Do I really need another marking gauge?

[Lons]

Of course I don't I have 3 proper wood ones but always fancied one of those new fangled wheel jobbies so with a few hours spare today I made a start all from the scrap/saved metals stash apart from a cutting wheel which will be a 1/2" carbide round cutter which I'm waiting to be delivered.

A few finishing touches to make in the meantime, a little brass end to make for the rod so it doesn't slip off, I forgot to recess the face of the brass for the cutting wheel to allow zero clearance and not happy with the knurling on the thumbwheel so needs doing again also I accidentally drilled right through that with the first drill bit. Will post a pic when finished and cutting wheel fitte, that will be held by the M5 machine screw on the end of the shaft.

Anyway enjoyable, pretty simple and i just used my wood lathe, a couple of HSS scrapers, files etc. drilled on the lathe as well. I've always hankered after having a go at making a little brass plane so that's whetted my appetite again.

 

[novocaine]

Do you really need another marking gauge?

Is like asking do you need another clamp. Especially when you are making them yourself.

 

[Mike G]

Bob, make the cutting wheel small enough that the stem of the gauge can ride on the face of the wood. Unless it does that, the thing is waving around in the air and is thus inaccurate. I don't bother using mine for this reason.

 

[billw]

Do you really need another marking gauge?

Is like asking do you need another clamp. Especially when you are making them yourself.

Can't remember the last time that a woodworking purchase was made by need rather than want. Making things yourself is even more a no-brainer.

 

[Lons]

Bob, make the cutting wheel small enough that the stem of the gauge can ride on the face of the wood. Unless it does that, the thing is waving around in the air and is thus inaccurate. I don't bother using mine for this reason.

I hadn't thought of that Mike, the rod is 10mm as that's what I had already and the nearest size wheel is 12.5mm so hopefully that will work except maybe on the hardest wood, will have to wait and see. I't's cost nothing so far as I needed some carbide cutters to make up some turning tools so it could always be re used. I was just playing really I'm no metalworker.

 

[Mike G]

....... I'm no metalworker.

Sorry, you're wrong.

 

[Lurker]

Pipe cutter wheels work well for this.
Places like toolstation sell spares

 

[Lons]

Pipe cutter wheels work well for this.
Places like toolstation sell spares

I looked at the ones on my pipe cutters but they looked a bit too large for the rod. I buy the carbide in packs of 10 which worked out at £1.83 a cutter so cheap enough. I noticed the price has gone up since I ordered by exactly 20% so that will be the VAT ruling kicking in.

 

[Lons]

....... I'm no metalworker.

Sorry, you're wrong.

:lol: Jack of all trades, master of bu**er all Mike.

I own a lovely little watchmakers lathe which is almost never used, it's completely wasted on me but I was gifted it years ago in return for some small work favours and I promised him I'd never sell, he's long departed but I'd feel guilty breaking my word.

 

[Woodster]

You can get 9mm round carbide inserts that might work?

https://www.ukwoodcraftandcarbidechisel ... tters.html

 

[Lons]

You can get 9mm round carbide inserts that might work?

https://www.ukwoodcraftandcarbidechisel ... tters.html

Thanks but 9mm is too small as it's a 10mm rod, 11mm would work but I'm reasonably confident the 12.5 will be OK after all it's only a 1.25mm projection with the rod flat on the workpiece.

Anyway they're on their way to me and as I said nothing lost as I have other uses for them and at £1.83 each it doesn't really matter.

 

[novocaine]

....... I'm no metalworker.

Sorry, you're wrong.

:lol: Jack of all trades, master of bu**er all Mike.

I own a lovely little watchmakers lathe which is almost never used, it's completely wasted on me but I was gifted it years ago in return for some small work favours and I promised him I'd never sell, he's long departed but I'd feel guilty breaking my word.

first point
the full saying is
"Jack of all trades, master of none
but certainly better than master of none"

you might not be a master but it's danged good.

second point
don't sell the watchmakers lathe. GIVE it to me instead

 

[Woodbloke]

don't sell the watchmakers lathe. GIVE it to me instead

We saw Steve Fletcher on 'The Repair Shop' last night (whilst enjoying a couple of glasses of full strength, immune system destroying mead) using his gorgeous little watchmaker's lathe. I said to SWIMBO that I'll have one of those next year in me Christmas stocking, ta - Rob

 

[Lons]

first point the full saying is "Jack of all trades, master of none

second point don't sell the watchmakers lathe. GIVE it to me instead

I'm old enough to know the correct version, that was just my personal interpretation and I think my son has his eye on the lathe so can;t give it away either, anyway I'm a hoarder.

We saw Steve Fletcher on 'The Repair Shop' last night (whilst enjoying a couple of glasses of full strength, immune system destroying mead) using his gorgeous little watchmaker's lathe. I said to SWIMBO that I'll have one of those next year in me Christmas stocking, ta - Rob

Good luck with that one Rob though at least you've given her plenty of notice.

The guy I got the lathe from was a retired engineer who bought it new and only played with it a few times, lived 20 miles away and we became friends while I was doing a few paying jobs for him and his wife but I also went out several times at very short notice when he needed urgent repairs and I didn't charge. I was gobsmacked when he insisted I take the lathe with a load of accessories which had cost him more than £2500.
Not as pretty as the one Steve uses but it's apparently very well respected by those in the know. The lathe is a Cowells 90ME. I've just looked on the website and got a serious shock at what it now costs new without adding up all the accessories on top. :shock:
http://www.cowells.com/90me.htm

 

[novocaine]

I've got an ebay alert on watchmakers lathes, the price's are eyewatering and I'm kicking myself for not taking the offer of a Pultra with full set of collets and divider head for 50 quid when I had the chance (I was young, 50 quid was a lot of money that I didn't have), supposedly out the RR factory in Derpy, they now go for around the 1k mark. They are a thing of beauty and something that I somewhat covert but can't see myself getting any time soon.

 

[Lons]

I've got an ebay alert on watchmakers lathes, the price's are eyewatering and I'm kicking myself for not taking the offer of a Pultra with full set of collets and divider head for 50 quid when I had the chance (I was young, 50 quid was a lot of money that I didn't have), supposedly out the RR factory in Derpy, they now go for around the 1k mark. They are a thing of beauty and something that I somewhat covert but can't see myself getting any time soon.

I think they've always held their value though some of the chiwanese lathes look very capable for the money however I don't know enough to make in informed opinion.

My neighbour was a retired electrical engineer who made large scale model locos as a hobby and when he died I sorted out his workshop for his widow, I gave her a fair price for his Meddings drill press and was sorely tempted to buy his old Myford ML7 and a milling machine all with a mountain of accessories, she let the lot go for £500 to some unscrupulous person so I was also kicking myself as I'd have paid twice that and considered it a bargain. Being capable of using it is another matter though.

 

[Cabinetman]

I was extremely impressed by the finish that you’ve got on the brass Lons, I am doing some brass work for the front of a Japanese style console/altar table very soon, I have bought the brass and it is just ordinary square bar which will need cutting off, then filed then abrasive paper? I have bought a spike and buffers but I would love to know your methods please. Ian

 

[Woodbloke]

Pete Newton, now sadly deceased who some (Bob9f and 'Newt' somewhere else) will remember had a Myford ML7 with a milling machine attachment that I would have been quite happy to eat my dinner off. It was immaculate; he used to keep it in a small machine shop and had a cover over when not in use; under the cover was an electric heater to keep the beds toasty. Whenever I had a little bit of metal machining to do for a project, Pete was always happy to oblige. I don't know what happened to it when he died, but I suspect it was either kept in the family or sold, probably for a song

He also always used to say that using a brand new file on a bit of steel was better than sex :lol:

I've often wondered whether it would be worth getting hold of a very small mw lathe and have in the past considered something from the Chiwanese range sold by Ax, but I don't have any first hand experience. They could be pretty 'ropey' but I don't really know - Rob

 

[Dr.Al]

I've often wondered whether it would be worth getting hold of a very small mw lathe and have in the past considered something from the Chiwanese range sold by Ax, but I don't have any first hand experience. They could be pretty 'ropey' but I don't really know - Rob

They definitely need a lot of fettling to get them to produce good parts. Then when they're cutting square, you need to use them to make all sorts of accessories for them so you can cut stuff accurately. It's amazing what you can achieve on them though if you've got the patience and inclination.

Having said that, if you've ever used a "proper" (as in old and big and very heavy) metalwork lathe, I can guarantee you'd never want to go back to one of the Sieg ones. I've still got my mini-lathe (an Axminster Sieg SC2 - wow, they've gone up in price since I bought mine...) buried in the shed, waiting until I can be bothered to give it a very, very thorough going over and tidy up and then I'll probably sell it. I'd planned to keep it in the shed until I had space to have it out for odds and ends, but the Harrison I have now is in another league.

 

[TrimTheKing]

This story just makes me sad every time I think of it, but a couple of years back when my FiL was still alive, they came up to stay with us for a week. They'd been there a day or so and we were talking about when I'd ever get the workshop ready to use (an ongoing conversation around here...) when he casually said "Oh I thought about you the other week when a friend of mine offered me some metalworking stuff."

"Why didn't you say something then?" says I.

"Oh I just thought it'd be a faff to get then I forgot really."

"What was it, out of curiosity?"

"A Myford mill and all attachments and tooling..."

"Oh right" says I, knowing they go for a pretty penny and given I know nothing about metalworking, not something I would spend that kind of money on, "how much did he want for it?"

"Oh, nothing" says he casually "he's downsizing the house and just wanted to clear the workshop out as he's in his 90's now and would rather see it used by someone who would appreciate it than sold to someone to make a profit on!"

:shock:

After 30 seconds of coughing and spluttering I said "Get on the phone to him NOW and tell him I'll take it, and I'll drive down with you on Friday and you can help me load it into the truck!".

Anyway, he called the chap who I heard explode at him down the phone as to why he hadn't asked sooner and that it had been given away, for FREE, to a dealer earlier that week, and that he'd gladly have given it to me!! :

I'll never forgive him for that! :eusa-snooty: : :lol:

 

[Dr.Al]

 

[novocaine]

I consider myself exceptionally fortunate that my late father acquired the Boxford AUD when his workshop was shut up by the powers that be. It is the same machine that I learned on in college but with a few tweaks (4 way tool post and the like) to make a very capable machine. the only issue I have is that I don't have a vehicle (nor until recently the money to rent one) to go and get it from Nottingham where he took it during a move. When all this is over I will be hiring a van and figuring out how to move a few hundred kilos of machine in to it on my lone self. in the interim I need to chuck half the bits I've hoarding out the garage, none of it is worth anything else I'd offer it on here.

CM, the finish of brass can be a funny one as it's fairly heavily reliant on what the brass is, stuff like extruded profiles can be a bugger to polish as it's a different alloy. I can't remember of the top of my the different codes but it's all available on the net.

Trim, I hope having his daughters hand in marriage is enough to make up for such a fopar, although it maybe a close run thing.

 

[Lons]

Hi Ian
No special method for the brass and I have no idea what grade any of it is as just various bits collected over the years, I've made a few pens from other stuff and never had a problem polishing just go through the grades to 1200g in this case then Brasso. I put a thin coat of microcrystaline wax on top to stop fingerprints.

Finished it over the weekend so just waiting for the cutting wheel to arrive

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks Lons, Will the wax stop it oxidising? I was hoping not to have to lacquer it. Ian

Novocaine, thanks for the warning – where fools rush in, comes to mind.

 

[Lons]

Thanks Lons, Will the wax stop it oxidising? I was hoping not to have to lacquer it. Ian

Novocaine, thanks for the warning – where fools rush in, comes to mind.

I don't know tbh, I use on pens and other items as it resists fingerprints. I suspect you need to laquer brass or keep polishing.