Build your own mill, lathe, injection molding plastic machine, etc from scrap.

R

RomaRana

New member
Anybody ever buy these books? I saw a web page a while back that a guy did after he got these books. He actually builds a home foundry, then builds a lathe with it. This series looks really good and I may pick a few up. Apparently the books are in the order of what you need to build first. So you have to build a foundry to build a lathe, and a lathe to build a mill. I figure I will buy a lathe then build a mill with it utill I can afford a real mill.

Titles include

Book 1 The Charcoal Foundry
Book 2 The Metal Lathe
Book 3 The Metal Shaper
Book 4 The Milling Machine
Book 5 The Drill Press
Book 6 The Dividing Head & Deluxe Accessories
Book 7 Designing & Building The Sheet Metal Brake
The guy even has a book on building your own injection molding plastic machine.

plastic_injection__1.jpg


gingery_1_to_7.jpg


gingery_2.jpg
 
First book should be how to make charcoal from coconuts. Then the progression would be logical.

Oughtta be cool books even if not buildin the stuff.

Sam
 
Hello RomaRana,

I have the first in the series, and having "reviewed" the amount of time it would take to build the rest of the stuff decided that saving up for a ShopSmith was the way to go.

Regards,

UK2TX
 
I think that 99.9% of the population would be better served by working some overtime and saving the money for the tools of their choice! I suspect that you'll be working at an effective rate of about 10 cents an hour if you start at the beginning of this series. :D
 
Easy! Build the foundry to barbeque the books on. Build the lathe from scrap LATHE parts, duh!? And the mill from scrap MILL parts, and so on. Course you need to be either a millwright or master machinist to even get close to a working machine tool. And those pictures look like the 1920's

This guy probably couldn't even sharpen a drill bit......
 
Actually, if you lurk around on any of the metalworking usenet groups you'll occasionally hear of someone building a "Gingery Lathe" or "Gingery Machine Shop".

People do it all right, but it's more for the experience than the tools. It's it's own hobby. If you've got a project you need a machine tool for - by all means buy a commercially produced device :)
 
As part of my master's thesis I used books by the Gingery's on the construction of Stirling engines. I found them to be well put together and easy for students to follow. Laugh if you want to about the the ideas that these manuals may pertain, but basically what you would find is that it is good solid how to information. I wouldn't personally take the time to build a machine shop as they describe, since I already have one at my disposal; however, I wouldn't discourage someone from trying to do it either.

Also, to 9x45, in my own shop I have an excellent metal cutting bandsaw that was built on the Gingery plans by a deceased friend who was neither a millwright or master machinist , he did have one important skill going for him however, he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty and try something difficult.
 
I'm not a machinist nor have I built any of Gingery's machine tools.
However, I have looked over several of the hobbyist machinist forums on the net as well as reading articles in hobbyist magazines. Included were posts and letters from hobbyist machinists who had built the machines following the Gingery books. Results reported seemed to be uniformly good.
 
It is just that there is not a real niche for Gingery machines now. Very good used American iron (new imports too) is cheap now, and a guy would be better off buying used instead of building his machines. It is more a demonstation of hardheadedness or skill for a guy to build them.

The time spent building them could be better used on real metal working projects, unless The Gingery machines are the projects.

Used Gingery machines sell for scrap value, if that means anything to you.

I have the highest respect for anyone who can build and use their own machine tools, and more for a guy who designs them to be made by others. I have a couple of the books, but I bought used american iron myself.
 
Some folks build their own....
Cars
Airplanes
Guns
Boats
Engines
etc etc.

Most folks just buy em.

Room for everybody.

Sam
 
I am deeply offended that someone would make fun of Gilligan's Island. The Professor was one of the greatest engineers of our time. To stomp on his memory by joking about making a car using the coconut production techniques that he pioneered is a true slap in the face to his followers.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top