Newbie from North Carolina

[lomaxmotorsports]

Hello Everyone,

I'm Mike and I am new to all of this! I have never machined anything beyond the couple little test I have done on my new lathe. I am a life long gearhead and have always wanted a lathe to help with projects. Being of very limited budget I have been keeping an eye on Craigslist and came across a 3 in 1 machine.

very quickly I am finding the limitations of this machine. for one the drill head is so close to the cross feed its hard to drill anything but plate.
also the gear on the shaft for the drill gave up the 1st hole I drilled. It looks like I was trying to get to much stroke out of it and pressed it off, looks like it wasn't fitting right from the beginning though and doomed to fail.

I have already had to slot the motor holes to keep the belt from skipping and need to mount it to a larger base to keep it from shaking. I will use this to learn till I come across something better and try to make some useful things with it. I would like to get some tooling but don't know where to start seems a waste to buy something that will only work with this machine so I want things that I can still use when I upgrade. I am giving up on the drill press on this thing and using it without, I will be on the hunt for a good drill press and a bigger, better lathe as money allows. I look forward to making stuff and sharing info with y'all here.

thanks

Mike

 

[rhitee93]

Jump right in Mike, the water is fine!

Some of the folks here have done some amazing work with smaller machines. It is largely a matter of figuring out the limitations.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Mike:

First of all welcome to the forum.
I understand what it is like to start on a limited budget. I started with a Grizzly 7x lathe close out model and a hand me down HFT (Pittsburgh tools brand) drill press.

So what is that little gem. Looks like and older ,older than mine (15 YO) plus 7x seig variant with a mill drill head. does not look like anything currently available.

you should be fine with that making small models.
lot of plans available Elmers engines and the James Senf IIRC River Queen engine come to mind.
we are here to help just ask.
Tin

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Mike:

First of all welcome to the forum.
I understand what it is like to start on a limited budget. I started with a Grizzly 7x lathe close out model and a hand me down HFT (Pittsburgh tools brand) drill press.

So what is that little gem. Looks like and older ,older than mine (15 YO) plus 7x seig variant with a mill drill head. does not look like anything currently available.

you should be fine with that making small models.
lot of plans available Elmers engines and the James Senf IIRC River Queen engine come to mind.
we are here to help just ask.
Tin

Thanks guys,
This thing far as I can tell is the same thing as this http://www.boltonhardware.com/categ...-drills/5-x-7-mini-combo-lathe-mill_AT125.php

Guy I got it from never used it and the manual was not much help but I have found a few manuals now.

I would like to get a quick change tool post and a 4 jaw chuck so I can turn stuff off center and whatnot. Also I would like to get a drill chuck on my tail stock. The info for these says it's a mt1 taper but it measures the same all the way back on the dead center that is in there now.

 

[Tin Falcon]

OK it is an AT 125 . just wondering most of the machines out there are SEIG variants . These machines are sold by various importers.


http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Products/product_sale.php
sell lots of stuff for small hobby machines
Tin

 

[robcas631]

Welcome to the community Mike! Extremely knowledgeable people here!

 

[robcas631]

You are having difficulty drilling on the lathe or mill?

 

[compspecial]

hello and welcome to the forum Mike, I'm sure you will be able to find smaller-scale projects within the capacity of your machine until you can afford to upsize. good luck.
Stew.

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

You are having difficulty drilling on the lathe or mill?

I haven't drilled with the lathe yet (not sure I know how) just the overhead drill press.