This is the shop I put together after I retired, My best friend and I started a shop in 1994 with one small lathe, and a small mill, we sold our business 2 years ago with 45 cnc mills, 5 cnc lathes several manual lathes and mills, and had 22 employees. If you have enough determination, and are willing to work crazy long hours , it can be done. I guess my point is , it’s not the size of the equipment. It’s the size of the dream!
The hardest part starting out is getting customers. It’s hard, but you should not be discouraged. When we started out our shop we got a lot of work from companies that specialized in automation. They are always looking for small shops to do small run parts, You may not be making 50 pcs of the same part, but you can get a lot of different parts from a machine they are making and it can keep you very busy. Also drive through your industrial park and see what places are in your town that may have machining needs, I got all of my customers from phone calls, also give engineering companies a call, they are always designing parts for companies and many times they need a prototype part, plus making prototype parts can be a foot in the door. The most important thing is NEVER give up. Good Luck
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to help some of us younger guys getting the chance to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about.
Hello sir...I like the way you explained everything with a simple yet informative manner. This video taught me more than I've learned in college workshops. Thank You 😊
Hi new here, nice to be here, you are giving some really good advise here as a home based machining operation small and only two guys we love making parts and making these parts from home. It is nice to see someone share how to do what we are doing already, wish you were around when we started decades ago for that fact even having UA-cam back then would have been priceless. Thank you for sharing this video.
One thing I suggest is to do a search around your area for a makerspace, many makerspaces, such as The MakerBarn, have a full well tooled shop. Here is where you can learn about what type of machines you would like to have in your shop. You can meet others that do home machining as well.
Nice video. I've been setting up a machine shop for the last 2 years. It's a huge expense but the hunt for machine and tooling deals is the best part. I did start with a cnc router, a Shopbot 48x96 and used it in my business. Now retired I'm just about done getting my shop setup to machine metal. I've watch several of your video's and they are very well done. Thank you!
For home shops a shipping container (40-foot High Cube or larger, NO standard height boxes or you'll be sorry) can work very well. I welded two together side-by-side. My bro uses one at the moment. He installed a split AC system and used internal insulation. Consider how to move your machine tools without a rigger. Self and bro have moved (so far) three Bridgeports, four lathes, a surface grinder and two tool and cutter grinders without incident. We use angle iron or channel bolted beneath the machine bases parallel to direction of travel then bolt cross beams with casters to those. No forklift needed, dead stable, and easy to winch onto a car trailer.
Very Nice. Very Basic. Very Informative. Don't take it for granted that aclot of people know or are even interested in machining. Its a craft that slowing dying and being replaced by high tech computer controlled processes and manufacturing. Your video is Excellent. Im 54yrs old and looking to get into machining. Althougj I have experience in woodworking shop tools my experience in metsl work machining is almost non existent. Your shop & video has inspired me..to you brother I say YOU😎ROCKMAN.
Tim, I'm learning a lot from your videos, thanks for taking the time to make these. I really appreciate it, I'm building a nice shop, adding little bits every now and then but oh well, it's part of the fun in my opinion. Thanks again, greetings from Chile!
I try to find machine shop auctions. Two weeks ago I brought home an already rebuilt Fadal VMC4020 CNC for $1,100 (not joking) and tooled it up with 50 holders and tools for another $400. If you're going to start a shop, watch for auctions, you can really outfit yourself with very little cash. The CNC I brought home is 3-phase with a single phase input option. However, it's pretty easy to find a used 30HP motor and convert in to a phase converter. If you have to move a heavy machine on your own, make skates with bearings and steel and then make a toe jack from a bottle jack and you're ready to go!
shars is an excellent outlet for machining accessories I've placed a couple orders from them now and been vary pleased with all of it and for the price can't beat it,
Hey thanks, old man. Great help. I'm 19 and wanna build lots of micro gas turbines and other stuff for a hobby, was desperately in need of some advice for things to consider when building one, the budget, tools and machinery. Thanks a lot again again.
Hi Tim Thanks for the video, I really appreciate the info. For instance I never knew there was a book called, " The machinist Hand Book". Your explaining was for the layman and the professional all in one.
Tim, I like your video's and I have learned something today about converting clip art in NC file. Very nice work Tim and thanks for the time you put into this type of explaining and spreading your knowledge. Robert
Tim that was really very informative, that will definitely help out some people just starting out. I have a few 3 phase machines, on a Sheldon lathe I have a Teco vfd with a pot for variable speed, on a Bridgeport I am using a vfd and on a 17'x60' South Bend Turn-Nado I hooked up a static phase converter. The static phase converter is cheaper than the VFD’s especially when you start getting in the 5 & 7 hp range on the motors. Just thought I would throw that in in case someone was not aware of these other options. Great video, Thanks.
My best friend and I started out wit a small lathe and a mill, and sold our business 2 years ago. The shop ended up with 45 cnc mills and 6 cnc lathes and 22 employees. It can be done
You can do a lot with a mini mill, but it will depend on how complicated the part is, and how much material needs removing. If you are just making plates with different hole patterns you could add a digital readout and probably bang them out fairly quick. Also, you can do a great deal with a drill press and a fixture. It sounds exciting! Thanks for watching my video, and if o can help in anyway just ask
Nice find in the Fadal, sounds like a great way to get some shop equipment. I actually owned a machine shop that had 40 Fadal mills, so if you ever have Question about them I might be able to help
Sir, I truly apologize, my comment about collets was somehow misdirected, it was intended for Ecco machine, dont know how it ended up on on you channel, thank you for your civil reply,you are a gentleman. p.s. love your shop
I see what you’re saying about the price difference between the mill and the drill press, but if you can afford it , the mill will do so much for you in a shop, and can be used as a drill press. I do agree with you about the bench grinder, I should have put that up there on the top of the list. Thanks so much for watching, and thanks so much for the feedback
Just a generic suggestion, Precision Matthews may be the best source for lathes and mills that are good quality, maybe next being Grizzly, but hey if perspective buyers havent heard of these companies, check them out anyway.
Great video and very informative. I'm looking into getting a mini mill possibly from lms in the future and eventually also a small lathe etc. I have a couple products I manufacture overseas out of plastic but want to manufacture them out of aluminum and stainless myself. With the correct jigs and addons for my mill such as a rotary table etc. I feel that I could manufacture these products and sell them. My question is, do you feel that a mini mill is suffice to manufacture somewhat simple products to sell or is it unfeasible without a cnc? I don't plan on spending that much any time soon but with a little skill do you think I could pump out my products?
I'm just starting out, but for me it's so hard to find work. Not a lot of factories in my rural area of southern IL. Any advice on actually finding customers, who do you seek out to talk to?
Hi congrads on the shop. A simple question though.....? Shouldn't the basic start up machines be a Drill Press, a Bandsaw, a Bench Grinder, and a Lathe? Where as,..... a Mill is going to cost at least $750 + Tooling and Vice ect... compared to a simple Bench Top Drill Press going for $70 + Vice and 1/2" Drill Set? As light milling can be done in the Lathe. Question does the "start up" cost of a home shop justify the Mill during the first few years?
Well obviously you need a drill press. You probably should try to get used one - standing model - say a 17" one. Not just for making machine stuff but even simple stuff around the house. Hole drilling somewhat accurately (vs. hand held) is #1 operation. Bench grinder is cheap - you can get used or new 8" for well under $100 USD. It is also very useful as it allows you to sharpen things. I would also get some hand held grinders. I would not get a band saw yet - you can cut a lot of things with a grinder (small) - instead I would invest into cheap welder - either Chinese inverted or old timer Lincoln 250 or something for under $200. Now you can start looking for a lathe. It can be old used lathe. Its your first lathe - as long as you can trade up its OK - just try to get something bigger if you can then mini-lathe. There are larger old lathes in good condition that sell for less, sometimes much less - bring a friend that knows what he is doing. Now get a mill - stay away from mini-mill, any type. Get at least one size up. Mini mill is useless for metal unless said metal is watch sized (say G-shock). Look for at least mill drill sized or similar - used - bring a friend - they can be had used for same price as new mini. Hope it helps.
Hi Tom, Yes I have a 6" Bench Grinder, a 7"x 14" Central Machine Lathe (Heavily Modded), and my Faithful Skill Stand Up Bench Top Drill Press. The Drill Press for me has been a Good Machine that with a little common sense and proper technique has always preformed well up to 1/2" in Dia. I've had those machines now for 5 years and I'm just now pondering a buying mini mill around next x-mas time...? Those machines I have are just for home use and have gained me abilities that cannot be purchased at Home Depot, Lowes, ect.... I've got to wonder though,...? Would the mini mill actually be worth the money spent, like my other machines have proven themselves to be?.
next after a lathe- mill- saw- you got to have a vertical slotting machine because you can not make internal -slots- tapered slotes-Squares-hex- triangles- splines - grooves- keyways-without one!
a big lathe can do all you said. {by hand} 1890. lathe the machine that can make itself. so how can a lathe cut gears, splines, etc.? your mind limits your lathe, peace bro.
Thank you. What was missing was money. If a hobby, no need. If a business, then what can a machinist do to make money? (get jobs, keep customers, build a base, etc.?)
My best friend and I started out with a single lathe and a mill, and we sold our shop a few years ago with 20 employees and 40 cnc mills 5 cnc lathes and many pieces of manual equipment. I you are willing to work hard you can make a very good living from machining. The first thing you will need is some steady work. I think some places to try would be businesses that do automation, they typically have small runs and one of a kind parts to machine, also most well established shop’s don’t like to do thus type of work, so it’s a great place to start, you could also try some larger machine shops and see if they ever outsource any machined parts when they get busy. After you get going you should call as many manufacturers as you can and see if they have any work. Don’t get to discouraged, as you will get a lot of rejection cold calling other businesses, but it is something you absolutely have to do. Good luck
I have the same Enco lathe, but I bought it as a new overstock item. So there were things missing. It runs so it has all of the gears, but the replacement gears that you need to change to do threading did not come with mine. Do you know where I can find the gears? I don't even know how many I need or what they're called.
MSC Direct has a tech support person that could possibly help you identify the missing components, and help you order new ones. I have had to get replacement parts for other items I bought through MSC and they were very helpful getting me what I needed. Many times they even helped me get the parts manuals to look at. Here is the number to call 800-645-7270 Good Luck
Hi Tim,Was wondering if you could help me out with your opinion?Grizzly mill or the little machine shop mill 3990?Also what is your thoughts on DRO for the hobbyist vs. the extra money?Thanks
Sorry I took so long getting back you, I like the little machine shop mill over the Grizzly, I have used both and prefer the little machine shop mill. As for the readout, I would at least mount a digital scale. you can get them from Shars or Ebay. I mounted some $30 scales on mine and they work fine for me. Having said that, the price for a DRO has dropped considerably . I don't think you would regret the time and money spent for a DRO
Hi Tim, nice shop and congratulations for your work with the videos, they're very informative for people like me who's starting a shop. About your cnc, were you able to make it work right out of the box or you had to change drivers, power supply and other parts. From what I've seen so far these machines from china were not so easy to work due to the poor quality of the parts, lack of info from the manual etc. I'm considering buying one so how was your experience with it? Thanks
Thanks so much, glad you like the video. I was able to take the manual that came with the machine and completely set it up and configure the drives. I don't know if some seller don't give instructions , but mine sent a cd with Mach3 on it and the instruction manual that I printed off and put in a 3 ring binder. It will take a little bit of tweaking , but you can get them tuned in pretty accurate. Make sure all the nuts and bolt are tight when you set to up, and always remember that these are very light duty machines, you can do many projects with it but take it easy with the depths of cut and feed rates. You can actually make circuit boards with you machine and get the hole locations spot on. I would have to say that for the money it is worth it. Good Luck
Sorry I took so long getting back to you. I had to actually use a compound from a different lathe to mount my tool post holder. I'm not home for several more days, but when I get back I will take some measurements
Actually it wasn’t to bad moving this all down in my basement, with the help of another person I was able to carry everything without to much difficulty. I would have liked a little bigger lathe but the weight was just to much.
I also did not do a good job of explaining that you should use a roughing end mill for your taking the bulk of the material out Thanks so much for your input, I appreciate your comments, it helps me make better videos
Uhh 4 flute for aluminum? That has broken endmill or worse broken spindle written all over it. 2 flutes are OK but 3 flute is the ideal endmill for aluminum.
ahh car swapmeets..Estate sales..and few tool swapmeets take your time can be done on limited budget dont be scared of basket cases or fixing to sell and upgrade or barter
I went to Kentucky to watched the eclipse, and when I saw your comment I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. I showed it to my wife and she said its that big mop of grey hair. Thanks for making my day, and thanks so much for watching Tim
I think you missed what is needed, (HOBBY) what do I like doing ?. A place to do one's hobby, OK I now have a place, A work bunch is needed befor any thing els. Why a work bunch becouse one is going to need a starting point for what one is going to do. The items one are going to work on as in tool that one is going to work with. One is going to just use the work bunch as a temp place, laying out the work place and as things go a long the lay out will be changed (. "O" thats not going to work lets redo it ) Bunch a work starting point. Bring your tool in, to the work bunch and then to where the tool will be set up, so on and so on. The tools !, whats needed to do the job and thats going to be up to you and your HOBBY. Most inporten shop around for your tools. DONT LET THE FEVER to BUY the FRIST TOOL YOU SEE TAKE YOU to the DARK SIDE by OVER SPENDING. One other item how much money doe one have. So many time I have seen sone drag something home and have not the MONEY.
You are correct, no 3 jaw chuck will give you the accuracy of a collet. When I owned a large machine shop we had both collet and chucking machines. The reason most hobby shop lathes have a 3 jaw chuck is because, that is what they come with. I totally agree, you just can't beat a collet. Thanks for watching
In America you will spend way to much for your tools even your Chinese tools, that won't last anyway. Just keep in mind most your tooling is going to set in a toolbox most of the time. Put your money in an investment account and just puss the ju k tools to their limits 😮😅.
I have just made a annotation correcting my mistake. Thank you so much for taking the time to point it out. I want to try and make the best videos I can, so you have helped me a lot. Thank You
This is the shop I put together after I retired, My best friend and I started a shop in 1994 with one small lathe, and a small mill, we sold our business 2 years ago with 45 cnc mills, 5 cnc lathes several manual lathes and mills, and had 22 employees. If you have enough determination, and are willing to work crazy long hours , it can be done. I guess my point is , it’s not the size of the equipment. It’s the size of the dream!
This has been my dream since I was little. Thanks for the video!
The hardest part starting out is getting customers. It’s hard, but you should not be discouraged. When we started out our shop we got a lot of work from companies that specialized in automation. They are always looking for small shops to do small run parts, You may not be making 50 pcs of the same part, but you can get a lot of different parts from a machine they are making and it can keep you very busy. Also drive through your industrial park and see what places are in your town that may have machining needs, I got all of my customers from phone calls, also give engineering companies a call, they are always designing parts for companies and many times they need a prototype part, plus making prototype parts can be a foot in the door. The most important thing is NEVER give up.
Good Luck
My home shop has become my only source of income. Lovin it.
Thats the dream.
Lovely and very inspirational video, Sir! I'm building my machine shop right now and I feel so excited. I feel kid again.
I'm excited for you! I have so much fun in my shop, so many fun projects. 👍
@@The_old_geezer_geek Thank you, Sir! I appreciate it.
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to help some of us younger guys getting the chance to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about.
Thank You so much. I'm glad you found it useful. Good luck in all your machining adventures.
Hello sir...I like the way you explained everything with a simple yet informative manner. This video taught me more than I've learned in college workshops. Thank You 😊
Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for taking the time to watch my video.
I agree
Thank you, and thanks for taking the time to watch
Hi new here, nice to be here, you are giving some really good advise here as a home based machining operation small and only two guys we love making parts and making these parts from home. It is nice to see someone share how to do what we are doing already, wish you were around when we started decades ago for that fact even having UA-cam back then would have been priceless. Thank you for sharing this video.
One thing I suggest is to do a search around your area for a makerspace, many makerspaces, such as The MakerBarn, have a full well tooled shop. Here is where you can learn about what type of machines you would like to have in your shop. You can meet others that do home machining as well.
Great idea, thanks
Nice video. I've been setting up a machine shop for the last 2 years. It's a huge expense but the hunt for machine and tooling deals is the best part. I did start with a cnc router, a Shopbot 48x96 and used it in my business. Now retired I'm just about done getting my shop setup to machine metal. I've watch several of your video's and they are very well done. Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words
For home shops a shipping container (40-foot High Cube or larger, NO standard height boxes or you'll be sorry) can work very well. I welded two together side-by-side. My bro uses one at the moment. He installed a split AC system and used internal insulation.
Consider how to move your machine tools without a rigger. Self and bro have moved (so far) three Bridgeports, four lathes, a surface grinder and two tool and cutter grinders without incident. We use angle iron or channel bolted beneath the machine bases parallel to direction of travel then bolt cross beams with casters to those. No forklift needed, dead stable, and easy to winch onto a car trailer.
I love seeing small home machine shops. It's always interesting seeing the pieces come together.
Very Nice. Very Basic. Very Informative. Don't take it for granted that aclot of people know or are even interested in machining. Its a craft that slowing dying and being replaced by high tech computer controlled processes and manufacturing. Your video is Excellent. Im 54yrs old and looking to get into machining. Althougj I have experience in woodworking shop tools my experience in metsl work machining is almost non existent. Your shop & video has inspired me..to you brother I say YOU😎ROCKMAN.
Hayden Richards thank you so much, I’m glad you liked the video.
a good sawzall with stock held in the lathe jaws and a vise got me by for years before i got my band saw
Tim, I'm learning a lot from your videos, thanks for taking the time to make these. I really appreciate it, I'm building a nice shop, adding little bits every now and then but oh well, it's part of the fun in my opinion. Thanks again, greetings from Chile!
Thanks for the kind words, I love to make the videos. Thanks for watching
I try to find machine shop auctions. Two weeks ago I brought home an already rebuilt Fadal VMC4020 CNC for $1,100 (not joking) and tooled it up with 50 holders and tools for another $400. If you're going to start a shop, watch for auctions, you can really outfit yourself with very little cash. The CNC I brought home is 3-phase with a single phase input option. However, it's pretty easy to find a used 30HP motor and convert in to a phase converter. If you have to move a heavy machine on your own, make skates with bearings and steel and then make a toe jack from a bottle jack and you're ready to go!
shars is an excellent outlet for machining accessories I've placed a couple orders from them now and been vary pleased with all of it and for the price can't beat it,
Hey thanks, old man. Great help. I'm 19 and wanna build lots of micro gas turbines and other stuff for a hobby, was desperately in need of some advice for things to consider when building one, the budget, tools and machinery. Thanks a lot again again.
Awesome shop brother I'm getting me a shop set up in my garage to
Wayne Shanks Thanks, and congratulations on your upcoming shop
Thanks for taking your time to watch it, and thanks for the kind words, it makes it all worth it just knowing someone got something out of it
I agree, when I had my machine shop we always used 3 flute for aluminum, and 4 flute for steel
Hi Tim Thanks for the video, I really appreciate the info. For instance I never knew there was a book called, " The machinist Hand Book". Your explaining was for the layman and the professional all in one.
Machinist handbook tells you EVERYTHING ! You also need trigonometry.
Nice little shop you have there !!....Great Job !
Thanks, I just love to spend time in the shop making stuff. Thanks for watching
Thanks for the video. Great start up information. I will be back for more!
Uncle Build , thank you so much for the kind words, so glad you liked it
I'm hoping to start my own shop for a business purpose in the near future. Thanks TheOldGeezerGeek, this helped a lot!
Jimmy Son glad you liked it, thanks for watching
Tim,
I like your video's and I have learned something today about converting clip art in NC file.
Very nice work Tim and thanks for the time you put into this type of explaining and spreading your knowledge.
Robert
Tim that was really very informative, that will definitely help out some people just starting out. I have a few 3 phase machines, on a Sheldon lathe I have a Teco vfd with a pot for variable speed, on a Bridgeport I am using a vfd and on a 17'x60' South Bend Turn-Nado I hooked up a static phase converter. The static phase converter is cheaper than the VFD’s especially when you start getting in the 5 & 7 hp range on the motors. Just thought I would throw that in in case someone was not aware of these other options.
Great video,
Thanks.
Thank you so much for passing along the information, much appreciated
Hi Tim, wow, nice telescope! Looking forward to seeing what you create. Best wishes, Kent
Thanks Kent, I love looking at the deep sky objects with such a large telescope
TheOldGeezerGeek I had one of the first 8" Dobs from Celestron. I look forward to getting back into it. The DSOs were my favorite as well.
My best friend and I started out wit a small lathe and a mill, and sold our business 2 years ago. The shop ended up with 45 cnc mills and 6 cnc lathes and 22 employees. It can be done
You can do a lot with a mini mill, but it will depend on how complicated the part is, and how much material needs removing. If you are just making plates with different hole patterns you could add a digital readout and probably bang them out fairly quick. Also, you can do a great deal with a drill press and a fixture. It sounds exciting! Thanks for watching my video, and if o can help in anyway just ask
Glad you liked the video , thanks for watching
Thanks for watching, I appreciate it.
@ 740 likes... you deserve them all... all the best from Midland Ontario :-)
Thank you do much, I really appreciate you taking time to watch my video
Nice find in the Fadal, sounds like a great way to get some shop equipment. I actually owned a machine shop that had 40 Fadal mills, so if you ever have Question about them I might be able to help
Sir, I truly apologize, my comment about collets was somehow misdirected, it was intended for Ecco machine, dont know how it ended up on on you channel, thank you for your civil reply,you are a gentleman. p.s. love your shop
No problem at all, have a great day Mick
Thanks, very helpful. I am considering a home hobby machine shop and I appreciate the info in your video
Thanks so much for watching, glad you liked the shop.
Great video. Subscribed and smashed the Like button.
Thank you for making this video.
Humble, TX
I see what you’re saying about the price difference between the mill and the drill press, but if you can afford it , the mill will do so much for you in a shop, and can be used as a drill press. I do agree with you about the bench grinder, I should have put that up there on the top of the list. Thanks so much for watching, and thanks so much for the feedback
Thanks so much fo taking time to watch my video, I love spending time making stuff in the shop
Thanks for watching, glad you liked it.
Thanks for this informative information
Thank you
Just a generic suggestion, Precision Matthews may be the best source for lathes and mills that are good quality, maybe next being Grizzly, but hey if perspective buyers havent heard of these companies, check them out anyway.
Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely check them out. Thanks for taking time to watch my video
great video mate,
nice tidy shop too
thanks
Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for taking time to watch my video
Some very good advise. Thanks for posting.
gwheyduke thanks for watching
Great video and very informative. I'm looking into getting a mini mill possibly from lms in the future and eventually also a small lathe etc. I have a couple products I manufacture overseas out of plastic but want to manufacture them out of aluminum and stainless myself. With the correct jigs and addons for my mill such as a rotary table etc. I feel that I could manufacture these products and sell them. My question is, do you feel that a mini mill is suffice to manufacture somewhat simple products to sell or is it unfeasible without a cnc? I don't plan on spending that much any time soon but with a little skill do you think I could pump out my products?
I'm just starting out, but for me it's so hard to find work. Not a lot of factories in my rural area of southern IL. Any advice on actually finding customers, who do you seek out to talk to?
That name probably is a more accurate description, thanks for watching
Thanks so much for watching
good video Tim !
Got to have a CNC mill, a saw and a forklift.
Hi congrads on the shop. A simple question though.....? Shouldn't the basic start up machines be a Drill Press, a Bandsaw, a Bench Grinder, and a Lathe?
Where as,..... a Mill is going to cost at least $750 + Tooling and Vice ect... compared to a simple Bench Top Drill Press going for $70 + Vice and 1/2" Drill Set?
As light milling can be done in the Lathe. Question does the "start up" cost of a home shop justify the Mill during the first few years?
Well obviously you need a drill press. You probably should try to get used one - standing model - say a 17" one. Not just for making machine stuff but even simple stuff around the house. Hole drilling somewhat accurately (vs. hand held) is #1 operation. Bench grinder is cheap - you can get used or new 8" for well under $100 USD. It is also very useful as it allows you to sharpen things. I would also get some hand held grinders. I would not get a band saw yet - you can cut a lot of things with a grinder (small) - instead I would invest into cheap welder - either Chinese inverted or old timer Lincoln 250 or something for under $200. Now you can start looking for a lathe. It can be old used lathe. Its your first lathe - as long as you can trade up its OK - just try to get something bigger if you can then mini-lathe. There are larger old lathes in good condition that sell for less, sometimes much less - bring a friend that knows what he is doing. Now get a mill - stay away from mini-mill, any type. Get at least one size up. Mini mill is useless for metal unless said metal is watch sized (say G-shock). Look for at least mill drill sized or similar - used - bring a friend - they can be had used for same price as new mini. Hope it helps.
Hi Tom, Yes I have a 6" Bench Grinder, a 7"x 14" Central Machine Lathe (Heavily Modded), and my Faithful Skill Stand Up Bench Top Drill Press.
The Drill Press for me has been a Good Machine that with a little common sense and proper technique has always preformed well up to 1/2" in Dia.
I've had those machines now for 5 years and I'm just now pondering a buying mini mill around next x-mas time...?
Those machines I have are just for home use and have gained me abilities that cannot be purchased at Home Depot, Lowes, ect....
I've got to wonder though,...? Would the mini mill actually be worth the money spent, like my other machines have proven themselves to be?.
Please how much do you make alone per month with your machine shop
Thanks so much, I'm just setting up my first shop and this was perfect
Thanks It's kind words like that, that make it all worth doing the videos.
Thanks for taking the time to watch it.
Tim
next after a lathe- mill- saw- you got to have a vertical slotting machine because you can not make internal -slots- tapered slotes-Squares-hex- triangles- splines - grooves- keyways-without one!
a big lathe can do all you said. {by hand} 1890. lathe the machine that can make itself. so how can a lathe cut gears, splines, etc.? your mind limits your lathe, peace bro.
Thank you. What was missing was money. If a hobby, no need. If a business, then what can a machinist do to make money? (get jobs, keep customers, build a base, etc.?)
My best friend and I started out with a single lathe and a mill, and we sold our shop a few years ago with 20 employees and 40 cnc mills 5 cnc lathes and many pieces of manual equipment. I you are willing to work hard you can make a very good living from machining. The first thing you will need is some steady work. I think some places to try would be businesses that do automation, they typically have small runs and one of a kind parts to machine, also most well established shop’s don’t like to do thus type of work, so it’s a great place to start, you could also try some larger machine shops and see if they ever outsource any machined parts when they get busy. After you get going you should call as many manufacturers as you can and see if they have any work. Don’t get to discouraged, as you will get a lot of rejection cold calling other businesses, but it is something you absolutely have to do.
Good luck
I have the same Enco lathe, but I bought it as a new overstock item. So there were things missing. It runs so it has all of the gears, but the replacement gears that you need to change to do threading did not come with mine. Do you know where I can find the gears? I don't even know how many I need or what they're called.
MSC Direct has a tech support person that could possibly help you identify the missing components, and help you order new ones. I have had to get replacement parts for other items I bought through MSC and they were very helpful getting me what I needed. Many times they even helped me get the parts manuals to look at. Here is the number to call 800-645-7270
Good Luck
Thanks for watching
Sounds pretty cool!
Hi Tim,Was wondering if you could help me out with your opinion?Grizzly mill or the little machine shop mill 3990?Also what is your thoughts on DRO for the hobbyist vs. the extra money?Thanks
Sorry I took so long getting back you, I like the little machine shop mill over the Grizzly, I have used both and prefer the little machine shop mill. As for the readout, I would at least mount a digital scale. you can get them from Shars or Ebay. I mounted some $30 scales on mine and they work fine for me. Having said that, the price for a DRO has dropped considerably . I don't think you would regret the time and money spent for a DRO
You definitely get a lot of bang for the buck, they put a lot of tooling within the reach of the hobbyist
Thanks, I love playing in it
Great little video, I have the same mill, I beefed it up a bit for rigidity. Has a video about it on my channel. I think it is called show and tell.
Thanks for watching, I checked out , and subscribed to your channel. I look forward to watching more of your videos
Hi.
Are you still around? Is there a way to reach out to you?
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it
Hi Tim, nice shop and congratulations for your work with the videos, they're very informative for people like me who's starting a shop. About your cnc, were you able to make it work right out of the box or you had to change drivers, power supply and other parts. From what I've seen so far these machines from china were not so easy to work due to the poor quality of the parts, lack of info from the manual etc. I'm considering buying one so how was your experience with it? Thanks
Thanks so much, glad you like the video. I was able to take the manual that came with the machine and completely set it up and configure the drives. I don't know if some seller don't give instructions , but mine sent a cd with Mach3 on it and the instruction manual that I printed off and put in a 3 ring binder. It will take a little bit of tweaking , but you can get them tuned in pretty accurate. Make sure all the nuts and bolt are tight when you set to up, and always remember that these are very light duty machines, you can do many projects with it but take it easy with the depths of cut and feed rates. You can actually make circuit boards with you machine and get the hole locations spot on. I would have to say that for the money it is worth it.
Good Luck
Thanks, glad you liked it
Do you like any of the Smithy Tools? I have been looking at them for years but I am unsure.
John Wayne sorry, I’m not familiar with Smithy tools , I have heard good things about Grizzly tools if you’re looking for some all in one machines
@@The_old_geezer_geek smithy.com/Smithy-Lathe-Mill-Combo
Excellent advice!
I like your shop . :)
Can you share the specs on the tool post? i have the exact same lathe and didnt knew that there was one available for it.
Sorry I took so long getting back to you. I had to actually use a compound from a different lathe to mount my tool post holder. I'm not home for several more days, but when I get back I will take some measurements
Great video thanks for the info.
Good basics. Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching
Thanks so much for watching, glad you liked it.
No doubt, .050 is a heavy cut
This is great!
Very helpful thank you so much sir !
MSM thanks for watching I appreciate it, and thanks for taking time to comment
Is it worth being machanic
Khawar Sultana I think it’s a very good profession
DO YOU HAVE REAL TIME MACHINES TO TYPE A DATE IN YOUR MACHINE SHOP
Thank you so much for the kind words,and thanks for watching
Actually it wasn’t to bad moving this all down in my basement, with the help of another person I was able to carry everything without to much difficulty. I would have liked a little bigger lathe but the weight was just to much.
Great video, subbed!
I also did not do a good job of explaining that you should use a roughing end mill for your taking the bulk of the material out
Thanks so much for your input, I appreciate your comments, it helps me make better videos
Very helpful. Thanks!
Love it
Khawar Sultana thanks for watching the video, I’m glad you liked it
Uhh 4 flute for aluminum? That has broken endmill or worse broken spindle written all over it. 2 flutes are OK but 3 flute is the ideal endmill for aluminum.
Thanks for the information
Mini mill and "heavy cut" should not be used in the same sentence.
Nice!
thanks
ahh car swapmeets..Estate sales..and few tool swapmeets
take your time can be done on limited budget dont be scared of basket cases or fixing to sell and upgrade or barter
Emmett "Doc" Brown ?
:)
I went to Kentucky to watched the eclipse, and when I saw your comment I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. I showed it to my wife and she said its that big mop of grey hair.
Thanks for making my day, and thanks so much for watching
Tim
got to say i like the video
I think you missed what is needed, (HOBBY) what do I like doing ?. A place to do one's hobby, OK I now have a place, A work bunch is needed befor any thing els. Why a work bunch becouse one is going to need a starting point for what one is going to do. The items one are going to work on as in tool that one is going to work with. One is going to just use the work bunch as a temp place, laying out the work place and as things go a long the lay out will be changed (. "O" thats not going to work lets redo it ) Bunch a work starting point. Bring your tool in, to the work bunch and then to where the tool will be set up, so on and so on. The tools !, whats needed to do the job and thats going to be up to you and your HOBBY. Most inporten shop around for your tools. DONT LET THE FEVER to BUY the FRIST TOOL YOU SEE TAKE YOU to the DARK SIDE by OVER SPENDING. One other item how much money doe one have. So many time I have seen sone drag something home and have not the MONEY.
Grizzely.com is pretty good to great choices
thanks!!!!!!!!
Can I have your shop. Haha just kidding.
Nice work, but to put aside collets in favor of a three jaw is just plain silly,as a result you are unknowingly working harder to hold accuracy
You are correct, no 3 jaw chuck will give you the accuracy of a collet. When I owned a large machine shop we had both collet and chucking machines. The reason most hobby shop lathes have a 3 jaw chuck is because, that is what they come with. I totally agree, you just can't beat a collet.
Thanks for watching
In America you will spend way to much for your tools even your Chinese tools, that won't last anyway. Just keep in mind most your tooling is going to set in a toolbox most of the time. Put your money in an investment account and just puss the ju k tools to their limits 😮😅.
Please stop saying "Sars " lol it's shars ..... sars Is a desease lol
right you are, my bad
Might have made a verbal typo about getting high carbon taps and dies as well. I think or hope you meant high speed steel.
You are exactly right, I meant High Speed Steel.
An easy enough mistake to make, I'm far from perfect but thought that one should be pointed out.
I have just made a annotation correcting my mistake. Thank you so much for taking the time to point it out. I want to try and make the best videos I can, so you have helped me a lot.
Thank You
Thanks so much for watching