WORKSHOPS

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Good advice there BB. Usually more sophisticated tools are acquired over a long period of time, as funds become available. I have been modelling in one form or another for a large part of my life, but my lathe was only bought about 5 years ago.

 

Ashley, I couldn’t agree more about the band saw, it’s an extremely useful tool, as is my belt/disc sander. But, so is my vertical drill press, Proxxon bench saw, scroll saw etc., etc., etc.  

 

Peter. 

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

There are many tools which one could put into a workshop but The thing that governs all of is Finances, capability to use these advanced machines and then lastly are you a scratch builder or mainly a builder of ready made kits with all their parts.

 

Being a scratch builder Off the shelf parts are not always available for my models. But then on the other hand I love to make the parts myself for a challenge and the end satisfaction of what I was able to make.

 

My  workshop is not quite complete as yet and space is at a premium. Any more machines in my little shop means that I would have to enlarge my shop. A Band saw, and sander are definately on the cards and these should be here in the new year.

 

So for the new builders do not be put off by the very well equipped workshops. I also started off with the bare minimum of tools and added on with time and as experience was gained. I only built two ships ever from kits and then I scratch built from there on.

 

 

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

Hi Andy

Sorry to jump on the band wagon so late. I agree with all  the guys regardinge what where and when to add tools. What i can suggest is a Dremel or Proxxon pencil drill. Usually it comes with a set colletts for different sizes of shanks. You can buy from the local hardware a set of inexpensive bits. 3.2 mm shank. Also a set of small plastick clamps, pro-edge or similar knive. Man these things grow on you. Soon enough you will find tools in the most unusual places. I think we all look at tools and thinks “this i can use” Good luck with the renovations. A small kitchen is ok but a fair workshop better

Regards

Arthur

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

Hallo All,

Man if we carry on talking about which tools we should have in our workshops it will be like the Never Ending Story. Archy I must agree with you about the pencil drills. I have three in my workshop and on top of that I have made myself extra tooling for the Pencil drills. The most handy Dremel tool I have is an old power shaft drive version and this is very handy if you have to get into very tight spots. I can not do without them. 

As for the little plastic clamps I have lots of those. You can’t do without those. Don’t forget about the good old cloths pegs! In my shop I have made many specialised little tools or modified others to do special tasks and to make life easy.. I think this forum will still run for quite some time yet.

Come on Nederlanders, German and the European friends let us see what you have got? I am sure there are also some Americans around how about some comments from you guys.

Regards

Bernhard(BB) 

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Thaks for all the replys.  Looks like I have most of the smaller handtools.  I think the workbench is going to be the first thing on my shopping list.  Then I will have a place to bolt the piller drill, vice etc.

 

Will leave all else until I absolutely need it, then buy it.

 

Regards

Andy

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

Hi Andy.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Regards

Arthur

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

Hi Sailors.

hoping not all of you also had two weeks leave as i did. B.B. are you re decorating? Seems that workshops are a more sensitive subject than what i thought. Can we have a few more photos or show us what is on your bench now.

Regards

Arthur

 

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

Hallo Archy,

I still have the Duke of york on the bench. Presently making life rafts 20 of them. I just got another restoration job in which I will start next year. It is a dhow that it used on the lakes of Tanzania and also on the coast. It is a family heirloom and lukily not badly damaged Just totally Dusted up. Shouldn’t take long to sort out.

Will post pictures later.

Regards Bernhard

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

Well I can’t lay claim to any carpet but I do have underfloor heating and a stereo system.

 

I’m lucky enough to have two rooms, one is the garage but the other is the workshop so loads of space.

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

By the way being clean and tidy is normal for me.  Sad I know!!

Edited By Richard Simpson on 08/12/2010 11:11:29

Edited By Richard Simpson on 08/12/2010 11:13:44

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Mine is a tip by comparison – how do you get rif of the dust etc?

 

Colin

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

I have a vacuum cleaner next to me all the time and as soon as I generate some mess I vac it up. 

 

It sounds fastidious but it’s actually second nature to me and keeps the place clean far more easily than a big sort out every few years.

 

I hate dust all over the place and using a vac like this keeps it all well under control.

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Good grief, Richard, that’s immaculate. Are you sure you’re not a surgeon instead of a ship’s engineer? Your workshop is like a hospital operating theatre.

 

I keep a vac handy too, but my shed looks nothing like yours – I’m embarrassed now.

 

Peter. 

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

I also have a vac handy too But sometimes this is not enough to keep all the dust down. So once a year I do a general cleanup. It also gives me a better picture and oversight of what is all in the workshop. Richard your workshop is tooooooo clean. At least if there is a little mess I know that I have done something. I don’t leave my machines in a mess if I have used them. I do admit a clean workshop looks good.

By the way the ship on the stocks loks good as well.

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

Thanks BB, the one in the stocks is a Mount Fleet Ben Ain.  I’ll be posting a build thread on here at soime point when I get it up to date.

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

Hi Richard. Nice shop. I use to get in such a mess that i could not find my tools. Sorry guys but i like a neat shop too. I think all of us get to a point were the mess just gets to big. Interesting is the life ring clock. I also have one similar to yours but on smaller scale. Interesting is the pictures. I gives your place that personel touch

Well just show you. I thought the thread will die but one picture posting and away we go. 

 

 

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

The pictures are all ships I have sailed on, apart from the Bismarck and the Cossack of course!

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

Hey Archy when you drop in somethime bring your prop jig and we can compare.

 Having tools in their place dose make working so much easier and quicker. What I have done in my shop is the tools most often used are very close at hand. all tools for the lathe are right there where the machine is and like wise for the others. Do you find that you start working on a clkean bench and after a little while you find that your working space seems to have shrunk because of all the bits and pieces that seem to accumulate where you are working? This happens to me from time to time and then I make space again and continue working. 

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

Hi all.

I think a lot of our friends adhere to the following quote “MY room My Mess My business” however i think try to clean up at least at the end of the day and replace the tools where thy should be. I’m not perfect and try to do so. When the wife is calling the time runs out the door. Starting each day fairly clean does help. B.B. I have two of the same jigs. The second one is for  5 bladed props. I wil bring one along. I most probably see you between Christmas and new year if you are at home that time.

 

To all leaving on holiday i would lake to say 

Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Archie

[Eric Moffat 1Participant @ericmoffat1]

am I the only one with a black hole in the centre of my workshop, where all the tiny bits I’ve spent ages making suddenly leap from my fingers into this bottomless infinity?

Please say I’m not alone in the model-makers universe!

  Ever searching

Eric

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

I have one of those, somewhere in the tray beneath my lathe.  It’s selective though, doesn’t eat swarf (chips), only small bushes and pipe nipples I’ve just parted off!

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

I did some carpet crawling in the past few years. Funny to say but i think bad eyesight contributed in not finding what i dropped. I bought 3 sets of reading goggles. It helped but the dark pit still swallows up my micro spares. I totally agree Billysugger. Working on a small bush just to see it jumping away when parting it off

Regards all

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

Yes I also have a black hole in my shavings tray under the lathe. What I have done to keep the tiny fittings from jumping into the black hole is to make a peice of rod that fits loosly into the fitting and this is clamped into the chuck of the tail stock and as the part is turned off it slides onto the rod and not falling into the black hole of shavings.

[ARTHUR COLLETTParticipant @arthurcollett48040]

Hi Guys

hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Mabe something usefull under the tree.

I would like to wish you a prosperous new year with lots of time to contribute to our wonderful hobby. May we all be blessed with good health and tons of love from our spouses, children and friends.

Arthur

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

Hey Guys , Great news, my good freind Arthur arrived at my house to come and see my workshop. It was a beautifull day the sun was shining and the sky clear that was until Arthur arrived! NO LIES, the sky became overcast and as he was about to leave it started raining. Miracles never cease to happen when Arthur is around. I think, with very wet season we are having, I think he was trying to finnish his Hovercraft before visiting me.

ONE OF THE PROMISES THE ANC MADE TO THE PEOPLE WAS THAT EVERY SHACK WILL HAVE RUNNING WATER this year. NOW THEY HAVE WATER RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE SHACKS.

My workshop is getting more and more busy with restorations. First it was the Duke of York, but this had to take the back burner because of the 56 year old Dhow restoration, and next week I am getting another tall ship is also comming for work to restore her damage.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR SHOPS???

Regards Bernhard

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