BrandonMag
Aluminum
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2018
- Location
- East of The Dalles, OR
Hi, All
I am brand new to machining. (I am a journeyman IBEW wireman, so I'm not a stranger to working with my hands, getting dirty, and continuously learning.)
Let's start with a little backstory: shortly before I joined this forum (last November), a buddy of mine bought a lathe, a mill, a horizontal bandsaw and a really big Miller welder. They were all wired to run on 240 three-phase. (He had just finished his 32x48 shop and wanted to start doing some work worthy of his new building.) Not wanting to pay his local utility to hang three cans off the pole near his shop, he figured the most economical way to get his needed three-phase power was to install a rotary phase converter. Not knowing the specifics of what to do to make it work, he asked me if I could design a system to run his machines. I hadn't installed a rotary phase converter before, but I did the research necessary, designed a system and we installed it in his shop. It turned out very nicely and he was pretty excited to be able to start using these new-to-him machines. (I'm glad to report he has been using the machines regularly since and has had zero problems. )
Well, a funny thing happened: while I was 12 feet in the air hanging 3/4- and 1-inch EMT off the interior walls of his new shop, I realized that I wanted some machines of my own. I figured a lathe and mill would be a good place to start. Having zero experience in the machining arena, I turned to the internet in search of a good place to begin my knowledge gathering and wound up here. And I'm glad I did: I have read more than a few excellent posts by some very knowledgable machinists. (From what I've seen, there are literally centuries of aggregated experience that frequent this forum, hence my lurking here.)
To aid in my information gathering, about two months ago I picked up a copy of the twentieth edition of Machinery's Handbook. I have read selected parts of it, but it is highly technical and a little boring.
This is my first thread and I wanted to start with what some may consider to be an odd question: would the machine in the link below be capable of sharpening knives? (My thinking is that if I was able to get a grinder that could sharpen kitchen knives and the various cutting tools that I will soon have, it will be an easier sell to my wife to buy such a machine.) The reason I'm interested in this particular machine is because of the multitude of accessories that come with it.
Not wanting to burden any of you here with a question like "Is this a good price for this Craftsman lathe?", I downloaded the Brown & Sharpe 20-page pamphlet (which mostly just explains the technical specifications and the different attachments available for the machine) and the Carborundum Company's Principles of Tool Room Grinding (a wealth of valuable information) from Vintage Machinery. I couldn't find the answer I am looking for there. Given my lack of experience and inability to find this information, I now turn to the PM community.
Brown & Sharpe #13 universal tool grinder with ori - US $1,500.00 (Fortville, IN) | VintageMachinery.org
I am brand new to machining. (I am a journeyman IBEW wireman, so I'm not a stranger to working with my hands, getting dirty, and continuously learning.)
Let's start with a little backstory: shortly before I joined this forum (last November), a buddy of mine bought a lathe, a mill, a horizontal bandsaw and a really big Miller welder. They were all wired to run on 240 three-phase. (He had just finished his 32x48 shop and wanted to start doing some work worthy of his new building.) Not wanting to pay his local utility to hang three cans off the pole near his shop, he figured the most economical way to get his needed three-phase power was to install a rotary phase converter. Not knowing the specifics of what to do to make it work, he asked me if I could design a system to run his machines. I hadn't installed a rotary phase converter before, but I did the research necessary, designed a system and we installed it in his shop. It turned out very nicely and he was pretty excited to be able to start using these new-to-him machines. (I'm glad to report he has been using the machines regularly since and has had zero problems. )
Well, a funny thing happened: while I was 12 feet in the air hanging 3/4- and 1-inch EMT off the interior walls of his new shop, I realized that I wanted some machines of my own. I figured a lathe and mill would be a good place to start. Having zero experience in the machining arena, I turned to the internet in search of a good place to begin my knowledge gathering and wound up here. And I'm glad I did: I have read more than a few excellent posts by some very knowledgable machinists. (From what I've seen, there are literally centuries of aggregated experience that frequent this forum, hence my lurking here.)
To aid in my information gathering, about two months ago I picked up a copy of the twentieth edition of Machinery's Handbook. I have read selected parts of it, but it is highly technical and a little boring.
This is my first thread and I wanted to start with what some may consider to be an odd question: would the machine in the link below be capable of sharpening knives? (My thinking is that if I was able to get a grinder that could sharpen kitchen knives and the various cutting tools that I will soon have, it will be an easier sell to my wife to buy such a machine.) The reason I'm interested in this particular machine is because of the multitude of accessories that come with it.
Not wanting to burden any of you here with a question like "Is this a good price for this Craftsman lathe?", I downloaded the Brown & Sharpe 20-page pamphlet (which mostly just explains the technical specifications and the different attachments available for the machine) and the Carborundum Company's Principles of Tool Room Grinding (a wealth of valuable information) from Vintage Machinery. I couldn't find the answer I am looking for there. Given my lack of experience and inability to find this information, I now turn to the PM community.
Brown & Sharpe #13 universal tool grinder with ori - US $1,500.00 (Fortville, IN) | VintageMachinery.org