This site vis a vis others

I don't think the that other site is trying to be an exclusive good old boys club. They are trying to appeal to the professional rather than the hobbyist. Their membership list it's over 1,600 pages long with about 30 entries per page. On the homepage you'll see the advertising from a number of prominent vendors in the field. These people are advertising multi thousand dollar state of the art machines like laser gear cutters, massive boring machines, top of the line digital controls, and similar equipment used in professional shops. You don't see this type of equipment advertised on this or any other site appealing to hobbyists for good reason. There would be few if any customers here, and their advertising dollars would be wasted.

It's simply a different audience. There is a place for discussions around professional grade machinery that is no longer state of the art, and another area to discuss machinery of bygone eras.

Keep in mind there are probably very few professionals on that site who have ever owned or even operated a Harbor Freight mini mill or lathe. The owner of the site is simply asking members to stay within the discussion guidelines the forum was designed for. If the rules aren't followed the site would most probably be diluted to the point the professionals would no longer want to wade through the myriad of hobbyists topics and questions and would no longer find it useful.
 
I have been a member there for a long time. Some of the members get testy now and then,vast majority are ok. Most of the rougher ones have quietly gone by the wayside. Once and a while Someone suggests that homework should have been done before posting the 100,000,000 question on a simple problem that could be easily answered. The two biggest peeves seem to be no mentioning a small hobby like machine. The work around that is easy, don't mention the name. The other is the Subject theme must be mentioned in the title, something like "What I did today," will not fly very long, the Owner does not wade through many posts that have no relevance. I've had no trouble.
 
It's a forum for experienced professionals, if you have a serious technical or commercial question it's a great place to get an answer because most of the "Hard of Thinking" have been eliminated, Millacron runs it that way to keep it that way, I like it.
Hobbyists can still utilise the expertise of the forum but need to take care in the way they pose their questions, start out with details of that new hobby import lathe they're so proud of and they might get canned straight away, ask the same thing couched as a sensible question about an insert they want to use and they'll get some sensible responses.
Knowing the rules is the name of the game! :D
 
I asked them about what brand my chuck was. It was marked PC. They got right snarky. I'm a retired millwright. We bought our parts from jobbers so I was downstream of machinists. Since I made very good living fixing their mistakes, my back went up.
 
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It's a forum for experienced professionals, if you have a serious technical or commercial question it's a great place to get an answer because most of the "Hard of Thinking" have been eliminated, Millacron runs it that way to keep it that way, I like it.
Hobbyists can still utilise the expertise of the forum but need to take care in the way they pose their questions, start out with details of that new hobby import lathe they're so proud of and they might get canned straight away, ask the same thing couched as a sensible question about an insert they want to use and they'll get some sensible responses.
Knowing the rules is the name of the game! :D

Yes and no. I've often found their threads as search engine results and noticed that even the "pros" sometimes radically disagree about how to do something. There are several large personalities and large egos that beleive because they found a way that works and they have been doing it that way for 10,20,30,1000 years thats the best and only way it should be done and all other answers are beneath contempt.

Of course if that were true would would still be using unshaped random rocks as axes without handles. LOL.

You have to read everything in a thread and see what works for you. Sometimes there are answers or opinions that just don't make any sense at all. It can be because you just don't have the shop equipment they have or it can be wrong. That can be very hard to sort through if you are not an experienced machinist yourself. Then you have to sort through it all and take the consensus approach. If two guys say the same thing or similar things you can figure one possible answer to the problem is in that range even if its not within the range of your equipment.

Remember there is almost always more than one solution to a problem, and even if there is one best way it may not be the best way for you, your experience, and your equipment. The best way is always the way that allows you to get the job done within spec and hopefully on time.
 
Yes and no. I've often found their threads as search engine results and noticed that even the "pros" sometimes radically disagree about how to do something. There are several large personalities and large egos that beleive because they found a way that works and they have been doing it that way for 10,20,30,1000 years thats the best and only way it should be done and all other answers are beneath contempt.

Of course if that were true would would still be using unshaped random rocks as axes without handles. LOL.

You have to read everything in a thread and see what works for you. Sometimes there are answers or opinions that just don't make any sense at all. It can be because you just don't have the shop equipment they have or it can be wrong. That can be very hard to sort through if you are not an experienced machinist yourself. Then you have to sort through it all and take the consensus approach. If two guys say the same thing or similar things you can figure one possible answer to the problem is in that range even if its not within the range of your equipment.

Remember there is almost always more than one solution to a problem, and even if there is one best way it may not be the best way for you, your experience, and your equipment. The best way is always the way that allows you to get the job done within spec and hopefully on time.


There certainly are differences of opinion on ways to do things. As mentioned there's probably not a single answer that works for all situations and all machines. It's kina funny that there are some who insist there is only one way to do things. I worked for many years with some machinists that immigrated from Germany after WWII. They were the most disciplined and talented machinists I ever met. Discipline to them meant never saying "it can't be done", or "I don't have the equipment or skills to do it". They were also some of the most innovative people I ever met. I think some of them literally could made a silk purse out of a sows ear. The best part was they weren't egotistical, or secretive. They would gladly share what they learned. Including what did and didn't work. It was a pleasure to work with and learn from them. I wish they were still around, somehow I think I still have a lot to learn.
 
If you want civility and folks who are courteous, H-M is the place.
If you like the atmosphere of a bar a closing time then well. . .
I saw a write-up by G. Wilson over there, very informative and correct. Some of the replies were completely disrespectful and uncalled for.
80% of the threads you go through over there are like that. A rather toxic atmosphere.
Unless you were lucky enough to have the tutelage of a experienced machinist or tool & die maker you have probably had to learn on your own.
This country has not had proper apprenticeship programs for a long time. They disappeared in the '70s.
I've had the pleasure of working with several skilled gents from Eastern Europe, and it was as projectnut stated above, their were more than happy to share their knowledge and information. And no question was 'stupid'.
There's always more that one way to accomplish something.
 
Look at how Vintage Machinery forum answers questions about Asian imports. With politeness and civility. But I do get it, the Chinese to use a school yard expression are eating their lunch.

But I'm a Canuck, we put a high stock on politeness.
 
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