Cross Slide Vice

[Short John Bronze]

This may not be the most robust, industrial strength item but it is well up to the task of holding bits of ship for drilling with my Dremel drill press.
If I had bought it years ago then my previous models might have had aligned, evenly spaced holes in their chain plates an pin racks.

 

[johnv]

I get it. I detest the uneven holes which I drilled for my Constitution belaying pin racks and that is what started a path towards making a CNC mini mill (and drill). See my more expensive and complicated solution at https://shipsofscale.com/sosforums/...-a-mini-cnc-milling-machine.15478/post-411418

 

[Smithy]

Or learn how to use a rule, gently centre punch your locations and practice drilling straight holes with a hand drill? Just a thought.

 

[paul ron]

and jigs r us!

 

[johnv]

Jigs, measuring, centre punching, etc etc are not unknown to me. Age related handicaps unfortunately are. Hence the increasing use of mechanical aids.

 

[Roger Pellett]

Here’s an old time solution, cheap and easy to use. It’s what I call a Step Jig. It works by spacing a pin a given distance from the center of the drill. The hole just drilled is fitted over the pin determining the distance for the next. This same principal works well for other things such as sawing slots for gratings. Cost, probably $0.


First sketch illustrates the problem, second the jig.

A: anchor bolts to drill press table
S: wood guide strip spaced distance W from the row of holes
D: center of hole to be drilled
P: pin of diameter equal to the holes being drilled spaced distance L from D

That’s all there is to it.

Roger

 

[neptune]

Jigs, measuring, centre punching, etc etc are not unknown to me. Age related handicaps unfortunately are. Hence the increasing use of mechanical aids.

G'day John, I agree with you mate, I hav'nt used my mill drill too much, but this last eighteen months its been a godsend,

best regards John,

 

[Short John Bronze]

Two minor additions to the toolbox
The wire gauge is nominally calibrated with (British?) SWG numbers 0- 36 (= 8.23 - 0.193 mm) but has the metric equivalents on the other side and came with a conversion chart. While not as accurate as a digital caliper it is easier to keep handy for quick checks of the sizes of holes needed to accommodate belaying pins, stanchions etc. and confirming the actual size if fine drill bits. It is also useful for checking the profiles of wooden strips from the mixed bundle of offcuts.

I bought the set of broaches/reamers after seeing them referenced in a post (#266) by Smithy. I did not know such things existed before that. Simple, cheap, and very useful. Much better than poking a sequence of drill bits into a hole, finding the one that won.t quite fit and using it as a reamer.

This leads me to wonder: is there anywhere on the SOS forum that lists small, non obvious tools? Clearly most of us have the small saws, tweezers, drills, cutting knives etc that form a basic kit. A list of non-essential but handy items (say limited to <$20) would be an alternative to spotting things on other member's benches. I have bought several items on that basis.

 

[Namabiiru]

This may not be the most robust, industrial strength item but it is well up to the task of holding bits of ship for drilling with my Dremel drill press.
If I had bought it years ago then my previous models might have had aligned, evenly spaced holes in their chain plates an pin racks.

I had set up the exact same rig, but found there was too much slop in the dremel press, not too mention the fact that no amount of fine-tuning was able to get the press perfectly square. Eventually, I bolted the cross-slide to a piece of MDF which I could clamp to the table of a full-sized drill press.