, and completed in no time.  I'm not sure why some pooh-pooh the use of lathes to construct masts and spars.  They have to build a jig, cut it into square or hexagon stock, and then use planes to shave bits off.  Took no time at all for me in the lathe.

One warning if you are new to lathes - be very careful getting anything near the headstock.  My first time I got the steel wool too close and it yanked it from my fingers, thankfully my fingers weren't pulled into the machine.  Scared the bejesus out fo me, and I was like, oh, that's what the warning in the instructions was meant to cover!     I would also make sure you have eye protection just in case.

I thought it was a really great little machine, but ended up selling it to buy a Sherline lathe, in part to be able to turn metal parts.  I first started with a used one I bought off eBay with an 8" bed, but ended up selling that one and buying a new one with a 14" bed and a digital read out (the DRO is really helpful) when I started turning other things like pens and needed the longer bed.  The 8" is good for most small needs, but once you start adding centers, chucks, etc., the bed size decreases quickly.  They also make a reverse live center to help with masts and spars, but I haven't used it yet.

In case anyone is interested, here is a link to how ship modelers use Sherline products.  I couldn't recommend their lathe and mill highly enough.  They are built like tanks, and have a ton of accessories for every conceivable construction process.  They are a bit on the pricey side though, especially when you throw in the accessories.  That being said, I don't know how much they would help with plastic modeling.  But, if you like tools, I'm sure one could find a use for them.

https://www.sherline.com/ship-modelers/

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

7 hours ago, HubertB said:

And, btw, conversely, do not expect to turn wood on a metal lathe. Plastic, yes, perspex yes, soft metals or steel yes, on these cheap-end metal lathes, but not wood... Ask me how I know  

So that means two lathes if you want to turn wood and machine metal (the semantic difference is actually meaningful)

Hubert, the Sherline is designed to handle both wood and metal.  They have wood tool rests you can purchase for wood turning tools.  I've turned wooden (and acrylic) pens  and other wooden items on my lathe no problems.

[DocRob]

18 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Rob - I had that Proxxon lathe a while back and used it for my Badger.  It's only built for wood though, not metal, as others have said.  I found it really helpful for tapering the masts and spars.  Put the dowel in, turned it on, used calipers, sandpaper and steel wool to finish, and completed in no time.  I'm not sure why some pooh-pooh the use of lathes to construct masts and spars.  They have to build a jig, cut it into square or hexagon stock, and then use planes to shave bits off.  Took no time at all for me in the lathe.

One warning if you are new to lathes - be very careful getting anything near the headstock.  My first time I got the steel wool too close and it yanked it from my fingers, thankfully my fingers weren't pulled into the machine.  Scared the bejesus out fo me, and I was like, oh, that's what the warning in the instructions was meant to cover!     I would also make sure you have eye protection just in case.

I thought it was a really great little machine, but ended up selling it to buy a Sherline lathe, in part to be able to turn metal parts.  I first started with a used one I bought off eBay with an 8" bed, but ended up selling that one and buying a new one with a 14" bed and a digital read out (the DRO is really helpful) when I started turning other things like pens and needed the longer bed.  The 8" is good for most small needs, but once you start adding centers, chucks, etc., the bed size decreases quickly.  They also make a reverse live center to help with masts and spars, but I haven't used it yet.

In case anyone is interested, here is a link to how ship modelers use Sherline products.  I couldn't recommend their lathe and mill highly enough.  They are built like tanks, and have a ton of accessories for every conceivable construction process.  They are a bit on the pricey side though, especially when you throw in the accessories.  That being said, I don't know how much they would help with plastic modeling.  But, if you like tools, I'm sure one could find a use for them.

https://www.sherline.com/ship-modelers/

Thanks for your view on the Lathe subject, Mike. I know the limitations of the Proxxon about not being able to work on metal or bigger wooden parts, but for my cases it's optimal, small, easy to handle, near silent and relatively cheap.
I would trot another path, if, like you have planned, I would put my interest into scratching and constructing my own ship models.
I can't see, that I will have lots of use for metal machining with my builds, given that e.g. most of the tiny brass barrels of aircraft guns have hard to reproduce punctured air jackets,....
In my late teens and early twens, before studying engineering, I worked in the workshop of a research institute for years with all the machinery, be it lathes or milling machines. We even built our own small sized CNC milling machine ourselves, with a PC as commanding unit, mind, that were the early eighties, where most of the professional CNC machines still used punched paper type, to get the code.
By this times, I learned about the risks of working with metal machines too, as I nearly lost my finger in a M16 brass thread in a milling machine. I was able to pull the finger out in the instant of the second it was caught, causing the loss of only the cap of the finger and the nail of course and a decent amount of blood.

The Sherline machinerey seems to be fit for the job, but for me at the moment they are oversize, but I will keep them in mind, as I have some future plans, to design Lamps from copper and other metals accompanied by wood and maybe paper. This will of course need a complete overhaul of my workshop 

Cheers Rob

[Landlubber Mike]

Hey Rob, thanks for the reply.  Sorry, I didn't necessarily mean to give you a tutorial on lathes since you obviously have much more experience than I ever will.  Was mostly giving info to others who might not know much about lathes, so my apologies!  

I think the Proxxon would be perfect for your intended use.  I really enjoyed mine.  In retrospect, I probably could have just kept it and added the Sherline since the Sherline takes more effort to get set up, but space starts becoming an issue when you begin adding tools.  If I remember correctly, the DB250 didn't require a transformer unlike a bunch of other tools in the Proxxon range - another plus!

Some people have added the extended bed for the DB250.  That increases the footprint quite a bit, and I wonder how steady things will be since I don't think the DB250 allows for things like a steady rest.  It seemed that the hole through the headstock would accommodate longer pieces, you'd just have to turn half and then flip around and turn the other half.

[DocRob]

Hi Mike, absolutely no need for apologies, I just wanted to explain my background. Even if I used to work a lot with machines for metal, it was a long time ago and I'm a bit rusty, to stay in the terminology . Thoughts and warnings are highly welcomed and it always enrichens me to get your opinions.

About the lathe you are right. Both machines  do plug directly into the socket, without a transformer. I didn't know of the existence of an extension for the lathe. For my planned projects, the given length should be sufficient and I think, sometimes it's better to turn the piece 180 degrees and work on the other side, like you suggested, because the risk of failure with thin diameters raises with length.

Cheers Rob

[belugawhaleman]

This came in the mail today. A Takom  1/16 Wiesel.

[harv]

Very cool and 1/16......harv

[belugawhaleman]

38 minutes ago, harv said:

Very cool and 1/16......harv

Thanks.

Yes, it's another Takom  big-scale little tank. It's slightly larger than the type 94s they make. 

[Bomber_County]

It’s not what I just got but what I bought back in the 90’s when I visited the great Hannants warehouse in person. So this is also a draw find, so another to add to the list (17.......) The Fujimi and the Verlinden are pure antiques.......

[AlanG]

Saved up for this and had a few email conversations with Pastor John regarding what i needed but....

1/32 AIMS Ju88 C6 Dayfighter conversion set plus a decal sheet for the two i want to build (still need to buy the G6 set).

 

[harv]

23 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

This came in the mail today. A Takom  1/16 Wiesel.

At Sprue Br for $52....harv

[belugawhaleman]

8 hours ago, harv said:

At Sprue Br for $52....harv

I purchased mine from Sprue Brothers

[harv]

Not model related, but something im excited about. This followed me home yesterday.......harv