# Went Through My Project List Today



## Billh50 (Jun 19, 2016)

I have this project list for when I ever get a real mill. Just went looking through it today and realized I have about 50 projects on the back burner because my Drill press miller is not accurate enough for most of them. So now I have to go through some of the ones I think I can get by using the drill press. And cross off the ones I may not have time for.
This is not going to be an easy task because I know I am missing something that will come up and bite me in the .


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## mmcmdl (Jun 19, 2016)

You need a REAL mill it sounds like . I will be listing one on here tomorrow as I bit the bullet on a $13,000 Kubota backhoe today . I need the space so somethings gonna leave the garage real soon .


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## Billh50 (Jun 20, 2016)

Problem is I can not come up with enough money to pay for one right out. I was promised one of the small Bridgeport Machines with the 24" table for $300 about 4 years ago but the guy scrapped it instead. And there was nothing wrong with it other than it needed a good cleaning. I keep hoping some day things will work out. In the mean time I will just keep going through the list and deleting some things so it doesn't get too big.


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## Downunder Bob (Oct 3, 2016)

Billh50 said:


> Problem is I can not come up with enough money to pay for one right out. I was promised one of the small Bridgeport Machines with the 24" table for $300 about 4 years ago but the guy scrapped it instead. And there was nothing wrong with it other than it needed a good cleaning. I keep hoping some day things will work out. In the mean time I will just keep going through the list and deleting some things so it doesn't get too big.



Bill sounds like you need to to either buy, scrounge or build a mill, now there's a new project.


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## Billh50 (Oct 3, 2016)

Bob
I am slowly getting away from machining. It takes me too long to mill anything with the drill press and health won't let me spend the time needed to do much anymore. I have been looking for mill for a long time with no success. Building one would take time and money I don't really have. So instead I will just lurk here and help when I can. I can only spend 4 hours or so in the shop most days and sometimes I don't have the ambition to even start a project.


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## Uglydog (Oct 3, 2016)

Billh50,
In the next few months I'm going to be drawing prints and doing some head scratching regarding a taper attachment for a 15inch Colchester.
My goal is to make the hand drawn prints available to the other HMer who have Coles.
Would you be interested and available in proofing the prints?
I scored an exploded parts diagram. But have no measurements, and will need to determine tolerances etc.
Huge project!!!
Sure would appreciate an experienced eye to chew through the details...

Daryl
MN


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## Downunder Bob (Oct 3, 2016)

Billh50 said:


> Bob
> I am slowly getting away from machining. It takes me too long to mill anything with the drill press and health won't let me spend the time needed to do much anymore. I have been looking for mill for a long time with no success. Building one would take time and money I don't really have. So instead I will just lurk here and help when I can. I can only spend 4 hours or so in the shop most days and sometimes I don't have the ambition to even start a project.



Understand where you are coming from Bill. Age, Illness and old injuries catch up with us all. I'm in the process of setting up my new lathe, my first. and there's no way I have the room for a mill, so I intend to fabricate a vertical spindle milling attachment for the lathe.

 First I have to finish setting up the lathe, with proper hold-downs and jacking screws to level it up, I also need to make a set of skates so that I can move it when necessary. plus a lifting device for lifting heavy items like 4 jaw chuck up from the floor. I'm hoping to get a start on the Milling attachment before Xmas. floor space, or rather lack of it, is my main problem.

If your machining days are nearly over then i'm sure you can offer advice, experience and comments to the rest of us.


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## Billh50 (Oct 3, 2016)

I did have an offer of a free small Burke mill from one of the members here. But don't have the money for shipping from Florida to CT. That would have made things a little better. But limited income hurts sometimes. And trying to find something on small payments is almost nil. And saving up doesn't work well because it always gets nickeled and dimed to nothing.


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## Downunder Bob (Oct 3, 2016)

Billh50 said:


> I did have an offer of a free small Burke mill from one of the members here. But don't have the money for shipping from Florida to CT. That would have made things a little better. But limited income hurts sometimes. And trying to find something on small payments is almost nil. And saving up doesn't work well because it always gets nickeled and dimed to nothing.



That's a pity Bill. I understand the cost of road freight. It's even worse here in Australia, a small package can cost $100 from one end of the country to the other. A pity you don't know any truckers that could do you a favour. I always ask around among some trucker mates, offer to do some welding or machining for them sometimes works, but not always.

Last time I was touring around in the USA I spoke to a few truckers and I know they do carry for friends and favours, just the same as here.


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## Billh50 (Oct 3, 2016)

I do know a couple truckers. Unfortunately they retired 2 weeks before the machine was offered. Sometimes I think if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck.


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## Downunder Bob (Jan 5, 2017)

Billh50 said:


> I have this project list for when I ever get a real mill. Just went looking through it today and realized I have about 50 projects on the back burner because my Drill press miller is not accurate enough for most of them. So now I have to go through some of the ones I think I can get by using the drill press. And cross off the ones I may not have time for.
> This is not going to be an easy task because I know I am missing something that will come up and bite me in the .



Bill I know how you feel, well sort of., I simply don't have room for a mill. So as I have mentioned, on here before, I intend to build me a mill attachment for the lathe, but so far very little progress. since my other half had a stroke some 6 weeks ago I've been spending all my spare time in the hospital, and travelling to and fro, but she is progressing well and the doctors say she can come home, maybe with a bit of luck, by the end of January.

When she comes home I'll have a bit more time, no travelling and sitting in the hospital. so I hope to get in the workshop a bit more.

When I first bought my lathe some 6 months ago, she was dead set against it, bit time has softened her opposition. And as they say every cloud has a silver lining, she has come to realise that with a lathe in the garage I'm likely to stay home more, which suits her.

Just get on with the ones that are easily done on the equipment you have and before long someone will come up with a mill that you can afford.

What size lathe you got Bill?

Good luck and look on the bright side.

Bob.


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## Billh50 (Jan 5, 2017)

Bob,
I only have an older HF 7x12. Even a milling attachment would not give me much area for milling things. The cross slide limits milling anything longer than a couple inches. And the drill press is not accurate enough to do some of the things I would like to make.


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## Silverbullet (Jan 7, 2017)

Hi Bill, I'm going thru tuff times too. I was able to procure several machines in the past two years , but haven't been able to get any of them setup in the garage . I have been slowly emptying my shop . Tons of tools and machines. Wood for building furniture , parts for lawnmowers and more. But now I'm unable to even get out of bed without horrific pain . So I went to the neurologist , need testing then more visits to see. Will have therapy to see if it will help now till the tests. I've got a new HF drill mill in the crate, enco mini Bridgeport knee mill, and a atlas mill , I bought a old giant landis surface grinder , a bandsaw and power hacksaw. I'm afraid ill never get out there to even use them , three are wrapped in tarps sprayed heavily with my own oil mix of hydraulic  , gear oil and kerosene. Works to clean , lube and protect . I use a pressurized sprayer. My biggest trouble is the pain that stops me. My point is if you keep trying on craigslist some will deliver there mill to you. I had the big grinder delivered by the seller for fifty bucks . The enco mill was delivered but cost me an extra hundred fifty dollars. But for both with the extra cost was under fifteen hundred. But my savings now are all but gone. I vowed  to have my machine shop before I die so I guess I'm close or I'm done without using any.


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