Brand New to Machining

J

J.R.M

Registered
Registered
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Messages
3
Good Mornin',
I'm just getting into machining as a hobbyist. My grandfather has a smithy 3-in-1 that he's had for a long time and never really messed with it so he doesn't know much about it or how to use it Not sure what tooling he has for it so here are a few questions I did not see quite addressed in a few of the beginner threads I read through. What would be some staple tooling to acquire? Things like end mills and what not. I'd like to do a small project on it to get my feet wet. I'm going to make a small anvil from a piece of railroad track and I'd like to mill the top to get it nice and flat. If I missed some threads that address this I apologize, please direct me towards them. Like I said, I'm brand new to the machining world so forgive any ignorance, as the old proverb goes "A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step." Thanks, folks.
-J.R
 
Welcome to the forum! I don't have that type of machine so won't add anything other than a link (below) to the Smithy forum home page here. You should find lots of info there! Again, welcome!

Bruce


www.hobby-machinist.com

SMITHY & OTHER 3-IN-1 MACHINES

Combination Mill/Drill/Turn with these machines
www.hobby-machinist.com www.hobby-machinist.com
 
Welcome to the forum!
You'll find the folks here are very supportive and willing to help us newbies. :D
 
BGHansen said:
Welcome to the forum! I don't have that type of machine so won't add anything other than a link (below) to the Smithy forum home page here. You should find lots of info there! Again, welcome!

Bruce



Hey I appreciate that!
Click to expand...
 
benmychree said:
Lots of luck trying to machine RR Track, it can be quite hard and tough.
Click to expand...
So I've heard as well but I've seen it done on youtube. That means absolutely nothing to a newbie like myself, for all I know the folks I watched had some very expensive, high quality tools that enabled them to machine something like that.
 
Be aware that your 3 in 1 is a light machine, won't take the cuts that a Bridgeport or larger will take. You might find you have to face the top of your 'anvil' with a 1/4" or 3/8" diameter cutter. And, unless you have a really serious piece of track, your anvil will only be good for jewelry work, it won't be heavy enough to beat on.
 
J.R.:
Welcome to the Forum! - we look forward to seeing posts from you as you learn your machine, to include lots of pics, of course.

I am a Smithy Granite Classic 1324 owner and have had the machine for about 15 years, so might be able to answer questions specific to a 3-in-1 machine, especially if it's a Granite.

A good place to start for tooling ideas, is to go to their website and take a look at the starter tooling sets they include with their machines. For the mill, that might include:
  1. R-8 tooling for the mill spindle including a 3/8" end mill adapter, three or four 5C collets, drill chuck, set of center cutting HSS end mills, 3-piece fly-cutter set, and some HSS lathe bit blanks, and a good set of drill bits
  2. 4 or 6-inch vise, preferably a 6 inch Ang-Loc type. I wouldn't bother with a swivel base.
  3. 3/8" clamping set
And for the Lathe:
  1. Three jaw chuck
  2. MT3 live center, MT3 drill chuck, and MT3-MT3 extension for the tailstock
  3. 3/8 or 1/2 inch HSS blanks for grinding tool bits
  4. Set of 1/2 inch RH/LH braze-on carbide bits
The above should get you started, including having a go at your anvil idea. I am assuming you have the typical required measuring devices, and a bench grinder for grinding your bits.

You will hear horror stories about the inadequacies of a 3-in-1 machine, especially the mill -- many times by those who have never used one. But like any other machine, it's a matter of learning its limits.

HTH, Bill
 
Last edited:
Welcome.
Concerning your anvil project you would be better off polishing the top with a flap disk, particularly if it is used rail. The top does not have to be 100% flat just mostly flat and clean. Only the heel and one side need to be square. An anvil has a hard skin and used rail is good as the top is hard especially if it has had trains run over it for a few years.
Shaping the horn can be done with an angle grinder and a variety of disks.
 
JR: You may feel like you've gone a thousand miles by the time you finish with your piece of track- If you finish. These machines are not really up to those types of tasks, but for smaller projects they can be useful. They are light, wiggly and the backlash will drive you crazy and break tools.
NortonDomini has good advice in post #9
-Mark
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top