Quite a few questions...Polishing, laser cutting, torches and drilling...

Hi there

I've got quite a few questions if anyone can help! I'm setting up a new, bigger workshop and wanting a bit of advice on best equipment to buy that I don't currently own (or have enough knowledge of)...

I'm looking to get a little barrel polisher and also a magnetic pin polisher too...neither to be really expenisve or very big ones, but is it a good idea to get both? I've been looking at the Cooksons; Evans-Double-Barrelling-Unit-Including-2-Rubber-Lidded-Barrels-prcode-999-002 (which I think someone on here is actually selling 2nd hand!) along with this magnetic pin barrel one; acatalog/info_PE238_6 from Suttons.
Wondered if these are any good, or any other suitable suggestions?

I'm also looking at getting a pendant drill. I use one at work which i've forgotten the name of, but think probably quite expensive, a German company I think?! Wondered if Dremel was any good? Or again, any suggestions welcomed. Wanting it to use for drilling, buring, polishing etc...

Next up, torches. I use a large torch at work, and a tiny pen torch at home, so looking for something inbetween. I have enough space for gas canister now, but just unsure on the whole thing as i've never purchased before. Or if there was a handheld devise that was more powerful than a pen torch that'd be useful (my current tiny torch can't make bangles for example, only tiny pieces). Been looking at the Cooksons: Proxxon-Microflame-Burner--Hand-Torch-prcode-999-7703, but that's only because I have no real clue about buying bigger with canister. I find them a bit daunting, so any advice here would be much appreciated!

Lastly, i'm looking at getting silver discs cut and designs cut out of them, maximum might be 2mm thick... would laser cutting be the best approach rather than casting and cleaning? If so, could anyone suggest a list of reliable names?


Sorry for the question overload, I probably should have done these as seperate threads! Any help would be really appreciated, thanks very much!

PS. Sorry, it' won't let me use web links yet.

Hi Daisy.
If you get a barrel polisher, I'm not sure you would need another machine as well. The two considerations are ease of opening and closing the lid (probably opt for rubber) and the quality of the shot (mixed stainless steel including needles). This was discussed here last year if you put 'Tumbler' and 'Barreling' into the search box above.
For pendant drill most members go for the Foredom. Again you can search past posts. The disk thickness seems a bit over the top to me. perhaps you can explain that a bit more. Regards, Dennis.

Hi Dennis

Thanks for all your help. I'll have a look into those pendant drills just now. Any torch advice you have would be much appreciated too!
At work we have a large barrel and also a small magnectic pin polisher...the barrel does polish but I always assumed that was more for scratches and cleaning then the pins for a final, more intricate polish. But if you think just a barrel would do the trick then I guess it's best to start with that first and see how I get on. Thanks! The discs i'm wanting would possibly need to be 2mm thick, and the maximum Cooksons do is 1.6mm. I was just wondering if anyone knew of a good laser cutters where i could send sheet to and get these cut, with designs out too?

Thanks again, much appreciated!

Hi Daisy, in the same situation (buying my own equipment) a few years ago, I was advised to go to Machine Mart and get a sievert plumbers torch set, it has a couple of Meters of hose, regulator, torch handle and comes with a large 2941P head (good for torch melting), I then bought from Cooksons the 3939P torch head and a small 8631C head from Suttons. The propane canisters can be bought from a variety of places builders yards are sometimes cheaper than B&Q but that is what I did and it is fine. Also if you ever get a rolling mill then a bench grinder pedestal from the same place does great for a stand, bolted to the floor would be ideal but to a piece of ply that you stand on is good too.