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Ha ha! Yup. I only took an interest in this through restoring a cipher machine at Bletchley Park, the SZ42. This was essentially a teletype, or punched tape reader driven unit that produced real time cipher at 80 baud. That was an impressive number in 1942.

Camelia oil. I have a pump spray, and a felt wiper. Bought probably 15 years ago and still plenty left. Still available from Axminster https://www.axminstertools.com/camellia-oil-pump-spray-bottle-510018 https://www.axminstertools.com/camellia-oil-applicator-300317 Works great and easily...

That is a real animal of a bandsaw. The important thing in accurate bandsawing is a stiff frame - and that looks like a seriously stiff frame. Apparently Metalclad's key skill was steel casting, so the frame is probably solid steel. Hope your workshop floor will handle the weight, and you have...

I've used NLS in the past, but thanks for the heads up for Tuffsaws - they look like a great and knowledgeable company with a very wide range of product.

Yes - I accept that. A dovetail saw needs very little set to cut a narrow kerf.

That is true for crosscut saws. For dovetailing, you are going with the grain, so rip cut is the better choice - and it is easier to file.

Our old dimmer was failing, and put out horrendous electrical noise. Replaced it with a Varilight. A three way, in which I replaced one with a push switch. The two dimmers control the ceiling lights, and the push switch the non-dimmable work surface lights. Expensive, but works a treat, and...

Agreed. I hadn't looked as far as the shipping tables. I think the problem is that shipping flammable materials needs a significant paperwork burden, and that is what punches up the price from Euro10 to Euro33. Plus VAT (payable in Germany) so it should not be hit with any import charges; but I...

These guys Hammerl GmbH & Co. KG Geigenlacke sell 99% ethanol (with 1% MEK). 1 litre for Euro 6.95.

Same here. Or if I decide to do something different, finishing spirit. That is ethanol with a small amount of shellac added. Fiddes do that in 1 litre for about £18. Wow that has shot up in price! I bought 5 litres quite a long time ago, and can't remember it being the current price of ~£75...

Well yes we can all personally do better. And I'm sure that courier company staff don't go to work each day hell bent on doing a bad job. But having had thee packages now sent back to sender half way around the planet (always Parcel Farce), and crush a Torkmek T7 so badly that the frame, and...

TNT - Tomorrow Not Today Almost like MacBeth: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in the petty pace, from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time.

There are too many torrid horror stories to mention. The most recent was the Post Office. A small package from the West coast of the USA. Not delivered. Tracking said "Return to sender, address incorrect". The sender sent an image of the customs form, which was absolutely correct. But once it...

I learnt from a guy in Ross on Wye. He's alas moved away and retired. Because of (self-employed) work commitments, I could only do two or three days every few weeks. But that accrued a couple in months in total. I would drive from near Abingdon in Oxfordshire to Ross each day, which involved...

Supply and demand. At the moment it is very clearly a sellers market - where demand outstrips supply - so prices increase. We have the same problem buying hand tools (look at the hand planes section on Axminster) - the vast majority are out of stock; demand has very definitely outstripped...

In a sense I prefer non power tool use if I can get away with it. Now don't get me wrong - I have a bandsaw, planer/thickesser, router table and radial arm saw. But for precision mitres I either use a shooting board with 45 degree attachments (both ways), and also a mitre guillotine. The...

PM (much earlier) regarding square edge jig

The Adria dovetail saw please. PM on its way.

Paypal split from eBay in 2014/15. Sellers now get proceeds (less eBay fees) paid directly into their bank account. The only bit that goes through Paypal, curiously, is the shipping cost. But yes - always link Paypal to a bank account. Everything that has been said about this strange £500...

I alas don't have room in my single garage workshop, otherwise I'd jump on this. I think that was the same as we used at school in the late 60's early 70's. Fine looking machine.