His new girlfriend.
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Well, knowing that a piece of channel isn't terribly flat I went to it today. I threw it in the vise and milled the two "legs" flat to the top. I then flipped it over with the freshly leveled bottoms and face milled the top (yes, in two passes.... 8-|) flat too.
Oh, of course, I relabelled it.
I also measured the beat up stud today on the stone.
It's about .015" lower than the other 5 points. I can just lay it upside down on the channel and rock it to that side. While that could be taken down it would require removal of that much off the spark plug hole. I can imagine that this isn't the most damaged machining "nib" out there.
I give ya credit for wanting to learn that stuff! I like to watch it being done and I would enjoy using one im sure, but I get into too many things and end up screwing sh*t up(a-arms)! Or not getting my own things done! Keep at it! Practice makes perfect! I:I
This explains part of the back story to another thread I just posted to.
I gotta tell you a story.
I had the privilege to work at a shop with some very skilled mechanics.
I needed to replace rubber bushing on a front control arm. Book said to press them out.
After about 15 minutes of rubbery adventure in the press, one of the experienced boys came up to me and said in a slow drawl:
"You know, if it were my job, I'd burn the bushings off with a torch and and then knock the sleeves off..."
"But the book says to do it this way" I protested. "Suit yourself" he said, walking away.
After another 15 minutes of futzing around with the rubbery shop rocket, I realized I had shrugged off a golden gem.
I returned to the voice of experience and said: "I am so sorry, stuck in my own thoughts, not listening. I am going to try it your way, thanks."
10 minutes later all 4 bushing were off.
Point is, consider your sources of information and follow the most informed and experienced sources.
They can save you a lot of time from having to re-invent wheels.
Listen carefully to their reasons, don't argue, you won't change them, just make sure you got their lesson right.
this was a momentous life lesson for me.
I gotta tell you a story.
I had the privilege to work at a shop with some very skilled mechanics.
I needed to replace rubber bushing on a front control arm. Book said to press them out.
After about 15 minutes of rubbery adventure in the press, one of the experienced boys came up to me and said in a slow drawl:
"You know, if it were my job, I'd burn the bushings off with a torch and and then knock the sleeves off..."
"But the book says to do it this way" I protested. "Suit yourself" he said, walking away.
After another 15 minutes of futzing around with the rubbery shop rocket, I realized I had shrugged off a golden gem.
I returned to the voice of experience and said: "I am so sorry, stuck in my own thoughts, not listening. I am going to try it your way, thanks."
10 minutes later all 4 bushing were off.
Point is, consider your sources of information and follow the most informed and experienced sources.
They can save you a lot of time from having to re-invent wheels.
Listen carefully to their reasons, don't argue, you won't change them, just make sure you got their lesson right.
this was a momentous life lesson for me.
I value "sage" advice. Perhaps one of my next few projects will be a large diameter fly cutter. With any luck, I'll have it for 30 years....
I consider the advice to try and tram the mill head (yes, it does have that option, no I haven't taken on that project yet) and do fly cutting operations with one single swipe valuable information. However "you ruined that head" and "that's not how we do it" aren't truly constructive, now are they?
I would like to also point out that this is my first milling operation (ever!) and this machine wasn't purchased as part of a business (or even for profit). I purchased this machine and equipment personally to be able to tinker in my garage and get quite a bit of enjoyment in learning hands on and figuring out what does and does not work. While you can learn a lot by taking advice from folks (I do quite a bit of research before taking on any normal "finished" endeavor) I find it more satisfying to learn some of these lessons first hand (read: Screw up some sh*t once in a while, learn life lessons!).
I've also found that sometimes, just occasionally, re-inventing the wheel leads to new ideas. If everyone ONLY does exactly what's already been done before, nothing new ever comes out. We're not reinventing the wheel, only remaking it.
I consider the advice to try and tram the mill head (yes, it does have that option, no I haven't taken on that project yet) and do fly cutting operations with one single swipe valuable information. However "you ruined that head" and "that's not how we do it" aren't truly constructive, now are they?
I would like to also point out that this is my first milling operation (ever!) and this machine wasn't purchased as part of a business (or even for profit). I purchased this machine and equipment personally to be able to tinker in my garage and get quite a bit of enjoyment in learning hands on and figuring out what does and does not work. While you can learn a lot by taking advice from folks (I do quite a bit of research before taking on any normal "finished" endeavor) I find it more satisfying to learn some of these lessons first hand (read: Screw up some sh*t once in a while, learn life lessons!).
I've also found that sometimes, just occasionally, re-inventing the wheel leads to new ideas. If everyone ONLY does exactly what's already been done before, nothing new ever comes out. We're not reinventing the wheel, only remaking it.
I am finding in life that thick skin is a considerable asset,
that not everybody throwing caca at me is my enemy,
and that many of those who feed me words of honey are not my friends or even worth having around.
Yup, perhaps that ^^^ was a bit harsh, but as a guy who did machining for a living I had similar feeling running inside me. I could see the stresses in the piece and picture how well it was held and the possibility of slipping and not being flat when removed from the vise. I just kinda said "Ouch" inside and bit my tongue. Really hard to take advice on a public forum like this too, and credit you with the cajones to show your stuff James. I learn a lot from you. You didn't ruin the head, but it is not a salable or perhaps even a useable item without rework. While Ken's words may not have been smooth and soft, every one of them is worth listening to, and that he took the time to give you his trade secrets would indicate to me that he gives a darn. Grow thick skin and see deep into the message.
I would like to also point out that this is my first milling operation (ever!) and this machine wasn't purchased as part of a business (or even for profit). I purchased this machine and equipment personally to be able to tinker in my garage and get quite a bit of enjoyment in learning hands on and figuring out what does and does not work. While you can learn a lot by taking advice from folks (I do quite a bit of research before taking on any normal "finished" endeavor) I find it more satisfying to learn some of these lessons first hand (read: Screw up some sh*t once in a while, learn life lessons!).
I've also found that sometimes, just occasionally, re-inventing the wheel leads to new ideas. If everyone ONLY does exactly what's already been done before, nothing new ever comes out. We're not reinventing the wheel, only remaking it.
Hey, you are talking to the head of the Square Wheel Society here!
But I went and took the training in machining and most endeavors I have jumped into, and learned the conventional way first. That "conventional way" is the combined experience of hundreds of generations of machinists and scientists before you. You do not have the time in your lifetime to make all those mistakes, I assure you.
My company has had a change of philosophy over the years (as have a lot of US companies), from the old country "apprenticed tradesman" approach (that I learned under) to "introductory courses and on the job training". I see good experienced guys with big blanks in their knowledge because they didn't do the full classroom or textbook training. Anyone entering a new field needs to at least read and trust the textbook on it, cover to cover, before venturing off on a new tangent.
James, I love your unfettered projects! Let our skins thicken up a bit ('tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune) and keep at it buddy! Keep sharing and keep learning, and for Heaven's sake, keep those outside the box projects coming, now that you have the means to make them.
Sure wish I had a machine like that sitting in my garage...
Steve
Good words Steve! I come off harsh some even say biased at times, But ya have to credit those that WANT to learn to use those machines, be it a money maker or a hobby!
It would be awesome to have that in the garage!
It would be awesome to have that in the garage!
More milling machine projects. Started with a piece of 1" thick steel plate that had been "pinched" in an ironworker about 6" long and 2.5" wide. Allen set screw on each side (two for safety 
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OF COURSE I labelled, why would yall even ask?
And for the final word on it.... Yes, it's balanced:
That's zipping on along at about 1k rpm......
And for the final word on it.... Yes, it's balanced:
That's zipping on along at about 1k rpm......
You don't seem to have enough space in your shop for that. So what I'll do just for you I'll keep it in my shop so you can have more floor space lol. Man that thing is nice. We just got new mini lathe at work and every day I have to fight the urge not to drag it out to my truck and take it home.
I had to do quite a bit of clearing as my detached garage is only 18' x 18'. I'm making it work for now, I appreciate the offer though
I:IWhat size is the minilathe? 7 x 14? 8 x 20?
I'm not real sure what size it is. It's real little. Like I could pick it up and walk off with it little. We only use it to face these little alum pucks for testing. 18x18 holy sh*t man I thought my old shop was small it was 32x32 my new one is 32x50 and filling up fast.
I find this to be the truth more than anything else that happens out in the garage. The more room you have, the more junk is drawn into that space.
I find 20'x20' with a single large garage door is about the smallest one can use for projects of this caliber. Mine is a little short on space but I'm making do.
One of these days, I'll get my duckies in a row and lengthen my current garage. I'd like a 18' x 36' garage with a 14' wide roll up door in the front and 8' wide rollup in the back corner.
I wish I had your motivation. I used to have to have a hard time stopping for the night and now I hardly ever do anything. I keep saying I'm going to get back into it but it just doesn't ever happen.
Oh, no, you've lost your Mojo!
Yeah, it happens. Used to spend late nights in the garage working on projects. I am not in there as often these days either, I am mainly Triplecrown's consultant these days. He spends the midnight oil out in the garage these days. Too much other stuff going on, busy taking and giving courses, work and of course, too much time on Blaster forum!
Every now and then, the Mojo hits me. I hit the garage like a hammer. Sparks fly, gasket sealer get spread, and stuff happens. You just need the right project to motivate you and just a bit of a frosty adult beverage to keep you hydrated.
Remember, good friends don't let their friends part, bore and thread while drunk...
This is the mini we have at work it's a tiny little guy.
Somebody left the Tee-Handle in the chuck! Bad habit...
With that habit it gets forgotten there and every so often someone starts the lathe and launches it across the shop.
It needs a holder made close by where it will always reside.
I used to work on a Hardinge toolroom lathe like that, and liked the small size and ease of changing accessories. My favourite however was several large Cazeneuve lathes our shop had. Very heavy, but very precise, Cadillacs (or would that be Lexus these days?) of the lathe world. You can do small work on a big lathe but cannot do big work on a small lathe.
Incidentally, I rarely ever used the 3 jaw chuck. The independent 4 jaw is more rugged and holds tighter and can be trued up in seconds once that is your habit. The 3 jaw is self centering but rarely completely true. Not important if you are just facing off pucks I guess, but if you get into bigger jobs is a help.
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Good eye on the t handle left in the spindle. I launched a few in my days before i learned my lesson.
Best. In the bottom of that pic where you can see the yellow handle of a hammer. What that hammer is sitting on is a much bigger cincinatti lathe with the t handle left the same way
I was pulling an all-nighter once, been working about 20 straight hours when I did it. I was shortening about 20 spacers, hurrying and worn dead out. Somewhere around half way through I left the chuck key in and turned it on. BAM, right in the chest......that put me on my knee's.
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