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Sticky What Machines Do You have?

My list:
Century AC/DC Arc Welder
Magnum Industrial AC/DC TIG
Magnum MIG
Oxy/Acetylene welder
Craftex CX709 lathe
Craftsman 17" drill press
Delta 14" drill press
Hitachi 14" chop saw
Milwaukee mitre saw
Dewalt table saw
?make bench grinder
20ton press
9k auto lift
.....and more power/hand tools than I even know how to use. When it comes to tools, I like to live by my dad's saying, "If I don't have it, you don't need it" :)

And I'm out on the smallest space contest. I'm building an 1100sqft garage with a 600sqft mezzanine. This is one time I don't mind being the loser. ;) :D
 
On my list of items to get next is a mill. I've done some milling on my drill press.....but it ain't pretty.
Also want to get a commercial sized grinder. I'm tired of bogging down my 1/2hp.
Lastly, I need a wood bandsaw and a metal bandsaw.

I'm hopeful I'll be able to stop at that, but........ :rolleyes:
 
DHHok said:
On my list of items to get next is a mill. I've done some milling on my drill press.....but it ain't pretty.
Also want to get a commercial sized grinder. I'm tired of bogging down my 1/2hp.
Lastly, I need a wood bandsaw and a metal bandsaw.

I'm hopeful I'll be able to stop at that, but........ :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
When I built my Gingery Lathe from scrap metal and castings all I had was my Craftsman drill press. I did build the Gingery Power hacksaw and slip roll to be able to build the the foundry etc. I had a friend take the drill press spindle and bore a hole through it. I was then able to use MT3 tooling with a draw bar. Started with a simple 4" XY vise. Later moved up to a T-SLOT XY Table. And then finally a real mill.

If you use your mill make sure you have a draw bar or something to prevent the tool from flying out. Could be lethal.
 
I took the switch cover off the front of my mill to take a photo of the quill clamping mechanism. This allows me to take the end play out of the mill quill and also lock it tight when milling. My big mill can lock the quill but it doesn't have this feature to remove play.

This single feature on the drill press (along with the drawbar to keep MT-3 tooling from falling out) is pretty well mandatory for milling Or some other method to lock the quill in the Z axis direction.
 

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jcdammeyer said:
I took the switch cover off the front of my mill to take a photo of the quill clamping mechanism. This allows me to take the end play out of the mill quill and also lock it tight when milling. My big mill can lock the quill but it doesn't have this feature to remove play.

This single feature on the drill press (along with the drawbar to keep MT-3 tooling from falling out) is pretty well mandatory for milling Or some other method to lock the quill in the Z axis direction.
Click to expand...

My ancient Beaver drill press has the quill clamp but no draw bar. Instead it has a lock nut on the Jacobs Taper to hold it tightly engaged. It also has bearings that can handle a side load.

I added a small x-y table to it and used it to do minor milling for 30 years or so.

There is no Quill play that I can measure in either of my big mills. However, the Standard Bridgeport Quill Lock Design is such that it would probably remove any that did exist.
 
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I did have some trade tools I bought after starting my first job, but left them in Perth when I joined the RAAF. So I had to start again in 75. Only basic tools, vice, bench grinder, blower type spray painter and spanners, sockets screwdrivers, etc, which was all I had until I got married in 83, then I started collecting: AC welder, pedestal drill, 9" angle grinder, hand drills, jig saws, sanders, added a 9x20 lathe around 1990. The RAAF transferred me to Malaysia in 93 and I went mad buying up every tool I saw, chop saw, mill, micrometers, callipers, reamers, etc. Over the next couple of decades, I sold some, bought some, made some: I now have in my workshop lathe, mill, pedestal drill (the one I bought in the early 80s), polishing machine, bench grinder, band saw, metal table saw, wood table saw, belt grinder, small, table belt grinder, linisher, compressor, bar bender, DC stick welder, mig, soldering station, blasting cabinet, a whoe suite of cordless power tools and a whole wall of pull out drawers for bolts, nuts, bearings, LEDs, resistors, circuit boards, hall effect triggers, and so on. I've managed to shoehorn it all in to a 5m x 5m workshop. Space is at a premium, so I got rid of all my tool boxes and hung all my hand tools overhead. I moved things around over the years trying to find more space, but I think I've managed to find the perfect place for everything now and so managed to squeeze everything in. My tool collecting days now over, I make do with what I have as my life draws to a close.
 
toglhot said:
I did have some trade tools I bought after starting my first job, but left them in Perth when I joined the RAAF. So I had to start again in 75. Only basic tools, vice, bench grinder, blower type spray painter and spanners, sockets screwdrivers, etc, which was all I had until I got married in 83, then I started collecting: AC welder, pedestal drill, 9" angle grinder, hand drills, jig saws, sanders, added a 9x20 lathe around 1990. The RAAF transferred me to Malaysia in 93 and I went mad buying up every tool I saw, chop saw, mill, micrometers, callipers, reamers, etc. Over the next couple of decades, I sold some, bought some, made some: I now have in my workshop lathe, mill, pedestal drill (the one I bought in the early 80s), polishing machine, bench grinder, band saw, metal table saw, wood table saw, belt grinder, small, table belt grinder, linisher, compressor, bar bender, DC stick welder, mig, soldering station, blasting cabinet, a whoe suite of cordless power tools and a whole wall of pull out drawers for bolts, nuts, bearings, LEDs, resistors, circuit boards, hall effect triggers, and so on. I've managed to shoehorn it all in to a 5m x 5m workshop. Space is at a premium, so I got rid of all my tool boxes and hung all my hand tools overhead. I moved things around over the years trying to find more space, but I think I've managed to find the perfect place for everything now and so managed to squeeze everything in. My tool collecting days now over, I make do with what I have as my life draws to a close.
Click to expand...
Your workshop must be crowded, sounds like my little basement lab (4m x 4m).
I have been adding stacked shelving and hangers as well.
What is a linisher ?
 
toglhot said:
I did have some trade tools I bought after starting my first job, but left them in Perth when I joined the RAAF. So I had to start again in 75. Only basic tools, vice, bench grinder, blower type spray painter and spanners, sockets screwdrivers, etc, which was all I had until I got married in 83, then I started collecting: AC welder, pedestal drill, 9" angle grinder, hand drills, jig saws, sanders, added a 9x20 lathe around 1990. The RAAF transferred me to Malaysia in 93 and I went mad buying up every tool I saw, chop saw, mill, micrometers, callipers, reamers, etc. Over the next couple of decades, I sold some, bought some, made some: I now have in my workshop lathe, mill, pedestal drill (the one I bought in the early 80s), polishing machine, bench grinder, band saw, metal table saw, wood table saw, belt grinder, small, table belt grinder, linisher, compressor, bar bender, DC stick welder, mig, soldering station, blasting cabinet, a whoe suite of cordless power tools and a whole wall of pull out drawers for bolts, nuts, bearings, LEDs, resistors, circuit boards, hall effect triggers, and so on. I've managed to shoehorn it all in to a 5m x 5m workshop. Space is at a premium, so I got rid of all my tool boxes and hung all my hand tools overhead. I moved things around over the years trying to find more space, but I think I've managed to find the perfect place for everything now and so managed to squeeze everything in. My tool collecting days now over, I make do with what I have as my life draws to a close.
Click to expand...
I read this as “married AT 83”, and thought “wow, I need to learn more about you”!
 
toglhot said:
Belt grinder for wood, spins at half the speed as a belt grinder so as not to burn the wood.
Click to expand...
Have you ever used a MIRKA sander ?
They are more common in auto restoration shops, but, I think they would work well for sanding wood and the discs are perforated to enable the dust to be evacuated from the workpiece.
 
Jwest7788 said:
What machines do you have, what do you like and dislike about them, any upgrades you're looking at?

Personally, I have a Craftex Mini Mill (CT133)
-- I like that I have access to a mill in general. Dislike that I have to work within the little guy's limits. Hope to upgrade to a bridgport or similar manual mill in the next couple of years.

I also have a Craftex 10X18 lathe (B2227L)
- This machine is actually perfect for what I've been working on. Need to get it a quick change tool post, as it has the lantern style, which is a pain. Wish it had a quick change gear box, as changing out the gears is a bit tedious!

What about you guys?
Click to expand...
Just picked up this old beast,Head stock bushings excellent.Has a huge 36" swing and sliding gap bed, just a good cleaning and some new Acme style nuts and some new bushings good to go.
 

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Rocketmanstu said:
Just picked up this old beast,Head stock bushings excellent.Has a huge 36" swing, just a good cleaning and some new Acme style nuts and some new bushings good to go.
Click to expand...

I think you meant bed length, not swing.

Nice old machine with some newer features (gap bed and quick change gears).

I learned on a much older lathe. Those old flat belt machines are great teachers that do amazing work if you are a good student.
 
Susquatch said:
I think you meant bed length, not swing.

Nice old machine with some newer features (gap bed and quick change gears).

I learned on a much older lathe. Those old flat belt machines are great teachers that do amazing work if you are a good student.
Click to expand...
LOL its 18" from the chuck centre to the bottom of the Gap when the bed is slid back .
 
Rocketmanstu said:
LOL its 18" from the chuck centre to the bottom of the Gap when the bed is slid back .
Click to expand...

Wow! That's a DEEP gap! But that's not normally the way a lathe is measured. Usually it is center to the ways x 2. Gaps are normally given separately. But I see where you got the number now.

My old FE Reed didn't have a removable gap. My new lathe does, but you could not pay me enough to ever remove it.

If I ever needed the extra swing I'd take my work to someone with a bigger lathe.
 
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