New Member

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Hi!

First Post, looking to enter the ME world and learn some skills. Especially machining at which I’m a beginner. Hoping to learn from you all and discuss progress on the forum.

Have visited, last night, and joined the local ME club: good guys amazing place.

Need a project – thought I’d start with a Hemingway’s Machinist’s Hammer.

That’s it “Hello”!

P.S. I’m OK at car mechanics, time served in the 80’s and hand tool woodworking.

 

With best regards, starjump.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Welcome!

What machines do you have?

What are you thinking of making?

Whereabouts are you?

Sorry to appear nosey, but the answers will help people ,to help you if they know what you want to do, what kit you have and id they are near enough to be able help you face to face.

Howard

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Dear Howard,

Thank you for your reply. You are not nosey, thank you for being the first helpful reply!

To your questions, I’m located near Portsmouth and Chichester.

I have a vice; a bench; an oxy-Mapp gas torch set; good selection of hand tools etc.

I have a 1940’s ‘Atlas’ bench drill which I fixed up during Covid and a couple of bench grinders, angle grinders etc. I don’t really have many metal working machines. Although, I might get a lathe in the future.

I’m off work for a couple of months with a full depth tear of my Achilles tendon – so wearing a supportive boot and have some time…. ….Thinking I’d like to develop some lathe-working and associated skills.

I’m in a new job, a couple of months now, where fabrication skills are beneficial. (We work on pre-war cars but my experience to date has been with post war vehicles, needing fewer fabrication skills).

I am used to working with my hands.

I’d like to return to my new place of work with a greater range of making and repairing skills – if possible.

The Hemmingway’s kits arrived today: a machinist’s hammer and a height scribing tool. I’ve found ‘YouTube’ resources of people building the very same kits.

The advice at the ME club I visited on Tuesday was to have a project. Now I have, and I’m hoping I will be allowed some lathe time on one of the several lathes there on Tuesday to get going.

Thank you again for your welcome Howard.

With best regards, starjump

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

Hello Starjump, welcome to the forum, I’m sure learning some machining skills will be useful in your job. In the last couple of years I have made a few special tools for a friend who works on commercial vehicles, so that may be a direction you might find useful. Very good idea to have joined the local ME club where you can get some direct assistance, although there’s always plenty of advice on here.

Andy.

ps you weren’t doing starjumps when you tore your achilles tendon by any chance, not wishing to be nosey, just an unusual user name.

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Hello Andy,

Thank you. Your idea of special tools is a good one.

I’m guilty of previously having used the same username, historically on various fora. I think the first time I used it, it was on an e-mail where all the allowable one-word permutations seemed used up.

Apparently the Achilles goes on people who play badminton or squash, another doctor told me with a chuckle it was often seen in the Dad’s running race at their children’s School sports day!

 

 

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Hi Starjump, Welcome ! Your to far off form me to be able to help inpractice but this place has a huge fund of knowledge and we’ll all try to help answer a question. One branch of the hobby is foundry work and for old cars this can be a real bonus, brass and bronze are both easy to cast, and then there is aluminium. The gear is easy to make. I’ve made numerous sets of door handles, fittings Etc. I stared with an Austin 7 (1937) Then it was marine engineering, electronics,Agricultural, welding and hydraulics.

You will find a lathe invaluable and joining a club will help speed your learning. Good luck  Noel.

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Hello Noel,

Thank you for your reply, most informative and helpful.

You have accrued a great deal of experience by the sounds of it!

Thanks again, my plan is to start small – hopefully I’ll bump into some of those topics too along the way.

With best wishes, starjump.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

You are a long way from me, also.

Once you have decided what you want to make (Road engine / locomotive/ tools/ stationary engines/ clocks/ motor cars/ motor bikes, etc) you will be in better position to try to work out what machines you need.

I am sure that once you have a lathe, your horizons will widen, and you will find all sorts of things that can do with it.

Good luck!

Howard

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Hello Howard,

Thank you for your reply. I have been thinking of a small lathe for home use. Capacity would be limited but some learning on small pieces could be achieved. There are lathes at work, when I’m able to return and at the ME club if a project called for larger work-pieces.

What do you think?

 

With thanks, Starjump

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Having a lathe at home will always be useful, if only for the times when you need something NOW and the other places are closed. (Saturday evening about 8 pm!)

What you choose will depend on Budget, Space, and what you want to make on it (FWIW, my advice is go for something a little larger and more versatile than you initially think, as your horizons will expand).

A secondhand machine, in good condition will be cheaper than a new one, but note the “In good condition”. A refurnished machine may have shiny paint but actually be worn, one bearing some dirt and a few scars could be less worn. CAVEAT EMPTOR! Take someone with you who knows what to look for, and see it in operation.

An ex industry machine will probably be worn, having worked hard 40 hrs or more each week

(An ex Toolroom Myford may be less worn probably being a small standby machine. An ex shop floor machine will have worked hard all its life, probably).

An ex school or technical college machine will have worked a lot less, but will bear the damage marks of careless students.

A new machine will carry a warranty, and have spares and accessories available, but cost more.

Buy from a reputable dealer, who can provide knowledgeable back up, should it be needed.

HTH

Howard

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Thank you Howard!

How does the forum work please, in other words the protocols. I assume as my questions are moving off the “say Hi” subject, and towards a specific question, on “lathe selection” or “suggestions on how site one’s first lathe”, for example do I now pose those questions in another post?

Thank you in advance Starjump.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Hi

The possibles for a lathe are almost endless.

You need a clear idea of what you want to do with it.

Having said that, I hankered after a lathe, knowing that it would be useful.Far more useful than I ever imagined.

Knowing very little, when a Myford ML7 came up, I bought it and have never looked back.

I found the 2MT spindle a little restrictive, so when I retired I bought a generic Taiwanese lathe with a 5MT spindle, (But have never used anything larger than 3 MT)

That is probably a bit large for most model engineers, but the specification was good, it has not yet proved to be too small. But it is not a machine for anyone wanting to make watches.

Many work quite happily with a Myford 7 Series machine, or an oriental mini lathe.

Older lathes are quite useable, although they may have their limitations.

The specification will depend on what you want to do with it. Power feed(s) are nice to have but not essential. If you are never going to cut threads larger than 0BA, or M6, you may not need screwcutting facilities, such as changewheels, or a Norton gearbox. Taps and dies will suffice.

But of you want to make, say holders for ER collets, you will need the ability to cut 1.5 mm pitch threads.

No point in having a 12″ swing, if you are going to make Gauge 1 railway rolling stock

A former work colleague produces better work than mine on a lathe that is over a 100 years old.

A skilled man can do good work on an old, worn, lathe while an ignoramus will produce scrap on a brand new machine.

Take your time, and don’t rush, either into a purchase, or into trying make something complicated when you first start. Just become familiar with the machine, and cutting metal, and then make simple things, some of which you will be able to use in the future.

H T H

Howard

Think about what you want to do. That will help give the specification (But go a little bigger against the time when you horizons expand, as they will)

[starjumpParticipant @starjump]

Thank you Howard for all of your input. As you say questions to think about. Best regards, Michael.

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