New toy arrives

[Gerry]

After years of waiting I finally bit the bullet and bought a new lathe. Did a great deal with a supplier we have been using and got it for half price. So no more 30 mile round trip to the workshop just to turn up a bit I need. Would have put this on the tools thread but OFJ specified no more than 5 working parts and I dont want to upset him. LOL

Gerry

 

[RPM]

Oh that is great. Let the chips fly!!!

 

[Keeper]

Very nice. Looks like a nice setup.



A mill/lathe is also on my "want" list. Only problem is the "I have no space" issue. Well that and the fact I never never used one...lol

 

[putz]

Oh let the fun begin at home now!!!!!!!!!!!:kiltdance:

 

[Youngster]

AWESOME!!!!!! Color me green.

Ron

 

[Gerry]

Very nice. Looks like a nice setup.



A mill/lathe is also on my "want" list. Only problem is the "I have no space" issue. Well that and the fact I never never used one...lol

Well have a look at this. I have a single garage (UK Size=small) and the T lives in here as well. A bit of working out and you would be surprised how much you can get in a small space. Problem is the wife insists on having the freezer here as well !!!!! otherwise I would have enough space for a decent sized mill.

Gerry

 

[one finger john]

Gerry, the five working pieces was an attempt to limit the tools eligible for discussion. I consider a pair of pliers (why are they a PAIR ? Like a PAIR of pants ?) to have three working pieces. But you saw how long that lasted. Your new lathe is a great investment (that's what you told the wife, right?), and I am sure it will be put to good use. What really amazes me is the size of your work area. How big is your garage? Is it heated? Do you have to leave the house to have access to it? Do you have thoughts of renovation (not saying it's not perfect the way it is). Is it usual to have a garage in your area? Where do you keep the altered?

Enough, congratulations, I won't be tacky and ask how much. John

 

[Gerry]

Wife was all for it. She knows how much I love this stuff. Garage is 8.0 ft by 18.0 ft. Its not wide enough to open a car door once you have it inside . Thats how they mostly build em over here. Its built into the house so I can get into it from the entrance hall. Mind you I had to cut a doorway to do it

Heated... NO wish it was. Get real cold in the winter. No to renovation, apart from the garage the house is what we wanted and still like. I tried to go for a house with a double garage but at the time its was just out of my price range. Looking back I should have gone that extra bit. Topo is kep at a friends place who has lots of space, although it is outside but covered.

Price payed was 600.00 UK Pounds, (going price on ebay is double that so I cut a really good deal) but as I am self employed either I spend it or the IRS takes it so, thats not too bad. I do have access to a full workshop at w/ends but its a 20 mile drag to get the Bucket there on the A Bar, and 20 back. Still I am greatfull for its use as doing things like the headers would have been a real bind at home. Would nt have stopped me though.

I did think that I may have got away with the tool post by the following:

Part 1. The round thing that spins when you turn it on
Part2 The square things that move in and out on the round thing that spins
Part3 The bit that goes forward and backward along the length
Part4 The bit that goes across the thing that goes forward and backward along the length
Part5 The bit at the other end that goes in and out when you turn the handle.

See 5 parts that move.

Gerry

 

[Youngster]

I feel your pain Gerry. I have what amounts to a 2 1/2 car shop. It has my '27 and the '31 chrbby p/u sitting partly assembled and my dirt car and a '19 roadster both in pieces and carefully stowed on shelves. Casters are my salvation. I have everything form shelving to large tools on them. When I need room it's kinda like those finger puzzles we got as kids, move this over there so this can be move over here etc. Still love the inconvenence tho.

Ron

 

[2old2fast]

Gerry, I especially like the "high-tech" paper towel holder! grin.


dave








'"

 

[Gerry]

Yeh

that IS cool aint it. Thing is it works better than any that I have bought in the past.
G

 

[Northstar T]

Gerry,

Trust me, you've only made the first installment on the lathe. now you'll want a 4 jaw chuck, a small boring attachment, live center, extra tooling, etc etc. I bought a Smithy 1224 a few years ago, and I'm amazed at how much I really do use it. it doesn't pay for itself in dollars, but it sure does in convienience.

R

 

[Gerry]

Gerry,

Trust me, you've only made the first installment on the lathe. now you'll want a 4 jaw chuck, a small boring attachment, live center, extra tooling, etc etc. I bought a Smithy 1224 a few years ago, and I'm amazed at how much I really do use it. it doesn't pay for itself in dollars, but it sure does in convienience.

R

Happily I have most of what I need from my engineering past, and the seller threw in a live center in the buying price, along with a chuck for the tailstock. One thing I have invested in is a new set of Indexable tip tools, which have come down in price over the years.
Gerry

 

[sstock]

Garage is 8.0 ft by 18.0 ft. Gerry

Damn, my garage is stuffed full, can just get the door open into it, but if I spent an hour out there I'm sure I could clean it up enough to get a 8 by 18 space. I feel fortunate, that is one small garage, but realizing you guys have smaller cars too. I have a cousin over there in Kings Lynn that has a business that builds covered carports and awnings and such. If you want I can put you in touch with him. He is not into street rods but crazy about motorbikes so he is a gear head.

 

[Ted Brown]

That looks like a perfect size for me also, just may have to get me one, Thanks

 

[Allen]

Gerry----- thank you for the post LUCKY YOU!!

 

[deckofficer]

Nothing like being able to "roll your own".

Bob

 

[benT]

Now that looks fun! I picked up and older South Bend tool room lathe last year at a machinery auction. Its a bit bigger than I was looking for, but the price was right and it'll handle just about anything I'll ever need to do. I'm a relative newbie to machining, so its been fun learning the ins and outs of chip making. Next up is an older Bridgeport!

 

[Gerry]

Now thats a Gentleman lathe that deserves respect. It may not be new but I bet its better behaved that most of the new kids on the block.
New is not always better.

Just remember one thing. If you use ANY type of grit paper to polish a part, put something on the bed of the lathe to stop all the bits of grit settling on it. Otherwise you have a grinding paste thing going and every time you move the carriage you wear it down. Accuracy can disappear in a very short time. I use cardboard over the bed every time I production paper a part.

Gerry

 

[Corley]

I've had an old 12" swing X 5' bed Atlas for almost 50 years now, and I can't tell you how many jobs I've done on it. Recently bought an old 24" swing X 9' drop bed LaBlond so I could widen some wheels for sand tires, turn flywheels, make engine adaptors, etc. but it takes almost as much room as Gerry's garage! (Those big old ones are pretty cheap!) Believe me, if you use these tools, you soon will collect a LOT of accesories. Between those two lathes and the milling machine, I have enough tooling to fill a 10th roll away. Trouble is, I don't have a 10th roll away, I only have 9 of them, so the accesories are on shelves in boxes, etc. My wife is getting very concerned about what to do with all this crap after I croak! I keep telling her that there are lots of car guys out there who will want these tools. She'd rather have a new sofa or TV than one more roll away... She has a very narrow mind!

Corley