Stumbling and bumbling along... and what great guys visit this site

[JDHasty]

I am not afraid to take on most anything, even though I am frequently not quite sure of the details on how to proceed. I'm also pretty particular about doing it right. If I'm a little stuck or unsure how best to proceed I reach out here for advice and others weigh in with their experience and tips. I'm a rasp, file, block sanding and hacksaw guy, but five minute walk from my front door is a shotgun smith who has a lathe and milling machine. My kids refer to him as my friend you always fight with. Both of us get a big kick out of that, we both consider our discussions to be making sure we have come to a consensus before proceeding to remove metal.

Back to the reason I am posting this, it sure is nice to get advice from others who are willing to share their "this worked for me" and "don't do this" experiences.

[elmacgyver0]

I'm good on the rough stuff and rough on the good stuff.
I can do most anything, but not up to my expectations. I have learned by doing, but in a lot of cases not the best way.
I don't have anyone to go to for help with machine work.
One of the biggest problems is getting a hole drilled exactly where I want it.
I usually figer out the best way after I have already messed up something, but I have fun doing it.

[challenger_i]

Mac, you have just hit on why it is that 99% of those crazy folk (and, I admit, I am amongst that crowd!) that build their own airplanes generally have built it twice to get the end result that is close to what they had envisioned.
One thing I have learned: "Perfection is the enemy of Good Enough".

One of the biggest problems is getting a hole drilled exactly where I want it.
I usually figer out the best way after I have already messed up something, but I have fun doing it.

[Slugster]

I have two lathes and a vertical mill in my home workshop, so it no problem for me to advance on my projects. I am not so convinced of my own skill set that I won't ask for guidance when needed. Machinerys Handbook is an actual treasure trove for me, among other books.
Cast Boolits has been a great resource for all things lead. Just reading it has answered a ton of questions for me. I have reached out on the forum for information and received it in quick time. CB has really upped my casting skills.

[elmacgyver0]

I actually have four lathes, the first I built from pouring aluminum castings and a lot of hand scraping.
The second is a 9x20 Harbor Freight that I modified to do reverse threads.
The third is an old South Bend 9" with a long bed that kind of fell into my lap.
The Fourth is an old Atlas/Craftsman that I didn't really want, but it also fell in my lap.
The one that gets the most use is the South Bend.
I also have a drill/Mill by Harbor Freight, more of a drill press with an X/Y table than a mill, but I did use it successfully to build a .50 BMG rifle along with the South Bend.
I also have a Precision Mathews PM-25MV
I have all this and a bunch of other things in my basement so I can mess with it all year round.
My biggest problem is I'm too much of a pack rat.