Lathe will set you free

[kawasakifreak77]

Man I want a lathe & mill so bad I can taste it! I've always been a tinkerer & having the liberty to make my own parts would be just incredible!

Once I started doing okay racing, I picked up a couple sponsors, one of which has his own lathe & mill. Long story short I needed a set of action wrenches for my model 7. Not only did he help me build them, but he let me run the machines a bit & bought the material!! I did bring his favorite beer though, which we had AFTER we made the wrenches.

I was like a kid with a new BB gun. Imagining all the trinkets I could make for my motorcycles, guns & even being able to repair / modify parts for my plane is exhausting!

[smokeywolf]

Ghost101, I was last man out at the Sony (formerly MGM) Machine Shop. The Studio Manager's office commissioned me to liquidate all the assets in the old shop. To the best of my knowledge, the only "studio machinist" still working in a studio machine shop is Bobby (won't say his last name) in the Universal Studio Machine Shop.
I've been in both of Panavision's shops; the prototype and production shops. The Panavision machinists are top notch, no compromise craftsmen.

Ghost101, I spent over 20 years in the MGM/Turner/Lorimar/Warner/Sony Machine - Metal Shops; was in charge of the Machine Shop and Sheet Metal Shop from '96 to 2002. If you and I don't know each other, we quite possibly know some of the same people.

My lathe, mill and a chunk of my tooling was payment for selling off the assets in the shop. My rotary phase converter came from the Studio Electric Shop; had to actually pay money for that.

smokeywolf

[Ghost101]

Smokeywolf, I got started at Disney in 1969, Local 727. Moved onto local 80 in the early 70's. With my 727 card I was able to work with SFX for many years. In the early 80's, I dropped those cards and went into the Camera Dept. I have just recently retired as a camera operator an second unit DP. I'm sure we have at least seen each other. If I wasn't cleaning your shop at some point, then latter on I would be having something made for a camera. I have always been bad with names. But I remember a machinist over at Fox in SFX, name was John Burke, I believe. He had been at the other studios, but met him at Fox. He would show me how to run his lathe an mill when I had the time. I was 727 at the time and enjoyed my two years working in that shop. The mill there has been gone for quit some time. That was about 29 yrs. ago. Well you were at Sony when party of Five was filming. Do you remember a red harley parked next to our stage door? An the guy that would ride his bike on the lot daily. That's me. LOL

[JSH]

6 year old thread, you might want to pm whom ever you want to reply. Smokey is still around I know.

[rondog]

Wow, brings back memories - I was a lathe operator for many years in a lot of different machine shops! Really miss it, I'd love to have a good toolroom lathe now.....

[bob208]

I started with a 12 inch craftsman-atlas at 21. now I have a 9inch and 14 1/2 inch south bend. also a 6x24 clausing vertical mill plus a 9x42 enco vertical mill I bought new. I also have a 9x36 horizonal burke 333 mill a 6x18 surface grinder and a 12" shaper.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I'm drooling! Maybe some day...

[30coupe]

If I had the space, I'd love to have a larger lathe. I've got an old 6" Craftsman/Atlas lathe that I inherited from my uncle. I wish I was more skilled at using it, especially the tread cutting portion. I still use the heck out of it, and it will stay with me until they put me under.

[samari46]

Like one member said the lathe is only the down payment. I just got the Grizzly & Travers Tool catalogs as I need a couple things. I've been buying goodies as the need has arisen and got a huge dose of sticker shock. Way oil set me back $50 for 5 gallons and it's 3 times that now. Oil for the gearbox was about the same. Small town and the only Mobil oil dealer only had both in 5 gallon buckets. Forget about precision instruments. My Kennedy machinists tool box is so full I can't move it. Started out with a Sears Craftsman 6" metal working lathe when I got out of the navy in '67. Graduated to a Jet 13x40 gearhead about ten years ago. Still grind my own tool bits except the ones for threading. never could get the 60 degree angle right. Those I buy. A.W. Warner has a excellent selection of both unground tool bits and they will grind ones for you. Excellent old time company. MSC or Manhattan Supply Company is another company I've bought from in the past. If buying mini mills stay away from the ones with the round column, pain in the butt to keep aligned. One of my friends had one and hated it right from the start. Get the square column ones. Stayed away from doing machine work as the cataracts were getting bad. Just had my eyeballs relined and new glasses on order. 12/6/19 cannot come too soon as I get my new shades then. Take your time read all you can. South Bend has a booklet I highly recommend "How to run a lathe" And if you can scarf up a cope of the navy's "Machinery Repairman 3&2 or petty officer 3 & petty officer 2 is another good one. All manual lathes,drilling and milling,shapers etc. I found a copy of the first book in the trash at work and the second in a used book store. Rule #1 don't get dicsouregd if your tired or rushing you will goof up. I did plenty of times and I'm still learning at 73. Read up on lubrication of your machine. Lotta stuff I used years ago isn't around anymore. So take the instruction book to your lubricants dealer and find out what's available and will it do the same lube job the newer lubes for your new lathe. Buy a few squirt type oil cans and mark them as to what the oil is for. Or get some key tags made of brass and use wire ties or brass chain stamped with the oil and usage. Well I've taken enough of your time. Frank

[charlie b]

Nice old thread.

I was lucky. First had a machine shop class in high school. Then father-in-law who was a master screw machine operator for Bendix back in the 50's. Learned a lot from him.

I also ended up with a used Craftsman 6" in the 90's. I found out Atlas still had parts for it so it was easy to refurbish.

Interesting given the old conversation above. I gave it to a guy who did stage setups back east, all the weird stuff like pyro and moving platforms and such.

[Hootmix]

I have Cummins 7x12 ( china ) and end-mill ,, " THEN !!!,, a older feller ( I won't be 75 till 2020 ) offered me a 1942 9A south bend ,, I refurbished & painted I use'm all the time ,, just not very well ,, love making stuff .Now they will be in my estate sale.

coffee's ready ,, Hootmix.

[wnc435]

I am a lathe addict myself have acquired 3 that get used. Craftsman 109 is by far used the most, it is next to reloading room, no wife no worries. I would be lost without it. no DRO's just dials caliper snap gauges old school. Sheldon sits in the garage by its self until needed. and the Logan is in the shop next to the Enco mill.