Looking for a Festool junkie who is also a machinist

[ShawnRussell]

Now I have done it... I have been bitten by the machinist bug... I have had my eyes set on a Brese plane since WIA in 2010. Since then I spent a lot of time talking to Fred about what made a good plane design. And for the six months I have been researching how I can fit a Bridgeport in my basement...

So now I want some advice on tools worth spending allocated Festool money on.

 

[nclemmons]

I have a Sherline lathe and mill.  Great small machining tools.  I have done lots of pens, a couple of steam engines and regularly use them on special projects.  Turning dogs is a piece of cake, for example.  Recently, I had a strike plate for a mortised lock that needed trimming for the lock to catch, and it wocked great to mill it out, as another example. 

www.sherline.com

Would love a Bridgeport but a big commitment given weight and power and size.

Ron's planes are beautiful.  I love mine.

What kinds of machining are you thinking about?

Neil

 

[CharlesWilson]

I've got the Little Machine Shop mini lathe and mini mill.  I have found both very useful in supporting my woodworking and telescope building efforts. The machines, however are just the beginning of the expense. You will need lots of accessories like gage blocks, rotary table, four jaw chuck, a large assortment of drill sizes, end mills, centers, and a hell of a lot of patience and persistence.

When I bought the machines I was fortunate to have the guidance and generosity of two experienced machinists to help me learn how to accomplish things. There have been some businesses formed in the last few years that timeshare access to machine tools. They also provide expertise and training. You may be able to find something like that in the Atlanta area.

Charles

 

[rst]

Grizzly has some pretty good machines at decent pricing.  I have a machinist that worked as a die pattern maker that I have things done for me, that agrees that many of the imported machines are great.  He just bought a 20" X 60" lathe that weighs more than a warehouse full of Festool.

 

[John2532]

Shawn,

It sounds like you have already done some research, but in case you haven't come across these sites, there is a ton of knowledge to be gleaned and the forums are very "hobbyist friendly".

www.homeshopmachinist.net

www.chaski.org/homemachinist

www.homemodelenginemachinist.com

Unfortunately, if you want a machine larger than what Sherline offers, there are little, if any new high-quality machines available.  This leads to the decision of buying the "classic" American iron that may have seen better days vs. the new, but crap-shoot quality of the off-shore machinery. I think smart men can argue the merits of either choice.

If you decide a Bridgeport mill will not fit in your basement and start looking at smaller models, pay attention to the max. spindle to table distance.  Some of the models have around 13" -14" inches which sounds like plenty, but when you add a 3" chuck, 3" drill bit and a 3" vise the distance disappears quickly. 

Some good mills that are approx. 2/3 the size of a Bridgeport are the vintage Rockwells, Clausings and Millrites. They usually have a 6" x 24" table and most of those can be disassembled to get into tight spaces.

The only other advice I will give is to think long and hard before buying a 3 in 1 machine (lathe, mill, drill press).  There are definitely guys that turn out beautiful work on them but having separate machines will make your life a lot easier.

Good luck on your search!

John

 

[ShawnRussell]

Thanks for the insight and the forum links. I have been lurking on Hobby Machinist and learning a good bit. I have a few hours in on a Bridgeport and I am already sold on getting a mill.