# 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?



## ARC-170 (Feb 24, 2020)

My lovely wife has asked me what I need a lathe and a mill for. I originally bought them because I was teaching an engineering/shop class and wanted to have something at home so I could experiment and "play" while creating projects for my students. However, that program was shut down (don't get me started!).

Anyway, I was wondering what you all have made that that is useful for around the house with your machines? Have you fixed anything and saved money on repairs or the purchase of a replacement? Made anything for anyone that they needed/couldn't buy/didn't want to pay for? 

So far, all I've made is mounting blocks for my DRO's, bushings for my grinder wheels and a machinist's V-block (and that was for an assignment in a class I was taking). We have a toilet paper roll holder that broke and I fixed it temporarily with a bolt, so that is on tap to make, but I thought I'd see what others made so the next time she asks me I have another answer besides them being for work if they ever bring back the program, or a hobby.


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## cascao (Feb 24, 2020)

There are some good ideas here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cascao/


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## MontanaLon (Feb 24, 2020)

I used the lathe to make a plumbing adapter for the tub drain yesterday. One of those things that the only way it was going to happen was to make it. And I got it done before bath time too so wife was happy. 

I made a compensator for kids 22 rifle and am working on a unicorn for daughter and a bomb proof tractor for the youngest. 

Mostly I make chips and clothing stains.


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## DavidR8 (Feb 24, 2020)

cascao said:


> There are some good ideas here
> https://www.flickr.com/cameraroll


The link takes me to my own Flickr cameraroll. Did you mean a different camera roll?


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## cascao (Feb 24, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> The link takes me to my own Flickr cameraroll. Did you mean a different camera roll?


Fixed. Thanks


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## eugene13 (Feb 24, 2020)

I build a lot of bushings and spacers, race car stuff.  The first project on my new lathe was hardwood lids for my wife's 1 gallon crocks that she uses for flour and sugar etc, that paid for the lathe and the mill.


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## DavidR8 (Feb 24, 2020)

cascao said:


> Fixed. Thanks


Nice knurler mod!


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## randyjaco (Feb 24, 2020)

All those tooling and fixture projects helped give me the skills necessary to make useful items later. Since my avocation is the restoration of old wood and metalworking equipment. I have made literally hundreds of parts, no longer available. I also make prototypes for some local businesses. Recently I have made quite a few accessories for my motorcycle. If I see something I want and I can't afford it, I make it. 
Randy


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## darkzero (Feb 24, 2020)

Stuff made that is useful to the _average_ person? Nope, never have I.


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## derfatdutchman (Feb 24, 2020)

I've made a lot of things over the years, from simple thinks like snow blower shear bolts to a tool to remove  the door gasket retaining clip on a front load.washing machine. The only limiting factor is if I have the materials on hand.


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## BtoVin83 (Feb 24, 2020)

I built a sawmill, hinges for the automatic gate, plumbing adapters, router bit shanks, motorcycle parts, stuff for my wife's gardening, re barreled a few rifles, the rest of the time I just piddle.


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## MontanaLon (Feb 24, 2020)

Since no one else has said it yet.

Maybe you should post a for sale or trade ad, there is always someone out there wanting to trade in what they have for a newer model or one with more capabilities. Or maybe they don't have one at all. Sometimes it is purely cosmetic, they already have one but they want something that looks better than what they already have. Lots of guys seem to want an Asian model though eastern European has been popular here of late.

Word the ad like this. Mill and lathe, wife said she doesn't want to see them anymore. So she has to go.

Of course, if you have had her around for a while, it might just be cheaper to keep her around in the long run.


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## pstemari (Feb 24, 2020)

Aside from various bushings and screws, I have a new set of knobs for the range and the housing for a mega-flashlight in the project hopper.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## savarin (Feb 24, 2020)

I've made a couple of repair items for she who must be obeyed and made a big thing of how much that saved. 
Most of what I make is for my hobbies which often requires some sort of tool to be made as well.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 24, 2020)

Tools build tools , not much more unless you have a product .


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## RJSakowski (Feb 24, 2020)

The very first thing that I made on my brand new Tormach CNC was a latch for our Cuisinart tea kettle.  The original latch was plastic and broke making the tea kettle useless.  Not good when you're married to a Brit.  
I reverse engineered the old latch, modeled it in SolidWorks, and cut a new latch from aluminum.  It is still functional some eight years later.


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## RJSakowski (Feb 24, 2020)

The most recent build was an arbor for an office tape dispenser.  The original got lost somehow and the wife asked me if I would repair it (actually, she took mine, leaving me arborless).  A walk down to the shop and selecting a piece of HDPE and turning it to a nice snug fit and then boring for an aluminum shaft and turning it to diameter and a new arbor was born.  A few minutes work and some scrap materials.


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## GL (Feb 24, 2020)

I have tools to fix stuff and make parts for friends.  They have expensive street rods, my hobby is relatively cheap.  Try working on a 50 year old tractor without a way to make the special tool you couldn't find on a bet.  Or you need a fitting, now, and it's a half hour to town or it's Sunday - sometimes expediency trumps cost.  New bushing in the end of the skid steer cylinder for friend  - have press, make arbor, drink beer, tell lies, everything is good.  Tools allow independence.  Machine tools is an extrapolation of wrenches and such.  Those with minimal inclination end up taking their car to someone to get the oil changed and spend lots of time waiting for repair guys to arrive in a 4 hour window ( if it suits them).  I've said it before, not sure how anyone can survive without a least a lathe.  Although most do, quality of life notwithstanding, they just don't know what they are missing.  If we could start the "everyone needs a lathe" movement, the additional volume would drop prices, quality would go up, things could get so excellent - that's just crazy talk!


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## Reddinr (Feb 24, 2020)

I replaced the steel acme screw and plastic nut on my gate opener with a stainless steel screw and bronze nut.  Took almost no time and saved hundreds vs. replacing the whole works.  Now I don't need to worry about it rusting out again either.  Another 50 jobs like that and the lathe pays for itself!


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## RJSakowski (Feb 24, 2020)

If I look back on all the4 projects that have come off my machines in the past fifty years, I would bet the the category with the largest share would be items for repair, remodeling, or improvement on this 125 year old farmstead.  From items as simple as threading a rod to building a custom firewood saw  or a custom wood burning central heating system and everything in between.

For me it is the satisfaction of rescuing a still useful object from landfill or improving on some generally poor engineering and/or workmanship of a commercial product that makes my hobby.  When you are twenty five miles away from the nearest shop or when you are dealing with parts which went obsolete decades ago, it becomes something of a necessity as well.

Much of my satisdaction in this hobby comes from knowing that I have the ability to make things right or perhaps even better than they were before.  Certainly, it carries over to the tricking out of my tools as well, as is demonstrated in many of my posts on this forum. But in the end, if the tools are solely used to make more tools, what is the point?  In the end, you will have a bunch of tools that will most likrly be given or sold to someone with less appreciation than all of your effort deserves.


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## Video_man (Feb 25, 2020)

To some extent, having the means to make things is a comfort in itself, as is acquiring the skills involved.  To the practical application, the tools are a means to an end, which varies with the interests and opportunities one encounters.  For example, I joined the local railroad museum and offered my services as a machinist.  I recently spent over a year with two others, restoring a narrow-gauge locomotive.  I repaired or recreated a number of parts and in some cases made parts that had not existed before, but were improvements on the originals.  Quite satisfying, to be able to learn new skills and see them successfully applied.  And I think that satisfaction is the end result, whether one makes models or clocks or piles of chips and enjoys doing it.


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## DavidR8 (Feb 25, 2020)

This has been a great thread. I was once accused by a former spouse of only making tools but when I pointed out that the tools I've made have allowed me to do X, Y or Z task around the house, yard, vehicle the conversation was pretty much over. 

Note that the above is in the past tense. My partner recently asked if I needed/wanted a TIG welder. She's the best. And she doesn't buy expensive clothes, jewellery or  the like.


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## Winegrower (Feb 25, 2020)

My very first lathe project was making a screw on gas cap for my tractor.  Does that count?
I also made a brass doohickey to match one that came off wife’s shoe, getting warmer?
Repaired the handle on a glass pot lid...it was cute, with a thermal break to control heat flow.
And finally I made a dozen Delrin feet to replace ones that fell off our fancy Italian stovetop grates.   That’s about it I guess.
The rest is stuff average people, even above average people, would have no interest in.   A calorimeter, an automatic glass lapper, lots of fixtures, jigs and punches for various also uninteresting projects, millions of bushings, spacers, shafts, etc.  Maybe I exaggerate the numbers a bit, but it feels like it.   Every day there is something, it seems.


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## 38super (Feb 25, 2020)

Pistol caliber case gauges for my reloading friends.


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## nnam (Feb 25, 2020)

My first lathe project was using a wood lathe to trim some bushings I ordered of wrong size for fixing my truck saging doors. It was very hard, but I fixed it good.  I think I used an angle grinder as cutting blade.

Later on, I made a pulley wheel for a home made crane.

I trimmed some car wheel adapters since I couldn't buy the correct size.  Most of the work involved making holders for cutting those rings. 

Another project was trimming down a weld of stainless to regular steel rod for my gate.  The stainless goes underground where water is all the time.  I could also buy longer stainless rod, but I didn't. 

Most of the stuffs I made was to make or fix tools that are used to fix things like cars or around the house.

My wife often said why not buy a new/er truck or milling machine so I don't have to spend too much time fixing them.


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## finsruskw (Feb 25, 2020)

Used the mill to resurfaced a clutch throw out lever for the Cub Cadet 126 I am working on after welding the worn areas.
A few minutes with an end mill and a file saved about $50, the price of a new one.


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## Cadillac STS (Feb 25, 2020)

You will get the question "What do you do with all those tools."  Metalworking tools.  I have made or modified may things over the years.  Couldn't get my hobby machinist content to post some pics I uploaded here.

What I say about it sometimes is:  "Most guys have the standard wood working tools.  They think of something needed and how they can make it with the wood working tools they have.  I have all that as well.  But I also have METAL WORKING tools and when seeing something that needs to be fixed or made I can also think about how to do it with the metal working tools."


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## higgite (Feb 25, 2020)

I’m sad to say that most of my projects for “average” people have been paper weights and door stops. Those weren’t their intended purposes when I made them, but if you drop in on folks unannounced, you find out all sorts of things. 

Seriously, most of what I’ve made are tools and fittings for my mill or lathe... carriage stop, quill stop, DI holder, tramming tool, etc. Plus a few reloading gizmos. And my first project, a machinist’s bolt puzzle. Most recent project was a couple of 6160 spacers, just thick washers really, to level out a crooked office chair seat that listed to port. When people ask me why I have a lathe and a mill, I tell them I have a lathe to make things for the mill and a mill to make things for the lathe. What else would they be good for?  

Tom


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## shotgun choker (Feb 25, 2020)

I do barrel work and make chokes for shotguns.


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## Cadillac (Feb 25, 2020)

Tools make tools
As for what I make that’s easy “everything”, anything that breaks or I feel can be made better, and tooling I’m to cheap to buy.


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## Barncat (Feb 25, 2020)

The first thing I made with my lathe was a ring for my wife. She didn’t really question me about it too much after that.


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## Nogoingback (Feb 25, 2020)

I make a point of using the lathe whenever I can to make parts for home repairs, and then making sure she knows it.
I've also made some parts for projects of hers, like a base for a jewelry stand she bought , and some odd ball thread
screws for a piece of furniture she brought home.  If you can make parts for stuff that matters to your wife, she'll
probably come around.


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## middle.road (Feb 25, 2020)

Plenty.
There is a great sense of satisfaction that comes from repairing something that then turns out better than it was originally designed and extends it's useful life.


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## Rootpass (Feb 25, 2020)




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## Rootpass (Feb 25, 2020)

Replacement hinges to replace the cheap cast ones in the kitchen. The top pic is the prototype. I’ve made 8 so far and the replacement cost would have been $25 each for discontinued NOS pieces.


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## Technical Ted (Feb 25, 2020)

I enjoy making and giving gifts to family and friends. My Impossible Dovetail Puzzles are a big hit. I've also made 3 brass Stirling 60 engines for gifts. These items become beloved family heirlooms... I've also recently made a gyroscope. I plan on making some spinning tops soon as well.

Ted


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## Technical Ted (Feb 25, 2020)

Here's some pictures of the gifts I've made (my father was a wood worker and made the clock).

Ted


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## Shootymacshootface (Feb 25, 2020)

Cadillac said:


> Tools make tools


I'm pretty sure that my dad has been accused of that.


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## MikeWi (Feb 25, 2020)

I've mostly made tools, but my lathe also kept my car out of a shop twice. My wife sees it as a handy thing to have, but the thing that most impressed her? When she saw a die holder I made for the tail stock. Rather, not the holder it's self, but the SCREWS I made for it. That just amazed her, and convinced her of it's worth right there. LOL


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## Tozguy (Feb 25, 2020)

One of a kind,

Took a break from making tools and made a bathroom stand out of a teak cutting board and some stainless banister rungs. Parted the legs off to length and made some little plastic pads for the feet on the lathe. Offered it to her saying ''a one of a kind woman deserves a one of a kind table'. Then went back to making tools. Life is good.


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## DavidR8 (Feb 25, 2020)

On a complete tangent, my partner watched the This Old Tony video where he makes the espresso pot. She was utterly transfixed. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hman (Feb 25, 2020)

Over the years, I've used my mini-mill several times to make soap dishes out of Corian offcuts.  Here's a typical example.  

The rest of the story:  Making rectangular ones is easy on a manual mill.  But the sinks in my latest house are all curvy.  Curves are difficult on a manual.  So part of my justification for buying a small CNC mill (DynaMyte DM2400) was to make curved soap dishes (another reason was just to learn CNC programming).  I've not yet gotten there - still evaluating CAD and CAM software packages (looking for inexpensive, user friendly, powerful, etc. - but that's a whole 'nother thread).


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## Dave Smith (Feb 25, 2020)

over my 76 years I have collected thousands(well--probably closer to millions) of items from things I have taken apart to see what is useful to keep, that can be put in my enormous collection of free supplies.--I almost always find items that I can definitely use in one of my projects(if they were just a bit different in size)----Well that is where the old standby lathe comes in the handiest!!!---it can make something that just needs a little slight adaption to be perfect for some project that you want to keep costs to nothing.----that's what my lathe is best used for and I'm sticking to it---Dave


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## pontiac428 (Feb 25, 2020)

I mostly seem to make tools and fixtures... yep, tools and fixtures...


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## middle.road (Feb 25, 2020)

Same here. But then my excuse is that I started out in Tool Design. 
Spend an hour making up a drill jig to do (8) holes for the workbench legs. Total time to drill the holes - 10 minutes.
"Why keep it simple when you can make it complicated?"   


pontiac428 said:


> I mostly seem to make tools and fixtures... yep, tools and fixtures...


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## JimDawson (Feb 25, 2020)

I don't think I have ever made anything that would be useful to the average person.  Some home household repairs, and we manufacture a product for truck campers.  But for the most part my machines are to support product development and machine building.


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## BrentH (Feb 25, 2020)

Lathe and milling machine and all the wood stuff.........well I have made many parts for items that would not be running if a part was not made.  Lots of  various machinery.  Like I  fabbed up a mold for a babbit bearing pour to keep a very antique band saw going when I was just a young lad - that was cool....lots of parts for motor bikes, handles and knobs for regular day to day items....Mill to fix lathe and vice versa....making parts for wood working machinery - recently made the best fence for a mitre gauge -....crazy 0.0001 accuracy ninety degrees off the table saw......LOL

Fixed or repaired many neighbours items they would have thrown out.. (got some cash or beer) or sent parts all over for other to fix their machines

My wife recently told me to go and buy a fully loaded machinist tool box...."just do it...Happy Valentines day!"   Like  - OMG!!!!!

.......I built our house  - like totally...excavation.... foundation - framing, siding, kitchen cabinets,  plumbing , heating, electrical.... everything - took 2 years till we could move in  and 15 years later there are still no knobs or handles or doors on some rooms ..hahahahahahaha ...but what gets installed is top notch and hopefully hand made.

no one should stifle the dream and ability to create !!


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## Tozguy (Feb 26, 2020)

No matter how much our hobby costs it is still better than medication and is less expensive.


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## shooter123456 (Feb 26, 2020)

I used my machines to fix a backflow prevention valve that failed inspection and was deemed "Beyond repair".  I new one was something like $500 and the only problem with it was that the seats that seal the valve needed to be replaced.  They have little ears on them that broke off (I assume when the inspector tried to replace them so he could pass the inspection) so they could not get them out.  I said screw that, bought a maintenance kit (about $20), turned down a piece of aluminum to be a tight fit for the inside of the seat, super glued it to the seat and twisted it out.  Easy peasy, took 10 minutes tops.






Well, then in order to install the new seat, the little wrench thing was over $200.  Not gonna pay that for a little wrench thing.  So I parted off the old seat, stuck it in the mill and cut openings for the little ears and boom, $200 wrench thing no longer needed.  





It is now good as new and I only spent about 30 minutes and $20.

My dad also used my mill when he was installing hardwoods because he needed to make an odd cut that apparently would be very difficult with a saw (I don't recall what it was that he need to do), but he said it turned a very tough cut to very easy in about 5 minutes.  

Also made a fan rod coupler to put together 2 fan rods and hang a fan from a 20 foot ceiling.  Another project for my dad, but they did not have a long enough pole at the home depot and he couldn't find something that would work online.  Made one on the lathe and it has been holding the fan up for a few years now.  

Made a tool for a friend to help put something back together on a car he was restoring.  That one was cool because he was only able to find an old picture of it in an old magazine.  He measured it up and modeled the tool he needed and sent it to me, I was able to make at and get it to him within a week.  As far as he can tell, he probably has one of only a few in the world.





I made a replacement key case for one of my superiors at work when the one for his sons car broke.  It was one of the ones where you can get a new one cut for $8, but the dealer wants $300 to program the new chip.  He could have ordered a replacement case and pulled the current key apart to relocate the chip, but I thought this would be a fun project.





I help another friend remove a broken bolt from his engine block.  That one broke off at an angle so he was afraid to try to drill into it to remove it.  I stuck it on my mill, used a small end mill to start a cut into it, switched to a drill to go a bit deeper, and extracted it with an extraction tool.  His face when the broken bolt came out was priceless.  

I have made a few other things that I am sure I am forgetting... One was a ring for my fiance (not the engagement ring though), titanium studs for my tuxedo, a few work things as well.  I don't know if what we do (pharmaceutical research) counts as average person stuff, but I use a few things I have made almost every day.


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## HarryJM (Feb 26, 2020)

The below link has some interesting projects.
https://makeitfrommetal.com/13-practical-machining-projects-for-students-and-beginners/

There is also a site called projectsinmetal that is currently moving to another server that had some interesting project.


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## bakrch (Feb 26, 2020)

Here is a pump start gravity siphon that I designed and made for a few homebrewers (including myself). It is a means to transfer hot wort without the need for chilling it in the kettle first. 304SSS and PTFE.

Multiple pictures in this album.


https://imgur.com/a/hgqSo


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## cjtoombs (Feb 26, 2020)

It's a hobby, you shouldn't have to worry about making useful things.  As long as you enjoy it, that's what matters.


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## middle.road (Feb 26, 2020)

cjtoombs said:


> It's a hobby, you shouldn't have to worry about making useful things.  As long as you enjoy it, that's what matters.


ack, who worries about it? It just gives us a sense of 'cost-justification' when one makes something useful.


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## ThinWoodsman (Feb 26, 2020)

You know, I've seen a lot of things in this thread that aren't jigs or fixtures or tools for machining. but despite that not many which would qualify as the originally poster said of being interesting/useful to "normal people".

I think there was a thread awhile back about gift ideas which had some good ones. Darts, pens, hairpins, chess/checker pieces can all be made with the lathe. For the mill maybe, I dunno, phone cases, stash boxes, dice. We got the puzzles covered though.

One of the first projects I did for someone else was a knurled handle for a safety razor, out of 3/4" stainless. A friend was displeased with how delicate and light the handle on his semi-expensive razor was.


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## middle.road (Feb 26, 2020)

Don't forget 'Door Handles' also!



ThinWoodsman said:


> You know, I've seen a lot of things in this thread that aren't jigs or fixtures or tools for machining. but despite that not many which would qualify as the originally poster said of being interesting/useful to "normal people".
> 
> I think there was a thread awhile back about gift ideas which had some good ones. Darts, pens, hairpins, chess/checker pieces can all be made with the lathe. For the mill maybe, I dunno, phone cases, stash boxes, dice. We got the puzzles covered though.
> 
> One of the first projects I did for someone else was a knurled handle for a safety razor, out of 3/4" stainless. A friend was displeased with how delicate and light the handle on his semi-expensive razor was.


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## keeena (Feb 26, 2020)

Made a replacement handle for a crock pot lid the other day. Forgot to consider how hot it would get when in use though...haha. It's coming off. "A" for effort though!


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## erikmannie (Feb 27, 2020)

I am just starting my journey into machining, and most of my workpieces only serve to build skills. I consider a skill set to be more valuable than most tangible items.

If that answer doesn’t suffice, I have made about a half dozen cups (which end up serving duty as pencil holders) for family and friends. This has made for some very happy family & friends. I start with 2” diameter round stock and then drill & bore out the inside. Curiously, once you gift somebody a really nice handcrafted item, they are super nice to you after that.


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## shooter123456 (Feb 27, 2020)

ThinWoodsman said:


> not many which would qualify as the originally poster said of being interesting/useful to "normal people".


Whatchu tryin to say bout us?  We aint normal?


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## FOMOGO (Feb 27, 2020)

keeena said:


> Made a replacement handle for a crock pot lid the other day. Forgot to consider how hot it would get when in use though...haha. It's coming off. "A" for effort though!
> 
> Just dip in some plasti-cote, or machine some o-ring groves in it. Mike


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## finsruskw (Feb 27, 2020)

hman said:


> Over the years, I've used my mini-mill several times to make soap dishes out of Corian offcuts.  Here's a typical example.
> 
> The rest of the story:  Making rectangular ones is easy on a manual mill.  But the sinks in my latest house are all curvy.  Curves are difficult on a manual.  So part of my justification for buying a small CNC mill (DynaMyte DM2400) was to make curved soap dishes (another reason was just to learn CNC programming).  I've not yet gotten there - still evaluating CAD and CAM software packages (looking for inexpensive, user friendly, powerful, etc. - but that's a whole 'nother thread).
> 
> ...


Love the soap dish idea!!
What a great one1
Just so happens my Son has a Corian sink cutout from a vanity top he just installed in his home that needs to find a use and I think it may just have happened!!
What kind/size of cutter did you use and where can I find one!!
Great gift idea!!
Thanks for the inspiration!


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## ThinWoodsman (Feb 27, 2020)

shooter123456 said:


> Whatchu tryin to say bout us?  We aint normal?



Last year, I caught up with a childhood friend out west, and was explaining my new hobby. He asked what a lathe is _for_, so I said "well, an example of something you could easily make with a lathe is a washer, ..."

I was going to continue with how the washer is made from a steel rod using the lathe, but stopped when I saw the look of confusion on his face.

He said, "The only thing I know that's called a washer is what you put clothes in."


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## pontiac428 (Feb 27, 2020)

Asking what a lathe is _for_ is the wrong question.  He should have asked why the lathe is called the king of production!


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## hman (Feb 27, 2020)

finsruskw said:


> Love the soap dish idea!!
> What a great one1
> Just so happens my Son has a Corian sink cutout from a vanity top he just installed in his home that needs to find a use and I think it may just have happened!!
> What kind/size of cutter did you use and where can I find one!!
> ...


Thanks for your kind words!

The nice thing about using the cutout is that the soap dish will match the color of the rest of the countertop.

The cutters I use: 
(1) Ball nose, either ½" or ⅜" diameter, for the matrix of grooves - usually ⅜" deep.  
(2) I flatten the tops of the posts with a regular end mill.  ½" diameter is a handy size, but just about anything will work.  The tops of the posts are cut down to something like 3/16" below the border of the soap dish.  
(3) The final step is to soften the edges and corners of the posts with sandpaper.  Once I get things going with the CNC, I'll probably try to do this step with a bevel end mill.   

Corian is pretty easy and straightforward to cut.  I check that I'm using sharp cutters.  So far, I've not had any problems with overheating/melting.  I can't recall exactly where I got these cutters.  Possibly Enco/MSC or someplace on eBay.


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## finsruskw (Feb 27, 2020)

Thank You, Thank You!!
This will make a great gift for my Daughter-in-law when the bathroom is finished!!
I have plenty of scraps to practice on as they are not going to use the 4" cut off for a backsplash but opted for tile instead.
Corian is great stuff.
The one in our bathroom I installed 40 years ago when I built the place and it still looks like new.


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## ACHiPo (Feb 27, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> This has been a great thread. I was once accused by a former spouse of only making tools but when I pointed out that the tools I've made have allowed me to do X, Y or Z task around the house, yard, vehicle the conversation was pretty much over.
> 
> Note that the above is in the past tense. My partner recently asked if I needed/wanted a TIG welder. She's the best. And she doesn't buy expensive clothes, jewellery or  the like.


Isn't it nice when the "learner wife" investment pays off in the "keeper wife"?  The education is not cheap, but it never is!


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## DavidR8 (Feb 27, 2020)

ACHiPo said:


> Isn't it nice when the "learner wife" investment pays off in the "keeper wife"? The education is not cheap, but it never is!



Darn straight it is. She’s a total keeper!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## homebrewed (Feb 28, 2020)

I made a knife sharpener:



The wife likes it, but only because she gets sharp knives on demand.  I guess I just made myself another honey-do item...

I got to do some single-point threading along with some other bits of lathe work, plus some milling machine time on it so I did have some fun making the thing.  But the big payoff was when I showed her how much a commercial version cost.  A little PR never hurts, eh?


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## savarin (Feb 28, 2020)

How is it used please, I've never seen one like that.


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## Hawkeye (Feb 28, 2020)

My stock answer to "What do you make with all those tools?" is "usually tools for the tools". That serves two purposes. It gives me something to work on until I need to fix or make something specific. And it gives me new tools so that, when I do need to make something, I can do it better or more easily. 

This week, I used the 3D printer to make a gimbal for my new FPV camera, and I'm making a rotary broach, just because I can. Sometimes, it's parts for motorcycles, gear for hiking, gold panning or camping, or whatever.

Any time someone still can't see why you need all those tools, ask them if they have a washer and dryer. When they say they do, ask them what they plan to wash with them. They could make a lot of trips to a laundromat for what they paid for the appliances, but they like being able to do it themselves whenever they want to.


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## Tozguy (Feb 29, 2020)

savarin said:


> How is it used please, I've never seen one like that.


It looks like a larger version of my Lansky sharpener. The stone is underneath the center part. The knife is held at the right edge of the board. The long rod sticking out the left of the center part rides in the u clamp on the vertical post. The height of the u clamp on the post sets the angle of the grind on the knife edge. The short vertical post on the right of the center part is a handle. This set up gives excellent angle control so there is a minimum of wasted grinding. Really fun to use this tool.
This very inspiring for me. My Lansky tools are too small to really sharpen long kitchen knives. Homebrew's jig is a perfect solution for long knives. It is amazing how many people use dull knives in the kitchen. When I offer to sharpen neighbours and relatives knives they look at me funny. But once they are back to using sharp knives they are so happy.


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## Cadillac STS (Feb 29, 2020)

savarin said:


> How is it used please, I've never seen one like that.



How about a couple pics of it in action. Looks like a nice project!


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## savarin (Feb 29, 2020)

A dull knife is dangerous, too much effort has to be used causing it to skid.


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## Chip Hacket (Feb 29, 2020)

Lost the cap for my gas can.  New one has that tight machinist fit.
Needed a way to hang my leaf blower.


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## finsruskw (Feb 29, 2020)

Homebrewed….

_Plus you have the added option of the faucet attached to boot!! _


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## Chip Hacket (Feb 29, 2020)

Door key was hard to pick up with my old fingers.  Mikey told me once "it's not against the law here to deface Mexican money"
	

		
			
		

		
	




	

		
			
		

		
	
.


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## ThinWoodsman (Feb 29, 2020)

Technical Ted said:


> Here's some pictures of the gifts I've made (my father was a wood worker and made the clock).



These remind me that Bulgin has an entire (thin) book on this sort of thing, _Puzzles and Peculiarities from the Machine Shop_. I've had by eye on _The Electromechanical Arts of Weston Bye_ as well, but it looks a bit too horological (horo-centric?) for me right now.


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## Chip Hacket (Feb 29, 2020)

Please excuse my being off topic.  But honestly don't average people use a surface gauge?

Problem was I have a vintage surface gauge that could not hold my Interapid indicator, because the hole is to small.  I didn't want to modify it because well,
 that's the wrong thing to do.  So I made this.


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## DavidR8 (Feb 29, 2020)

Chip Hacket said:


> Please excuse my being off topic. But honestly don't average people use a surface gauge?
> 
> Problem was I have a vintage surface gauge that could not hold my Interapid indicator, because the hole is to small. I didn't want to modify it because well,
> that's the wrong thing to do. So I made this.
> ...



Nice work. I think I have the same gauge. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## homebrewed (Feb 29, 2020)

Regarding my knife sharpening setup.  If you look at the photo, you see two rods.  One (the "mast") is bolted to the base, and has a delrin bracket that is fixed to it with a thumbscrew.  The U shaped cutout in the bracket captures the second rod, which has a couple of blocks on one end.   They hold the stone I'm using to sharpen the knife.  In use, the second rod is dropped into the U cutout and the other end is passed back & forth over the knife.  The bevel angle is set by the height of the bracket on the mast, relative to the knife edge.  This makes it usable for different bevel angles (asian vs western).   The handle is there to keep your fingers away from the knife while you're sharpening it.  Simple trig is used to calculate the height of the mast-mounted holder for a given bevel angle.

One bit that is not shown very well is the knife holder.  The photo below is better than a few paragraphs of description:




The top part of the modified "L" extrusion captures the back of the knife.  Unfortunately, the small block (and L) need to be flipped over to sharpen the other side of the knife.  Well, this is the "Mark 1" version after all  .  At some point I will make a symmetric version of the small holder.  The main thing is to shape the top surface of the holder so the stone sharpens the knife, not the edge of the holder.


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## f350ca (Feb 29, 2020)

I make some tooling, but most of my shop time is spent repairing or making parts for other people. When I find time for my own projects we build things like this.
Snow blower for the mower.



Firewood processor



saw mill



Model steam engine



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



A mule



Having machines to make the parts for projects is an incredible gift.

Greg


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## Chip Hacket (Feb 29, 2020)

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.


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## rwm (Feb 29, 2020)

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


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## epanzella (Feb 29, 2020)

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.


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## MrWhoopee (Mar 1, 2020)

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.


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## MrWhoopee (Mar 1, 2020)

f350ca said:


> 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.


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## f350ca (Mar 1, 2020)

rwm said:


> 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


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## MrWhoopee (Mar 1, 2020)

f350ca said:


> 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 ?!


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## f350ca (Mar 1, 2020)

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

Greg


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## finsruskw (Mar 2, 2020)

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??


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## hman (Mar 3, 2020)

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!


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## finsruskw (Mar 3, 2020)

WOW!!
Ask and ye shall receive!!
Thanks!!


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## WDG (Mar 6, 2020)

I've made tooth pick holders, out of solid brass rods.  I've made bushings, repaired tools, and made tools for another person.  Right now I'm trying to make two rollers for drawer pulls that got broken. I don't have any plastic or nylon so I'm making them out of ABS, the color doesn't matter.


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## erikmannie (Mar 7, 2020)

One can make tube blocks on a mill. I consider tube blocks to be useful.


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## DavidR8 (Mar 7, 2020)

erikmannie said:


> One can make tube blocks on a mill. I consider tube blocks to be useful.
> 
> View attachment 316070



What do you use those for?
(Sorry for the newbie question)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## erikmannie (Mar 7, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> What do you use those for?
> (Sorry for the newbie question)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I use a lot of thin tubing. I use the tube blocks to clamp this tubing for the sanding and filing needed to prepare miter joints for welding. The fit up should be as good as possible, and all contaminants should be removed.

The tube block is clamped in a bench vice. I know of no other way to clamp a thin tube in a bench vise or on a welding table. I will only use my V blocks on the milling table.

Also, if you are welding a thin tube, you can use a tube block (or one half of one) to clamp that tube to a welding table for the hot work. This also makes a nice heat sink.


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## mmcmdl (Mar 7, 2020)

I have made these and used them extensively in the past . Mine are made to fit into the BP slots . One thing you could do to make them more bettery is to add a pin on one end . I used a pin and a lock collar mounted on the tubing for a very quick indexing feature . Food for thought .


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## erikmannie (Mar 7, 2020)

mmcmdl said:


> I have made these and used them extensively in the past . Mine are made to fit into the BP slots . One thing you could do to make them more bettery is to add a pin on one end . I used a pin and a lock collar mounted on the tubing for a very quick indexing feature . Food for thought .



I wonder what a BP is.

Maybe one day you could upload a picture of this pin and lock collar. I failed to grasp the concept.


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## mmcmdl (Mar 7, 2020)

Bridgeport .  I had to make a ton of frames for a job with different angles for connecting joints . Rather than using a Hartford head , I made up a lock collar with 4 holes 90 degrees apart . I could spin the tubing easily and lock the pin in the collar . Pretty simple , I'll see if I have them and grab a pic tomorrow .


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