Look what I ordered yesterday...

D

Desert Dog

New member
I bought this and about $500 worth of tooling for it...

I am totally hyped about getting back into machine work. I was a journeyman machinist 22 years ago when the oilfield died in '83. I have always loved working metal.

milllathe.jpg


I couldn't afford one of each, so this will have to do until I can afford more...

I have already ordered 6' of solid copper 1/2" round stock for some experimental solid copper .452" bullets for the 454 Casull.... :D
 
That looks neat. I too would like to get back into precision machine work, and that looks like a good way to get started. I have looked at some different models, but I am still trying to find some that are made in the USA, (i am kinda funny in that way), most seem to be made in China these days.
 
look what I bought

Dear Shooter:
It looks like a Grizzly. I've bought Grizzly machines and have never had a problem. I have a 12x36 Grizzly lathe and the three jaw runs out TIR .001!
It has been a wonderful product and yes the Chinese are doing precision work now!
Harry B.
 
I have no doubt about the precision capabilities of the Chineese. I am American, and I just like for my money to support manufactures who make products here.
 
buy used if that's what you want

About the only way I could afford to buy an American built lathe would have been to buy a used auction piece or buy one that was worn out from a guy wanting to get rid of it. Most machines that are still in very good condition that I can afford to buy will have a 3-phase motor on it which will drive the cost up even more for me to operate when I have to buy a phase converter to boot.

So, I bought a Smithy that came with a warranty and they have a tech line I can call when I have a machining question or a problem with the lathe. That may not be the way you would like to do business, but for most of us who have to work hard to afford things such as a lathe, it comes in pretty handy from time to time. I am not saying don't buy American made products, but if it is a used product when you buy it, the only pockets you are helping is the guy you buy it from. I buy American built products when I can afford to, it just so happens that I cannot afford to most of the time when it comes to a machine.

I have found nothing wrong with the Smithy so far, and since I bought from a company that operates out of Michigan and has Americans running it, I feel like I did ok. Tell me this if you don't mind me asking, what kind of car or truck do you drive? Also, what kind of clothes do you buy, I bet you a nickel that most of the things you wear don't come from an American plant anymore either nor do most of the parts they put on a Ford or Chevy as well. It's the world we live in where the days of American ingenuity have just about past by due to the owners moving as much of their company South of the Border or over to Tiawan or China. I say, buy what you can afford and force the Amercian companies to drop their prices down where we can afford to buy from them.
 
Nice post. And I agree with you. Many times I don't have a choice. I am only pointing out that if I do have a choice, I hope to use it wisely. You make some good points. The money saved would buy many extra attachemnts, and toolings. I just try to be as loyal as I can to our own economy.
 
Hey no problem

If you have $4-5000 laying around and can have it shipped to you, that would be a heck of a find. The only thing you would have to do then is buy a phase converter to run in your shop unless you have 3phase power supplied.

The only thing about it would be that most likely it will be a used machine that may or may not need some work done on it. They are built to last a long time, it just seems to me that the ones you find on the market are usually used up or need some major work done on them. If you can afford them, they are the best.

The man who made the initial post said he was getting all he could afford though. I think he would be wiser getting a lathe and mill seperately, but if this is what he can afford right now, there certainly isn't anything wrong with it. He will have to find ways of setting this up where it will run the way he wants it too, but that is the beauty of having a machine, you can do just that.
 
I would love to have a new Bridgeport and Clausing 16 X 72 lathe. I just don't have the capital on-hand to pull that off.

This Taiwanese mill/lathe combo was $1500, brand new. A new Bridgeport, without tooling is about $15,000. You do the math. Even a 30 year old Bridgeport in decent condition is over $5000.

I am also space constrained as all I have for a workshop is a two car garage.

I hope to make enough money with this machine to be able to buy a decent mill and lathe in a couple of years.
 
I wish you the best in venture, but more importantly I wish the most enjoyment in your machining endeavors. I hope that if this is an avenue to income that we will get to experience some fine work from your shop. No matter how small it may be, or the road you take to get there. I love precision machining, and I enjoy even more doing it for myself than a paycheck. Then it just becomes work.
 
Point of it all

"I have found nothing wrong with the Smithy so far, and since I bought from a company that operates out of Michigan and has Americans running it, I feel like I did ok. Tell me this if you don't mind me asking, what kind of car or truck do you drive? Also, what kind of clothes do you buy, I bet you a nickel that most of the things you wear don't come from an American plant anymore either nor do most of the parts they put on a Ford or Chevy as well. It's the world we live in where the days of American ingenuity have just about past by due to the owners moving as much of their company South of the Border or over to Tiawan or China. I say, buy what you can afford and force the Amercian companies to drop their prices down where we can afford to buy from them".

The parts may be imported, but the profits stay here!
 
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