Ah that sounds like a wonderful gift from your husband!
What type of bikes are you into? This is from my life many moons ago…
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I am into staying on mine, but that might have been fun when I was younger…
Rob - currently riding a KYMCO 150i, previously owned S90, Moto Guzzi 1100, Piaggio BV 200, Kymco 300 and an electric bike that I love.
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I got a small drill press, a new Swiss pattern file, and a neck reset on my 1973 0-16 NY Martin.
Don
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Great taste!
I just got a couple new files. Man I needed them!
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I don’t know if this qualifies, but I ordered a new pair of prescription safety glasses towards the end of December. I got them from Zenni.com. I love Zenni! Progressive bifocal safety glasses for $107 including shipping. They even look okay. On top of that I’m encouraged to wear safety glasses all the time because I see better with them than without them.
Cheers!
Jeff
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That’s a great deal! I’m just in readers but I foresee needing more help in the future.
If you’re wearing readers, they make safety glasses with magnifiers. I used to wear those as my go-to safety glasses. They’re pretty cool and not too expensive, if you need a reader and safety glass combo. You can buy them from most jewelry tool companies, amazon, etc.- basically all over the place. Here’s some from McMaster Carr which I think are a nice quality. Another option to consider.
Jeff
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Great thinking. It’s definitely a new world wearing glasses. I’m just glad I get some years with glasses before hearing aids. Which I’m sure aren’t far behind due to construction noise in the past.
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What kind of drill press and where did you get it? Have you been happy with it?
I bought the very basic, very small, in expensive press from Rio Grand. I bought it based on size, and price mainly. It drills 3/32 holes alright.
I have gone through a good many hole punches putting holes in 20ga. Sterling so I am trying a press instead. Much of my issue is not with the tools but what I am capable of manipulating with my hands. So the press is my next experiment.
I am pleased so far with this one. I think Rob has one from Harbor Freight that he is happy with.
Don.
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I actually have two presses. One from HF that I bought for around $60 years ago and it does what I need doing. The other, also from HF, is larger and I use it to sharpen Lindsay gravers. I turned a 1/2" bolt into an arbor and mount diamond discs with the grit facing up on the arbor and drive it with the press. The stand that moves up and down the center post can be positioned so that I get the .5" difference in height between the grit surface and surface that the sharpening template moves on. The arbor itself causes a bit of runout in the disc, so I ground a taper into some steel washers that I can rotate on the arbor shaft to dial out the out of round. All in all, it works well. What I really want is a TW Design power hone, but that will have to wait and the press works fine…Rob
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I got myself a pulsegraver, a faceting machine, some of the benchmate stuff finally, a air cleaning system and some other odds and ends.
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Very cool! That pulse graver looks fun
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There’s a bit more to it than expected but wow it’s incredible. Still struggling w graver sharpening though
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What method do you use to sharpen? I’m happy with the Lindsay templates.
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I’ve tried several ways from books etc, I recently picked up a sharpener angler to use w my faceting machine, but I’m struggling to get the wheels on so so far I’m using my diamond wheel and polishing stones to get by.
Hi,
One thing I learned from the Oppi Untracht Book, regarding using sharpening stones and sharpening gravers by hand, is that you need to use a finer stone after the rough stone, which helps to prevent the graver tip from breaking in the metal…
I was having my tips break off in the metal when raising beads for bead and bright and pave…until I learned this tip…
Julie
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Take a look at the Lindsay system. It is very simple to learn and works. It is designed around a 3/32 square graver, but there are ways to adapt it to other shapes and sizes…Rob
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Definitely get the Lindsay system. Very affordable, very easy. Great results.
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