show us what have you made with your lathe/mill

I did a search and didn't find anything specific. I hear some of you guys say you couldnt live without one, and would like to add one to the garage but i am wondering if the investment will be worth it for a hobbyist in a 2 stall garage?

 

Its worth every penny.............tools are an investment in ones...self.......Littleman

 

it would be easier to show you what i didn't make on my mill or lathe!

here is a recent thread with many parts i'm sure were made on them:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312210&highlight=brackets

 

i think both lathe and mill are a great addition to the home shop. here is a part i made the other day. the part is not used for anything, i was just putting my new rotary table through the paces.

 

Here's what my little mule(s) can do. The hobbiest Mill Lathe from Grizzly industrial. Fit's my budget at $1600. The Delta variable speed drill press for $200.00.

I'm a machinist and used to working on very expensive milling machines and lathes. Too expensive for my garage. These hobbiest machines are small and perfect for a small amount of space. They can't do everything, but they can do more than you think.

 

Dowies, do I recognize that pulley as something going on a Cadillac Flathead? And I also see you're a Harley 4-speeder guy.......

 

No CNC? Wow, nice job.

 

Possibiltys are endless with a mill and a lathe.Could make or repair just about anything.I didnt think anybody remebered how to use a rotary table or tool and cutter grinder anymore.Would like to find a cheap edm machine for the non machinable stuff.Burl.

 

I made the adapter to mate a T-5 to my 289 bellhousing on the mill at work. Saved some money and I can say all the billet aluminum on my car was made by me. Just got done fabbing up some progressive linkage for the tunnel ram on the lathe as well. Working in a machine shop is the only reason I get anything done.

 

I used the lathe at work to shorten some sbc spring retainers a while back, sorry no pics.

 

I got a South Bend 10L and a pair of 1/2 hp Bridgeports. When I'm doing mods on my cars, not a day goes by without using something in the machine shop.

I got a lot of rough drawings that I keep, in case I gotta make another piece. The only parts I ever took pictures of was the bearing conversion to change my 54 Chevy from ball to roller bearings on the front hubs. There's a post here somewhere on the HAMB with pic's and dimentions.

You won't regret having a lath and mill.

 

A mill and lathe will let you take car crafting to a whole new level. Much like a tig and plasma cutter, once you've had them and learned how to use them you'll wonder how you ever got along without them.

Frank

 

Needed to raise the valve covers on the Packard 5/16 to clear the adjustable rockers

 

I used my lathe the other day to modify some washers(big deal!). I hope to learn to use them better this winter.

 

Nothing special, but I made this shorty cowl vent handle out of aluminum hex bar stock. It only took about 15 minutes on the lathe, a few minutes with a tap, and a few minutes on the buffer to buff it out. It's kind of neat to be able whip little stuff like this out fast when you need to.

I don't own a lathe though, but luckily I have after-hours access to a machine shop at work.

 

I made a big pile of shavings..does that count?

 

Without exageration I could spend hours posting pics of homemade parts I made with my mill and lathe. I SERIOUSLY cannot imagine life without them - they are just some of keys that open the doors to your imagination.

Edit: Here's a couple examples - nothing fancy, but there's more here than meets the eye sometimes. I made a bizzilion parts fo rmy digger using my mill and lathe - INLCUDING the aluminum body - I couldn't have made that without my machine tools - sometime what you make is indirect - like making tools to allow you to make other parts.

 

I've made lots of things, it just depends on how creative you are

 

lmao that sounds like me!

 

DragBones.........Littleman

 

Nothing fancy like Dave, but Dad's got a 1938 South Bend gap lathe, we'e making spaces for my 46 Ford's rear shocks here, he's a retired tool and die maker, he's got a old mill to, and a broching(sp?) machine too

 

I would kill to have both in my shop. Luckily I have access to a fully equipt one across from my shop, and a good friend with both in his garage at home. I don't know what I would do without them. A mill is the only machine in the world that can make itself.

 

I used a friends mill to modify my rear axle bells to take a Hot Rod Works late axle conversion set up. The one that retains the stock brake backing plates.

 

Beautiful work, mucho respect-o.

 

I heard that about the lathe, but the mill seems more likely.

 

you gota have both But you can make both as well. Be even easier if you had a hob and a broach

 

Yeah I was lucky enough to get a deal on ebay a few years back and get a nice used bridgeport only about 30min from my house tho it took a rigging co. to pic it up and get it into my garage but it was damn worth it. Also got a new lathe from the same guy it was a good day.

 

Here are a couple of projects I made for myself and others.
The first is a cast alum. backing plate. I made the pattern, had a local foundry cast it, and then machined at home on a bridgeport and 13" clausing lathe. The next are some tierod ends I repaired for a friend. They're off an antique tractor.

 

I tried to keep from posting this picture again, but I have no will power. I made the head, side cover, distributer drive, injection, drilled the crank and flywheel and plenty of little stuff. Would not be without lathe and mill.

 

Has anyone milled a cylinder head at home on a Bridgeport type mill, or does that require a special machine?