[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

...

This is a bit of a special / rare one: Borg-Warner

...
Jeroen

Small correction, its the Borgward Isabella. The BMW of its time (although BMW existed back then too!). It used to be the representation of beautiful lines and cleverly engineered car. Had a lot of firsts for its day and the company was known for its employee friendliness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borgward_Isabella

Isabella concept (as shown in IAA 2017 Frankfurt)




and its Original version

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

Small correction, its the Borgward Isabella. ]

Thanks, correct, slip of the pen as they say.
Jeroen

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

A VW Sirocco, not quite sure, it is definitely not the original version, probably a mk 2 or 2?

It is a 1982-1990 Scirocco Mk 2. Not half as pretty as the original but a decent car. Based on the Mark 1 Golf so had lousy brakes (RHD Golfs were bad due to an ineffective set of linkages). I occasionally had the use of one during my university days. For a student, it was ideal, frugal yet a bird catcher!

Morgan, TR7, TR7, MGB

Actually, its Morgan, X1/9, X1/9, MGB

As for Borgward, it has gone the MG way, Chinese acquisition of a defunct brand name

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Actually, its Morgan, X1/9, X1/9, MGB

Quite right and the front one is an American ugly bumper version. These are quite nice rag top sports car. I have worked on them in the very distant past. A very good friend of ours owned one in the early 80’s whilst we lived in Brighton UK.

She did not have much money to spend on the little Fiat. One of the pop up lights failed and the Fiat dealer quoted here something like UKP500 to replace. She was in tears as she could not afford.

I offered to have a look, took the whole unit out. Opened it up and found one diode had blown. Got a new diode for 50 pence, soldered it back in and that was it. Good to go. Working on the engine, as with any mid engine is a bit of a pain due to limited access.

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

I found another nice little Voltmeter for my collection.



Just arrived.
Not quite sure where these were used for. The test lead is fairly short. Not very practical, but I like the way it looks.

Jeroen

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

There is a huge difference in cost of real professional tools and hobby/amateur tools. Most of my tools are pretty decent quality, but not anywhere professional grade.

Would I be right in guessing that you are looking to get a SIEG (or similar) minimill?

Regards
Sutripta

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Would I be right in guessing that you are looking to get a SIEG (or similar) minimill?

Absolutely. I have never come across SIEG here in the Netherlands.
I am looking at these:

https://www.hbm-machines.com/product...esmachinesssub

Any advise/ thoughts what to look for in a good hobby mini mill?
Thanks
Jeroen

[Sutripta]

I guess half the worlds minimills are made by SIEG, rebadged and sold by others. HBM will possibly be that. TIAG, and some others proudly claim that their machines are US made, but I guess economcs mean that these are a vanishing breed.
SIEG have a bewildering variety of models. I think best advice would be from local (Dutch) home machinist forums. I would lay emphasis on the basic quality of the machine (rather than features), and SUPPORT at your place.
A pillar drill with a XY table is NOT a mill.

However from what little I have been able to understand of you, I think you will be happier with a preowned Bridgeport or equivalent. (The Bridgeports were/ are not DIY machines. (The DIY minimill is a fairly recent entry). But should be available for a song. Only issue in a DIY setting will be the space it will take. And most probably have a 3 Phase motor. One warning though. As with all preowned stuff make sure that everything works, and you get all the accessories/ bits and pieces required to make it work. Life is too short to waste on getting old machinery to work).

Regards
Sutripta

PS - Once you start using the mill, you will feel the lack of a lathe. Keep space for it in your mancave!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

I guess half the worlds minimills are made by SIEG, rebadged and sold by others. HBM will possibly be that.

Actually, I am pretty sure of it. Just about everything at HBM is a copy of something else. I was looking at their mini-hobby-drills. Theirs is near identical to my Dremel.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

A pillar drill with a XY table is NOT a mill.

Yes, but here is the thing: Chances are I will be using my mini-drill as a column drill 8 out of 10 times. The other 2 times will be very simple milling work. Stuff I do today with hacksaw and file. Taking a few millimeters of a part. That sort of stuff.

So I feel the simple HBM mini mill models should probably be adequate.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

However from what little I have been able to understand of you, I think you will be happier with a preowned Bridgeport or equivalent. (The Bridgeports were/ are not DIY machines. (The DIY minimill is a fairly recent entry). But should be available for a song. Only issue in a DIY setting will be the space it will take. And most probably have a 3 Phase motor. One warning though. As with all preowned stuff make sure that everything works, and you get all the accessories/ bits and pieces required to make it work. Life is too short to waste on getting old machinery to work).

PS - Once you start using the mill, you will feel the lack of a lathe. Keep space for it in your mancave!

I have been searching the various Dutch second hand market web sites. Every Bridgeport is huge and cost a lot; Euro 3500-5000. I am not saying they are not worth the money, but for my intended purpose it is a bit over the top. Also, to your point, 3 phases required which would require modification to my electrical power too.

I took you advise of visiting a couple of machinist forums, good thought. There are quite a few about, so let’s see what that brings. Ideally I would like to get in contact with somebody who has some real hands on experience and I can go and visit. Sometimes you get lucky. Happened to me when I was researching the epoxy coating for the garage floor too. Within a few days I got invited by a guy that lived only 20 minutes away to come and see his garage and talk “epoxy-floor”.

I am in no hurry. I do realise that once I have one, the need or rather the wish to do more with it is very likely. Same with the need for the lathe. The more tools you own, the more elaborate tools one craves!

Jeroen

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

So I feel the simple HBM mini mill models should probably be adequate

That's a shame. I was looking forward to you acquiring and posting about some magnificent piece of Swiss cast-iron precision!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R38LmgrXzFI

[Sutripta]

Forums with a strong local content will be your best source of information. Nothing I can add to that!

Those who love machine tools will recoil in horror at the mention of multifunction machine tools, but I think those are perfectly adequate for DIY use. Sources will likely be shipbreakers (common enough on ships because of space constraints). Erstwhile GDR used to market one under the brandname 'Hobbymat'. Some traders used to import these into India. More than adequate for DIY use. (Of course the people who used to buy these here used to totally ignore the hobby part of the name, and then complained about it being not upto the job). Anyway, essentially a minilathe with a milling attachment. Oldtimers on the forums should know of it, and similar.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Forums with a strong local content will be your best source of information. Nothing I can add to that!

Those who love machine tools will recoil in horror at the mention of multifunction machine tools, but I think those are perfectly adequate for DIY use.. Erstwhile GDR used to market one under the brandname 'Hobbymat'. Some traders used to import these into India. More than adequate for DIY use. (Of course the people who used to buy these here used to totally ignore the hobby part of the name, and then complained about it being not upto the job). .

Thanks. The hobbymat machine are available here as well. Its true that sometimes these experts go over the top.

I had a discussion with a couple of compressor experts on a car forum. They claimed decades of compressor experience and my HBM compressor was crap. Pointing out that it is only used for occasional hobby use did not shut them up. Until about 10-12 other members weighted in and said they had HBMs as well and found them perfectly adequate and reliable for hobby application.

On the mini drill, what do you think about the option of being able to swing the vertical column either direction? To some extend the same could be achieve by how you clamp down the object I imagine?

It looks good/handy, not sure how useful it would be.

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

Ready to roll! Five days in the Spider touring France!

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

On the mini drill, what do you think about the option of being able to swing the vertical column either direction?

In a drill - fine. Gives versatility.
In a mill - avoid. Like the plague. You have other (proper) options.

Regards
Sutripta

[Jeroen]

Enjoying ourselves in France: This is in front of one the American WW memorials.
Heavy fighting in this area, in particular during WW1.



This is how we usually lunch. We stop at a supermarket, buy bread, cheese, salads etc and stop somewhere along the route



I am just by myself this year, so a bit difficult to do any proper filming. This was a nice straight bit. Every year when we tour in France I am really amazed how little traffic there is on the road. This is Monday morning around 10.00AM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL1LiY8bvtM

Some more WW Memorial and cemeteries. Very impressive, but also chilling. Around Verdun alone 16.000 French soldier are buried.