When delicate stuff has to be done with something HEAVY ?

Spring balancer mounted to an arm with two joints. Although, you've got plans now, so maybe nevermind. Lol
OK, would that be where a spring takes up the role of counterbalance?
There is, of course, the need to be able to balance it along it,s length so it sits level. The gadget used under car engine joists can adjust to move the suspend point so it ends up over the centre of gravity.
 
Funny you should say that! :) There is a huge pile of good scraping info on the "other" site, among it the sentiment that scraping is now the more and more a skill kept alive by "hobbyists". The pro's just junk the amortized machine, and look forward to the new latest and greatest. There are good folk there too, but sadly, it did not take long to come across unpleasantness.
Indeed. And that's why I view it like a shark tank, cool to look at but I don't want to stick my hand in there. If you want to get bit just say the distasteful words "hobbyist" or "import" and observe, like blood in the water. Increasingly my impression what passes for a machinist is more like a CNC machine tender than an actual machinist of old. So not only are "hobbyists" keeping scraping alive, they are keeping the skills and knowledge of manual machining alive.

I recently saw a vid on YT that was saying restaurant workers were getting paid more than machinists...it's why the Luddites movement happened. When the weaving machines started into the mills the employers didn't want to pay the craftsmen what they had to pay them before because the machines were doing the work. They were only tending the machines. I guess I'd be grumpy too :)
 
OK, would that be where a spring takes up the role of counterbalance?
There is, of course, the need to be able to balance it along it,s length so it sits level. The gadget used under car engine joists can adjust to move the suspend point so it ends up over the centre of gravity.



I'm thinking like this. Forgive the artistry "skills". You could mount it on an overhead trolley as well for greater positioning freedom.
 

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I'm thinking like this. Forgive the artistry "skills". You could mount it on an overhead trolley as well for greater positioning freedom.
Wow, I didn’t know they made them so strong! I was given one that used to be used for air tools on a bench. It is incredible for balancing my angle grinder for doing detail work. Back when I was fabricating for a living I could hold up my 4 1/2” Makita grinder all day. Now I’m not doing it all the time it no fun. But the balancer is a beauty. I made a small jib crane for my welding table and that’s where the balancer lives. It also doubles as the overhead hanger for my Foredom.

Once you get a balancer set up you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.
 

I'm thinking like this. Forgive the artistry "skills". You could mount it on an overhead trolley as well for greater positioning freedom.
OK - so using one of these spring balancers instead of a counterweight effectively halves the load on the overhead support. That's good! :)

If what it holds up is the centre of the @rabler style (say wooden) beam, and the two short straps going to the straight edge hang from that, set apart by approximately the Bessel distance, it can still be moved about at will.

The straight edge tool can be raised or lowered at as needed, and when let go, it stays put, as if gravity is cancelled.
Length-ways, it can be tilted either end up, though when actually working, it would be horizontal.
It can be rocked on it's axis, but again, normally sat with measure face downward.

I do like this! :) There remains the little plan to have end support rests to set it down on between spotting, or hold it somehow, turned over, the better to be cleaning off, wiping, and laying on blue ink with the brayer roller. I am not sure one wants to be inking it from underneath - upside down.
Thanks very much for the suggestion!
 
Indeed. And that's why I view it like a shark tank, cool to look at but I don't want to stick my hand in there. If you want to get bit just say the distasteful words "hobbyist" or "import" and observe, like blood in the water. Increasingly my impression what passes for a machinist is more like a CNC machine tender than an actual machinist of old. So not only are "hobbyists" keeping scraping alive, they are keeping the skills and knowledge of manual machining alive.

I recently saw a vid on YT that was saying restaurant workers were getting paid more than machinists...it's why the Luddites movement happened. When the weaving machines started into the mills the employers didn't want to pay the craftsmen what they had to pay them before because the machines were doing the work. They were only tending the machines. I guess I'd be grumpy too :)
some of those guys are truly gifted as well at CNC. They are dealing with real machinist issues as well. Just different.
 
Funny you should say that! :) There is a huge pile of good scraping info on the "other" site, among it the sentiment that scraping is now the more and more a skill kept alive by "hobbyists". The pro's just junk the amortized machine, and look forward to the new latest and greatest. There are good folk there too, but sadly, it did not take long to come across unpleasantness.
The unpleasantness seems to be a pattern in the every day discussions.
It’s unfortunate as there are plenty of seasoned pros on the site.
 
The unpleasantness seems to be a pattern in the every day discussions.
It’s unfortunate as there are plenty of seasoned pros on the site.
I am happy to read away through their (quite extensive) threads of good information that have built up, but I don't post to the site. I have noticed there is now some push-back from their professional members who are starting to take the troll types to task. There is increasingly less tolerance of opinionated nastiness. That's good! Even so, I can tire of having to skip past such exchanges to get back onto the real thread - if it ever does get back.

This HM site is the place where I know I won't get any unmannerly responses, even if I do something really stupid, or have to ask about stuff starting from a position of complete ignorance. The worst that can happen is some comedy. Also, over time, one can get to know other members to the point I am pretty sure that if you put a whole bunch of them into a room with refreshments, all that would happen is a party with animated discussion of things machine-related.
 
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