# My first part



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

I made my first actual usable part tonight. 
A T-nut for my vise. 

A 1.25” piece of 10L, I turned down .5” of length to .5” and then tapped for 3/8-16. 
I cut it off and then belt sanded it to width as it was barely over width. 
Works like a charm. 
This is seriously my first attempt at a useable part. I’m rather stoked as I hit my dimensions and tapped for the first time. 















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## mikey (Mar 3, 2020)

Alright, David!!!   

Came out really nice ... good for you!!


----------



## darkzero (Mar 3, 2020)

Only one again? 

Good job!


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

Thanks @mikey couldn’t have done it without this community!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

darkzero said:


> Only one again?
> 
> Good job!



Yup, I quite literally just finished it all 11:30 pm. 
I’ll make another tomorrow 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## darkzero (Mar 3, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> Yup, I quite literally just finished it all 11:30 pm.
> I’ll make another tomorrow
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Haha, I was just messin with ya. I actually figured you just made only one to get by since you already had one. I'm just anxious to see you make chips on the mill already since I have been following your journey.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

darkzero said:


> Haha, I was just messin with ya. I actually figured you just made only one to get by since you already had one. I'm just anxious to see you make chips on the mill already since I have been following your journey.



My partner tapped on the garage door and said “babe, it’s 11:30, I’m getting ready for bed.” I said “look what I made” and she was totally impressed and excited for me 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## darkzero (Mar 3, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> My partner tapped on the garage door and said “babe, it’s 11:30, I’m getting ready for bed.” I said “look what I made” and she was totally impressed and excited for me
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



That's so awesome! Sounds like she is definitely a keeper!

I can relate & I'm sure many of us have done the same. I remember playing with my machines when I first got them for long hrs into the late night & not knowing it. Except that my aching feet told me. Then I had to go buy custom cut size anti-fatigue mats!


----------



## Martin W (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice job.
Next project 9 more of the same.
Cheers
Martin


----------



## Chewy (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice job!  Now that you made the bottom part, it's time to try the top part. The hold downs that are used to clamp vises and stuff. Welcome to a never ending quest to hold parts for machining!!


----------



## Shootymacshootface (Mar 3, 2020)

I can see already that this one is going to have it bad.
Part looks good!
To make multiples,  have about 1" of stickout on each side of your vise, machine  bar to profile, then mark out , drill, and then power tap all of the holes. 
A tip for power tapping- don't use a 4 flute tap, use a 3 flute or one of the many taps designed for power tapping. There is not enough room for chip build up with a 4 flute.


----------



## T Bredehoft (Mar 3, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> and she was totally impressed and excited for me



You're blessed, a partner that is enthusiastic about your hobby.l


----------



## wachuko (Mar 3, 2020)

First of all, congratulations.

Now, pardon my ignorance... done in the mill or the lathe?


----------



## RYAN S (Mar 3, 2020)

Very nice!! Don’t lose it!! Luckily I still have the first thing I ever made on my wall

Ryan


----------



## John O (Mar 3, 2020)

Lookin good!
Remember to peen or damage the bottom thread so the bolts won't go thru and break the mill table.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

wachuko said:


> First of all, congratulations.
> 
> Now, pardon my ignorance... done in the mill or the lathe?



I made it using my lathe and belt grinder. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

John O said:


> Lookin good!
> Remember to peen or damage the bottom thread so the bolts won't go thru and break the mill table.



Done sir! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## wachuko (Mar 3, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> I made it using my lathe and belt grinder.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Cool.    

I need a lathe!


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

wachuko said:


> Cool.
> 
> I need a lathe!



Yes, yes you do 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Winegrower (Mar 3, 2020)

This is currently the world’s most expensive T-nut.   Everything you make after this just averages down.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

Winegrower said:


> This is currently the world’s most expensive T-nut. Everything you make after this just averages down.



Indeed, my partner said in jest that it was a $2500 part. Then smiled 
She wants a printing press 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Mini Cooper S (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice job, I love seeing people getting started in metalworking. It can de intimidating but you seem to be grabing the bull by the horns and getting it done. Be sure to mark your parts #1 and #2 so that 20 or 30 years from now you'll know which is which.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

Mini Cooper S said:


> Nice job, I love seeing people getting started in metalworking. It can de intimidating but you seem to be grabing the bull by the horns and getting it done. Be sure to mark your parts #1 and #2 so that 20 or 30 years from now you'll know which is which.



Thanks @Mini Cooper S, much of what I’ve learned has come from members like you here. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## matthewsx (Mar 3, 2020)

A printing press?

That sounds like a tool that will need other tools to repair and maintain....

I think we have a match 

John


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

matthewsx said:


> A printing press?
> 
> That sounds like a tool that will need other tools to repair and maintain....
> 
> ...


And casting!


----------



## C-Bag (Mar 3, 2020)

Good job and congrats David. When I first got my RF30 with almost no tooling I suffered a lot from lack of experience and what to buy. It ended up kinda a chicken or the egg dilemma. One of the early solutions before I could nail the silly vise down I got with the mill and before I had a clamp kit or even knew which size t-nut I needed I stumbled onto the fact that my 1/2" (mill) and 3/8" (drill press)carriage bolts once I ground off the sides of the head like you did on yours fit and could get me by until I got a clue. I still have them as emergency and my prelude to machining.


----------



## BtoVin83 (Mar 3, 2020)

Good on ya for making the first part but  a word of caution. The round tee nuts have a very small contact patch. Tee nuts are usually rectangular to spread the load and not break out the slots on the table. When using it  under the vise under compression is not a problem but free tee nuts can bust out the slot. Also watch out for high loads in the vise which can put a lot of leverage on the tee nut.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

BtoVin83 said:


> Good on ya for making the first part but  a word of caution. The round tee nuts have a very small contact patch. Tee nuts are usually rectangular to spread the load and not break out the slots on the table. When using it  under the vise under compression is not a problem but free tee nuts can bust out the slot. Also watch out for high loads in the vise which can put a lot of leverage on the tee nut.


Indeed and thanks for the caution. This is a stopgap measure till I can mill some proper nut.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

C-Bag said:


> Good job and congrats David. When I first got my RF30 with almost no tooling I suffered a lot from lack of experience and what to buy. It ended up kinda a chicken or the egg dilemma. One of the early solutions before I could nail the silly vise down I got with the mill and before I had a clamp kit or even knew which size t-nut I needed I stumbled onto the fact that my 1/2" (mill) and 3/8" (drill press)carriage bolts once I ground off the sides of the head like you did on yours fit and could get me by until I got a clue. I still have them as emergency and my prelude to machining.


I have a whack of carriage bolts, all 4" long and only threaded on the last inch... 
I'm going to pick up a clamping set as I have a bunch of oddly shaped stock at my disposal.


----------



## BROCKWOOD (Mar 3, 2020)

Good on ya DavidR8! & the wife's encouragement to boot! I just finished up my 1st square part from a lathe, brought it, along with the sample I copied to my wife. She held them for just a moment & said, "Yours is bigger (or not a real match)." Well mine looked better & fit better, so........... I'm a musician - so, I appreciate her 'challenges'. Never stop shooting for Mars: You might end up on the Moon; but, man, what a ride!


----------



## Suzuki4evr (Mar 3, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> I made my first actual usable part tonight.
> A T-nut for my vise.
> 
> A 1.25” piece of 10L, I turned down .5” of length to .5” and then tapped for 3/8-16.
> ...


And now you are hooked


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

Suzuki4evr said:


> And now you are hooked



Oh. Yeah. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Suzuki4evr (Mar 3, 2020)

Enjoy every minute.


----------



## devils4ever (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice job! 

I'm a newbie too and get excited when I can make something with some level of precision.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

devils4ever said:


> Nice job!
> 
> I'm a newbie too and get excited when I can make something with some level of precision.


Newbies unite! 
Seriously though, I had an ear to ear grin when I came in the house.
Seems almost silly but I think turning it down, tapping it and then have it actually work was some kind of proof that I might be able to make something.


----------



## ttabbal (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice! That's how it's done.  Always nice to see people getting the hang of things.


----------



## BtoVin83 (Mar 3, 2020)

Before having lathes etc you went to the hardware store and tried to find something close to what you wanted or something you could modify. Now you are limited only by your imagination. Oh! this is what happens when you tighten something to oilfield tight.


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

BtoVin83 said:


> View attachment 315585
> 
> 
> Before having lathes etc you went to the hardware store and tried to find something close to what you wanted or something you could modify. Now you are limited only by your imagination. Oh! this is what happens when you tighten something to oilfield tight.


Yikes, and tightened repeatedly no less!


----------



## Skierdude (Mar 3, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> My partner tapped on the garage door and said “babe, it’s 11:30, I’m getting ready for bed.” I said “look what I made” and she was totally impressed and excited for me
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Good job DavidR8.
Aren’t wives / partners great. I can show my wife something I’ve made in the shop and she’ll say something like ”Wow, thanks really great” even though she is probably thinking ” You mean you spent 4 hours in the shop, using thousands of dollars worth of machinery and made all that mess just to create that little thing”


----------



## ACHiPo (Mar 3, 2020)

Dave,
Great job and I'm happy for you if only because it was only a few short months ago I made my first useful things and was hooked.  Welcome to the next level of the rabbit hole!
Evan


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 3, 2020)

ACHiPo said:


> Dave,
> Great job and I'm happy for you if only because it was only a few short months ago I made my first useful things and was hooked. Welcome to the next level of the rabbit hole!
> Evan



Thanks Evan, I remember the day I used my MIG welder for the first time. I thought “this is the best tool I’ve ever bought!”
I feel like I’m on the verge of a huge world of discovery. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Mar 3, 2020)

Nice work David!!!
you realize, thart be cursed now.
you will never look at things the same.
soon you will ponder how things can be machined, built and constructed- with materials and machines you possess or will soon desire.
instead of football, you'll take up lathe bit geometry and cutting forces
instead of Soccer (football to some) , you'll be watching This old Tony, on YouTube
your significant other may become jealous of your machinery, and will try to turn you against them- beware 
pretty soon, your thoughts are consumed by reduction of materials in efficient and expedient manner with precision
bucker' up Pal, you are in for a ride!


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 4, 2020)

Post in error


----------



## darkzero (Mar 4, 2020)

Alright, now we're talking! Just what I have been waiting to see!


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 4, 2020)

darkzero said:


> Alright, now we're talking! Just what I have been waiting to see!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I started a new thread 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## darkzero (Mar 4, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> I started a new thread
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I'll just have to repost then!


----------



## finsruskw (Mar 4, 2020)

WOW!!
All of this in the space of less than 24 Hrs!!
My sentiments exactly Dave and the same way I felt a few weeks ago using my mill for the 1st time to actually DO something needing done!!

Here's a tap tip...
Buy extras, you will break some!!
Ask me how I know this!!

DW knows when she sees me coming through the door holding something what she is in for!!

I really do feel guilty though, spending time in the shop when the weather outside is nice.
And once my springtime part time gig begins, my shop time will be limited.


----------



## Janderso (Mar 4, 2020)

That feeling you have when you have a project in your shop and you can't wait to get to it?
Remember those days back in school in machine shop when you had 55 minutes and just when you got set up the dang bell rings GRRR.
Remember back in High school when you couldn't wait to get to school 3rd period metal shop so you could get back on your project!!
I still have that same feeling every time I walk into my shop. I don't have enough time but I do have that wonderful, life extending, hopeful, can't wait to get back at it feeling  
 It's a great hobby!


----------



## Suzuki4evr (Mar 4, 2020)

devils4ever said:


> Nice job!
> 
> I'm a newbie too and get excited when I can make something with some level of precision.


Seems we almost have something in common. "devils4ever" vs "Suzuki 4evr".


----------



## higgite (Mar 4, 2020)

I'm no lawyer, David, but I think your celebration might be called the party of the first part.

Tom

(Look, guys, don't blame me if there's no "groan" button. I've asked for one a few times myself in the past.)


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 5, 2020)

higgite said:


> I'm no lawyer, David, but I think your celebration might be called the party of the first part.
> 
> Tom
> 
> (Look, guys, don't blame me if there's no "groan" button. I've asked for one a few times myself in the past.)



I work with contracts and lawyers on a regular basis and that was truly funny   


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## martik777 (Mar 5, 2020)

For the next one, grind a HSS internal threading tool and single point the threads


----------



## DavidR8 (Mar 5, 2020)

martik777 said:


> For the next one, grind a HSS internal threading tool and single point the threads


Yikes! That might be an 'after a wee bit more learning' task


----------

