# Wish lists



## bosephus (Sep 3, 2014)

I admit it i sometimes get jelouse ... i see what you other fellows are making and the tools you have to work with and jelousy rears its ugly head . 

When i first started looking at seriously buying a lathe i knew that it was going to be an uphill battle getting the tools and tooling for it .... living on a fixed income just buying the lathe was a major acheavement . 

Now that i do have it and what amounts to very basic tooling i find my wish list keeps growing and growing and growing . 

Matter of fact within a matter of days my wish list had already outgrown what i can reasonably expect to be able to buy in the next 10 years .

A good portion of my wish list is just materials .. to make improvements to my machine . 

I may have a long wait till i get a few of the things i want .. but it doesnt hurt to dream a little every now and then 

I wouldnt mind hearing what some of you started out with and also have on your wish list.

Heres my starting point .. 

My grizzly g0602 lathe .
A harbor frieght 8 inch grinder , about 10 assorted sizes of hss tool blanks sourced from a flea marker and a couple new blanks .
A h-f sourced set of micrometers 0-3inch .. a h-f dial indicator , a small home made boring bar , a full set of number letter and fractional drills , tail stock drill chuck ,and a inexpensive live center  .

Not a great start but it is enough to get me started .

Now my wish list .the short version ... and i blame all of you for it  ..

Material ...gosh there is so much stock i wish i had .

But lets just go with tooling and metrology 

Quick change tool post ... ok this is just a luxury item 
A decent starter set of taps and dies , spring center , adjustable hand reamers up to 1inch , basic set of indexable insert tool holders, center finder , edge finders,
Small inside micrometers ,, small machinst square , machinst ruler , more dial indicators .. a long travel , and one that measures .001 and assorted indicator holders 
A decent set of boring bars , quality hack saw blades , 
A deviding head , .... ok you get the idea 

Lets see yours


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## xalky (Sep 3, 2014)

My method of acquiring all manner of tooling is finding like minded people. Craig's list is an excellent resource for used tooling. EBay sometimes. Keep some money set aside for tool acquisitions, nothing speaks louder than cash.  Trying to buy everything that you want brand new, will put you in the poor house fast. I befriended a scrap yard up here and I can buy stock for less than 50 cents on the dollar. It's doable.


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## jpfabricator (Sep 3, 2014)

Pawn shops have decent stuff now and then, and most will let tou lay-a-way!

Jake Parker


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## bosephus (Sep 3, 2014)

I know i will get the things i want eventualy , and i do have patience so things do not have to happen over night .

Im mostly interested in seeing what others started with and what is on your wish lists .


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## Don B (Sep 3, 2014)

bosephus said:


> I admit it i sometimes get jelouse ... i see what you other fellows are making and the tools you have to work with and jelousy rears its ugly head .



It takes time and patients to build up a well tooled shop, for me it's been a 40 year journey, one thing I think that someone starting out needs to sort out in a hurry, especially if there on a fixed income is the difference between what they need and what they want.

One bit of advice I can give is look for parcels of tools and equipment, a few years a go I bought an assortment of tools from a guy, most of the stuff I had no interest in but knew I could resell it, in the end I wound up with a set of 12 inch mitutoyo dial calipers and a little over 500 bucks profit that I was able to put back into my hobby, it took about 6 months and some elbow grease and time to clean up some of the tools but thats the price you pay, I've done this a few times wit different lots of tools/equipment and it's provided me with some extra income to invest in machine tools that I otherwise wouldn't have had.

Have fun collecting your tools and equipment......)


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## JimDawson (Sep 3, 2014)

Like DonB, it has taken me about 40 years to acquire and equip my shop.  Look for deals, do a little work and put the profit back into tooling.  The Internet has allowed a lot more shopping options than we have had in the past.  Craigslist is a great source of goodies, sometimes you can find a real steal on CL, and even if you don't need it, maybe you can re-sell it for a profit.  I have a separate bank account that I use just for my shop and toys, and keep a little cash squirreled away in there just for the ''deal-of-the-day''.

Don't become discouraged if it takes some time, if you want it bad enough, it will happen.


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## Andre (Sep 3, 2014)

I'm very lucky to have mill and lathe stuff that my grandfather acquired from Xerox "garage sales" and friends had given him. He did all woodworking so it was just unused and waiting for me. Endmills, drills, reamers, toe clamps, machinist jacks, parallels, surface plate, dial indicator stuff, etc. I have a real head start and I kinda lucked out. Other than that, my wish list (for those who are curious) 

Test dial indicator


Rotary table/dividing head/indexer

New bridgeport M head bearings for the mill

A small boring head

Small hole gauges.


That's my wish list, in order of most to least usable. Anything else is just fun toys but I could do my work without them.


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## richl (Sep 3, 2014)

If you havent already done so, join a macbinist club, that puts you in contact with guys like yourself, looking to buy and sell stuff. I have had some success purchasing old tooling and surplus metals from machine liquidators.
The mill and lathe i have now i got through my contacts here. 1 of the guys is always sending me li.ks to machines for sale or free... always good to have extra eyes looking out for you.
Hth 
Rich


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## xalky (Sep 3, 2014)

It's taken me about 4 years to get my shop to where I want it.....for now. LOL. I started out with a little used south bend 9" lathe, which I have since sold , which was replaced with a used 12 " Taiwan lathe, that has also been sold,  that was replaced by a 14" Nardini, which I will keep.Then I got a Bridgeport. I also bought a surface grinder at auction. Then I got a line on a 20" ikegai lathe, which I bought and it came with a ton of tooling. Each time I buy a used machine, I get tooling that gets added to my collection. I've got tons of stuff now. Every time I sell a machine I make a few bucks, plus I keep most of the rolling that came with it. I haven't lost money on a machine yet. It takes patience and vigilance to find the deals, but a kean eye and persistence helps, and some ready cash. 

For once , I really don't have anything on my wish list, which is a little scary actually.


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## GK1918 (Sep 3, 2014)

bosephus said:


> I know i will get the things i want eventualy , and i do have patience so things do not have to happen over night .
> 
> Im mostly interested in seeing what others started with and what is on your wish lists .



for what its worth I have been in this business since 1952, I know I have most of what you may drool over,   BUT I'm still dumpster
diving and word of mouth which works.  I do not refuse any free metals lets say I repross it.  Just last week I scored 'three'  half inch
by 5" by two ft. alum plates new in a dumpster, feel like a crook but it was in a waste dumpster not a metal one. oh well it takes
time and yes the luxury items makes life easy but we had no such thing back in the day it was a pencil and paper. Funny now I cant
operate a pencil and paper no more.  I just came upon a question and answer book drafting dated 1959 I did it, my name & signed by
the teacher how in hell did I do that, even  in blue & white,  machine parts?? just dont remember,  but im saying it takes time.  I do
see once you fall into the machining community things will start to pop.  good luck day by day just keep asking people.

sam


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## bosephus (Sep 3, 2014)

I do live in the rust belt so things will pop up .
And like i said .. no hurry i can wait . I will eventualy get what i want . 

Stock to work with is my biggest issue at the moment ... few salvage yards will let you salvage from them any more in my area .
And we all know what rusty bolts and mystery metal is like to work with .

One thing i could use help with if any of you run acrost old text books is with mathmatics .

Unfortunatly i only learned basic math in school and i sure could stand to improve myself there .


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## cvairwerks (Sep 6, 2014)

bosephus said:


> One thing i could use help with if any of you run acrost old text books is with mathmatics .
> 
> Unfortunatly i only learned basic math in school and i sure could stand to improve myself there .



If you frequent the library and they let you watch short videos on their computers, it's well worth your time to hit  https://www.khanacademy.org/ They have thousands of videos, well done, on various subjects. Math, for example, is covered from kindergarten levels to differential equations.


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## bosephus (Sep 8, 2014)

I have been on the khan academy website .. and yes the lessons are very well done and easy to follow . 

My biggest issue is ..ignorance .
I havent ever had any math except basic math in school .. there is a lot of times i do not even know what kind of math i need to learn to solve a problem


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## chuckorlando (Sep 8, 2014)

You dont need to know all the equations so much as know where to go get them. Most are not even relevant for most work. Most common besides feeds and speeds is trig I think. If you need help I can provide you with my notes on it from school. Use the same cheapo calculator I use and follow the 1,2,3 steps and you can figure out any angle to the second. But thats cart before a horse deal. Learn to use the machines and learn it as you need it. 

Some tools you can make. I can give you a print for a spring loaded center. That was our first tool in school. We were making that tool our second day ever seeing a lathe. And if some of the guys in school can pull it off, I'm sure you will have no problem.

Ebay brother. I have alot of money's worth of starrett and mitittoyo stuff for  very little money. Shoot I got 600 worth of mics and the like for 40 bucks in a mixed lot of junk. Material to. Boxes of drops and even cheap clean stock up to 8ft.

I'm like you, broke ahahaha. But we have the advantage. If you have patience and willing to spend the time searching and searching and refreshing and searching.... Then pouncing on the prey when it's time, you can do a whole lot with very little. Again, if you want some help finding some deals, let me know what exactly your looking to pick up and I will keep an eye open. Just be ready to buy and not window shopping so as not to waste my time please.

for example. If you bid in the next 24min you can get these starrett 0-1 mics for 17 bucks in case http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRECISION-0...887?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c45d18b57

- - - Updated - - -

Go down the side of the link for all the diff calculators. Does the math for. You should at least learn to do the math and keep the equations written down. In case the comp crashes or phone dies  http://www.custompartnet.com/calculator/drilling-speed-and-feed

Heres a conversion chart for fraction, decimal, and mm. Comes in handy alot for drills and taps http://www.hamuniverse.com/antfrac.html

Heres some more good info for you on sfm and the like for use in the calculator http://its.fvtc.edu/machshop2/Speeds/RPMcalc.htm


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## Tool-in-the-Box (Sep 8, 2014)

Top 5 on my Hit List:


#1 Benchmaster power feed unit.
#2 Emmert 6a or 4a vise.
#3 Anything Myford that I don't have.
#4 South Bend Cross slide table
#5 Dalton 9" lathe (the one with all the draws in the stand)


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## bosephus (Sep 8, 2014)

Chuck 
Thanks for the offer ... but my financual position realy doesnt allow me to make many purchases without a good bit of planning and saving ahead .
Not complaining just stating a simple fact . 

Most of the time that $50-$100 of pocket momey i hold back to try to buy the deals as i find them  winds up goin to things like the front brakes pads i need to replace on my car an such things that pop up in life . 

And well i have to admit to also having a shooting / reloading / bullet casting addiction 
These summer months that takes up a fair bit of my spending money .


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## chuckorlando (Sep 8, 2014)

Brother I know the struggle. I have been trying to get a roto table and index plates for months. Every Time I'm ready, something breaks down or what not. Tell ya what, I got some nice 3in alum round 6061 and some 2.5in 4140 and some smaller brass. If you want a little chunk of each it's yours. At least give you something to play with maybe make a tool or two


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## zmotorsports (Sep 8, 2014)

Building a tool collection and a shop full of equipment is like life, it is a journey not the destination.  Nothing bothers me more than when someone walks into my shop and makes a statement like " boy, how would it be to have this".

I started wrenching on friends' vehicles and motorcycles in their driveways from a tool box not much larger than a tackle box.  I worked from the tailgate of my truck and charged peanuts.  I always seemed to have a "wish list" of tools that I wanted.  Not equipment to start with because I had nowhere to put any equipment anyways.  My shop was the back of my truck.

After a few years of this my dad allowed me to take over a small 8'x8' section of our carport at home and I used that area to put my tools and work out of.  I had a small space heater in it for the winter time.

I have been building up my tool and equipment collection over the past 27 years now by scrimping and saving a bit from every paying job that I took on.

I admire those who are able to decide to build a shop and outfit it with tools and equipment in short time but mine has been a life long journey of late nights and long weekends.

I would assume similar to many others.  

Finally I am to a point where my wish list is shrinking and I have more on my "to do" list and I am at a point where I can actually use my tools and equipment to fabricate, machine and repair rather than collect or purchase tools/equipment.

Mike.


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## Don B (Sep 8, 2014)

zmotorsports said:


> Building a tool collection and a shop full of equipment is like life, it is a journey not the destination.  Nothing bothers me more than when someone walks into my shop and makes a statement like " boy, how would it be to have this".
> 
> Mike.



I couldn't agree with this more, I've had several people tell me how lucky I am to have what I have, like the "TOOL FAIRY" came one night and dropped everything off, the only thing that was lucky about my tool collection was marrying a wonderful woman who seems to understand my obsession, the rest was hard work and sacrifice, as much on my wifes part as mine or I wouldn't have what I have)


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## Charles Spencer (Sep 8, 2014)

"And we all know what rusty bolts and mystery metal is like to work with"

Yeah, it's great!  Especially when it's cheap or free.  I tend to use such things for the non-critical parts of a project and reserve better steel for the "business end".  

Rusty bolts left in vinegar over night become much less rusty.

I've been doing this for about two years now since I retired and I don't have all the things on your list (I'd like to though).

Fortunately, I retired from a job that left me with very little desire to take up shooting as a hobby.  The Army can make anything dull and tedious.  

Charles


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## Ebel440 (Sep 9, 2014)

I have been buying my tools for years and still don't have everything I want. But once you have a lathe you can make a lot of what you want it's just going to cost time. I buy almost all my tools used and try to buy when the price is right not when I want it. I bought a drill press, bandsaw, lathe and belt sander all for less then 300$ that was for all of them and the lathe was 200 and i paid too much for it because i was in a hurry. I wait till I find a good tool that's cheap it's usually ugly and may need a little work but everything works well when I get it. Flea markets and craigslist are good places to look. I have been using a little craftsman 109 which is little more then a toy but if I take the time I can do good work on it.  Its a trade off if you can't pay a lot of money you just need to spend more time


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## Ebel440 (Sep 9, 2014)

I was just going to add that i actually like hunting down all the stuff I buy and I love old tools so the only real way to get them is to look. Plus this is a hobby and I have found that I'm more interested in making more tools with the stuff I do have. If I could buy all the new tools I wanted I'd be lost and more then likely use my stuff less often.  I'm building a shaper now and I'm already getting ideas to make a mini milling machine. Look into the gingery books there's plans for some of the stuff you want


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## pineyfolks (Sep 9, 2014)

bosephus  I have all retro stuff. A lot of times it can be had for cheap and with a little fixing you can have a whole shop. There's a large flea market right down the road from you . I don't know what they have now days but I bought tons of tooling there. I never go looking for a certain item, I seem to pass stuff up if I have a one track mindset. On my wish list are dro's to get all my antiques up to date


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## bosephus (Sep 10, 2014)

Chuck in orlando .. that is a great offer . And i think i will take you up on it ... but no hurry my lathe is boxed up an going back to grizzly . 
So im twiddling thumbs for a few weeks . 

Pineyfolk 

By god you must mean the rogers sale .. i go to both the machinery auction and the friday flea market . 
Most weeks you would be amazed at what you can find there ... some very cheap some over priced .
But the last few weeks the venders have not been there .. maybe 30% of normal 
A few weeks ago homeland security raided the place for conterfit merchendise and hauled of two truckloads of stuff and harased a few leget venders and quite a few of the normal venders have not been back .


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## chuckorlando (Sep 10, 2014)

pm me your address. Soon as I get some time I will cut some smalls up for ya


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## bosephus (Sep 17, 2014)

I feel rich .... i found $40.65 in my paypal acount that i had forgotten about ... i have only used it a few times .. and not for at least 6 months . 
I think i am going to cruise ebay and chisel away at my wish list


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## Falcon67 (Sep 17, 2014)

zmotorsports said:


> Building a tool collection and a shop full of equipment is like life, it is a journey not the destination.  Nothing bothers me more than when someone walks into my shop and makes a statement like " boy, how would it be to have this"..



I still have the little gray Craftsman hand held tool box I bought at 17 for $10 at Sears because the lid was whacked a bit.  It's still whacked a bit.  And the SK socket set my grandmother bought for me when I was 16.  That would be 42 years in the rear view LOL.  I maybe push a little harder these days for some things (like that 12x36) because I can see a time where I might not have the flexibility to make those purchases.  The hope is that IF there is such a thing as retirement that I'll have paid for resources that will keep me busy and maybe buy us coffee and breakfast at the truck stop once in a while.  Never "jealous" of what others may have.  More happy for them than anything.  Got my own targets to think about.  The worst part about seeing someone's cool equipment is what they do with it, then I get that "I bet I can do that too" thing going on.  And the wife is "You want a WHAT and it's costs WHAAAT?"  Always remember to be thankful for what you have.  New things coming in are extra blessings.

>I think i am going to cruise ebay and chisel away at my wish list
And that's how it's done.  One bite at a time.  Most days it's beans, but once in a while you get steak.


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