Recent content by David Morrow

Gail, did you use the cutter like a drill or reamer or as a boring bar ? I ask because I also have some really large end mills that I use to hog out large holes in aluminum. But, with these single flute cutters, I used it like a boring bar with just that single point of contact and the tool on a...

I've been working with carbon fiber (CF) for a recent project and needed to bore out a hole of about 1/4" diameter. CF can be really hard on tools so I bought some diamond cut burrs for my CNC router. When I needed to more accurately bore the final hole dimension, I found that not only did I not...

I see that you are in Canada; me too. I live in Vancouver and we have a local company called Pacific Fasteners in Burnaby. They specialize in stainless steel hardware but I believe they have other metals. I order all of my model sized hardware and larger from them. I do it all by email. They...

Somewhere I read that far too many of us hate pegboard storage in our shops. That might be a bit strong but for those of us who do use it, the holes are often in just the wrong place, not enough holes, and not enough of the right hangers / hooks. And rearranging the board can be a major pain...

No such thing as a silly question. The top picture is from a plan from Brian Law in the UK; he seems to be the most prolific designer and provider of plans. Brian Law Clocks The bottom one is from Clayton Boyer in Hawaii. His tend to be far more varied. Clayton also has some kinetic sculpture...

Over the past few years, I have built a number of wooden clocks. In many respects they are similar to engines; somewhat complex, multi-dimensional, a bit fiddly to access some parts at certain times. I started out by hanging a piece of plywood from the ceiling in my shop and using that as a...

" Just remember that compressed air is as dangerous as electricity and has killed many an unwary engineer due to embolisms and blowing dirt through the skin and causing blood poisoning. " That reminds me of metal shop in high school. I recall, even 50 years later, my teacher admonishing us...

Thanks you for the heads up on the Global Shipping program at eBay. I don't buy much there but that is still a good tip.

14" Swing ? No, I'd say not even close. Before I bought mine I would troll Craigslist from Bellingham down to Seattle ( I live in Vancouver, BC ) and came across them occasionally. Even across the border, a commercial carrier could deliver these days.

I am near the end of building Jan Ridders' Atkinson MK II engine "Wouter" and am at the point where I need to address the igniter and spark plug. The plan suggests a piezo igniter. It appears that the best source is a BBQ igniter. When I looked at these, the push button would seem to require...

It's not so much Duty ( which would likely be 0.00% because of the NAFTA free trade agreement ), but GST and possible PST (depending on province) when arriving in Canada. Additionally, there is often a customs clearance processing "Fee" which should not be mistaken for duty or taxes. UPS loves...

Have you considered a Myford Super 7 ? Extremely well made and thousands of them still floating around out there. Good user base and parts available. I bought a barely used older model for $2500 US about 10 years ago.

It's probably a bit too late but here's my take. With the same issue on my hands, my research came up with the Hitachi / Metabo EC28M Ultra Quiet compressor. As it turns out, it should be arriving on my door step today. The video link below really sold me on it; extremely quiet. Under $200 and...

I'll be interested to hear how you make out; please let us know. I've read that the mist from some sprays can be an irritant so I think the vacuum will help there as well.

Richard, you might also want to consider not just something like the Loc-line but also putting some distance between the lathe and the vacuum. In Canada, we have Lee Valley Tools where I get my clear vacuum lines to run along the walls / ceilings. You should be able to easily find this in...