What do you make with your lathe and mill that's not tooling, a jig or fixture, but something that is useful to the average person?

[Chip Hacket]

Now, I gotta say. Not everybody has their own steam boat! Very cool. I like that model steam engine as well. That's a little more in line with my size machine tools. Impressive.

 

[rwm]

I remember those. I think we need some updates on the steam boat and the mule!
Robert

 

[epanzella]

Antenna mounts and pole holders for the boat. Curtain rods and mounts for the general. I turned down some 6 inch diameter candles that that wouldn't fit in the General's favorite vase. Adapter to mount a chevy tranfer case to a chevy transmission. Bushings, tie rod, drag link for a 4 wheel drive van conversion. Stainless knobs for cabinets. There's a lot more that I just can't remember.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I just had my neighbor bring me a drawing and bar of steel for some speaker mounting brackets. I used the 4x6 saw, belt sander, mill, lathe and TIG welder. It gave me about 4 hours of sheer joy and he got some nice brackets.

Had to make a new gas cap for an old HF motor on a chipper I bought. Did my first metric threading on the old Heavy 10.

 

[MrWhoopee]

All the mechanical parts and paddle assemblies for a steam boat.
View attachment 315146

Nice!

I was immediately reminded of the Popeye movie with Robin Williams.

 

[f350ca]

I remember those. I think we need some updates on the steam boat and the mule!
Robert

My buddy Dr Burwell that orchestrated the building of the steam boat passed away a couple of years ago. He held the steam ticket to operate the boiler. In the end we donated it to a forestry museum where it now sits under a protective roof.
The mule gets lots of use around the yard, actually had it going the other day to move a stack of plywood into the cabinet shop.
We'll soon be cutting next years firewood, the mule gets used to move it up to where we stack it.


Greg

 

[MrWhoopee]

We'll soon be cutting next years firewood, the mule gets used to move it up to where we stack it.

You mean you don't have next year's (and the year following) already stacked and under cover ?!

 

[f350ca]

Actually do, was easier to say next years. Keep two years wood in the yard, storing it any longer you get dry rot.

Greg

 

[finsruskw]

Here's my 1st attempt at a soap dish. It was am odd size scrap piece of Corian from a sink project
Sure learned a lot doing this.
First off, next time I will route then outside groove all the way around, then hog out the mat'l to depth w.an end mill, then switch back to the ball end for the criss cross grooves.
I have 3 more blanks squared up, they are wider than this one which is 4.75 x 2.75"
Hman...What is the size of the one that you posted earlier??

 

[hman]

Durn! That's better looking than my first effort! I like it.

To answer your question, here are some "annotated 3D" screen shots of various soap dishes I've done or planned. The first one below is the one I'd posted earlier, done with a ⅜" ball end mill. The others all were with a ½" ball end. Note that "D" indicates depth below the top surface, not diameter. The final one is my most elaborate to date - sits on my shop sink surrounding the spigot. The small cleats on the bottom rear and the holes in the front edge serve to drain off excess water. Enjoy!