The Home Machinist!

"In the USA, most homes have a 200A/240V single phase. Some larger homes have 400A/240V single phase systems. Three phase is usually reserved for industry, but can be had in residential, for a cost." I can't speak for the rest of the country, but here in NY most homes were built with 100A single pha...

Ryan,

I had a 9" Southbend that was almost new, with every option/accessory made for it. Beautiful little machine, but it was too little. I sold it for that reason. Stick with something 12" or bigger.

Nyle

I agree with Greg, don't buy a light duty lathe. Your accustomed to using the lathe at work, you'll get easily frustrated using a 9 or 10" lathe or smaller. I have a 11" x 36 Logan that I started out on that was my fathers. It had a 3/4 hp motor and is a flat belt style headstock. I couldn't take a ...

I chose to use 4140HT for the pilot, trailing and tender wheels and tires on my Berkshire build. High strength and a hardness of 28-32Rc, so the rail will wear before the wheels do. I'm in NY, which is not exactly close to Chicago, but like rkcarguy stated, shipping is not bad. I have a CNC turning ...

Maybe all this information should be etched into unobtainium.

What kind of lifting apparatus do you have to get the eccentrics up on the bench? Don't want to get a hernia.

Nyle

And I thought this post was going to be about Montauk NY!

Thus the problem with the internet, and any electronic device for that matter. Eventually it goes poof and you loose everything. Unfortunately most people nowadays don't know what paper backup is....go figure.

Nyle

Mr Ron, It doesn't take that long to level a lathe or mill, nor does it really matter how long if the cost is factored into the job. There is also a lot of work out there that doesn't need to be held to thousands or tenths for that matter, especially in many of the industries I deal with. Sometimes ...

Own a forklift? I couldn't tell you how many times over the years I have moved machines around the shop. Sometimes you need to bring the machine to the work. I do a lot of architectural/ornamental work, many times the bars/tube is 10 feet or longer, requiring miters to be milled on the ends, lap joi...

A good friend of mine who had 40 years in the welding industry, before he went to work as a salesperson, specifically told me to buy a Hypertherm plasma cutter. He explained that they were the leader in the industry that all others were trying to copy. They held the majority of the patents . I respe...

Yes your power requirements will depend on what you plan to do, and what equipment you are going to run. I have a commercial shop with 225 amps, 220v service, 3 phased. I run 2 large CNC mills , a CNC lathe, air compressor and host of manual machines. I can run these all at the same time EXCEPT when...

Jack,
I think what I like most is the scale saw horses to go with the rods. What type of material are the rods made from? stainless? if not, how are you going to protect the finish?
I look forward to your updates, your work is outstanding!

Nyle