The Shop > Tools

Chester Mini Mill.

(1/7) > >>

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:

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page