Mill/Lathe

GoldenMotor.com

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
Toyed with where to post this. But I bought a tool to make MB parts. So think this section is correct.

Woke at 6 AM sat. morn with thinking I was gonna build a FD using a Honda 50cc GXH. Was a sliding deal for engagement. Got a 20% off email from HF for a 99cc, 3.5 HP predator engine. ,,, so off I went. Same dimensions as a HF 79cc. hmmmmmmm!.
Ran over and bought one. $93 bucks out the door. So, found the parts to make my FD on line. Sitting here, looking up a "how2" I glance over and see I have a Comet CVT sitting in the box. She fit likes a glove! Mounting, not shaft!!!! So I look up bushing reducers. Can be done, but emmmm. Don't like how I would have to cobble it together. Would work, but,,, ehhhh.

So, I want to make a shaft increase-er (5/8 to 3/4) Is not enough room and need a 7/8s drive. But gonna try this first. Already have 2.
Again, let fly. I enjoy your thoughts and input.

Back to my point, Bought this; Multipurpose Milling / Drilling Machine


TALK TO ME ALL YOU Machinist GUYS!!!! It is the most expensive tool I have ever bought and I know what I need to do to make the bushing I need, am lost as how to do all the cool stuff I now can. Let fly!


God, I love motorized bicycle riding. So far I have learned complex math, welding and now working on machining parts. I can call or write Tom or any number of friends here and get a "well, this is what I did or do."


You guys and this just rocks! (I still say this beats golf, but I never played and this is cheaper, snork)
 
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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Dan,
I'm not a big Harbor Freight fan but I have a couple of cheap-o tools, drill press, bench belt sander, that have served me well for years. I wouldn't suggest that mill if you were making your living from it but for general hobby use it will probably be just fine. Go for it and let us see what you build on it.
Tom
 

Russell

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2009
1,276
155
63
MA
Dan,
I didn't see the chuck capacity. looks like 3.5 4" ? A small lathe comes in so dam handy! Standoffs, bushings, shafts, ect. ect.
Variable speed motors or vari-belts?
I will assume that you also have indicators to make sure eveything is true.
Have fun!

Jim E.
 

8-9-duck

New Member
May 23, 2011
18
0
0
west michigan
that should be a good machine for you. barnes&noble has 2 hobby machinist mags,they are wedged in with the router and woodworking stuff. lindsey press.com:confused: has books on everything you need to know. buy a good digital vernier caliper. DON'T WEAR LOOSE CLOTHES/WATCHES/RINGS WHEN RUNNING MACHIE!!!! FASTEN THE MACHINE TO A SOLID BASE-IT SHOULD NOT MOVE -ATALL. always make a scetch of what your making and put dimensions so they can be found easy. i don't use inserts its just me. a HF 1inch travel round indicater is a must. if you use spindle speed of medium and slower it will work best. most machinist don't work real fast,think presion. i hurried once---------i had the flu. later jr
 

wayne z

Active Member
Dec 5, 2010
1,743
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louisiana
I have one similar, has served me well for years. Once you have it a while, you will wonder why did you wait so long to get one LOL and will never be without one again.

Seriously though, you need to study some books on basic lathe and mill tecniques.

If you want to learn a tremendous amount of old school lathe stuff, Try Amazon ect for this book: The Amateur's Lathe, by L H Sparey.
Plenty illustrations with the text. Lotta things shown that I never knew could be done with a lathe.
 

Russell

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2009
1,276
155
63
MA
Remember a simple rule, the harder the material the slower the speed!
 

NunyaBidness

Active Member
Jun 29, 2008
1,062
2
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memphis tn
...(I still say this beats golf, but I never played and this is cheaper, snork
I laughed when I read this line. I thought you had said you spent close to 1k and this is still cheaper than golf. lol

I can hear Dan now, "It's cheaper than golf hunny."
 

dmb

Active Member
Dec 4, 2010
1,354
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lakewood ca
8-9 duck is right! if it can cut steel it can surely rip a finger right off your hand! and make sure the kids cant sneek in and turn it on! off at the breaker and locked. do i sound like 7th grade shop class? hope so! go have fun and make me billet watercooled head! dennis [your friend]
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
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Indianapolis
Oh man! the things I'd do with one of those! I could set up a jig to cut a spiral groove and make internal throttle parts for my MB. Heck, I could use it to cut gears for a replica of the Antikythera mechanism (I'm a geek, ya know, and I always wanted one of my own). Heck, knowing me, I'd make things that would scare my wife and she'd make me dig up the receipt and return it. Nah, who'm I kidding - she isn't afraid of anything.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
I laughed when I read this line. I thought you had said you spent close to 1k and this is still cheaper than golf. lol

I can hear Dan now, "It's cheaper than golf hunny."
I was reading all posts carefully and thankfully, but wanted to consider until morning. But wanted to say, Carol's only response was; Where ya gonna put it? Ya gotta clear a spot" LOL, snork. I am blessed. Carol, not so much.

Any one wanna buy an abused kidney? I got 2. (one is my brother's)
 
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camlifter

Active Member
May 4, 2009
1,033
16
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acme labs marion ohio
dan. i have the smithy, older model, had it about 20 years. it's nice for small stuff. Smithy be prepared for sticker shock when you price end mills and cutting bits, it's worth it though. the tool used most around my place is the plasma cutter. don't now how i got by without one for so long.
 

42blue15

New Member
Sep 18, 2008
136
0
0
St Louis metro, USA
Welcome to the hobby! Leave your wallet at the door, and we'll get started. ;)


The Chaski machinist forum has a section specifically for 3-in-1 machines-
The Home Machinist! - Index page

Also in case you didn't already know, many full-size accessories will not fit on benchtop machines. Littlemachineshop is one online seller that specializes in the smaller machines and parts and accessories for them-
LittleMachineShop.com - tooling, parts, and accessories for bench top machinists

For general machine-tool supplies, I usually look around at Enco first- www.use-enco.com (site is down at the moment for me)
Shars is another place that sells a lot of China stuff- shars.com (Shars also sells some items even cheaper on eBay under the seller name discount_machine )



I have a mill and lathe, separate benchtop machines from Grizzly. Great fun but you can sink a lot of money into accessories, even if you stick to buying the cheapo China-made stuff. It's nothing to spend $100 for a handful of mill bits, taps, tool blanks or some odd measuring doohickey.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
Really enjoying all the input and thoughts. TY!

LOL Dave, I bought bits for this tool over a year ago. My local machine shop (one of a bunch) is really cool but the reducing bushing I need would cost, and I am guessing, a hundred bucks. They have always been great but in effect, it will pay for it self 7 or 8 parts made. So am thinking you should go for it and get one. Also, I hate waiting for parts. If it takes me 3 days to make, the local shop might get to my part next week. Then remind me they stoped working on a $30K part to knock mine out. Good guys and they need to pay for their shop and all, but am still an end consumer of their services. (LOL, sorry. that just annoys me. I still paid em, right?)

B4 all the posts on this thread I thought it was kinda dumb to spend that kinda cash. Now feel like "yehaa" lol

Thanks Guys!

.flg.