# Dividing head for Taig lathe/mill



## joe d (Aug 15, 2009)

Hi all

Having choked after looking at the prices of factory-made gears, I've decided that I really need to learn to cut my own. So, I need a dividing head suitable for my Taig mill and lathe. Enter Tony Jeffrees... who has designed just the beastie required (see here: http://www.jeffree.co.uk/pages/divheadmk1.html  )

I've started with the spindle:






Engineering Change No 1: decided that the spindle nose should be threaded 3/4-16 so all my Taig tooling will fit, this necessitated a filing guide to make the hex...(you all know how this goes... need a tool to make a tool to make a tool.....)





And here we are: spindle finished.





Don't touch that dial, more to come!

Cheers, Joe


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## CrewCab (Aug 15, 2009)

Looking forward to this Joe, thanks for sharing 8) ............ good start on the spindle 

CC


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## RobWilson (Aug 15, 2009)

VERY NICE Joe Thm: 
how long did it take to file the hex ?
Regards Rob


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## joe d (Aug 15, 2009)

Thanks CC, Rob: the hex is 1" across the flats, started at 1.20" dia, so it wasn't bad.. half an hour including a smoke and a cuppa. The material is leaded steel, so it cuts (and files) a treat. I will have to keep after it to keep the rust down, well, who said this was low maintenance :big:

Joe


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## Kermit (Aug 15, 2009)

Is that 12L14 really that much easier to work with than the 1018 I'm using? I've got tons(It seems ) of the stuff that are cast offs from work. It appears we don't use any leaded steel in anything we are making. We do use lots of 304, 316, 321, 347, and 4140. The 1018 is always rusted completely over its surfaces, but the 4140 appears to take longer than one to two weeks before it is completely covered with rust. This is Houston weather with 95 degree days at 80% humidity and almost daily rainstorms, 98-100% humidity nights are common after rain in the late afternoon. 

and I'm blabbing without much point.......(maybe I'm getting rusty at small talk  )

my question being how much easier is it to work leaded steel than low carbon steel? 

Kermit


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## mklotz (Aug 15, 2009)

> my question being how much easier is it to work leaded steel than low carbon steel?



1212 is the standard (100%) for steel machinability. 12L14 comes in at an astounding 170%, making it winner of the machiniability stakes.

http://www.engineersedge.com/materials/machinability-steel-aluminum.htm


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## zeeprogrammer (Aug 15, 2009)

I made a crankshaft for the Open Launch engine out of 1018.
Then I tried the same thing for the Horizontal Mill out of 1018.
I failed at that (not because of the metal) and tried again using 12L14.
For me, the difference was astounding.

I don't have much experience but I'm wondering why I would ever use 1018 again.
I have the same question in the Horizontal Mill thread but no answers yet.


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## vlmarshall (Aug 15, 2009)

zeeprogrammer  said:
			
		

> I don't have much experience but I'm wondering why I would ever use 1018 again.
> I have the same question in the Horizontal Mill thread but no answers yet.



Well, I tried to find something online that'd tell you 12L14 wasn't as strong as 1018. I found the opposite. We hardly ever use it at work, and I don't know why. 

http://www.onlinemetals.com/alloycat.cfm?alloy=12L14
http://www.onlinemetals.com/alloycat.cfm?alloy=1018

...sorry for dragging the thread off topic.


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## Maryak (Aug 15, 2009)

Vernon  said:
			
		

> Well, I tried to find something online that'd tell you 12L14 wasn't as strong as 1018. I found the opposite. We hardly ever use it at work, and I don't know why.



Maybe lead and weldability has something to do with it ???

Best Regards
Bob


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## Deanofid (Aug 15, 2009)

Joe, I made one similar to Tony's, and it works great for gear cutting with the Taig. You'll get you're moneys worth out of it!

So, how did you cut the thread on the spindle?

Dean


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## joe d (Aug 16, 2009)

Dean

I've been looking at this for quite a while, been wishing to learn gear cutting both for the sake of learning it and I've got a couple of projects down the road that will require some gears...

As I've not yet made the lead-screw mod to my Taig (need some gears...so we're back to the dividing head ) I cheated, jobbed out the screw cutting to a couple of young fellows 10 minutes down the road from me who are trying to make a go of their machine shop. They not only tolerated me watching them like a hawk, they didn't complain of all the drooling I was doing looking at their equipment.... they set it up in a 4-jaw that weighs more than me, on a lathe bigger than my car, touched up the cutter and cut the thread all in about 10 minutes, probably would have been even quicker if they weren't busy answering all may questions :big: All in all a pleasant experience, they'll get more of my business.

Joe


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## cfellows (Aug 16, 2009)

Interesting project, Joe. I already have a dividing head that I built a number of years ago, but I love following the progress on a well built tool!

Chuck


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## joe d (Aug 16, 2009)

Vernon  said:
			
		

> ...sorry for dragging the thread off topic.



Vernon: It's all metal... it's on topic!

Chuck: We'll see about well-built, but I certainly appreciate your confidence!

A little more done today:

cut and assembled some 2" ali angle to form the body, installed a little indexing strip to keep things aligned on the carriage, turned some bronze bushings





Boring the holes for the bushings





and bushings in place, waiting for the loc-tite to do it's thing





once the bushings are bored to size for the spindle, the whole thing will get cleaned up and polished....

Joe


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## Deanofid (Aug 17, 2009)

joe d  said:
			
		

> Dean
> 
> As I've not yet made the lead-screw mod to my Taig (need some gears...so we're back to the dividing head ) I cheated, jobbed out the screw cutting to a couple of young fellows 10 minutes down the road from me who are trying to make a go of their machine shop.
> Joe



Hey Joe, if ya ain't cheatin', ya ain't tryin' hard enough!

Besides it's not cheating if you don't yet have the set up to do it. After all, you can't make bricks without some mud. 
It looks like this is coming along nicely. Good going.

Dean


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## joe d (Aug 19, 2009)

hi guys

A little more done, finished boring the bushings, cleaned it all up, drilled and tapped the gear for set-screws, and put it all together....









Next up: spindle brake, and then on to something to hold the worm...

Cheers, Joe


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## Maryak (Aug 19, 2009)

Joe,

That's a nice piece of kit. :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## RobWilson (Aug 19, 2009)

VERY NICE,,,,,,,,, Joe :bow:,,, Did you build the boring head too

Regards Rob


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## joe d (Aug 19, 2009)

Thanks, Bob & Rob!

Yes, that's a shop-built boring head as well.  *see here*

So far, I like making tooling...I find it pretty much as rewarding as the projects that I can then build using them.

Cheers, Joe

(PS Bob: can you make that link work? I've forgotten yet again how to do that... :wall: )


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## CrewCab (Aug 19, 2009)

joe d  said:
			
		

> can you make that link work?



Sorted ;D

Nice work Joe, coming along very nicely :bow:

CC


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## joe d (Aug 19, 2009)

CC

Thanks twice :big:

Joe


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## joe d (Aug 29, 2009)

Hi all

In between some honeydo's and going to work, got some more done....

parts for the spindle brake:






and then installed where they belong:





from another angle:





Didn't take any piccy's of constructing these parts, it was all straight-forward milling & drilling.

Joe


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## joe d (Aug 30, 2009)

Got to work on the worm carrier

Needed an off-set boss on the part: no problem with the 4-jaw, but had to add a temporary dead centre (bit of drill rod with a taper on the end) in the drill chuck on the tailstock to leave enough room to move the carriage





Then use the steady rest while drilling and reaming for the gear shaft





then a bit of straightforward milling to form the pocket for the worm





And here it is sitting where it belongs...





Still got a little cleaning and polishing to do, add the oilite bushings, drill and tap some mounting holes....

A question for the learned: what's the received wisdom for attaching the worm to its' shaft: setscrews or through hole and roll-pin?

Cheers, Joe


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## Deanofid (Aug 31, 2009)

Looking really good, Joe. The brass bobs on the end of the brake handle are a nice touch. Good work.

Dean


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## RobWilson (Aug 31, 2009)

:bow: :bow: :bow: very nice Joe, have you finished all your honeydo's :big:


Regards Rob


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## joe d (Aug 31, 2009)

Thanks, Dean. Rob: Honeydo's are like mushrooms.... pick one and a multitude spring up in it's wake :big: ( I know how Sisyphus felt.....)

Joe


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## joe d (Sep 12, 2009)

Hi all

Got some more done...

Made a bit that goes on the worm carrier spindle to hold the actual indexing plate, no photo of that, it was simply turn, drill, tap, and part off. Then got on with something a little more interesting, the plunger and arm...

Turned a bit of brass, allowing enough material in the narrow centre bit to arrive at the desired dimension after parting, drilled all the way through with a No 43 bit for tapping 4-40, then opened it up with a 7/64" to just shy of the knob as clearance for the drill rod plunger.





Made the arm, some straightforward milling and drilling, parted off the brass bits that become the plunger knob, filed matching flats on the top and bottom parts..turned the c'sunk washer that will hold it on the worm shaft





Nothing special here, but I had to post a pic of the BEST silver-soldering job I've ever done!





Here are all the parts ready for installation: The plunger is a little bit of drill rod, threaded 4-40 to fit the top knob, a little brass piece soft-soldered in place as a retainer for the spring, which was culled from a ball-point pen





And here it is where it belongs.....





Nearly done now, just need to make some brass disks for the plates 

Cheers, Joe


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## zeeprogrammer (Sep 12, 2009)

Very nice work. I like those finishes too.
Thanks for posting Joe.


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## joe d (Sep 12, 2009)

Thanks, Zee.

Was able to get back out in the shop after supper, so things have moved right along...

Cut some blanks out of some 1/8" brass, drilled a 1/4" hole more or less in the centre for the little button you see that locates the drilling guide for the mounting holes...





Here's the drilling guide, notice the witness marks, they match the ones on the mandrel I made for turning the blanks, and on the bit on the indexer where the plates are mounted. All these parts were drilled (clearance or tapping size) in the same set-up, so any errors of location will be consistent at least!





Dialled in the mandrel in the 4-jaw, less than 1 division TIR





Turned to size, and here you see that little button back, it's also a plug gauge for the bore to fit over the spindle on the worm carrier... 





And....

Ta-dahhhh





Two more to finish, and then some holes to drill....

Cheers, Joe


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## vlmarshall (Sep 13, 2009)

This is a great thread. I'm really enjoying it. :bow: :bow:


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## RobWilson (Sep 13, 2009)

Coming along very nicely Joe great looking bit of kit :bow: :bow: :bow:

Regards Rob Thm:


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## PhiberOptix (Sep 13, 2009)

Nice ..... Very nice :bow: :bow:
that rearlly does look the biz

but I dont envy you will all that drilling to go

Regards
Andy


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## joe d (Sep 13, 2009)

Vernon, Rob, and Andy:

Thanks for your comments. Andy: I'll bet that deep-down, you really DO envy me drilling all those holes... so, I could send you one of the division plates so you can have some of the fun too.... :big:

Thanks again guys,

Joe


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## joe d (Sep 28, 2009)

Really starting to close in on the end of this project...
made up the sector arms

soldered on a bit brass to form a hub (first try with this new-fangled lead-free solder... works just fine) used a dirty old screw that solder won't stick to for locating the parts





set up on the rotary table with two arms stacked, formed the hub, milled the central hole, rounded the end, the took off the arm with the hub to open up the centre hole on the other arm to fit the hub.(this is where I was several days ago, when I learned that I had not clamped things down well enough. Oh well, the scrap bin was getting low....)





Sawing off the bit that doesn't look like a sector arm...





Set up in the mill to drill and tap for the retaining screw (Using my "Marv Klotz Inspired" sensitive tapping device)





And here we are where we belong. Try to not notice that apparently both 89 AND 90 degrees need a "ten unit" indicating mark on the protractor... only buggered it up once in 360 divisions :wall:





Cheers, Joe


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## CrewCab (Sep 28, 2009)

Brilliant work Joe ;D

I'm with Andy though, I don't envy you all that drilling 

CC


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## RobWilson (Oct 10, 2009)

very nice Joe :bow: :bow: :bow: great job ............. you will have to make a nice oak box to keep it in  

Regards Rob Thm:


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## joe d (Oct 10, 2009)

CC: Thanks, mate. Sorry it took so long to reply.

Rob: Either you're a mind reader or you've been paying attention to the contents of the last PM.... :big:

As a general note of progress: 2 dividing plates all drilled, two to go, and

(WARNING: Mature Subject Matter, not suitable for all audiences
I've started fitting up a box out of that brown organic stuff AKA wood  :hDe:

Cheers, Joe


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## boatmadman (Oct 11, 2009)

This is great work, well done.

I also built a dividing head on my Taig lathe using Tony Jeffrie plans, at the time I had access to a large mill at work, so used a solid ali block.

Unfortunately, due to HSE regs, I am not allowed access to the machine shop tooling any more, so I am in the process of buying a mill for myself.

Anyway, here are some pics of my dividing head and some gears I cut using 0.5 mod cutters.

Ian


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## mhh (Oct 11, 2009)

Looking really good! I've been thinking of doing something like that myself, but I just cant find the time anywere! ;D Really! I've looked all over the place... But no time at all! There is always something else that need to be built first! Hehe


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## joe d (Oct 11, 2009)

Ian: That turned out nice. I've got a taig mill, so cutting the base out of a solid chunk would have taken a long, long time! 

Mads: If you find any of that time, send a bit my way please! Any time I find any here, my wife has me painting another room....

Cheers, Joe


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## CrewCab (Oct 11, 2009)

joe d  said:
			
		

> Any time I find any here, my wife has me painting another room....



I think most of us have that Tee shirt Joe ;D .............. nice to hear your progressing though, the brown stuff ain't all bad btw :big: ;D :big:

Ian ..... again ....... nice work 

CC


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## joe d (Oct 31, 2009)

Hi guys

CC: Since that last post, I've gotten another of those t-shirts... having painted the front room, the hallway needs doing as the colours don't match...

On to the real stuff: finished drilling a bunch of holes, so there are 3 plates with hole circles, 1 as a protractor, and one blank for the few circles I didn't do but will probably need the first time I get this out. The ali bar is for attaching the dividing heat to the milling slide on the taig with a little more head-room






Then switched to wood-working mode:started on a box for it





Here it is finished:





Here's all the parts:





All tucked in where they belong:





And that's it! Now all I have to do is start using it!





This has been a fun bit of work, thanks to everybody who chimed in along the way.

Cheers, Joe


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## mklotz (Oct 31, 2009)

Better make an engraved brass tag with your name and the date for that heirloom you've just created.

Very nice work indeed. Long after you're gone people will look at that and say, "My he did beautiful work.".


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## b.lindsey (Oct 31, 2009)

Joe, the dividing head and plates are beautiful in their own right but that fitted case is truly a crowning touch. As Marv said already...an heirloom indeed!!! 

Bill


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## dsquire (Oct 31, 2009)

Joe

There is nothing more to be said that hasn't already been said. You did a fine job and both the metal and wood work and should be proud of it. That is a treasure that should stay in the family even if they are not into machining. :bow: :bow:

Cheers 

Don


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## RobWilson (Oct 31, 2009)

WOW Joe :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: Top quality workmanship 

Regards Rob


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## cfellows (Oct 31, 2009)

Very nice!

Chuck


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## joe d (Oct 31, 2009)

Marv, Bill, Don, Rob, & Chuck:

Thanks for the kind comments! Much appreciated.

Joe


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## zeeprogrammer (Oct 31, 2009)

Yeah...that was my first thought before I read what everyone said.
Heirloom.
Put a nameplate on it. Take care of it.
Very nice.


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## ozzie46 (Oct 31, 2009)

All I can say is.... :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

 Ron


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## joe d (Oct 31, 2009)

Ron, Zee

Thanks guys.

Zee: I didn't have an M&M, but I did put in a coin for you...

Joe


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## Deanofid (Oct 31, 2009)

Nicely done, indeed!

Dean


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## ariz (Nov 1, 2009)

very nice work, and what a tap of elegance that box :bow: :bow: :bow:


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## gmac (Jan 5, 2010)

Joe

Where did you source the worm & gear; and what specifications? Did you stick with Jeffree's 30:1 ratio?

I'm trying to locate gear suppliers in Canada, but have you had any experience with the US suppliers (Small Part, SDP/SI etc).

I may have enough scrap laying around to start one of these, particularly after looking at the price of gears....!

Thanks
Garry


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## Deanofid (Jan 5, 2010)

Garry, until Joe pops up with his answer;
I've bought worms and gears from SDP in the U.S. I'm in the States, though, and don't know what you'll run into in the way of shipping. All metal gears seem to be kind of spendy, to me, so I make most of what I need, but am not into making worms.

Once in a while I find gears in handy sizes on ebay going pretty cheap. That's how I got the worm and gear for my own dividing head. 

Dean


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## joe d (Jan 5, 2010)

Garry

I did indeed stay with Jeffree's 30:1, didn't (and still don't) know enough about it to start getting inventive! Got them from Motion Industries here in Montreal, you do not want to know what they cost, just don't go there. (Taxes in, $75.00) Sorry to say that I tossed the packaging with the relevant part numbers. I suspect that you would find a better deal south of the border, but perhaps shipping , duties and taxes may eat up any savings. That's proof right there that having your own gear cutting capability is really worthwhile. Once it's time to actually cut some, I will be shamelessly stealing Dean's cutter style, already laid in a chunk of tool steel in anticipation.

Cheers Joe

PS My apologies to Dean and Ariz, I see that I neglected to acknowledge your posts... a rather belated Thanks, Guys!

PPS Dean, you type faster than me.


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## gmac (Jan 6, 2010)

Thanks Dean and Joe! Fast service on this site!!!

I kind of figured they wouldn't be cheap - makes me wonder if I ordered them from the UK...I've had lots of material arrive from there faster than the US....

If I find the holy grail of gear supply I'll post.

Cheers
Garry


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## Deanofid (Jan 6, 2010)

Oh! Don't give me credit for those things, Joe.  
If it's this type you're referring to;






Credit for that type goes to David Creed and J. Malcolm Wild, as far as I know.

If you mean the single point cutters I often use for regular gears;






Almost everyone knows about those, and it's anyone's guess who came up with it.  Put your own mark on it and cut away!

Dean


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## gmac (Jan 6, 2010)

You two know how to connect the dots.....I just spent 20 minutes searching "Dean's Cutter Style" and similar, with no result. Come back here to post the question and there's the answer.... :big:

The cost of cutters is scary too. I think I'll price out some plastic worms and start grinding a single point cutter. I can't seem to get to building projects with all these tooling projects....

Thanks again
Garry


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## BAH101 (Jan 7, 2010)

gmac  said:
			
		

> Joe
> 
> Where did you source the worm & gear; and what specifications? Did you stick with Jeffree's 30:1 ratio?
> 
> ...



I bought gears and a 30:1 worm gear from BC Bearing Supply. It was a few years ago, but the prices were not that bad
Bryan


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## gmac (Jan 15, 2010)

Bryan
Thanks for the heads up about BC Bearings - didn't realize they also handled gears. In searching for their site I ran across an article that they'd been bought - by Motion Industries, the same guys Joe bought his worm and gear from! Strange world.
I've been thru Terrace Bay a lot of times, usually late at night on the motorcycle rushing to get to the gas station before it closes....

Cheers
Garry


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## joe d (Jan 16, 2010)

gmac  said:
			
		

> I've been thru Terrace Bay a lot of times, usually late at night on the motorcycle rushing to get to the gas station before it closes....
> 
> Cheers
> Garry



But have you or Bryan gone the extra mile to go to Hornepayne, which has the signal honour of being MY hometown? (If you have, let me know how it's doing, last lived there when I was 6...)

Cheers from a misplaced Ontario boy!


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## BAH101 (Jan 16, 2010)

Hornepayne, I was there in 2003 wrenching on a helicopter on fires. Everything is slow up here in the far Ontario North, our mill is shut down until May, if it opens at all. I think Hornepayne is in the same boat, along with most towns. Yes, you have to be quick to get to the pumps in Terrace Bay, they even take up the board walks aty dusk and on Sundays, but it is a beautiful quiet place to live. I work in Thunder Bay, so I get the best of both worlds.
And to bring this back on topic, Nice Dividing head build . This was one of the first projects I ever tackled back in 98, built it as per Tony's instructions out of Model Engineers Workshop.
Bryan


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