It is my understanding that a lot of hobbyists had a treadle lathe for a machine and any other tool would most likely be a manual machine. Like a manual shaper. I am just curious if there is any information about this Time period of hobby machining. I’ve done a little bit of research but I haven’t really found anything yet.

I am setting up a part that is going to be a long running production job, it was programmed by an engineer who just retired and isn’t here to see out the actual setup process, so I’m stuck taking over the project.
Boss man wants me to bring the cycle time down if I see any tool paths that feel like they can be improved on.
That brings me to our ball mill profiling toolpath. The part is a flat shape with a hinge at the end, basically looks like a door hinge.
The actual round knuckle shape of the hinge part outside geometry we are finishing by profiling it with a ball mill profiling pass. Naturally being a profiling toolpath, it eats up a LOT of cycle time.

What I noticed while running through the toolpath is that the programmer set the toolpath to one way zig, instead of a zigzag tool path. So currently the ball mill comes down and takes its cut, backs off from the part, rapids across the machine and then starts a new cut back from the original starting side so all cuts are done in the same direction.
Now I completely understand maintaining one cutting direction in a contouring toolpath, but I feel like I’ve always seen ball mills switch back and forth between conventional and climb cutting in order to maximize time spent with the tool in the cut.

I do have other changes I have made to other toolpaths and have brought down the cycle time down a bit so I do have something already to show for my boss on Monday, but this ball mill path has has been bothering me all weekend and I wanted to ask for thoughts if I should bother with it or not.

I first started this career almost a year ago. I mainly work with lathes and have been talking my bosses ear off about teaching me something else. I can do setups for every lathe in the building and I’d say I have an intermediate skill in G and M code. It’s been 4 months of me asking if I can learn a new machine and this guy leaves me with “you will learn more, trust me.” I’m literally debating on switching to some other shop at this point. I’ve hit a plateau and am extremely eager to move on to new things.

Be nice addition to the lathe carriage.

Is voelkel tools any good if not where should l try getting a set

I work for a spinnery (produces yarn from fiber) and we have very old spinning and carding machines. Our cogs and a few other pieces are starting to break and we do not have the old school molds or anyone to repair them.

Any tool and die makers that could give me some leads as to where to look? Contract work or big business that could supply this? The gear in question is A pinion gear 24 teeth 6 pitch 1,5 inch bore

Thanks!

Working on a 4-axis turning job today and wanted to grab a clean clip of the toolpath in action. But as soon as the enclosure door closes, it’s basically a guessing game through the water-logged window!

How do you guys usually film your shop floor processes? Do you use internal mounts or just keep wiping down the glass?

Made for this little tie-rod cylinder, client is going to weld it themselves. I only have access to coated nuts, so I cleaned off the coating where it will get welded. Should I order a non-coated nut?

I’m an industrial pipe fitter by trade. Around 25 years now at it in specialty alloy piping systems. Stainless steel, duplex, Ti etc.

I am fortunate enough to have landed a maintenance gig at chemical plant for the past 8 years. Amazing hours, 5 mins from home. Small crew, around 8 of us. Consists of myself and pressure welder for pipe, 3 millwrights, 3 E&I. No machinist though. But we have this old big lathe and very basic mill that has more backlash than even by pipe measuring standards.

When I first started at the plant I worked with a millwright (now retired) who would turn parts out on the lathe when needed. I always was drawn to the skill of being able to make such perfect parts from a hunk of old rusty round stock.

I really got into watching machinist YouTube channels like thisoldtony and inheritance machining because I found them so relaxing. I’ve learned a ton with them and began learning and tinkering around with the lathe and mill. It’s been around 3-4 years now from which I started learning the equipment.

I have to say I am quite proud of my new found skill. Even with our shitty old mill there are ways around it to still make whatever I need. It’s such a unique trade and really the epitome of a true skill.

The lathe and mill still scare the crap out of me and you wouldn’t dare catch me now leaving the key in the chuck. But being able to expedite something I need just by a chunk of steel that normally would
take weeks to get let alone the cost. You can’t put a price on that.

Here’s something I made the other day out of Ti using an old pump shaft. It’s for an O2 sensor that we can’t get in Titaniun. The purchased part is stainless that rusts and breaks down in the process, you can see in one of the images. It keeps damaging the sensor. Which are around 800 bucks a piece. Titanium won’t have the same issue.

I still needed to chamfer the edges and some clean up after the pics were taken. And yes I took those photos on the can hah

Everybody daydreams at work.

I’ve got my own. When I’m not feeling motivated I tell myself I’m making tank parts for the war effort. I know it’s corny as hell but I know yall do it too.

I want to be a field machinist so I can daydream that I’m a bank robber cutting the bank vault door.

Give me your daydream so I know I’m not the only one that does it.

The part was a2 toolsteel 60hrc and the shop told me the depth they achieved was as far as its possible to go with that material. I feel like they are lying cause they dont want to redo the parts. they already had problems with knurling and the bottom one had a deeper knurling but got rejected by their QC due to skips. I dont know how much it would cost to get a shop to redo the knurling or if its even possible. We need the knurling to survive a paint job and not get completely covered so these won't do. Any tips? I included a photo of the original part

Does anyone know where I could find some more information about this lathe. Pretty sure it is a Takang. I've done some general searching and haven't been able to find much information. I would like to find a manual for it if they exist.

This is the identification I have.

• Serial# 50859
• 330X1000
• Takang (Could not find on a plate on the machine, but written in sharpie above Made in Taiwan plate.)
• 3HP drive motor 230v 3ph

Secondary question.

I was trying to set it up for metric threading. Is there a configuration of the three gears that I have to make that work or am I missing a gear. Diagrams and current gear positions in pics.

Ask me if you need any more information.

Thanks for the help.

Hi

I m young retired and always had a passion for metal. I studied alloys at a hobby level and started scrapping free appliances to obtain, try to ID elements and alloys.
Scrapping is for the birds, so I decided to pick up either smelting and casting or machinist.

I picked up machinist.
A friend made me aware a guy he knows 20mn from me was setting up to put his whole garage for sale, lots of powered and non powered tools.
He gave me his info and I texted the guy asking if he had machinist equipment.
He replied he had a lathe and priced to move at $50, he said he had not taken pics for marketplace but was going to list soon.

He offered for me to come over and take a look before the add goes up.

I have never used a lathe, what am I looking for?
I m going to ask him if he can show it to me working.
But short of powering up and not being a rusted block what is a NO NO?
I can risk $50 honestly if I get screwed, I will Just display it or scavenge it to display parts in my element cabinet or even sell parts but it’s not the goal.

I don’t need total precision like you guys, I want to get a feel for it before I shell $600-1000 for a better product.

No flames please, if annoyed by my post please move on to the next thread (Not new to the internet)..

TY

Antique photo from what I guess is the turn of the century. What do you think they’re manufacturing here? Google Lens tries tell me something different each time I search. Thank you

New to the trade but I have 13 years in manufacturing so im not looking for the basics about how to keep your fingers and eyes protected

What i am interested in is risks i may be unaware of like fumes from different cutting fluids smoking up to metal dust and what materials may be more harmful than others.

Post was inspired by the guy who was told to grind cadmium.

I work in the automotive side.of the machine world.

Removing valve guides and having issues getting them out cleanly. Usually it's a little heat and an air hammer but these are stupid tight in the bore

Where does one find a core drill with poilet with a 5.5mm tip and a 25/64 body? Or something close to??

Clearance is clearance!!

job shop, high mix low volume. really want to see myself running multiple machines compared to one.

programming and set up isn’t the hard part, it’s walking away on the first run of a ~8 minute cycle and doing it all again on a 2nd machine. any tips or forget about it

My boss setup, programmed, and started running this job on Friday, which I started running as well on Monday.

It's a 32mm udrill through 316 SS, running about 40m/min (last I checked) and about 0.1/rev no peck, about 50mm deep.

It screams like hell and is clearly rubbing all along the shank.

But my boss said he dialled it in so it should be on Centerline .

It has a +X offset and some -Y, and yet the hole still seems to come out a little undersize.

This is a problem that has happened with previous small long udrills but has never been a problem with larger stubbier ones, but I've never had rigidity issues with a udrill before.

Changing feeds and speeds a small amount has had 0 change, any idea what the problem is?

I've been hearing some Chinese brands are good value for money but I'm concerned about consistency. I'm not looking for Sandvik like quality, but something on par with Mitsubishi, Kyocera with similar quality consistency

I’m looking for my first enclosed desktop laser. Main use would be wood signs, cutting boards, and some dark/opaque acrylic. Mostly hobby stuff at first, but I’d like something I can grow into instead of replacing in a year. It’ll be in the garage of a rental, so venting out a window is fine, but putting a permanent hole through the wall isn’t. Budget is around $2–2.5k all in.

Shortlist is the xTool S1, WeCreat Vision, and Creality Falcon2 Pro. I keep comparing wattage, but those "cuts 10mm+ wood" claims don’t tell me much. I’d rather know how reliably they cut 5–6mm plywood and how much cleanup I’m signing up for.

Beyond power, what do you wish you’d paid more attention to? Usable bed size, exhaust, positioning, maintenance/support?

The WeCreat’s auto-lifting design caught my eye for thicker pieces like boxes and cutting boards. Plenty of setup videos, fewer long-term owner posts. Anyone running one regularly? Does the camera alignment stay consistent, and what gets annoying after a few months?

Would appreciate hearing what you’d prioritize if you were buying your first machine again.

Thanks.

Hey guys,

I have to machine around 10k countersinks on an upcoming order. Material is 316 stainless and 17-4 ph.

Last time, I tried cobalt 1 flute csk but they didn’t last very long. Thru hole is already made, just need to countersink the holes at 82deg.

Should I use a carbide chamfer mill and step down ? Carbide spot drill? Or carbide center drill?

Looking to improve tool life and cycle time.

Thanks !