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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Gunsmithing
Thinking about getting some big tools
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<blockquote data-quote="Trickymissfit" data-source="post: 550834" data-attributes="member: 25383"><p>I have no idea if you have ever been in a factory or a large machine shop, but there is this form of extruded aluminum that is used to make guards and cages for machinery. Unlike regular extruded aluminum; this stuff is strait and very square. Comes in all sorts of sizes and about any length you'd ever want. I did a mount for an Ohler 35 out of that stuff, and the results were great.</p><p> </p><p>Most of the the time the lathe-mill combos leave a lot to be desired, but I do know one guy that has one. He's done some very nice work with his. I know this for a fact as I've done the finish grind work on some shafts, and they were very concentric. The mill is not upto par with a regular mill, and is best for drilling and tapping holes. I wouldn't be doing any tool steel on them unless it was O-1. Works best with aluminum and plastics. </p><p> </p><p>As for a regular lathe, it's hard to beat a Southbend with the hardened ways for the money invested (I've seen many go for less than $1K). If you run accross a Jet made in Tiawan, they can also be fairly good. The Chinese ones are not as well made in my opinion. But even then a good Southbend is much better, but the Jet can be tweaked a little bit here and there to make them better. In the shop I used to work at we bought a couple Grizzleys (I said NO!), and they just would cut it. Then they replaced them with a couple SouthwestTracs, and they were only marginally better. They didn't last three years, and one went thru a pretty good wreck and was pretty much junk after that. The Grizzley uses a belt drive in the headstock like a Southbend bench lathe, but the Southbend has a much more robust bearing pack. Also the Southbend uses a flat belt that can be changed without going into the headstock itself.</p><p>gary</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Trickymissfit, post: 550834, member: 25383"] I have no idea if you have ever been in a factory or a large machine shop, but there is this form of extruded aluminum that is used to make guards and cages for machinery. Unlike regular extruded aluminum; this stuff is strait and very square. Comes in all sorts of sizes and about any length you'd ever want. I did a mount for an Ohler 35 out of that stuff, and the results were great. Most of the the time the lathe-mill combos leave a lot to be desired, but I do know one guy that has one. He's done some very nice work with his. I know this for a fact as I've done the finish grind work on some shafts, and they were very concentric. The mill is not upto par with a regular mill, and is best for drilling and tapping holes. I wouldn't be doing any tool steel on them unless it was O-1. Works best with aluminum and plastics. As for a regular lathe, it's hard to beat a Southbend with the hardened ways for the money invested (I've seen many go for less than $1K). If you run accross a Jet made in Tiawan, they can also be fairly good. The Chinese ones are not as well made in my opinion. But even then a good Southbend is much better, but the Jet can be tweaked a little bit here and there to make them better. In the shop I used to work at we bought a couple Grizzleys (I said NO!), and they just would cut it. Then they replaced them with a couple SouthwestTracs, and they were only marginally better. They didn't last three years, and one went thru a pretty good wreck and was pretty much junk after that. The Grizzley uses a belt drive in the headstock like a Southbend bench lathe, but the Southbend has a much more robust bearing pack. Also the Southbend uses a flat belt that can be changed without going into the headstock itself. gary [/QUOTE]
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Thinking about getting some big tools
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