The next step, Milling my own metal parts....

[kitbash1]

I'm thinking of taking the next step in my continuing joureny in modeling, machining my own metal parts. I've been doing a lot of reading and have narrowed my choice of leathes down to two. The last time I did any machining was in high school which was over 40 years ago. Has anyone done their own machining at home and if so how did it turn out and how long did it take to get proficant at it.

[arick]

The first step in your journey should be purchasing "Table Top Machining" by Joe Martin. Its an excellent reference book. Its a bit hard to find, but check places like Ebay and your local used book store or Google it.

[iBorg]

I've owned two Unimats and currently own two Sherlines. What mills are you looking at?

Mike

[BKIN10SECS]

I own a Sherline....so far so good.

[Pete J.]

I bought a Shurline about a year and a half ago and have had great success with it. There are a lot of accessories that make it a great choice. I have used the ball end jig for a lot of pieces like fire bottles. I have recently taken the time to learn about gravers and made a set of my own. They are great for subtle detail like intake trumpets. All of this stuff is covered in "Table top Machining". I agree that it is great for reference. It is not hard to get a copy. Just order it from Sherline. Joe is the founder and president of the company. You might go to the Sherline Forum for a bit more info. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sherlin...group&slk=1 There are a some great machinists with advise there and a whole lot of amateurs like me, with a whole lot of questions.

Good luck with the choice.

[Art Anderson]

I'm thinking of taking the next step in my continuing joureny in modeling, machining my own metal parts. I've been doing a lot of reading and have narrowed my choice of leathes down to two. The last time I did any machining was in high school which was over 40 years ago. Has anyone done their own machining at home and if so how did it turn out and how long did it take to get proficant at it.

Basic machining is kinda like riding a bicycle, once you learn, you never forget--trust me, it will pretty much all come back to you!

As for lathes, buy the best you can afford--my personal choice would be Sherline, as I have had mine for now 28 years, the precision and ease of setups on a Sherline have to be experienced to be believed.

In February of this year, I sprang for Sherline's vertical mill, and just about every accessory they make for it, and that thing is just the berries.

With a mill, even more so than a lathe though, precision and accuracy are extremely important, as you do not want any wobble or runout of the milling headstock when you are working with small carbide mills or center drills, those things break very easily if not mounted in an exactly true head.

Art

[kitbash1]

Thanks for all the advice guy`s. I`m going to buy a Sherline in the next few weeks. I`ve ordered a copy of Table top Machining and as soon as it comes in I`ll be just eating, sleeping and breathing the book. I`m looking forward to the next few months.

Edited October 10, 2009 by kitbash1

[BKIN10SECS]

If I may offer a couple of other suggestions. Purchase the video "How to set up and operate the Sherline Lathe". It is by a Mr. Mike Rehmus....very helpfull, you can get it from Sherline....also check Youtube you can always find tips and suggestions and it is always nice to see the machines actually being used. You will also have to start purchasing measuring tools ie. calipers, micrometers etc. Good Luck buddy

[LDO]

The only limit to what you can do is your imagination. Last night I machined away the housing of a 1/48 aircraft supercharger so I could drop the impeller into another housing for a different plane. I'm debating whether or not to mill a slot for the exhaust stacks on the new plane I'm building. The fuselage side is very thick plastic and a mill would make a nice, smooth slot for the exhaust. I have seen other people mill hatches into aircraft and tank models. Setup had to be a pain for a 1/16 tank hull, but it was apparently worth it.

[yomama]

I have a Sherline 4000 lathe and a HF Micro Mill. The Sherline lathe is absolutely perfect, and is a very precise piece of machinery. The HF Micro Mill appears to have been manufactured by drunks. Absolutely horrendous. Tolerances in the millimeters. I plan on selling the mill to buy the Sherline Milling Column instead. Here's a great link of a few hours of free video on machining:

http://techtv.mit.edu/collections/ehs-videos/videos

I have tons of other machining resources...let me know what you need.

Edited October 14, 2009 by yomama