An old fart needs help setting up shop in a remote location on a boat.

T

TQA222

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I live on a sailboat in the Eastern Caribbean. I visit the USA every year usually in February to go skiing and plan to organize my purchases to be consolidated in Miami and transported down to Grenada by a commercial shipping line. I would like some help to make sure I am starting off with everything major I need to complete my first two projects. Why well there are no places to buy this sort of kit in the islands and the postie/UPS/Fedex have a hell of a job finding me as I wander up and down through the islands.

These are my projects

I STUART TWIN OSCILLATOR a twin cylinder 'wobbler' steam engine.

II The Whittaker Firefly 46 a single cylinder glowplug engine. Possibly a bridge too far but we shall see.

This is what I plan to buy to get started. Please tell me if I am making any NOOB mistakes or missing anything critical.

My shopping list.​

7 x 12 mini lathe footprint is 27 ¾ x 8 ¾ Harbor Freight $450 with coupon. My work bench is only 30 inches long so this is the largest that will fit
4 jaw chuck plus studs and nuts to mount.
Drill Chuck, 1/2" with 2MT Short Arbor
Set of center drills I have a set of good drills
Milling Attachment Package, Mini Lathe
Dial Indicator and Magnetic Base
0-1 inch micrometer
Electronic Digital Caliper, 4"
Cutting fluid 2 types
11 PCS 5/16“ CARBIDE TIP TIPPED CUTTER TOOL BIT CUTTING SET METAL LATHE TOOLING OR [ maybe AND ?]

Grizzly H5871 - 8 pc. HSS 5/16" Mini Tool Set OR

Turning & Boring Tools, 5/16" Indexable, Triangle Inserts 5 pcs

I am not sure about the type of tool to buy as I know very little about tool sharpening and keep reading contradictory advice on tool types and sharpening. I will not be doing large amounts of work and would prefer not to have to make my tools from scratch HSS stock.

Baring in mind that space is at a premium and I would like to avoid having a bench grinder onboard can I get away with a small diamond wheel mounted in an arbor and spun in the chuck for sharpening. I know about using dust shields. Maybe there is a better option.

OK FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS I HAVE ADDED

Lathe spares kit
Taps and dies the wobbler will most likely use that peculiarly British BA format so a set of those plus some small Metric taps for the Firefly.
Set of small files.
Small vice 3 inch Harbor Freight
 
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What kind of boat ? I will def go along with you don't want a bench grinder , too messy but the time will come when you need one so I would look into a nice vacuum set up . So for sure go the insert way plus some taps and dies , some files and a good little bench vice . I know I'm leaving out some stuff .
 
The boat is a New Bombay Trading Company Explorer 44 which comes with taps and dies a shop vac but no vice.

IMG_2496.JPG
 
Looks like you are living the dream, Old Fart!
 
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OK FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS I HAVE ADDED

Lathe spares kit
Taps and dies the wobbler will most likely use that peculiarly British BA format so a set of those plus some small Metric taps for the Firefly.
Set of small files.
Small vice 3 inch Harbor Freight
 
TQA222 said:
I do have a separate 25 inch bench which will need a vice and just maybe a small drill press.
Click to expand...

If you are open to a Drill press, then you might consider upgrading to a Mini Mill. You could also then drop the lathe milling attachment and put the $ towards a Mini Mill.
Grizzly, Little Machine Shop and HF all sell configurations of the Mini Mill.
 
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