Of course acquiring tools and having the right one when needed is a lot of fun. Still, the search can be almost as fun at times. Part of my daily routine is to scan the local Craigslist and FB marketplace for 10-15 mins (sometimes more ) to see if there is anything new that I might be interested in. More often than not I don't have a particular thing I'm looking for nor a project that I'm in the middle of. Instead, I'm just trying to see what is out there and if there are any obvious 'deals' near me that I should try to jump on. With that in mind, I was wondering what items you all would have at the top of a list for a beginner machinist?
I'm new to machining; most of my experience and tooling has roots in basic, around the house DIY work, woodworking, and automotive. I've turned my attention to machining and am anxious to learn more as well as add tools to my collection. I'm fortunate enough to have found a local mentor who has just about everything so the need for big purchases like a lathe and/or mill is less immediate.
I've picked up a bench vise, arbor press, and bench grinder; each was less than $100. For each I stumbled across it, had a sense for what others were going for, felt like I was getting a good value, and pulled the trigger. I'm using $100'ish as a target to keep it very well within the 'I don't feel bad I didn't run this past the Mrs. first' category.
What other tools do you see often but probably already have and don't need more of but a beginner might not have?
What are items you would only buy new? Only used?
What are things that a beginner should prioritize? What are more nice to haves if you find them, but less necessary?
What should be reserved for a beginner project instead of buying? (machinist hammer, punches, v blocks, etc.?)
(close up pic of my grinder just for kicks)
I'm new to machining; most of my experience and tooling has roots in basic, around the house DIY work, woodworking, and automotive. I've turned my attention to machining and am anxious to learn more as well as add tools to my collection. I'm fortunate enough to have found a local mentor who has just about everything so the need for big purchases like a lathe and/or mill is less immediate.
I've picked up a bench vise, arbor press, and bench grinder; each was less than $100. For each I stumbled across it, had a sense for what others were going for, felt like I was getting a good value, and pulled the trigger. I'm using $100'ish as a target to keep it very well within the 'I don't feel bad I didn't run this past the Mrs. first' category.
What other tools do you see often but probably already have and don't need more of but a beginner might not have?
What are items you would only buy new? Only used?
What are things that a beginner should prioritize? What are more nice to haves if you find them, but less necessary?
What should be reserved for a beginner project instead of buying? (machinist hammer, punches, v blocks, etc.?)
(close up pic of my grinder just for kicks)
