- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
- Messages
- 14
I'm a complete noob at the machining world, but I've been doing a huge amount of reading and research. I've gone through Tabletop Machining by Joe Martin, The Home Machinist's Handbook by Doug Briney, and have sort-of read a number of the Workshop Practice Series books (Lathework a Complete Course, and Milling a Complete Course, both by Harold Hall). You get the idea.
Small mechanical devices, gear trains, air-engines, functioning models, etc. and the odd improvement / replacement part for things about the apartment are the likely uses for the machines. Given the small size, ability to pack them away for storage to some degree, and the ability to get some pretty astounding precision while also working with most available materials, Sherline machines are what I'm planning to get. It seems like it offers a huge amount of possibilities while being about as apartment friendly as one could hope for.
Related, since I live in a second floor apartment with dogs, grinding my own cutting tools is something I'll need to leave for some time in the future as it just doesn't seem worth the necessary space expenditures and acrobatics necessary to ensure areas stay safe and clean for the dogs, nieces, etc. So, I've been looking at the insert tooling and tools from A.R. Warner Company since I won't be grinding stuff any time soon, but knowing which I should pick is ... proving problematic.
General plans are to figure out how things work manually, first, and then move into some CNC as well. I'm a software dev for my "real job", so the programming portion is definitely not concerning. Also took a few drafting courses (by hand in middle school, also in college before moving on to AutoCAD) and have done some things with Fusion 360 and 3D printers, so I figure I'll do okay there.
I already have, or have on the way, a fair number of tools. Not sure if I should start a seperate thread for suggestions on what else I *need* vs things I can hold off on for now.
As for the machines ... After comparing the packages, prices, and accessory lists, while keeping in mind what I've seen in a number of threads, it looks like I will be best served by getting the 4410 CNC-Ready 3.5x17" Lathe with Package C, and the 5410 CNC-Ready Mill (no package) with the 15" Extended Column Upgrade and 18" Extended Mill Table, and purchasing a few things from Sherline and a few things from other places. Note: this mill includes the 1-1/4" headstock spacer block.
If I got the machine shop package I pay a few hundred more, lose out on the compound center and thread cutter in exchange for a rotary table and angle table, with some cutting tools and drill chucks being added or removed. Since the advice in most of what I've read was to replace the tools with others, I'm only really losing out on the rotary table and angle table.
The current plan, then, is to get the Lathe w/Package C, the Mill, and the Hi-Torque stepper + driver package from Sherline.
Planned accessory purchases:
* 1030 3.1" 4 Jaw Independent chuck for the lathe
* 0XA Quick Change Tool Post from LittleMachineShop
* 3/4"-16 Beall ER32 Collet Chuck w/5 collets and a wrench set
* 2" Screwless Vise from LittleMachineShop
* 7620 Single Flute Insert Fly Cutter
* 3560 4"x10" Mill Tooling Plate
* 3012 Standard Hold-Down Set (x2)
* CNC Rotary Table with Stepper Motor
* 3750 Tilting Angle Table
* 7506 Machinist's Parallel Bar Set
* 1300 Mill Column Riser Block
I'm debating the radius cutting tool, and if I'd be better off making my own instead.
I'm also wondering about the slitting saw holder, and how to choose the appropriate slitting saw.
I also need a number of drills, but I'm still a bit confused on spotting drills vs center drills, and jobber vs machine screw drill bits, and I guess I should have them slightly under sized and use a reamer of the appropriate size to get it properly to size? Or is the under-sized only for when I'll be threading something?
Any guidance at this point as to which things I'm missing, how to choose the drills, the insert tools, what I should probably make rather than buy, etc. would be *greatly* appreciated!
I referenced a lot of threads from these forums to get to this point. I'm too new here to link things, but to all of those folks in those threads, this one, and in future threads, THANK YOU!
Small mechanical devices, gear trains, air-engines, functioning models, etc. and the odd improvement / replacement part for things about the apartment are the likely uses for the machines. Given the small size, ability to pack them away for storage to some degree, and the ability to get some pretty astounding precision while also working with most available materials, Sherline machines are what I'm planning to get. It seems like it offers a huge amount of possibilities while being about as apartment friendly as one could hope for.
Related, since I live in a second floor apartment with dogs, grinding my own cutting tools is something I'll need to leave for some time in the future as it just doesn't seem worth the necessary space expenditures and acrobatics necessary to ensure areas stay safe and clean for the dogs, nieces, etc. So, I've been looking at the insert tooling and tools from A.R. Warner Company since I won't be grinding stuff any time soon, but knowing which I should pick is ... proving problematic.
General plans are to figure out how things work manually, first, and then move into some CNC as well. I'm a software dev for my "real job", so the programming portion is definitely not concerning. Also took a few drafting courses (by hand in middle school, also in college before moving on to AutoCAD) and have done some things with Fusion 360 and 3D printers, so I figure I'll do okay there.
I already have, or have on the way, a fair number of tools. Not sure if I should start a seperate thread for suggestions on what else I *need* vs things I can hold off on for now.
As for the machines ... After comparing the packages, prices, and accessory lists, while keeping in mind what I've seen in a number of threads, it looks like I will be best served by getting the 4410 CNC-Ready 3.5x17" Lathe with Package C, and the 5410 CNC-Ready Mill (no package) with the 15" Extended Column Upgrade and 18" Extended Mill Table, and purchasing a few things from Sherline and a few things from other places. Note: this mill includes the 1-1/4" headstock spacer block.
If I got the machine shop package I pay a few hundred more, lose out on the compound center and thread cutter in exchange for a rotary table and angle table, with some cutting tools and drill chucks being added or removed. Since the advice in most of what I've read was to replace the tools with others, I'm only really losing out on the rotary table and angle table.
The current plan, then, is to get the Lathe w/Package C, the Mill, and the Hi-Torque stepper + driver package from Sherline.
Planned accessory purchases:
* 1030 3.1" 4 Jaw Independent chuck for the lathe
* 0XA Quick Change Tool Post from LittleMachineShop
* 3/4"-16 Beall ER32 Collet Chuck w/5 collets and a wrench set
* 2" Screwless Vise from LittleMachineShop
* 7620 Single Flute Insert Fly Cutter
* 3560 4"x10" Mill Tooling Plate
* 3012 Standard Hold-Down Set (x2)
* CNC Rotary Table with Stepper Motor
* 3750 Tilting Angle Table
* 7506 Machinist's Parallel Bar Set
* 1300 Mill Column Riser Block
I'm debating the radius cutting tool, and if I'd be better off making my own instead.
I'm also wondering about the slitting saw holder, and how to choose the appropriate slitting saw.
I also need a number of drills, but I'm still a bit confused on spotting drills vs center drills, and jobber vs machine screw drill bits, and I guess I should have them slightly under sized and use a reamer of the appropriate size to get it properly to size? Or is the under-sized only for when I'll be threading something?
Any guidance at this point as to which things I'm missing, how to choose the drills, the insert tools, what I should probably make rather than buy, etc. would be *greatly* appreciated!
I referenced a lot of threads from these forums to get to this point. I'm too new here to link things, but to all of those folks in those threads, this one, and in future threads, THANK YOU!