Weekend Puttering

While waiting for the new stepper couplings for the HB2 to arrive, I decided to do a little house cleaning around the shop. After pushing things around for a few hours, and sucking up what debris I could with the shopvac, I figured I should lube the ways on my machine tools. I can appreciate a one shot lube system as I have to do mine the long slow way. I finished and every machine is operating pretty slick now…

I spent a lot of time detailing out the Taig CNC mill. It is still in wonderful shape after all the machining it has done. That is really a great little milling machine in its size and class. I had to fire it up with the MACH3 in control and it wasn’t long before I was dreaming about the next project I should be running in CNC on that machine. In fact I “air cut” a couple of projects just to give the parts (mechanical and electronic) a little work out. It runs so sweet!

I have added a new Proxxon rotary hand tool to my workbench. I have more than I can handle (literally) but there is always room for just one more. This new tool is the Proxxon Micromot 50/E low voltage rotary hand tool. This is the first one of the 12-18 volt tools I have tried and I am amazed!

I already have and operate the Proxxon IB/E professional 120 Volt rotary tool. It is wonderful and definitely exceeds my two Dremel rotary tools in quality.

The 50/E is about ½ the size and power of the IB/E but is every bit as good. It is lighter, smaller and easier to hold for long periods of detail rotary work. I think I will prefer using it when I don’t need the power the IB/E provides.

I have always wondered about the suitability of purpose the low voltage tools would provide. I think I have just become a believer. There is nothing wrong with the Micromot (Small Motor?) low voltage tools. They are good quality and fill a need where heavier tools would not be suitable. I am certain I will be adding a few more of them to my collection as the need arises.

I like most of the 120 volt Proxxon tools as well. A point I would like to stress is that Proxxon produces a line of high quality hobbyist tools and machines. They are designed for the Hobbyist and model builder market where commercial grade products are just too large or cumbersome. They are wonderful for the professional model maker and professional small handcrafts business as well.

Recently (the last few years) Proxxon has branched into a line of nice metric wrenches and mechanics tools.