Model Engineers' Workshop - February 2017

In this month’s issue of Model Engineer’s Workshop we have an excellent article on how to make your own Wishbone Sharpener for small drills with Jacques Maurel’s new and very practical design.

If you have a long-cross slide Myford 7 lathes why not fit this useful rear Quick Change Tool Post described by Roger Vane. Lathe owners will also find Mike Haughton’s article on Chuck Backplates useful.

Owners of a popular milling machine will find Phil Dawe’s counterweight mechanism for an X2 mill a great boon. Laurie Leonard’s description of fitting a variable frequency drive to both a lathe and mill has something for everyone!

In It’s Model Engineering Jim, But Not as We Know It! join Neil Wyatt and explore the potential of 3d printing with a Dremel 3D40 Idea Builder.

Other practical projects include an improved tool height indicator - make a dial reading tool height gauge with this design from Warren Jacobs.

John Ashton concludes his how-to article on making universal screw modification fixture.

Mike Cox revisits his modified grinder, adding even more improvements.

A fascinating insight from the 19th century is given by the original patent drawing for a scissors knurl – with three wonderfully drawn variations any of which could be made in the home workshop.

In a handy application of theory to a real workshop problem, Roderick Jenkins leaps out of his bath to explain how a bowl of water can help you tell two metals apart.

Finally, Stephen Wessel looks in detail at making more unusual patterns in his second article on making complex castings.

On the Cover

This month’s cover shows Nick Thorpe’s rather splendid Boxford CUD lathe, the subject of this month’s One Man and His Lathe