[kanankeban]

Hi to everyone,
Im another new guy trying to figure out what lathe and mill to buy, Im in the market for midrange machines, my main purpose is hobbie, but I want to make sure I can go for some moderate projects, like motorcycle gear, cnc table router projects, as stuff like that. I have around $2000 for a lathe and other $2000 for a mill. I'm looking at X3 mill (Grizzly G0619) and lathe ( Grizzly G9972Z).
Any comments are greatly apprecited, and please comment on the must have tooling required for each machine to have a good start.
Kindest Regards,
Hector

[alexccmeister]

Just a thought. Go for an X3 and a C6 mill from SIEG. YOu can CNC the X3 by getting the CNCfusion latest X3 CNC kit.

You can get lots of info on this website.

http://www.mini-lathe.com/

Good luck

[KOS]

I have both that lathe and mill, although the mill I have is the one with the older style head. I am very happy with both machines. I should mention though that the lathe had some motor problems in the begining but grizzly took care of that for me.

With the 1" through bore on the lathe and the overall size you should be ablt to tackle any project, the 4 jaw is large enough on it that you can get some very large parts in there. As well I have found I can machine down rotors on my wifes car.

The lathe has been through some production work and held up nicely, I think you will be happy with that. Be prepared to get an engine hoist or something of that nature to lift it on your table though when you get it home.

Be sure to get your dead and live centers, and if you are new at machining get the insert cutters, which grizzly does sell as well. I can now grind my own cutters so I have both. A boring bar set and drill set is also needed, so with that said you will need a drill chuck for your tail stock.

The X3 I have is now cnc'd through KDN tool, get yourself a set of end mills, collet set to change them out and a good vice. You will also need a clamping set too.

Sorry dont have time this morning to look for all the links to post for you, but the other thing to keep in mind is if you are new to all of this, order a few dvd's from little machine shop to show some basic turning and milling functions.

I will pop back in later to see if you have some questions..off to work now

Dan

[xiphmont]

For $4k, I'll bet you could score a Bridgeport in good condition off eBay. Not benchtop, but you'd never need to upgrade....

[kanankeban]

For $4k, I'll bet you could score a Bridgeport in good condition off eBay. Not benchtop, but you'd never need to upgrade....

My idea is getting both, mill and lathe, I want them for a small home shop, for hobby and moderate projects and for stepping the learning curve at home, and after playing with them for some months I'll convert them to cnc. Then when I'm ready in 2 or 3 years, and after saving some good bucks, I'll jump the Bridgeport and go for a HASS VMC and a CNC lathe. That's the future plan and objectives. For now this is learning and playing, I'll get more serious when I'm ready for the big machines.
Regards,

[Skyshark]

I'm going through much the same thing, but on a larger scale, so any responses to this will be appreciated

[askman]

I have a similiar setup. X3 (standard, not super) converted to cnc which works well for my need (did not need head tilt or threading) it is good rigid machine with decent travel. I also have emco compact 8 with lot of tooling that I bought used. I would have gotten one of the grizzly 10x22 or 11x27 that you are looking at if I did not get this emco. I have to admit that emco quality is fair bit better than most chinese lathe, but grizzly do have good stuff.

I think you can't go wrong with what you are planning, as you will also need to buy tooling. (which will add to the cost) frankly, I won't be upgrading to hass or bridgeport anytime soon. I have 2 CNC routers that does bulk of my work which is fine for my need. just really depends upon what you are planning to make.

[kanankeban]

I have a similiar setup. X3 (standard, not super) converted to cnc which works well for my need (did not need head tilt or threading) it is good rigid machine with decent travel. I also have emco compact 8 with lot of tooling that I bought used. I would have gotten one of the grizzly 10x22 or 11x27 that you are looking at if I did not get this emco. I have to admit that emco quality is fair bit better than most chinese lathe, but grizzly do have good stuff.

I think you can't go wrong with what you are planning, as you will also need to buy tooling. (which will add to the cost) frankly, I won't be upgrading to hass or bridgeport anytime soon. I have 2 CNC routers that does bulk of my work which is fine for my need. just really depends upon what you are planning to make.

Hi,
Could you comment on the X3 conversion, did you retrofited yourself or bought a kit? In the mill side, seems that I should choose between a X3 or go for a used bridgeport (not really pleased with the idea because the size of it but maybe in the long run will be better for me, I know that is far a better mill than the X3, I have space for it but the idea is to have it at home so this is really a problem with the bridgeport). In the case of X3 I'm in the doubt of getting the X3 or Super X3, Im planning to CNC it, and dont really know if its worth to get the Super X3 options.
In the other side of the lathe, could you comment on the Emco Compact 8 I've seen them often on ebay.
Regards,
Hector

[askman]

well, there is very little difference between the x3 and super x3 IMHO. same table travel. super has different motor (bit more power, but lower rpm) and bit better looking. For myself, I decided to save the money. I got the cncfusion deluxe kit which uses abba zero backlash ball screws. very good setup and easy to install (I got it with the air spring on the z) very smooth. I also bought grizzly machine stand(one that is on sale for 110 bucks designed for their benchtop round column mill) bit low, but worked well enough for me. .

My rule at least at the present workshop, is to have equipment that I can move easily without lot of help. this meant sub 500lb preferrable lot lower. (I have 500lb load lift table to help lift things) I move the x3 myself using it without help.

emco compact 8 is the father of most of 9x19, 8x14, 9x30 lathe in the market. it does have short coming of mostof this class of lathe, but for my need, it worked out fine. the question becomes what type of work you want to do. it is definitely smoother/tighter than most chinese lathe IMHO, and works well for me. it is light though, at bit under 200lb. if you can get lot of tooling with it, it is worth it. (Tooling can be very expensive for it, so that is the downside) if you can find a emco maximat 11 for a good price, that would be really good way to go, but may be out of your budget.

[JohnG1931]

For the lathe:-
First of all, you need some books:-

Lorus G Milne's bokk on The Machine Shop (pub Lindsay Books), my copy is on loan and so, I can't give you an IBBN
Subscritions to "The Home Shop Machinist" and "Machinist's Workshop"

If you want to make you own tooling copies of Projects 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and 8, Machinist's Workshop Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. At $42.00 each these will deplete your budget by some $560.00, and will save their cost several times over. HSM and the other books are published by

Viilage Press are the publishers, Traverse City Michigan.

If the prospect of $560 out of your budget make you blanch, start by purchase of "The Shop Wisdom of Frank McClean", and "Two Shop Masters Frank McClean, and Phillip
Duclos".

When you know everything in these volumes, you will be an accomplished machinist once you hav 2 or 3 years experience, competent to take employment as a journeyman machinist, and stand up to competition from any other journeyman.

These books, by thmselves will give instructions and drawings to make just about any equipment you nedd, including, for example a shaper, which will reduce your costs for milling cutters.

In the long run you will want to build a Tool and Cutter Grinder - a Quorn if you are ambitious, or something less abitious like Tonker, or the other one whose name I forget which has been descrined somewhere in HSM.

If you want to build a Quorn, start with the book "The Quorn Universal Tool and Cutter Grinder" by Prof D.H. Chaddock, pub Tee Publishing in the UK, they have a U.S distributor whose name I forget.whose name I forget, but you'll find them in Google.. I would hesitate to recommend the Quorn as a fist project, but I think you might ike it as a second or third.

Souces for tools, cheaper bought than built:-

Kitts Industrial 26811 Fullerton, Redmond MI (800) 521-6579
Inexpensive tools of good quality.

JTS Machinery & Suuply 1-800-321-3566 7500 Tyler Blvd, Mentor, OH 44080
I like thses people, excellent quality prices sometime les, sometime more than Kitts.

ENCO Look in Google or write back and ask.

CDCO Machine tool. Some place in Chicago. New, but good tools - Google

Grizzly, you know, Good stuff but soetimes a little more expensive. E.g. $100.00 for the same drill press I can but fron Kitts at $49.00.

Got o JTS for micrometers, dial calipers, height gauges, a small surface plate 12x18, rules and gauge blocksgage blocks (later, Grabe B preferably w/certificates). Kitts or JTS for thiings like spring calipers.

Now, what do you need:-

A Bench Grinder (JTS or Kitts, No need to go overboard $40-$75
A Drill Press. JTS have a benctop unit for around $50, I think. With your lathe you wot't nedd a heavy duty unit, and, if you wish you can build a combo lathe/mill for another $30 in grade 3 angular contact bearings and JTS DCK 3/8 to hold small drills. You want the DCK3/8 and a suitable #2 or #3 mores arbor anyhow, Check on the spindle of your drill press before you buy. If it isnt MT or R8 find another supplier or a somewhat more costly unit. If possible, but perhaps not likely, you want the same MT, ot a larger one in the tailstock of your lathe.

You might want to postoune purchase of mill until you see how the attempt to make combo lathe/mill works out. You will likely want to drill the spindel of rhe drill drill press to take drawbar to geep milling cutters from coming loose. Or you can make a retining nut at the bottom of the spiindle (see some place in the books frm Village Press. That, if it works, will save you the cost of a mill and pay for the books from Village Press.

Drills:-

1/8-1/2 in 64ths of an inch
Number drills 1-60. as you break them buy replacements from JTS in lots of 10 for the small sizes, You'll surely break more..
Letter Drills A-Z.

Measring Tools:-

A Surface Plate 12x18 (although I have a bigger one (3ftx4ft) I have never used it, and until I recondition my 50 year old 13x48 Le Blond lathe, I won't. My 12x18 is used all the time.
A Stand for the Surface Plate. You can buy one or make it yourself. If you don't weld one can be bolted together, but make sure you brace the legs. Or you can just lay the surface plate of a flat bench, supported by 3 rubber pads. See Gut Lautard's two (3?) books for where to put the pads.
A Height Gage 12"" or 18"" tall JTS 601-755 for 12" - nothiing fancy you'll read verniers quickly enough not to need the $189 dial height gage on the $320 electronic one. You;ll want to dave the cost to buy DRO for the lahte and possibly the mill Iif/when you need a mill),
Dial indicatots Qty 2 0-1" or 1 0-1 and1 0-2. $8.00 ea JTS
Dial Test indicators (to test whether work is centered under the Mill spindle,JTS 303-755
A set of micrometers 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3.See JTS P/N 422-905

A drill grinding attachment to the bench grinder. well worth the $15 it will cost, just to keep your drills always sharp, See the books for Viilage press on how ot use it. More
people have trouble with this than with any other thing

A Depth Micrometer JTS 424-001 0-6"

Qty 2 Magnetic base for dial indicator JTS 901-755 $9.00 ea.

Set of 1/8 steel parallels JTS 703-755 22.00

36pc stamp setJTS 1043-46 $9.00

toolmaker's surface gage STS SG 0407 $13.00

36 pcs gage block set $39.00 (later perhaps)

V Block w/clamps jTS 706A-955

Precision Vise JTS 705-02

Precision Milling Vise JTS 930-400 $59.00 (Perhaps when you buy the mill)

Drill Press Vise JTS 850-DP04 $10.00

Machinist squares 8"x5" and 4"x3" JTS H 6301 C and C

I'm going to have to pack up. I have lost the sight of one eye, and the other is a bit shaky.

I've probably missed things - a 6" and a 12" steel rule for instance.and tool bits for the lathe,

I expect you'll find other thing to drool over in the JTS catalog, but I think I have done enough damage to your cost estimates. It is a good rule of thumb that if you buy a machine tool, it will cost about as much again to make it useful. And there;s nothing worse than needing a $20,00 tool and finding the vendor is back ordered until the next shipment from China. If money is eriously short consider buildind the combo lathe/mill from your lathe and drill press.

Read the books firstr, some of them perhaps twice. Then, if you still have questions, write to me.

If there is a real puzzle as you read, call me if you like, any time from about 1PM until midnight, CST My phone is 630-739-5572 and mny name is John Gabriel. My E-mail is john.gabriel@mindspring,com.

Sincerely

John Gabriel

Happy Chip Making.

[kanankeban]

Hi,
Well, thanks to everybody, and special thanks to askman and John for so good info, seems this thread is getting very usefull for beginners as me. I hope this one will become a good thread for the new guys with tons of doubts as me...I know there are lots of minds out there wanting to build lots of things and with the same questions of how to build them, with this help sure we are giving the first step.
Thanks again...
Hector

[JohnG1931]

For the lathe:-
First of all, you need some books:-

Lorus G Milne's bokk on The Machine Shop (pub Lindsay Books), my copy is on loan and so, I can't give you an IBBN
Subscritions to "The Home Shop Machinist" and "Machinist's Workshop"

If you want to make you own tooling copies of Projects 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and 8, Machinist's Workshop Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. At $42.00 each these will deplete your budget by some $560.00, and will save their cost several times over. HSM and the other books are published by

Viilage Press are the publishers, Traverse City Michigan.

If the prospect of $560 out of your budget make you blanch, start by purchase of "The Shop Wisdom of Frank McClean", and "Two Shop Masters Frank McClean, and Phillip
Duclos".

When you know everything in these volumes, you will be an accomplished machinist once you hav 2 or 3 years experience, competent to take employment as a journeyman machinist, and stand up to competition from any other journeyman.

These books, by thmselves will give instructions and drawings to make just about any equipment you nedd, including, for example a shaper, which will reduce your costs for milling cutters.

In the long run you will want to build a Tool and Cutter Grinder - a Quorn if you are ambitious, or something less abitious like Tonker, or the other one whose name I forget which has been descrined somewhere in HSM.

If you want to build a Quorn, start with the book "The Quorn Universal Tool and Cutter Grinder" by Prof D.H. Chaddock, pub Tee Publishing in the UK, they have a U.S distributor whose name I forget.whose name I forget, but you'll find them in Google.. I would hesitate to recommend the Quorn as a fist project, but I think you might ike it as a second or third.

Souces for tools, cheaper bought than built:-

Kitts Industrial 26811 Fullerton, Redmond MI (800) 521-6579
Inexpensive tools of good quality.

JTS Machinery & Suuply 1-800-321-3566 7500 Tyler Blvd, Mentor, OH 44080
I like thses people, excellent quality prices sometime les, sometime more than Kitts.

ENCO Look in Google or write back and ask.

CDCO Machine tool. Some place in Chicago. New, but good tools - Google

Grizzly, you know, Good stuff but soetimes a little more expensive. E.g. $100.00 for the same drill press I can but fron Kitts at $49.00.

Got o JTS for micrometers, dial calipers, height gauges, a small surface plate 12x18, rules and gauge blocksgage blocks (later, Grabe B preferably w/certificates). Kitts or JTS for thiings like spring calipers.

Now, what do you need:-

A Bench Grinder (JTS or Kitts, No need to go overboard $40-$75
A Drill Press. JTS have a benctop unit for around $50, I think. With your lathe you wot't nedd a heavy duty unit, and, if you wish you can build a combo lathe/mill for another $30 in grade 3 angular contact bearings and JTS DCK 3/8 to hold small drills. You want the DCK3/8 and a suitable #2 or #3 mores arbor anyhow, Check on the spindle of your drill press before you buy. If it isnt MT or R8 find another supplier or a somewhat more costly unit. If possible, but perhaps not likely, you want the same MT, ot a larger one in the tailstock of your lathe.

You might want to postoune purchase of mill until you see how the attempt to make combo lathe/mill works out. You will likely want to drill the spindel of rhe drill drill press to take drawbar to geep milling cutters from coming loose. Or you can make a retining nut at the bottom of the spiindle (see some place in the books frm Village Press. That, if it works, will save you the cost of a mill and pay for the books from Village Press.

Drills:-

1/8-1/2 in 64ths of an inch
Number drills 1-60. as you break them buy replacements from JTS in lots of 10 for the small sizes, You'll surely break more..
Letter Drills A-Z.

Measring Tools:-

A Surface Plate 12x18 (although I have a bigger one (3ftx4ft) I have never used it, and until I recondition my 50 year old 13x48 Le Blond lathe, I won't. My 12x18 is used all the time.
A Stand for the Surface Plate. You can buy one or make it yourself. If you don't weld one can be bolted together, but make sure you brace the legs. Or you can just lay the surface plate of a flat bench, supported by 3 rubber pads. See Gut Lautard's two (3?) books for where to put the pads.
A Height Gage 12"" or 18"" tall JTS 601-755 for 12" - nothiing fancy you'll read verniers quickly enough not to need the $189 dial height gage on the $320 electronic one. You;ll want to dave the cost to buy DRO for the lahte and possibly the mill Iif/when you need a mill),
Dial indicatots Qty 2 0-1" or 1 0-1 and1 0-2. $8.00 ea JTS
Dial Test indicators (to test whether work is centered under the Mill spindle,JTS 303-755
A set of micrometers 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3.See JTS P/N 422-905

A drill grinding attachment to the bench grinder. well worth the $15 it will cost, just to keep your drills always sharp, See the books for Viilage press on how ot use it. More
people have trouble with this than with any other thing

A Depth Micrometer JTS 424-001 0-6"

Qty 2 Magnetic base for dial indicator JTS 901-755 $9.00 ea.

Set of 1/8 steel parallels JTS 703-755 22.00

36pc stamp setJTS 1043-46 $9.00

toolmaker's surface gage STS SG 0407 $13.00

36 pcs gage block set $39.00 (later perhaps)

V Block w/clamps jTS 706A-955

Precision Vise JTS 705-02

Precision Milling Vise JTS 930-400 $59.00 (Perhaps when you buy the mill)

Drill Press Vise JTS 850-DP04 $10.00

Machinist squares 8"x5" and 4"x3" JTS H 6301 C and C

I'm going to have to pack up. I have lost the sight of one eye, and the other is a bit shaky.

I've probably missed things - a 6" and a 12" steel rule for instance.and tool bits for the lathe,

I expect you'll find other thing to drool over in the JTS catalog, but I think I have done enough damage to your cost estimates. It is a good rule of thumb that if you buy a machine tool, it will cost about as much again to make it useful. And there;s nothing worse than needing a $20,00 tool and finding the vendor is back ordered until the next shipment from China. If money is eriously short consider buildind the combo lathe/mill from your lathe and drill press.

Read the books firstr, some of them perhaps twice. Then, if you still have questions, write to me.

If there is a real puzzle as you read, call me if you like, any time from about 1PM until midnight, CST My phone is 630-739-5572 and mny name is John Gabriel. My E-mail is john.gabriel@mindspring,com.

Sincerely

John Gabriel

Happy Chip Making.

[JohnG1931]

For the lathe:-
First of all, you need some books:-

Lorus G Milne's bokk on The Machine Shop (pub Lindsay Books), my copy is on loan and so, I can't give you an IBBN
Subscritions to "The Home Shop Machinist" and "Machinist's Workshop"

If you want to make you own tooling copies of Projects 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and 8, Machinist's Workshop Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. At $42.00 each these will deplete your budget by some $560.00, and will save their cost several times over. HSM and the other books are published by

Viilage Press are the publishers, Traverse City Michigan.

If the prospect of $560 out of your budget make you blanch, start by purchase of "The Shop Wisdom of Frank McClean", and "Two Shop Masters Frank McClean, and Phillip
Duclos".

When you know everything in these volumes, you will be an accomplished machinist once you hav 2 or 3 years experience, competent to take employment as a journeyman machinist, and stand up to competition from any other journeyman.

These books, by thmselves will give instructions and drawings to make just about any equipment you nedd, including, for example a shaper, which will reduce your costs for milling cutters.

In the long run you will want to build a Tool and Cutter Grinder - a Quorn if you are ambitious, or something less abitious like Tonker, or the other one whose name I forget which has been descrined somewhere in HSM.

If you want to build a Quorn, start with the book "The Quorn Universal Tool and Cutter Grinder" by Prof D.H. Chaddock, pub Tee Publishing in the UK, they have a U.S distributor whose name I forget.whose name I forget, but you'll find them in Google.. I would hesitate to recommend the Quorn as a fist project, but I think you might ike it as a second or third.

Souces for tools, cheaper bought than built:-

Kitts Industrial 26811 Fullerton, Redmond MI (800) 521-6579
Inexpensive tools of good quality.

JTS Machinery & Suuply 1-800-321-3566 7500 Tyler Blvd, Mentor, OH 44080
I like thses people, excellent quality prices sometime les, sometime more than Kitts.

ENCO Look in Google or write back and ask.

CDCO Machine tool. Some place in Chicago. New, but good tools - Google

Grizzly, you know, Good stuff but soetimes a little more expensive. E.g. $100.00 for the same drill press I can but fron Kitts at $49.00.

Got o JTS for micrometers, dial calipers, height gauges, a small surface plate 12x18, rules and gauge blocksgage blocks (later, Grabe B preferably w/certificates). Kitts or JTS for thiings like spring calipers.

Now, what do you need:-

A Bench Grinder (JTS or Kitts, No need to go overboard $40-$75
A Drill Press. JTS have a benctop unit for around $50, I think. With your lathe you wot't nedd a heavy duty unit, and, if you wish you can build a combo lathe/mill for another $30 in grade 3 angular contact bearings and JTS DCK 3/8 to hold small drills. You want the DCK3/8 and a suitable #2 or #3 mores arbor anyhow, Check on the spindle of your drill press before you buy. If it isnt MT or R8 find another supplier or a somewhat more costly unit. If possible, but perhaps not likely, you want the same MT, ot a larger one in the tailstock of your lathe.

You might want to postoune purchase of mill until you see how the attempt to make combo lathe/mill works out. You will likely want to drill the spindel of rhe drill drill press to take drawbar to geep milling cutters from coming loose. Or you can make a retining nut at the bottom of the spiindle (see some place in the books frm Village Press. That, if it works, will save you the cost of a mill and pay for the books from Village Press.

Drills:-

1/8-1/2 in 64ths of an inch
Number drills 1-60. as you break them buy replacements from JTS in lots of 10 for the small sizes, You'll surely break more..
Letter Drills A-Z.

Measring Tools:-

A Surface Plate 12x18 (although I have a bigger one (3ftx4ft) I have never used it, and until I recondition my 50 year old 13x48 Le Blond lathe, I won't. My 12x18 is used all the time.
A Stand for the Surface Plate. You can buy one or make it yourself. If you don't weld one can be bolted together, but make sure you brace the legs. Or you can just lay the surface plate of a flat bench, supported by 3 rubber pads. See Gut Lautard's two (3?) books for where to put the pads.
A Height Gage 12"" or 18"" tall JTS 601-755 for 12" - nothiing fancy you'll read verniers quickly enough not to need the $189 dial height gage on the $320 electronic one. You;ll want to dave the cost to buy DRO for the lahte and possibly the mill Iif/when you need a mill),
Dial indicatots Qty 2 0-1" or 1 0-1 and1 0-2. $8.00 ea JTS
Dial Test indicators (to test whether work is centered under the Mill spindle,JTS 303-755
A set of micrometers 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3.See JTS P/N 422-905

A drill grinding attachment to the bench grinder. well worth the $15 it will cost, just to keep your drills always sharp, See the books for Viilage press on how ot use it. More
people have trouble with this than with any other thing

A Depth Micrometer JTS 424-001 0-6"

Qty 2 Magnetic base for dial indicator JTS 901-755 $9.00 ea.

Set of 1/8 steel parallels JTS 703-755 22.00

36pc stamp setJTS 1043-46 $9.00

toolmaker's surface gage STS SG 0407 $13.00

36 pcs gage block set $39.00 (later perhaps)

V Block w/clamps jTS 706A-955

Precision Vise JTS 705-02

Precision Milling Vise JTS 930-400 $59.00 (Perhaps when you buy the mill)

Drill Press Vise JTS 850-DP04 $10.00

Machinist squares 8"x5" and 4"x3" JTS H 6301 C and C

I'm going to have to pack up. I have lost the sight of one eye, and the other is a bit shaky.

I've probably missed things - a 6" and a 12" steel rule for instance.and tool bits for the lathe,

I expect you'll find other thing to drool over in the JTS catalog, but I think I have done enough damage to your cost estimates. It is a good rule of thumb that if you buy a machine tool, it will cost about as much again to make it useful. And there;s nothing worse than needing a $20,00 tool and finding the vendor is back ordered until the next shipment from China. If money is eriously short consider buildind the combo lathe/mill from your lathe and drill press.

Read the books firstr, some of them perhaps twice. Then, if you still have questions, write to me.

If there is a real puzzle as you read, call me if you like, any time from about 1PM until midnight, CST My phone is 630-739-5572 and mny name is John Gabriel. My E-mail is john.gabriel@mindspring,com.

Sincerely

John Gabriel

Happy Chip Making.

[JohnG1931]

For the lathe:-
First of all, you need some books:-

Lorus G Milne's bokk on The Machine Shop (pub Lindsay Books), my copy is on loan and so, I can't give you an IBBN
Subscritions to "The Home Shop Machinist" and "Machinist's Workshop"

If you want to make you own tooling copies of Projects 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and 8, Machinist's Workshop Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. At $42.00 each these will deplete your budget by some $560.00, and will save their cost several times over. HSM and the other books are published by

Viilage Press are the publishers, Traverse City Michigan.

If the prospect of $560 out of your budget make you blanch, start by purchase of "The Shop Wisdom of Frank McClean", and "Two Shop Masters Frank McClean, and Phillip
Duclos".

When you know everything in these volumes, you will be an accomplished machinist once you hav 2 or 3 years experience, competent to take employment as a journeyman machinist, and stand up to competition from any other journeyman.

These books, by thmselves will give instructions and drawings to make just about any equipment you nedd, including, for example a shaper, which will reduce your costs for milling cutters.

In the long run you will want to build a Tool and Cutter Grinder - a Quorn if you are ambitious, or something less abitious like Tonker, or the other one whose name I forget which has been descrined somewhere in HSM.

If you want to build a Quorn, start with the book "The Quorn Universal Tool and Cutter Grinder" by Prof D.H. Chaddock, pub Tee Publishing in the UK, they have a U.S distributor whose name I forget.whose name I forget, but you'll find them in Google.. I would hesitate to recommend the Quorn as a fist project, but I think you might ike it as a second or third.

Souces for tools, cheaper bought than built:-

Kitts Industrial 26811 Fullerton, Redmond MI (800) 521-6579
Inexpensive tools of good quality.

JTS Machinery & Suuply 1-800-321-3566 7500 Tyler Blvd, Mentor, OH 44080
I like thses people, excellent quality prices sometime les, sometime more than Kitts.

ENCO Look in Google or write back and ask.

CDCO Machine tool. Some place in Chicago. New, but good tools - Google

Grizzly, you know, Good stuff but soetimes a little more expensive. E.g. $100.00 for the same drill press I can but fron Kitts at $49.00.

Got o JTS for micrometers, dial calipers, height gauges, a small surface plate 12x18, rules and gauge blocksgage blocks (later, Grabe B preferably w/certificates). Kitts or JTS for thiings like spring calipers.

Now, what do you need:-

A Bench Grinder (JTS or Kitts, No need to go overboard $40-$75
A Drill Press. JTS have a benctop unit for around $50, I think. With your lathe you wot't nedd a heavy duty unit, and, if you wish you can build a combo lathe/mill for another $30 in grade 3 angular contact bearings and JTS DCK 3/8 to hold small drills. You want the DCK3/8 and a suitable #2 or #3 mores arbor anyhow, Check on the spindle of your drill press before you buy. If it isnt MT or R8 find another supplier or a somewhat more costly unit. If possible, but perhaps not likely, you want the same MT, ot a larger one in the tailstock of your lathe.

You might want to postoune purchase of mill until you see how the attempt to make combo lathe/mill works out. You will likely want to drill the spindel of rhe drill drill press to take drawbar to geep milling cutters from coming loose. Or you can make a retining nut at the bottom of the spiindle (see some place in the books frm Village Press. That, if it works, will save you the cost of a mill and pay for the books from Village Press.

Drills:-

1/8-1/2 in 64ths of an inch
Number drills 1-60. as you break them buy replacements from JTS in lots of 10 for the small sizes, You'll surely break more..
Letter Drills A-Z.

Measring Tools:-

A Surface Plate 12x18 (although I have a bigger one (3ftx4ft) I have never used it, and until I recondition my 50 year old 13x48 Le Blond lathe, I won't. My 12x18 is used all the time.
A Stand for the Surface Plate. You can buy one or make it yourself. If you don't weld one can be bolted together, but make sure you brace the legs. Or you can just lay the surface plate of a flat bench, supported by 3 rubber pads. See Gut Lautard's two (3?) books for where to put the pads.
A Height Gage 12"" or 18"" tall JTS 601-755 for 12" - nothiing fancy you'll read verniers quickly enough not to need the $189 dial height gage on the $320 electronic one. You;ll want to dave the cost to buy DRO for the lahte and possibly the mill Iif/when you need a mill),
Dial indicatots Qty 2 0-1" or 1 0-1 and1 0-2. $8.00 ea JTS
Dial Test indicators (to test whether work is centered under the Mill spindle,JTS 303-755
A set of micrometers 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3.See JTS P/N 422-905

A drill grinding attachment to the bench grinder. well worth the $15 it will cost, just to keep your drills always sharp, See the books for Viilage press on how ot use it. More
people have trouble with this than with any other thing

A Depth Micrometer JTS 424-001 0-6"

Qty 2 Magnetic base for dial indicator JTS 901-755 $9.00 ea.

Set of 1/8 steel parallels JTS 703-755 22.00

36pc stamp setJTS 1043-46 $9.00

toolmaker's surface gage STS SG 0407 $13.00

36 pcs gage block set $39.00 (later perhaps)

V Block w/clamps jTS 706A-955

Precision Vise JTS 705-02

Precision Milling Vise JTS 930-400 $59.00 (Perhaps when you buy the mill)

Drill Press Vise JTS 850-DP04 $10.00

Machinist squares 8"x5" and 4"x3" JTS H 6301 C and C

I'm going to have to pack up. I have lost the sight of one eye, and the other is a bit shaky.

I've probably missed things - a 6" and a 12" steel rule for instance.and tool bits for the lathe,

I expect you'll find other thing to drool over in the JTS catalog, but I think I have done enough damage to your cost estimates. It is a good rule of thumb that if you buy a machine tool, it will cost about as much again to make it useful. And there;s nothing worse than needing a $20,00 tool and finding the vendor is back ordered until the next shipment from China. If money is eriously short consider buildind the combo lathe/mill from your lathe and drill press.

Read the books firstr, some of them perhaps twice. Then, if you still have questions, write to me.

If there is a real puzzle as you read, call me if you like, any time from about 1PM until midnight, CST My phone is 630-739-5572 and mny name is John Gabriel. My E-mail is john.gabriel@mindspring,com.

Sincerely

John Gabriel

Happy Chip Making.

[askman]

wow john. problem with your computer?

interesting post. I usually recommend a person to take some machining course at the local community college, if they are not experienced. without some experience, it is just hard to figure out what you need or want. book education is good, but not as good as hands on.

as rule of thumb, tooling will cost as much as tools. lot of good information available on the net for lot of things though, if you do some searching. I buy tools from little machine shop as well as mcmaster, enco, msc, etc. sometimes price is less important than speed. littlemachineshop has competitive prices though for smaller tooling that we tend to use.

[Hughbat]

I have a V10 and am delighted to say that it has survived exposure to one of the worst environments - wet tropical rainforest - for 20 years.

However the milling head motor didn't - and died several years ago. A local motor re-winder attempted to re-wind it - 2x and both times failed - yeilding a motor that is weak and overheats dramatically.

The motor plate says...

Bauchnecht 63
RBFO 18/2-7R
1 phase, 180W 240V 50Hz
SN 784725
6 uF cap.

Now - does anyone have the electrical specs on this motor - field coil configuration ,winding resistance, Start cap specs, - so maybe I can get someone more competent to re-wind or fix it.

I actually measured the power draw - 850W!!! a far cry from the nameplate 180W! -- so I suspect there is a shorted turn. No wonder it gets hot!

Even if your motor is a 110V version - if someone can give me the resistance of the two windings (start and run), voltage and series capacitor value (on the motor plate) that would be of immense help! (you'd need to take the cover plate off the motor and measure the two windings - they have a common shorting plate between one leg of each winding.

Thanks - you'll make my day!

H