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My main concerns are the comments above that the hobbyist version of F360 will no longer be offered. I don’t want to invest my rapidly diminishing puddle of brain power in learning the program only to be presented with a bill for further use. And I don’t really like this whole push to cloud...

I think your professional background is a universe away from home hobbyists struggling to understand enough of the program to do something useful. I would like to know which of the many free or cheap programs make sense to invest a lot of learning time in.

I put some work into trying to learn Fusion 360 last winter and got to the point where I could draw a few simple shapes but I really don't like the way the program works. The sketching drives me crazy. I am also unwilling to put many long hours into learning it if Autodesk is going to pull the...

I have to admit that despite my original preference for tool steel my current carbide cutters work so well my tool steel collection is gathering dust. I did put some serious money into the carbides. The only tool steel I use now on occasion is the diamond tool holder from Eccentric Engineering...

I watch the development of direct to metal 3D printers closely. I dream of the day when I can simply print out the castings without all the fuss and complexity of burning out plaster molds. I would gladly trade some soul for that convenience. Of course you would still have to machine them...

I have them too but don’t remember a bill of materials. I will dig them out and check.

Oh no. Where can I get a CNC lathe cheap?

A friend who learned that I had a metal lathe leaned on me to make a bunch of aluminum clamps for a wood assembly system he is building. Since this was just simple turning I thought it would be a good way to get some practice on the lathe. After a lot of calliper measurements we decided on a...

Ah the magic letters, “DRO”. The stuff of dreams. My hobby budget is subject to reduction due to the need for food, rent and other such nonsense. It has been said, many times, that they won the war with manual lathes so if a supervisor told a machinist that a Spitfire wing bevel pin had to be...

A friend has asked me to make him up some aluminum bench clamps for a project he is doing in his wood shop. These are simple cylinders of 0.785 barrel diameter with a 0.886 bevelled rim at the top. They have an M8 thread in the bottom. Simple turning task and ideal for us newbie lathe owners. He...

My west facing shop has never given me rust problems except for one exceptional humidity event in our normally dry western weather. A finger of air from the gulf coast of the US made it just far enough north to poke at us in western Canada. And just for one night. Of course all the shed windows...

Great description. I have read about making complex exhaust stacks out of foam tubes and removing the foam after plating by dissolving it in acetone. If you printed these formers how did you remove the PLA?

I like this method. No messing with heating, breaking the rings etc. Haven’t done a ringed engine yet but when I do I will definitely use this method.

Reading this thread makes me wonder if there is a price to pay for variable speed control on a lathe. Running a VFD and putting a motor under load at varying speeds must introduce electrical stress into a control system. Electric motors usually run at a constant rated speed. Allowing a motor to...

I am new to this hobby and find it very much like owning a horse. Your daughter wants to ride so you buy a horse. Of course you need all the kit, saddles, bridals, riding outfit, boots and no end of brushes and what-nots to keep the horse looking good and shiney. Then the daughter joins a riding...

Oh I am very sure I know who would be in the doghouse. Only question is whether the roof will be high enough for the mill.

From one Newbie to another, there are hundreds of good videos on You Tube to help you get started. Keith Appleton, Joe Pieczynski (Joe Pie), Tubal Cain (Mr Pete), This Old Tony, and especially Blondi Hacks are all excellent. They all have introductory series for beginners.

Explains why the term “plug tap” confuses me in these forums since it seems to be used for different things. I guess we should all go to spirals to avoid confusion. I will have to buy one to try.

These must be different animals than the usual tap sets. I have never heard of taps cutting different depths of thread. Of course I know little about it. The usual tap sets seem to cut equally. The tap and die sets we all buy have a course and fine tap for each size. These are universally plug...

I have watched a lot of Joe Pie videos on You Tube and he is amazing in his knowledge and the tips and tricks he shows. My only complaint is that he generally uses bigger industrial machines that have capacities the home user is not likely to have. He often shows techniques that use the quill...