Milling / Lathe

[racephotoman]

I'm thinking of getting one of those small combo mill/lathe machines to create some small parts if needed (like spacers in the rear IRS instead of using numerous washers as provided. Question, has anyopne gone this direction, and if so can give the pros and cons of the several machines I've been looking at: (I did google a search and did get some answers, but mostly from machinist-types)
Smithy 3in1 Midas 1220
Grizzly G9779
Bolton tools

Walter

[michael everson]

Coming from a machinist, none of those combos do anything well. Consider buying a dedicated lathe and small milling machine
Mike

[riptide motorsport]

Good advice straight from the horses mouth right there.

[Gumball]

This project, more than any of the restorations I've done, has caused me to buy new tools. One of my favorite, by far, is the 1950s South Bend 9" lathe that I bought from a local high school when they were getting rid of old machine tools. I've also bought a metal/wood band saw and a full-size drill press. Now, one of my friends is offering me a Mk2 Bridgeport - old-school, with no digital add-ons. I was doing fine when I didn't have much space, but all this caused me to move my build to a local airport where I now have a huge hangar for the car and all the tools!!!! Man, I love this stuff!!!

[gwnorth]

I have a couple of old lathes and a Bridgeport-type milling machine and have been making odd parts for my various cars for too many years. I can't see why a small lathe-mill combo tool wouldn't be very useful for the majority of car jobs eg spacers, bushings, mods to small parts, etc. Many such parts are aluminum or teflon or brass so you don't need a lot of rigidity.
If you really get into it and need more capability you could sell it (at a profit probably) and upgrade. I've often thought of getting one for small parts.

[Desertrunner]

For my 2 bob,
I brought a Seig X3 a couple years and converted it to CNC, it was okay but had cost me about 4k and then the motor burnt out which cost a further $300. In the end I gave up and moved on to a bridge port type mill that I converted to CNC and since then haven't looked back. If you want to go down this path you should look at these guys for a unit as its very impressive gear.
13584
The attached photo is for a dry sump & plate using a Diley pump. Its fitted to EG33 as part of a 10,000rpm engine project I am working on. In short you will always want to do more so buy right at the start.
Check out these guys
http://www.tormach.com/
Tony

[RM1SepEx]

My lathe was removed from an old shoe shop in Lewiston Maine. Originally powered by a flat leather belt and an overhead shaft turned by water from The Androscoggin river... Works just fine to make bushings and spacers etc...

It just depends what you are looking for...

I NEED an old Bridgeport! I don't do anything that would make me desire a CNC unit.

Even something old and sloppy or new and sloppy can work for you if you go slow and make your final cuts very small

[BS]

I have a Smithy 1220 that was able to pick up used for a ridiculously low price with tooling, fixtures, and a stand. It isn't capable of super fine work, but I have been able to use it to make an awful lot of parts for the Cobra, and for machining odds and end parts I need for other projects. I've also made some parts that required bushings to be installed- original style Cobra hood/trunk hinges and other parts, and it has worked well for that type of work with the proper reamers and tools.
I also made some of the Kirkham style brake reservoirs with the Smithy and it worked okay, but it took quite a while and I really had to pay attention to get the proper interference fits for the parts. With a standard lathe this would have been a breeze.

All in all, it hasn't been a bad investment and I've easily paid for the machine in work I've done for others and parts I've sold. However, when I can afford it I will be going to a dedicated lathe and a 2/3 size Bridgeport style mill if I can find them for a reasonable price. I've used my neighbor's lathe and mill and the difference in tolerances you can hold is night and day. Also, it is almost impossible to cut threads with the Smithy units.

If you're short on space, the Smithy might be the answer for you. However, if it were me, I would be sure to find a used one for a very cheap price to get through the learning curve instead of buying a new one and taking the hit on depreciation when you do decide to move up to dedicated machines.

I have a friend who has the Grizzly machine and it is a POS compared to the Smithy. Not familiar with the Bolton.

Bob

[Hankl]

I'm currently in a accelerated CNC courses at one of the better schools on the West Coast. Having been in your position, I would also recommend looking for the best machine that you can afford.
A lathe would be my first choice, and then a mill with a DRO(Digital Readout). The lathe will allow you to machine anything of a circular shape, plus thread all sorts of items, this would make up the
largest percentage of projects. A mill with a DRO would allow you to machine any configuration with the accuracy of a CNC. I just finished a steering wheel adaptor with such a machine, a great learning experience.

Hank :cool:

[skullandbones]

I'm currently in a accelerated CNC courses at one of the better schools on the West Coast. Having been in your position, I would also recommend looking for the best machine that you can afford.
A lathe would be my first choice, and then a mill with a DRO(Digital Readout). The lathe will allow you to machine anything of a circular shape, plus thread all sorts of items, this would make up the
largest percentage of projects. A mill with a DRO would allow you to machine any configuration with the accuracy of a CNC. I just finished a steering wheel adaptor with such a machine, a great learning experience.

Hank :cool:

I find this thread very interesting. I've been looking for the right tool for some time but not in the machinist trade, do not know the equipment very well. I like the example of the wheel adaptor because I just modified my FFR adaptor to take a quick release. It was a lot of work on the drill press and using various bits to substitute for the real tool that would have made it simpiler. There are several mods I would like to do while I have the body off for the last time for paint, so this is good! Thanks a lot, WEK.

[3yearplan]

As a tool and die maker who uses VERY old machinery, both Bridgeports with and without DRO, and a lathe strictly without a DRO, the order in which the machines are kept is the most important factor as to what type of part is produced. A skilled machinist can produce very accurate parts on an inaccurate machine with a little patience. For very intricate parts (for the Mark IV, shshh, the boss doesn't know) the Haas VF-6 comes into play. I do not have any machinery at home, but have the use at work because of the trade. If the means are available I encourage anyone to play around, steel is cheap (for the most part), and once you learn something it's yours forever.

Mike

[Gumball]

Not sure if they're still offer shop classes at the schools in your area (they disappeared from most schools in my area years ago), but check with local high schools, vocational schools, and community colleges. Many still have old outdated equipment that they are/may be looking to get rid of so that they can upgrade. That's how I found my Southbend lathe. Since it was used in a school, it was wired for 110v. I paid around $800 with a bunch of extra tooling (which can be very expensive to buy later). It's nothing fancy, but it is a Model "A" version, which means it can be used to make threaded parts using the machine's drive. It came complete with the bench (the motor is mounted in the lower left side of the cabinet).

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/Lathe.jpg

[David]

If you are interested in CNC, check out www.tormach.com. I have the 1100 mill and can't say enough good about it. Top notch company.

Here's a thread I stared in 2006 about my experience diving into the world of CNC.

http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30429

David