Paul's Garage Projects

  Plans in PDF format   Notes: The holes for the 6 mm ball bearings should be 5.5 mm in diameter rather than 6 mm.  

 

      Additionally three springs are required. I used 6x40mm compression springs. I put three together in the top and one on the firing pin. The one on the firing pin was cut down a bit and bent to the side, enough so the pin catches the hammer on the way up.

Main body is made from a single piece of round bar taper turned down at each end, then milled flat in the middle on both sides. Drilled and tapped for M6 thread on the short side and counter bored deep enough for the tap to go all of the way to the middle. The counter bore was necessary due to both of my M6 taps having a limited maximum depth. Finished Project The bolt was again turned from a single piece of round stock. Turned to same size as the handle, knurled and then turned and threaded for M6. The hole was drilled in the centre, I then used a piece of tool steel mounted in the mill to slot the angled part of the hole. The slotting didn't come out particularly well so I had to finish up with a needle file - I'd probably just use a file next time. Metric Plans

After using my Chinese mini lathe for a year or so I decided it was time for an upgrade. Most projects involve the lathe and taking tiny cuts on larger stock quickly becomes tedious. I would say that they are great to learn on though, handling smaller projects well (even in mild steel). Anything over 50mm in diameter starts to become a pain. I spent weeks (possibly months) scouring the internet for information on the best lathe for a hobbyist, it was a tossup between the Boxford, a Myford or a Colchester Bantam. The Myfords and Colchesters tend to demand a high price, whereas the Boxfords seem to be cheaper, even for a good example. Although the accessories demand a premium - especially the traveling and steady rests. Shortly after pickup Keeping my eye on eBay and lathes.co.uk for some time, I eventually came across a Boxford MKIII BUD. Originally looking for a lathe with a thread cutting gearbox, such as the Boxford AUD, the lathe seemed too good to miss. Changing the gears manually

Eagle 66 oil can replica. Extra capacity since I ordered the wrong size pipe. Automatic centre punch. Replacement Z axis shaft for WM18 style milling machine.