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I have left the three levers in place even though I have two drill presses. Thinking about it after reading the posts I'll remove all of them. They do get in the way sometimes, especially when using compressed air to cool and blow swarf from the cutter. I have a lever valve on the end of a hose...

You did well, $2250.00 is a lot less then I would have thought you paid. The Logan lathe may be better than the Grizzly lathe you wanted. Sounds like you have a good head start on machining after your shop is built. mike

I believe you can find plans for an offset tail stock accessory at Projects In Metal website. I made one for myself, not as fancy or convenient as the Hemingway product mentioned in another post. I have to fiddle a bit to get an exact offset, might add some type of screw adjustment in the...

Epoxy will surround the bushing and fill the gap. If the bushing is going into a thru hole then tape the bottom so the epoxy does not run out. Tape across the top of the bushing too so any spillage will not enter the bushing ID. Epoxy flows like water, will surround the bushing completely. An...

If the cast iron is thicker than 1/4" then use a drill that bores 60% of the thread. Look carefully at your tap, do the threads look the same at the bottom of the tap as the beginning of the full threads. It is possible to get a new tap that is junk. Also use plumbers cutting oil or another...

I would buy the clamping set. You can also buy separate sizes of studs and T-nuts if needed. I have made T nuts from aluminum stock for lighter duty applications. I hold a Dial Indicator with a T-nut on the mill instead of a magnetic base which often gets in my way. Another use for the light...

I bore the angled hole only. First I cut a wood block slightly narrower than the cylinder and at the angled needed. I'll use an example of some of Elmer Verduz 's engines which use a 16-1/2° angle. If the cylinder is 1" wide the wood angle block is cut to 15/16" or so thick. I cut the block on...

Is your endmill center cutting? I had similar problems til I realized the long cutter I had was not center cutting. Mill with a regular length cutter ,switch to the long one. Make sure the long cutter reaches the bottom of the slot in one pass. Looking at the pic the cutter may not be center...

I wanted another oil can but decided brass was a waste of money. I made the body from 2" PVC schedule 40 pipe. I had a 2-1/2" diameter piece of Acetal I used for the base and a smaller diameter for the top. The internal parts were aluminum and brass. The tubes were copper. After turning the...

James, I made the advanced grinder rest by Harold Hall. Turned out very well with a few changes. He calls for a slot cut in the shafts so a screw driver can hold the shaft while tightening the lever. I did this at first, then milled the round head to a rectangle .The shaft then fit between the...

Hard solder, sometimes referred to as silver solder. Takes heat well and if done well won't come apart. I like the idea of making the cylinder out of the solid even more than hard solder. mike

#7 drill is fine up to 1/4" thick steel. Drill with #3 for 60% and the tapping goes easier. You will still have plenty of thread depth. Irwin/ Hanson drills and taps are of good quality, not the highest but fine for most applications. I usually buy Cleveland taps as replacements. Greenlee is...

I usually buy from MSC, Enco which is MSC now and McMaster Carr. MSC often has free shipping if you buy over a certain amount. I used to buy from Online Metals but stopped because of the shipping fees. mike

Sometimes banding can get in the way, like drilling close to an edge. Then I use the Styrofoam popcorn or whatever it's called that comes with packaging installed between parallels. This works up to about 1" wide stock. mike

I understand the drawing but it makes a simple piston a PITA. I would turn the piston from brass or bronze and cut a groove in the center for a Viton ring. I did this today, the piston is .874 and the groove is .096 wide and the same deep. You can fasten the piston to the rod several different...

Instead of plastic gears have you seen the pulley and belt systems that LMS sells and some members have built themselves.The two step pulley is aluminum and the belt is a vee belt if I recall. I replaced my geared mill with the pulley and belt 5 years ago. So far I have replaced one belt and...

Rick and Arnold, thanks a lot.Now the symbols make sense to me. mike

I am making the Grasshopper engine. The drawings have unusual symbols that at first thought were sections or details. They are letters, SC,P,B etc. I tried googling "machine drawings" but could not find any info like these symbols. One particular symbol "B" is shown at the crankshaft where the...

Lacquer is what manufacturers use on brass hinges ,doorknobs etc. I use a spray can where possible. On a model the finish should last as long as the lacquer isn't scratched off. mike