Woohoo! My vise is here!

[Mike Quesenberry]

Any reason you prefer digital?

To be honest I'm not sure, I have two of the best calipers money can buy and I always pick up the Mitutoyo digital solar. I bought the Starrett after the Mitutoyo simply because it was so cheap and it's a Starrett.
It might be because it goes to the .0005 reading not like my machining is worthy of that kind of accuracy. I have in the past misread the dial whereas this doesn't happen with the digital. At one time I had a Mitutoyo digital (not solar) and the whole button on and off thing I didn't like, but the solar kicks butt.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Patrice check out the local pawn shops.

Mike those are some incredible finds.
Sadly, pawn shops are not as popular here in Quebec as they are in the States. There aren't any that I know of around here.

Patrice

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Getting sidetracked again. Here is a replacement handle to lock the quill so you can use the handwheel. The old one lacked grip and was a pain to work with.
Not the prettiest but kind of has a steampunk look.

Also, passing on a tip from the frets.com website. When you machine some round stock on the lathe and end up with a small lenght help in the chuck, drill it all the way through and throw it in the odds and ends drawer. Instant oversized washer and God knows I've needed those from time to time.

Thanks for looking.

Patrice

 

[drewfacehotm]

i like dial calipers, i don't trust any caliper to be more accurate than +/- .001, which is close enough for most things, fowler brand is about as cheap as you should go for caliper, you can get away with cheap mics, cheap calipers start to slip and misread after a while. digital calipers are easier to read and probably can handle being dropped a few times and still work.

i know if you drop your brand new mitutoyo 12" dial calipers the needle wraps around itself a few times and a few teeth on your gears and rack break off.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

i know if you drop your brand new mitutoyo 12" dial calipers the needle wraps around itself a few times and a few teeth on your gears and rack break off.

That's a costly way to learn.

I'll take a look at the Fowler brans, thanks.

Patrice

 

[dillon_b12]

Patrice,

I too would recommend the Fowler brand calipers for a cheap quality set. I too don't trust calipers below .001". If you find you need to hold dimensions tighter than that, invest in some micrometers.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Thanks Dillon, Fowler it will be then.
As far as tolerances are concerned, thousands are more than enough for me. I am pretty sure I'll never need 10's.

Now to get the "boss" to agree to the latest purchase list.

Patrice

 

[john0270]

What mill are you using??? are those mill drill's the way to go for the hobbyist, or should one save up for the Bridgeport looking deals on the market now(proabably overkill)?? I bought a tida 12x36 gear head lathe localy with 3 and 4 jaw chuck/stead/follow rest ect ect ect for $1500 last fall, everything is quite well made surprisingly. I have thought about just a milling attachment for my lathe, but i would like to keep setup and teardown time to a minimum and would rather just have two separate machines. I am more interested in gunsmithing/general fabrication aspect of machining rather than knifemaking, other than slotting gaurds and inletting.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

I am more interested in gunsmithing/general fabrication aspect of machining rather than knifemaking, other than slotting gaurds and inletting.

John, get a Bridgeport then. Or an import clone but get a knee type mill. This is a RongFu type import with a round column. You are limited to the travel of the quill. If you need more height you have to move head up and re-zero it. Very good for my needs but if you want to focus on machining, a knee mill is a must.

Of course I ain't no expert, maybe some "real" machinists wil chime in.

Patrice

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Still pimping my mill.

Replaced the crappy plastic knob by an aluminum one to practice knurling on the lathe and made a small adjustable chip shield.

Thanks for looking.

Patrice

 

[john0270]

So what kind of price did you pay for this machine Patrice? Someone here has a used one for sale for $1500..... but I don't think they ever used it because it doesn't come with much tooling.

 

[arrowhead]

I like your chip guard. Mind if I kind of copy it?

 

[Patrice Lemée]

So what kind of price did you pay for this machine Patrice? Someone here has a used one for sale for $1500..... but I don't think they ever used it because it doesn't come with much tooling.

John, I paid 1600$ plus tax (which in Canada as you are also painfully aware of is a lot. ) That is ordered from the local hardware store. What kind of tooling does yours come with?

I like your chip guard. Mind if I kind of copy it?

If you like it please do, by all means.

Patrice

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Still pimping!

Made a replacement handle. It's not perfect but already much more comfortable than the crappy plastic one they supply.

Thanks for looking.

Patrice

 

[Teknition]

Nice accessories Patrice :thumbup: Now quit screwing around and make some knives

Brad
www.andersonknives.ca

 

[dillon_b12]

A little time spent polishing with some emery cloth and Scotchbrite and that will be one sexy handle.