Hey guys, I'm moving to a new shop at my farmhouse, lots more room and better conditions. I have a few dremels with pretty much every concievable attachment, a scroll saw, and a disc/belt sander. What else should i get? I'm working on getting a dril press, is there anything else you guys can think of?
A soldering iron & a solder torch A multimeter adjustable powersupply is optional, but useful A CNC machine?
milling is a bit out of my league, i do have a solder iron....one of those nifty INSTANT COOL ones! a bandsaw, i was thinking that but couldn't remember the name of it! What exactly is the diff between a band and a scroll saw?
I can recommend a good mini CNC (and how to get it far cheaper than list by doing portions of it yourself) other than that: Saws Files Lathe (not small one, get one that can grip 3" or bigger diameter stock) jigsaw die grinder hot box (for aiding in epoxy curing) assortment of picks, wrenches, etc.
a lathe and mill are two tools that you will not know what you will use them for until you get them but you will find them indispensable as you become proficient at their use. I wish I had one (lathe, I have a mill ), I have to beg time on my buddies stuff. (although the mill is more useful for warships in my opinion). Even a manual mill allows you to easily make aluminum gearboxes fit into your ship with ease (they might not look that good but they will work quite well). Lathe allows the making of propeller hubs, turned barrels, etc. -Greg
I agree with archer, a mill and lathe (NOT a wood lathe) are indispensable in modern warship construction. You'll also need a bunch of tools and attachments to go along with those, such as milling bits and a really big chuck for the lathe. The mill is great for all sorts of things like servo trays, cannon manufacturing, and (most importantly) fixing other people's mistakes. Make sure it's a big mill. There have been several times when I stuck a whole boat in the mill (even battleships) to clear out big globs of epoxy that previous owners had poured, and once to cut slots for prop shafts. A lathe can be used for props and turned barrels, but once you add a really big chuck you can make battleship-sized Big Gun cannons. A few other handy tools include a large disk sander, a drill press, a spindle sander, and a large band saw. These are very useful for wooden hull construction, but also for other tasks. You'll also want a good shop vac, and maybe even a leaf blower to clear out the dust after an afternoon's building. A soldering torch with a click-on, click-off head is useful for accumulators and manifolds. You'll want lots of storage and organizational stuff. You can never have too much storage, especially for boats. And lastly, lots of hand tools are a must-have. There are lots of specialized hand tools that I can't even name that use daily for maintance.
I have most of the required hand tools and whatnot, i've been in the hobby for close to 6 years now, but i do most of my building at build sessions... I think the lathe will be a distant project, as i could use a band-saw and drill press more readily, hopefully i can get both within a year.
A lathe is a device that spins your metal (or wood)... I haven't needed a lathe more than a couple times, so when I did I just used the drill press. A proper lathe holds the cutter inplace, for my method to work you need a steady hand. MILL: Again a drill press is DAMN close. Buy a press attachement like: Visit this site & poof! you have a mill. I think a solder torch (not solder iron) is invaluable. YOU can also go crazy & buy one of these: Visit this site ---> GREG, how/where can you get a cheap mini CNC?
how's this sound for a drill press? Drill Press Type Bench Top Drill Press Type of Item Power tools & accessories General Features: Drill Type Drill Spindle Speed 5 Table Dimensions 7-5/8 x 6-1/2 in. Table Material Cast iron Table Movement Tilt Table Swivel Yes, 360 deg. Table Tilt Range 0-45 deg. left/right Chuck: Capacity 1/2 in. Type Keyed Motor-Engine: Horsepower, Maximum Developed 2/3 hp Speed Capability 5 speeds Speed Range RPM 620-3100 rpm Controls, Overall: On/Off Type Switch with key Included with Item: Fence Yes Stop Blocks Yes $119 (and its got laser x and y axis for alignment)
I kinda like having several speeds for working different materials (and yes different drill bits for different materials). I thought the laser alignment "X" to be hokey until I was using it. Now I love it As long as it's got enough working range (vertical movement of the drill head, i.e. how tall a piece can you drill with it) then I'd say that's a good deal. Did you find it online, or in a store?
Scroll saw: Blade is short, moves up and down, much like a jigsaw in action. Blades are very cheap. Can handle larger sheets of material than bandsaw. Band saw: Blade is continuous, runs around two wheels. Can produce smoother cuts than scrollsaw, especially in polycarb where the scrollsaw blade tends to overheat. Blades are not as cheap. Cost for both is about the same.
