The Offcial Machinist Thread: Revised 01/04/2014

[Gippeto]

Opens the door to a great many options J...you WILL like it.

Hope you have a dial indicator.

Using two chuck keys on opposite sides greatly speeds centering.

[wyz2285]

I-m planning on buy a self centering 3 jaw and independent 4 jaw.
for a non/self centering chuck how can I place something precisely in the center?

[jrrdw]

I-m planning on buy a self centering 3 jaw and independent 4 jaw.
for a non/self centering chuck how can I place something precisely in the center?

I like the way this guy explains it.

[youtube][/youtube]

[mako]

Question for you machinists ( I'm not one myself)

Has anybody here built their own lathe from scratch?

I haven't the cash to spend on a commercial metal lathe, but I've seen some plans for building your own small one.

It wouldn't have to be fancy, just more accurate that turning stuff on the drill press, and hopefully enough to turn aluminum fairly well.

[Brian the brain]

It'll cost you more to make one than to buy one.
and you'll never achieve the same results.


The cheapest models will give you better results that anything you try to make unless you throw a lot of money at it wich defeats the purpose.

Somewhere between the cheap improvised method and buying a lathe is a solution called JSR.

Need just a few parts made?
Find somebody to make it for you.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

^ what Brian said, verbatim! ^

[Gippeto]

This may be of interest....or may turn you completely off. Lots of work.


http://www.isobevel.com/gingery_lathe1.htm

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

This may be of interest....or may turn you completely off. Lots of work.

Basically if you're doing it out of interest and have too much free time, go for it. If you're doing it to save money, not such a good idea.

[jrrdw]

This may be of interest....or may turn you completely off. Lots of work.


http://www.isobevel.com/gingery_lathe1.htm

That be great if you went back to the 1800's with todays knowledge...

[mako]

Yeah, I'd seen that plan while browsing about. Not completely beyond my powers, but it would be more of a *TSIICDI than a money-saver.

I've found small bench top metal lathes on craigslist for around 200+-, so I guess I'll just save up for one. That could take a while.


*TSIICDI -To See If I Could Do It- I do stuff like this a LOT. For instance, installing linux on a 15 year old computer just to see if I can make it run any faster. 8)

[wyz2285]

I remember seen a couple on intractables, basically an aluminium base and a electric drill plus slides and screws. I don't think it's more powerful than a drill press through.

[T_Money]

I would like to get into machining. Anybody know where I could get a hobby milling machine? So far I only have a drill press, a lot of woodworking tools, a small lathe, and all of the welding machines imaginable.

[ramses]

(assuming US)

Grizzley, Harbor Freight, Craigs List, local industrial surplus. Hell, I think you can buy a mill on amazon with prime shipping.

[wyz2285]

I need a dial indicator. Found the cheapest one for 90euros
Any good advises about eBay indicators？ I'd prefer a digital one because of the easy reading and metric display, is 0.01 mm enough or I need 0.001? The price doubles from one to other.

[evilvet]

The cheap Chinese digital ones are not accurate at all, they can vary +/-1mm or more between measurements; I know because I started out using them. The capacitive type suck most of all due to variance based on battery state.

Spend the money and get a quality dial type or even better a vernier caliper but if you go vernier keep a pocket magnifier handy