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The dilema continues. Here in Australia there is not a great deal of choice and the freight costs from US are ridiculous. Basically the choice has come down to Vertex and Shoba (a knock off of the Vertex made in India) I would appreciate any comments by members who have experience with these...

Thanks Matt, they do look very well engineered. I have since found that Enco have the PhaseII on special, these seem to get a good revue, but I must admit the one you have suggested looks better. KenM

??? Sorry, for yet another discussion on rotary tables. I have read as many threads as humanly possible and am getting a little confused. I would like to purchase a rotary table for my Optima BF20L Vario Mill (see also Axminster thread). It would appear that a 6" table would be the recommended...

:bow:Bob (Maryak) Thanks for the tip on the drawbar problem I had, for me, a great day and am quite chuffed with the success of the operation today. ;D Whilst not being able to use the two nuts locking technique due to the desighn of the machine, it gave me sufficient idea to make a drawbar...

Thanks for that Bob. Again the simplest solutions are obscured thru the complications of my brain matter. Cheers KenM

Hi, I have just purchased the same machine. (See "New Toy") Here in Australia it is sold as the Optimum BF20L Vario, cost including tax is $1,540 this includes the very well built stand. I was surprised to see that they have updated the switch panel to a touch pad membrane type, very...

Thanks for the very encouraging remarks. Paolo, thanks for the tip about the plastic gear/s, a couple of sales agents told me that for a first mill this was not a bad feature because if I stuff up the worst I can do is wreck a plastic gear and not cause more expensive damage to the mill. As for...

Very pleased to have the other half of the "essentials for hobby" arrive today. It is a Optimum BF20L Vario Mill. With the very limited space I have at the end of the garage it took some planning and a not so quick readjustment to my steel work bench to fit it in. Now all I have to do is work...

Hey Marv, How come the simplist solutions are the most difficult to figure out? ??? Now, why didn't I think of that?? ::) Folding b%&$#@y workbenches and under the car type. Thanks for ANOTHER project, as if I haven't got enough already. ::) KenM

8)It would seem that a great number of us newbies have the same problem. I am trying to set up a neat little workshop at the end of my garage. (Neat - now my wife would like to see that!) the room I have is 6'x7'. I have managed to place the new 9x20 lathe lengthways along the garage wall and...

Hi, I also have just finished the EZ engine and am feeling 10feet tall. Looked on this site and have downloaded the plans for the River Queen Engine also. I have doubled the scale and finished the flywheel, shaft and crank. I can see the limitations of my experience and tooling, am about to...

Hi Mark, :) Speaking of reamers, I received the set I ordered and quickly made up the following stand. Cheers KenM

ky1duck Another wEc1 from Australia. KenM

wEc1 Solver, Another newbie here from the Land down under. Cheers KenM

Welcome Justin, Can't say much, other than your project is something I dare not even dream about. Called the wife in to look at your loco, and we are now in shock. Will send the doctors bill to you eventually. Cheers from the other side of the world. Tasmania. (Look it up) KenM

wEc1 John. I am new myself and find this site helpful, friendly and veri informative. So from the "land down under the land down under, Tasmania" Welcome. KenM

;D Fred, Finally found your site. Hey, that's looking good and working with stainless is so hard. I am a yachtie and know how tapping into that stuff is deadly. The shine on your flywheel is "wicked" how do you get that sort of finish? You made your valve out of brass, whereas I used a 1/4"...

Hi all, Freddie, have a look at the photo on the previous page of the block in the vise, that's the standard I started out with. I had a quick lesson on how to use the 4 jaw chuck, during this operation I also learned about what I now call "carriage creep" when trying to face the block flat...

Still going and loving it. ;D Had a good day at the office today, see photos. After trying one idea on the first flywheel I decided to make another with a little more width which should give me more weight, hence more inertia. I think the brass flywheel would be superior, but cannot figure...

??? I'm not sure if it's me or the drawings???? In the instructions on the flywheel it clearly states"Drill the center of the flywheel with a 15/32nds drill and follow it with a .025 inch reamer." Now if my maths are correct 15/32" is a lot larger than what a .025 inch reamer is going to...