….. or rather a few rather large and magnificent lathes and milling machines.

I’ve been offered tenancy of a fully equipped engineering blacksmiths workshop. Its been in action, in the same family, for a century and half and is getting ready to wind up. I’ve been offered it at a peppercorn as a sort of custodian/caretaker as the owner doesn’t want to disperse all the kit. The offer comes serendipitously just as what little metal working kit I’ve got (TCT saw and mig welder) got knicked.

Thing is…. I’m not an engineer or a blacksmith – I just cut and stick bits of angle iron together now and again. Theres room for me to move my woodworking machinery in though, so thats fine. But apart from milling / lathing metal, what other materials could I put the machinery to use on without buggering them up. Will I upset them if I machine hardwoods or MDF? Plastics? I use a bit of polyester resin/glass fibre too, could they be machined. Could I machine plaster or jesmonite?

<starts sketching notions for custom frames>

<throws away frame sketch and starts doodling home-made CNC machine>

I you’ll have space for these two then.

Space and tools are just open to possibilities, think BIG.

http://www6.amstock.co.uk/morrisleslie/SaleStockPlant.aspx?Sale=1043

Actually – I didn’t notice whether there was a brake press there, I wouldn’t bother to buy one as its a doddle to make your own.

You can certainly machine materials like delrin using metalworking lathes and milling machines. For wood you’d be looking at completely different tool bits, which probably aren’t able to fit metalworking machine tool holders, although I admit I’ve never tried this.

http://www.wimp.com/tiniestengine/

If I had a lather and a a milling machine, one of my projects would be a Browning AN-M2 MG, a Browning .50 AN-M2 MG, and an Hispano HS.404 20mm canon model (all armaments fitted to the Supermarine Spitfire during its life), all in the same scale (whether that be 1/1, down to perhaps 1/10th).

I think lathes and milling machine are right there along with:
Angle grinders
Bench grinders
MIG/TIG welders
Drill presses
Fly Presses
Oxyacetylene torches etc. that every mam garage should have.

🙁 I want a lathe and a milling machine. Been ebaying for literally years looking for them at a sane price!

blacksmiths workshop

Learn to make swords, like in the old days.

Coffeeking, there’s one in the sale tomorrow!

http://www6.amstock.co.uk/morrisleslie/StockDetailPlant.aspx?lot=34&regno=PL-9685&sale=1043

i would make weapons and tools ready for the coming zombie apocalypse

Hmmmmmm <toddles off to register> Been eyeing up a CNC machine for a while but could put that on hold…

cofeeking you can have mine if you want hehe

i would make weapons and tools ready for the coming zombie apocalypse

I’m usually making the zombies – now I can make tooled up zombies for the double apocalypse.

Learn to make swords, like in the old days.

The original 150 year old forge is still there and ready to work.

Think this is looking like a weapons grade man cave opportunity 🙂 Going down there on thurs with a tape measure to make sure theres room for my dimension saw has room to operate. If it does I think I’ll take the plunge.

<toddles off to register>

sign yourself up for Sweeney Kincaids mailing list too.

cofeeking you can have mine if you want hehe

Don’t tease me!

Maccruiskeen, you’re in sorn aren’t you? I’ve a mate who lives in mauchline who’d be up for showing you the ropes, if you let him use your machines. He’s a right handy bugger, one of these lucky ones who can turn his hand to anything, but his big thing is dragsters. He’s got a couple of jetcars that he races about once or twice a year. Very impressive bits of kit, does all the body manufacture as well.

Thats right. useful to know who’s who skills-base wise (my address book of useful people is still mostly glasgow folk) if I decide to chase any work with the kit – rather than amusing myself turning large lumps into smaller lumps 🙂

Thought about making an adapter for a BB30?

er, yeah i have two mills, one cnc and a lathe as well! lets have some photos then, i bet they have some nice old machines.

Wish I had the space for a proper lathe, mine is a bit pathetic 🙁 Not that I’m a very good machinist either so it balances out.

yes, but if you had a nice one you would use it lots and get better!

lets have some photos then, i bet they have some nice old machines.

I’ll take some snaps later in the week

Was very tempted by this on Ebay last week:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Societe-genevoise-MP-1H-jig-borer-watchmakers-lathe-milling-machine-schaublin-/200892565353

Haven’t got space for it mind, but it’s accurate to 0.00008″ (0.002 mm)!!

The important thing is, is it anywhere near edinburgh? 😀

You could have used that watchmakers to manufacture intricate and deadly mechanical traps to defend Fort Footflaps

The important thing is, is it anywhere near edinburgh?

Not quite near enough 🙂

I would love a lathe and mill but no idea how to operate one and could only foresee me becoming fingerless. There is plenty of items I would like to make just no idea how.

There is plenty of items I would like to make just no idea how

Prothetic fingers would be a good place to start 🙂

I’d sit there and look at them wondering how to use them but never bother to learn.

That’s it. I’m going to have to buy one. I don’t feel complete without the ability to make things properly!

these are made by a mate of mine, he uses a milling machine for some of the wood working operations, and no, you don’t have to use special bits. if it will cut steel it will definitly cut wood, you just have to use higher speeds though. up close, these instruments are the finest workmanship i’ve seen.

We used to use the metalworking lathe for wood at school. And it was with the supervision of the ex-engineer teacher, not just us mucking about. It didn’t cut the wood as such, it just nicked tiny bits off as it went round. Wasn’t the best finish, but it sanded up easily enough.

I can’t imagine a bit made for steel would be damaged by wood.

There was something simple I really needed to be turned up in metal, but I forgot what it was now. I’ll let you know when I remember 🙂

Keep wood dust/shavings off the lathes/mills and cleanup if you do use them – damp = repeated wicking serious rusting.

Endmills will work on wood but you might need a custom grind to get them to cut efficiently. Router bits will work OK, the limiting factor is usually spindle speed (it will be much higher on a real router) and if you don’t feed fast enough you get scorching.

The main problem is that the wood dust will stick to everything and gum it all up, it gets in the ways, expands and seizes the bed up. If you really want to machine wood, use a dedicated machine which has been degreased and use lots of extraction (especially if using MDF / hardwood). The N+1 style answer would be to use the mill to make a CNC router though!

Decided to go for it 🙂

Is that a four jaw cluck?

In the third pic? Aye.

Good call! I look forward to you ‘I just made this’ threads!

Good call! I look forward to you ‘I just made this’ threads!

Googles plans for Death Star

bless them they look like they havnt had much tlc in a few years. the smaller harrison and the dean smith and grace are proper things. the universal mill looks like a bit of a beast.

if you do start using them remember that the most dangerous machine tools are the pillar drill, and the lathe. this is simply because they are the most common.

be careful. have fun

Wow! Teh awesomz! You even get free eggs :D. There’s a guy I bought a hand-forged bushcraft blade from, he was interested in getting into smithing, and found an old guy in Machynlleth with a forge. Went to have a look around, the owner gave him a quick tour, he said, yeah, I’m interested, agreed on the price, and the old boy put on his jacket, said right, I’m off, and vanished! Left him to pretty much work out how to use everything himself. Here’s his site:
http://nicwestermann.co.uk/
His blades are beautiful, quite rough hand-forged, but the cutting edge is mirror polished, and literally razor-sharp, probably the sharpest knife blade I’ve ever handled. Lovely things, just got to make the handle.