Introduce yourself!

Welcome to the AF Machine Tools forum.

Many of us here are regulars in the model car section, who use machine tools and techniques to make parts to supplement scale car models. But of course any automotive machining discussions are welcome here. So whether you're making stuff on small machines for scale models, or making parts for full size cars on full size gear, tell us a bit about yourself.

Who are you? What's your experience? What kind of equipment do you own/have access to, or have used before? What do you like to make- scale, full size, or even non-automotive related? And if you don't (yet) do machining, feel free to say 'hi' also- and let us know what you're interests are.

Hey Andy :wave:

I've done turning in the past and some basic milling, seeing some of the models being turned out of late by our folks with mills and lathes has got me itching to get back to the machine shop :)

If time and finance allows, I may join the machining crowd :)

Thanks Andy,

My name is Mike and I'm an alco....sorry wrong forum. I have a Taig lathe that I received about a year ago. I use it for my hobby which is scale modeling. I have made several pieces over the last year that I am very proud of. I have a milling attachment for my lathe but is very limited in what I can do with it. Met many people through AF who have helped me out immensely in regards to machining and am hoping that I will meet more with the addition of this machining section.

Hopefully there will be tutorials added in this section too as I really have no idea if I am using the right tools at the right time. Also curious what everyone else is using to make certain items and the process that they go through.

Mike

I'm Andy (obviously), and I'm a regular member in the Car Modeling section.

I've been machining for about ten years now. I started in university, getting checked out in the department shop for fabricating parts for astronomical telescopes. I had a couple of glorious years of access to several shops, consisting mostly of full size non-CNC Bridgeport mills and Southbend lathes. After graduating, I decided machine tooling was just something I couldn't live without. I invested in a set of Sherline gear. It's a big step down sizewise from what I learned on, but happily it's been entirely sufficient for my uses. My setup is a 'longbed' Sherline lathe with milling attachment and rotary table. Lately I use it largely for making parts for scale model cars, but I use it for other things occasionally also- such as making components for a flight simulator 'home cockpit'.

It's ever fun heard few Mike's gags from the Raikonen mouth LOL, iceman kimi LOL

Ok I'm a big alcoh...LOL well switch to the lathe terapy (have you a finger more? an hear too much? a long nose? no probs, anythig would be cured by a good lathe.)

Guys you know me already, I'm gio. I do machined parts from a couple years or less, I guess I bought the mill and the late few month after I become member here.

I'm not so skilled but I'm creative and I have a good imagination so I'm able to do something also without any machining culture. Anyway guys like MPWR, Mike and the awesome jobs of Scalemaster and of the Nascar gang (Clay&Dave) helped a lot to improove the few I have and develop new ideas.

But at last machining stuff is extremely FUN to me: you'll imagine something , screw up a bit of alloy, and then see your creature DONE... amazing, I'm ever fashinated by this fact.

My next moves: years ago I ownd a CNC mill to do prototypes (from resin blocks or alu) but I trade with some pro software becouse it was unused, now that 3d printing is becoming human (speaking of costs) I'm looking forward (and around) to acquire something, but at last I need something with an excellent result without any manual job than.

I guess I'll also sell the mini-mill I own for something bigger.

I'm Mike, and Im an alcoaholic (alcoa is another nickname for Alum :lol:).

I think y'all pretty much know me. And if you dont, just ask. Im more than happy to answer...or just look at my site.

Happy machining!

:icon16:
Hi to all,I'm Rodolfo (strange,eh? [:p]),I'm brazilian,and I drink milk...Oops!

As for milling,lathe and such,at the moment I am very curious,and hopefully,this section will make me buy a lathe or a mill. At the moment,I only own a dremel,but,since you guys make some awesome jobs with lathes/mills,i'm very curious to know how you guys do these things (since I know nothing on machining!)

Hi guys, I'm Dennis and I own a lathe since the beginning of the year. I never done machining before infact I'm a electronic technician so I normally ask if I need machined parts :iceslolan :iceslolan :iceslolan

I only machine parts for my models which I think some of you know :licka:

I got a mini lathe which is actually a hard start for a beginner since there is a lot of setup work to do. But after the first things were sorted out I got some good results and this is were the fun started. Next step would be a mill but I think it will take some time before I start thinking about that...

Hi,

I'm Tom and I'm modeling since I was 8 years old (35 years by now).

I've been out of static modeling for some years because I was busy with real racecars for most of the time. I've never been driving but I started my 'career' as a mechanic on rallycross Porsche 959 BiTurbo, Rally Metro 6R4, then onto the circuit with Porsches (964 Cup, 993 Cup, 993 GT2, Evo, ...) and as a race engineer on a Dodge Viper in FIA GT.

After that, it was time to get to the highest level of motorsport. I worked for 4 years in F1 as an engineer. Children and F1 don't go together, so ... you have to make a choice. Familya came first!

So, after that, I had time again to start modeling. During these years, I improved my skills on turning and milling and specially in F1, prototyping and hand modeling.

Since I quit F1 in 2003, I started super detailing. I bought about 4 months ago a Sherline lathe and stunned with its quality, I ordered the 8 axis mill as well.

Hey everyone.

Murray Kish here, from Saskatoon, SK, Canada. Long time admirer of the machined stuff, so consider me more of a learner than anything. After seeing (in person) some of the stuff that mikemechanic cranked out on his Enzo (and the continuous onslaught of amazing builds on AF with machined parts), I broke down and invested in some Sherline equipment a couple of months ago. Haven't been able to do much with it yet (life is a bit busy these days, but hoping that the winter will allow for a bit more indoor time.)

I have the Sherline long bed lathe, milling column, and rotary table (similar to MPWR). Also other 'stuff' that goes with it, but I haven't been able to use much of it yet. Doing lots of reading and a bit of basic turning on the lathe, but haven't even installed the column or rotary table yet.

I get a bit confused about the various bits/tools and what to use, but am confident that a little experience and messing around will help me figure it all out.

Let the learning begin.


Murray

Hi, everyone. My name is Ken Mouton, aka p9o1r1sche, from South Carolina. I've been building models since 1994 (the second time around), and machining stuff for about three years now. I make model parts and an occasional bicycle part on my equipment.

I have the infamous Chinese machines, a mini lathe and a micro mill, both from Harbor Fright. I was starting to become bored with modeling until I got the lathe and mill. Now I look forward to making my own parts, knowing they will make my models truly one-of-a-kind. I get +/- 0.001" accuracy using these machines, so they fullfil my needs for modeling very adequately. I also have a rotary table from Little Machine Shop, a bench grinder to make my own cutting tools, a belt sander, a drill press, and all sorts of other measuring and cutting tools. I also have a dedicated tool grinder, but its still in the box, as I have no space in the man-shed to set it up. I'll post some pics of my setup in the other thread soon.

I plan to document more of my machining works will post in this subforum.

Hi all, I'm Steve from Taiwan. Extremely interested in lathe and milling, but will be some time before I get any kind of setup.

Been in modeling on and off for around 15 years now, started when I was around 10.

Hoping to absorb a lot of knowledge here :grinno:

Steve.

Hi Guys,

I'm John Sullivan from London (some of you will know me already) and bravo for setting up this section which I'm sure will be great.

I've owned the ubiquitous Chinese lathe for about 18 months and have picked up some really bad habits already that work only too well for me - am I the only one that parts off alloy at 800rpm with a junior hacksaw by hand!:nono:

Hoping to dive into milling soon with another Chinese special and a tilting rotary table. First task will be directional tapered finned brake drums for my 1/8th scratchbuild - can't wait (really)

In the meanwhile I'm hoping to move house and rebuild the future man shed which will only add to the fun.

Hello to all at AF !!

My name is Luiz, 31 years old. I from Brazil (Brasil is how it should be written), I come to this forum almost every day and it was one that made me start modelling again, thanks a lot !!!

I was amazed by MPWR´s works, and not sure if it was here a guy by the nick ScaleMaster :eek2: ...those are top of mind names don´t get jealous

Since I don´t have kids, mortgage or even a wife, money´s being transferred to modelling :screwy:

And now I WANT A LATHE/MILL setup :evillol:

Please, please, how-to´s, FAQ´s and et cetera...

Sorry for my poor english

Hi Luiz, and welcome! :wave:

(Welcome to the rest of you guys, too. :p)

Glad you decided to join us. Don't worry too much about your English, you came across fine.

I'm sure you can tell our little corner of AF is new and growing quickly. Mike and I are working on the FAQ as quickly as we can, and there will be a gallery, how-to's & tutorials coming soon. But don't let our pace slow you down- if you have questions, feel free to ask!

Hi, my name is Larry and live in New Jersey in the US. I am probably the oldest member of this board having just reached 64 and made tthe decision to retire this year.

About 5 years ago I picked up one of the Asian 7x10 Mini-Lathes and an Asian Mini-Mills from a local person who had bought them new and never unpacked them. Since the time I purchased them they sat in my workshop in that same state until January of this year when I retired and finally decided that it was time to set them up and start using them.

My skill level is currently at a point that I am able to make many different single parts, but have still not mastered the art of making two of anything the same.

Right now my lathe has been completely disassembled and I am in the act of fixing some of the basic design and quality problems that it came with, although very slowly.

My primary focus for using this equipment is in making parts for 1/18 diecast cars.:banghead: To those of you who haven't worked in this scale let me say that there are not a lot of items in the marketplace to help you, but that is part of the fun.:banghead:

Best regards,

Larry

Hello
I'm 62. pretty much through except for fun projects. I worked in a power plant. I was a certified welder. All metals. Have this stuff at home. welders, 3' lathe, presses. I paint. Used to run a body shop. I have a vast knowledge of industrial and home projects. A lot of knowledge and nothing to use it for. Oh, yeah, have 2 valve grinding machines. Sand blaster. I'd be glad to help anyone. I have resources and enjoy sharing knowledge. No, I'm not a genius. Just worked all my life.
nobuddie. [email protected]

Hello
I'm 62. pretty much through except for fun projects. I worked in a power plant. I was a certified welder. All metals. Have this stuff at home. welders, 3' lathe, presses. I paint. Used to run a body shop. I have a vast knowledge of industrial and home projects. A lot of knowledge and nothing to use it for. Oh, yeah, have 2 valve grinding machines. Sand blaster. I'd be glad to help anyone. I have resources and enjoy sharing knowledge. No, I'm not a genius. Just worked all my life.
nobuddie. [email protected]

Ok nobuddie looks like you still becoming our buddy :D Welcome here! I'm more than sure that you'll help a lot. I didn't understand if you are also a modeler: but don't mean about if you aren't: an "external" viewpoint is ever precious and often give news. Welcome!

no, I'm not a modeler. But I've made parts from the bathroom lockset to steam turbines. I have a variety of interests. I'm interested about anything, and if I don't know how, I'll learn or find resourses that can help.
c

a chinese lathe/ mill from harbor freight[chinese] costs about $350-$1200 American. Just different size .all work fine. If you don't have access, let me know, I'll scan and e mail you some pix and address. C
nobuddie [email protected]

Hello,
I just found the Machine Tools section.
I'm already active in the Car Modelling Section.(Jamme)
I already have a Proxxon MF70 Mill. (didn't do so much with it........)
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h107/Jamme_2006/Wip512S0090.jpg
I remade the nuts for the wheels of a 512S coda Longa from MFH. The kit's ones are in White Metal, and no really correct.
The turning job was made with the stuff attached in my Proxxon drill and made with files.......(Really long job....)
Anyway, I now have ordered a Proxxon PD230/E lathe with the accessories.
I can't wait to receive it.
Thank you guys for starting this section.
I'm quite shure it will learn me so much about machining.

Cheers,

Jamme

Hi JM, welcome aboard. I think you done a great choice for the lathe, I know few guys that own or use those (one is our Capi76) and they're happy. It seems more accurate than my chinese stuff.

I own too the MF70, didn't used so much since the little proxxon rotating table is a piece of sh#t, I purchased one much better but is a bit tall for the little Z run the mill have..
Now I'm switching the MF70 to a little CNC mill: it's seems a cheap way to do little stuff, I'll say something more soon ;)

I'm Bill, and I've recently taken the plunge and bought a small metal lathe. I've never used one before, so my learing curve is pretty much straight up at the moment!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/s10man/Misc/lathe1.jpg

Most of what I've done so far is small stuff, getting the feel for the tool and what it can do. Here are a couple of things I've managed to make.

Magneto:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/s10man/McLaren%20M8D/magneto1.jpg

Coil-over shock unit:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/s10man/McLaren%20M8D/rearshock1.jpg

I'm really looking forward to learning a lot from the extremely talented individuals here. Bill

Hi Bill, welcome to AF! Looks like you've come to the right place.

For just starting off, you certainly look like you're picking it up.

Hi too you all, my name is Mats and i live in a small town in Sweden.
Born in the mid-50:s and builds mostly trad. custom-hot rods-musclecarkits.

Been building modelcars since early 70:s and also worked a lot with milling machines and lathes.
Bought a Emco Unimat 3 in the early 90:s equipped with milling column and at the same time I got hold of an older Emco with lots of accessories.
Kept what I believed could be useful and sold the old one.

Here's some pic's of the things I've done, all in 1/25 scale.
(click on pic's to get them bigger)
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4606/ex02copyyo4.th.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ex02copyyo4.jpg)
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5559/ex03copyqn8.th.jpg (http://img81.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ex03copyqn8.jpg)
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8817/ex06copyqh5.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ex06copyqh5.jpg)
Thoug I worked many years with machining you'll never get fully learned and I already got some useful tips on the forum and if I can help someone,
thats just a bonus.
I read and understand english rather good(technical terms can sometimes be a small problem) but its much more difficult to write in a foreign language, hope you understood most of it.;)

Welcome aboard Mats. You've done some really nice work there and I'd love to see some more! :popcorn:

Will pick your brains soon over some pieces that I've got to make if that's OK?!:grinyes:

good to see you guys making parts. I usually make replacement parts for what ever I can't find. Car, lawnmower. Any project. nobuddie

Welcome aboard Mats. You've done some really nice work there and I'd love to see some more! :popcorn:

Will pick your brains soon over some pieces that I've got to make if that's OK?!:grinyes:

Thank's for the welcome and pick as much as you want, I dont guarantee that
I can answer but I'll certainly give it a try.

Hi All,

My name is Darren, and I'm pretty much a lurker here - or at least will be until I can get to finish a project a get pics taken. I've been modelling on and off ever way way back, when I built mostly armour and aeroplanes, which got hung from the ceiling with thread. I spent some time later with the Citadel metal figures and more recently the Warhammer figures and machines.

However, all through that time I've played and built kits, though not to the degree of you guys on here - you're all a real inspiration and something to shoot for! The only machining work I did was at school (20 years ago!) when I bit a bit of lathe work.

I bought a secondhand Unimat DB lathe and Milling attachment, but I have yet to have a good do on it.

I have started a build of the Airfix 1/12 Blower Bentley. which I will be improving (or rather I hope so!) with lots of bits and pieces.

Looking forward to increasing my knowledge and skill with the help of you guys!

Cheers

Darren

Great to "see" some new guys on board, WELCOME!!!

I've been away from AF for a while because i fell away from modeling, but i'm back. I am new to machining. I purchased a sherline 5410 to build a 1/14 scale radio control telescopic forklift. So far i am not able to make great parts, but it's still fun to learn.

sounds like you've under taken a complicated project. I don't check forums regular. I'm always available at [email protected]. for machining, painting, welding, most anything

Guess I'll go ahead & introduce myself.

My name is Adam Baker. I currently dont own any machining equipment, but I plan on it eventually.

Im currently working on getting an Associates Degree in Machining Technology, so I will have plenty of machining experience. Im also a full time CNC Machine operator. The company I work for manufactures CNC Grinders (the grinders can hold a 1 millionth tolerance), as well as CNC Laser Welders & CNC Water Jet Abrasive machines.

Along w/ the manufacturing, we also run a production area using the machines that are built by the company. I run a 2200 watt CO2 Laser Welder, thats used to weld turbine blades for gas turbine generators.

Hi im brad
Im 20 years old
I live near Syracuse NY
I don't have any of my own stuff yet
My dads a gunsmith but his lathe/mill are to big for the little stuff
I work at hart rifle barrels
I mess around at work but there lathes/mills are way to big for the small things we have 1 cnc mill and 2 cnc lathes and a few outher lathes and mills
Im just getting into model cars and rc trucks

Derrick here, been modeling since I was a little kid.....now, i'm just a big kid with a little more money, I guess that's the benefit of not having kids yet.

I figure I better suit up now before i'm eternally broke. :uhoh:

I've been learning alot from you guys and been thinking about machining after seeing these awesome builds you guys are kickin' out~ :evillol:

Hi, I'm Maurice Fred Sines from the United Kingdom.