Machinists ?

[KeithTurk]

I'm not one... but theres a couple of tools in my shop that resemble machine tools... anyone else in here enjoy making parts on a milling machine or a lathe?

Both of mine are totally manual and don't even have DRO's... though I really want to put them on the milling machine...

In any case it would be nice to know whos got the skill here...

K

[squirrel]

Re: Machinists ?

I wouldn't call what I have "skill", it's more of a hit-or-miss operation.

It's definitely fun to play with machines.

[KeithTurk]

Re: Machinists ?

I'm totally in love with the Lathe... I can't believe I could make anything before I got this thing... amazing little toy it is...

Jim why am I not surprised you'd be skilled with these things...

K

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Machinists ?

I'm not very artistic so I'd love to see the damage/horror/creation I could do with some milling and lathe machines. But I'm still dreaming of getting a bench grinder and a drill press :-\

[squirrel]

Re: Machinists ?

Because I'm a curious guy, I have to know how to do everything and understand how everything works...maybe?

[KeithTurk]

Re: Machinists ?

that and once we take it apart... we often have to make new things to put it back together the way it should have been in the first place...

K

[std]

Re: Machinists ?

I ran machines before I got into racing. Mills, lathes, grinders, boring mills. When I got on a race team I had to learn how to TIG ond MIG.

Now I machine or fabricate whatever I need.

If I can't make it, I don't need it.

[fabricatordave]

Re: Machinists ?

lathe ,mill,drill press ,plasma cutter (what a mess you can make with one of those) hack saw, grinder,. band saw. there all used to make big chunks of stuff into little chunks of stuff some are just faster than others. lathe and mill are neat .dont have my own but have access to them and some what skilled at them.

[squirrel]

Re: Machinists ?

the nicest piece I ever made, was in 9th grade machine shop class (beginning), we got to turn a piece of 1/4" x 1" steel strap into a lathe wrench. With only hand tools (and the drill press for the one hole). The shop teacher was like 90 years old and said mine was the best he had ever seen.

[sedandelivery55]

Re: Machinists ?

I run a 25" Summit lathe all day long. Built somewhere in the 60's. One drill press I use was "Authorized by the War Dept." in 1945. We've also got three boring mills, a 48", a32" and a 24" table. A surface grinder with a 12 x 36 magnetic bed. All the welders (except a good TIG). We rebuild oilfield valve and pipeline products. The possibilities are endless. I've thought of shortening my rear axles, with a 10 foot bed on my lathe and a 25" swing, no problem. I've got an index table set up to drill any size bolt circle up to 24" in diameter. It helps a little that one of the bosses is a car nut also. He has an original '67 Vette with a 427/4 speed. I'm the only employee lucky enough to get to work on it or drive it. The project has already been ok'd, just need to get to it.

[blu65ramb]

Re: Machinists ?

Yeah, been machining as long as I can remember, grew up in a machine shop, dad owned a small shop and thats how I earned my allowance, running lathes-mills-drill press stuff. I think he paid me a quarter an hour or something. After high school, did a apprentice course in model making, machining-molds-patterns in the aero space arena, wind tunnel model maker. Couldn't think of doing anything else, been a good ride!

[KeithTurk]

Re: Machinists ?

John... your car is an exact testament to that profile of a machinist...

[BigBlockMopar]

Re: Machinists ?

The one thing I really want to have in my garage is a lathe.
The number of times I've been pissed by something I needed made, but couldn't easily make myself at the time really are starting to get at me. Then, when I asked a friend of mine with a lathe to make it, he does a quicky job and I still get something I can't use.

[revolutionary]

Re: Machinists ?

Guess I feel a little spoiled as I own a machine shop but still I long for new toys. Have to say my favorite tool is the vertical mill. We use it and the lathe for all kinds of things like the other day we built a bunch of aluminum spacers that would take the place of the rag joints used in late model 'Vette driveshaft tubes that tend to tear up. People are selling them on the net for $130-150 a piece and we were able to whip them out for about $10 in aluminum and 20 minutes of time each for our friends.

[SpeedZealot]

Re: Machinists ?

ah yes the old, c5/c6 torque tube destruction, a good hook and a poor shifter, will bust one of those in a heart beat. The input shafts make great clutch alignment tools though once the tube explodes. It works way better than a plastic one.