metal working lathe/mill
I wanted to get into hobby metal working, something like a small mill/lathe.
Never done to much, but Ive got a lot of time on my hands, I read alot, But I just like an idea on how to get started.
Never done to much, but Ive got a lot of time on my hands, I read alot, But I just like an idea on how to get started.
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quote:Originally posted by 46270
I wanted to get into hobby metal working, something like a small mill/lathe.
Never done to much, but Ive got a lot of time on my hands, I read alot, But I just like an idea on how to get started.
My two main suggestions:
(1) Take a course
(2) Shop eBay
Not trying to sound condescending, but have you thought about taking a couple of classes at a local community college or technical school? I did and it probably saved me a lot of money since I was all ready to buy some really expensive equipment that I realized after I took the courses that I probably would never use, LOL. Plus, it's a good way to make contacts. When I did get ready to go buy some equipment, the course instructor clued me in to some local state surplus auctions as well as went with me to some ads I found in the local "Thrifty Nickel" and kept me from buying worn out crap. Sorta like taking your mechanic to check out a used car you're looking at.
I also picked up some bigger purchases by watching eBay religiously. You can do a search for what you want and sort it by distance/location. I searched within a 200 mile radius and drove a few times out to about 100 miles and then scored big by buying an entire small shop of a guy who died and his daughter had listed a drill press on eBay but "local pickup only". I took my handy dandy shop course instructor with me, he checked it out, I made a good buy, went back the next day with my trailor and two...um..."indigent workman of a certain demographic" I know...loaded it all up and voila!
Anyway, worked for me.0 -
If you are just looking for hobby equipment, look at Grizzly Ind. They have decent equipment that is price fair. They are not as cheap as Harbor Freight or even Enco sometimes, but their stuff is usually a little better quality. They clean up their castings better etc.
Of course if you live by any of the machinery stores, you can go in and compare for yourself. We have a Grizzly and Harbor Freight nearby, so it is easy to get a true comparison.
I bought a little jig bore machine at a local used equipment dealer. He is great about telling the real condition of a machine.
As Paleobrute mentioned, if you find someone that knows this equipment, they can keep you from buying something with worn out ways or other common problems.
Good luck,
Mike0 -
http://wttool.com/
[;)][:D]
Don0 -
I started out using several friends machines. I bought a Bridgeport style mill and an older Leblonde lathe. I watched and asked a lot of questions from real machinists, and I never took a course. But if there is a local school that you could take a course and learn a little safety, and some hands on time at the levers and switches of mills and lathes, that would not be wasted time.
Over time I sold and bought machines. Now I have a newer LeBlonde lathe and a couple of Lagun mills and a Kearney & Krecker horizontal mill. All have digital readouts.
Be prepared to spend half your budget on tooling. Because having a machine doesn't mean you can use it until you have tooling to make chips.
Good luck, and don't be in a hurry to buy machines, some of the stuff out there is junk.0 -
I Agree with taking a course if you can. I have a grizzly lathe,it's ok but it's only going to be a hobby lathe. You have to really work it to hold tolerance. The machines you can pick up reasonable, all the tooling is where you spend some money. 0 -
Back in the eighties, I needed to cut new rims on cases for cartridge conversions and also make some gun parts. I had read about a UNIMAT mini lathe in some gun pubs and watched the paper until some guy in Los Gatos had one for sale. I bought it and taught myself how to run it. I still have it today. The internet makes finding resources so much easier now. 0 -
I did the same thing back in 92. I had worked briefly in a machine shop when I first got out of the Army in 76, always liked it (except production work! .BORING!!!) Anyway back in 92 my Dad died, and when I got home from the funeral my wife presents me with divorce papers (grass was greener on the other side of the fence). SO not to go nutz I decided to do something for myself, went to Jr. college and took a couple shop courses. After that I went out and found a small lathe and had a blast! Still work with metal to this day.
PROBLEM now it most of the Jr. colleges shop courses are set up for CNC production work, and not how to deal with the old manual lathes. So you might have to get that lathe and get a good book on the subject to "self teach" yourself. Well worth it, my $0.02 anyway! Good Luck!0 -
46270 -
I commend you on your desire to learn machining. Working with metal can be extremely rewarding!!
My advice would be to buy a used Atlas / Craftsman engine lathe. These can be had from Ebay, in a variety of sizes. Lathe size is determined by the maximum turning diameter and the bed length. If you are planning on doing barrel work, try to buy a lathe with a 48" bed length. Also, only buy a lathe that is "set up", with chucks (3 jaw & 4 jaw), steady rest, toolpost, and a "quick change" gearbox for feedrate & threading. If it comes with a collet system, and a milling attachment, all the better. These older Atlas & Craftsman lathes can do very good work, and are quite versatile. Also, they will run on 110 VAC power. Ebay is covered with these lathes & attachments. I have had (2) of these, and have been very satisfied.
As for tooling, unless you have a buddy that works at a plant and can "donate" tools, plan on running High Speed Steel. Setup a small lathe for 3/8" square. Grind your own tools on a standard bench grinder.
Mills are much more complex, and expensive, and require a lot of purchased tooling. Some lathe operators will never make the grade as mill operators.
When machining a project, a lot of novices make the mistake of using crappy material. Steel is not just Steel, nor is Aluminum. Choosing a material that machines poorly, or finishes poorly, can be very frustrating. McMaster - Carr sells lengths of materials. They also give a pretty good description of the mechanical properties and machining characteristics of their materials.
You will really need to "hook up" with an experienced machinist (preferably a tool & die maker) that you can call for advice. I've been around machining for over 25 years, including management & production positions, and still have challenges.
Hope this helps,
Greg0 -
lots of good advice here on starting out doing this...look around at the metal or automotive people & you will find something ...just getting hands on & doing it it the best way to learn hobby stuff.. i started out that way fixing farm machinery & now use it mostly for fun...most all of the import stuff is about the same quality from OK to junk but the main thing is to learn procedure...if you can learn to hold tolerance from one direction on a cheap unit when you can afford a nicer machine you will be a whizz....ENJOY 0 -
I really wish I could take a course, but due to my condition I cant.
I did find an Army course on cd, and have a paper copy of thier course. I would just like to learn,and hobby. I saw a multi machine in the local paper, I really came close to buying, but not really knowing what I needed,I did not buy it.0 -
quote:Originally posted by 46270
I really wish I could take a course, but due to my condition I cant.
I did find an Army course on cd, and have a paper copy of thier course. I would just like to learn,and hobby. I saw a multi machine in the local paper, I really came close to buying, but not really knowing what I needed,I did not buy it.
There are a few groups online that would be better suited to ask for info,
yahoo groups has a bunch of metalworking groups, and these is the original rec.crafts.metalworking group where you can pick machinists brains.
Myself I would stay away from a multi-purpose machine, get your self a small lathe to start with, and build from there.
Don0 -
I've had 2 Smithys in the past 15 years. If you're not looking to do anything "BIG", this is the way to go IMHO. Great prices and you can get a 3-in-1 ready to go for <$3K
https://www.smithy.com/products.php?cid=10 -
Brownie,
Take a look around this site:
http://www.jjjtrain.com/vms/index.html
there is a lot of good info there.
Don0 -
thanks guys, the last one hit the mark.
I wish I could go take a class, but before it would be easy.
I cant because of my back. but these helps answer some
questions. I would really really love to take a course.
most of what I plan is hobby related. I had a friend
he took courses, when he retired from the air force, he got
a little job, doing piece work, not what he wanted.
But I'm not kidding myself, its not to go get a job.
I cant have any income.0
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