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| Chester Mini Mill. |
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| Stilldrillin:
About a month or so ago, I decided to sort out the exhaust system of my 3 cylinder Mamod steam engine. My idea was to run all 3 of the 1/8" pipes separately into a spigoted chimney base, with the condensate draining out the other side via a pipe into a trough. A bit like this....... The problem was how to drill the holes tidily, with my lightweight Chinese bench drill....... :scratch: I was offered a much heavier, English bench drill...... “You could do a bit of milling with that!”. :thumbup: So..... I asked you lot about cross vices......... :wave: During the drilling demo, some of the smoke leaked out of the motor! :bugeye: And we all know how hard it is to get it back inside again...... :scratch: Smoke, plus your disapproval of cross vices seemed to be some kind of omen......... :poke: A Mini Mill arrived a few days later! :clap: This is what was in the box. Everything as promised, but a 100mm vice instead of 80mm...... No complaints! :thumbup: My son helped me lift it onto the 18” wide bench, still bolted to the packing crate base. ....... I didn`t wish to drill permanent mounting holes in my bench, but I don`t mind woodscrew holes. So, I thinned down the heads of some 10mm x 50mm builder`s bolts & assembled to 2 thicknesses of 12mm ply glued & screwed together. With a woodscrew at each corner this should be ok! :thumbup: We`re a bit short of light, up this end........ ::) Bought an extra 4` striplight......... That`s better! :thumbup: Then the new collets arrived.... Well, I`ve now spent over £500........... ::) And I still haven`t any holes in my chimney base! One day...... Soon, I hope..... David. |
| bogstandard:
Rather expensive David, at nearly 170 squid a hole. But think on the positive side. A normal charge for hole drilling at an engineering shop is 2 squid per hole (setup charges extra). So once you have drilled 250 holes, you will start to be in profit. :lol: Bogs |
| Darren:
And you will have assets to dispose of at a later date....should you ever wish/need to.. :thumbup: Well that's how I put it to the boss :lol: |
| Stilldrillin:
John, 250 holes? That is a long time off..... Does that include all the cutters, index head, T nuts, studding, DTI, wobbler, etc. etc I will need for the future? ::) Going toolbox opening this afternoon. They`re still as I left em, on retirement day. Wonder what I might find in there..... :thumbup: Darren, Funny you should say that....... Yesterday was a watershed in the Drillin household...... After 40 or so years, at last I didn`t need to be evasive! :D "What do you need all this machinery for?" "So that, now we`re fully settled into retirement, I can continue making things, as I have done since being a schoolboy" "Also, in our present excellent circumstances, why shouldnt we buy whatever we want, when we want it?" I held my breath. But, there was no tut, no sigh, no comment..... Only..... "Ah, yes". "Shall I put the kettle on?" Yesterday was a good day........ :thumbup: David. |
| Darren:
New sofa, carpet, bedding, curtains, cooker, heck the whole kitchen inc the flooring it is then...... :clap: "WE" can be a very expensive word :lol: |
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