Mill support facilities

[bandmiller2]

How many of you guys have a metal working shop to support your mill??One of the handiest things you can have is a good sized metal lathe.Welders ,torch and cutoff saw and a big honking vice.Nice to have is a vertical milling machine that will also do duty as a heavy drill press.With these ,their is little you can't build or repair.The metal working industry has moved on to computer controled machinery and many of these fine old machines can be had for not much more than scrap value. Frank C.

[Cedarman]

Bandmiller2, if only I had the knowledge to use it.  I have to rely on the down the road machine shop.  So far, they have been able to make any odd thing I need.
I learned to use a welder, I might have potential.

[rbarshaw]

I have a big vise mounted on a 4' x4' 1/2" metal table, a lincoln 225 welder, a 4 1/2" angle grinder (cutoff saw) and a shopsmith. Without these I would find it very difficult to to build anything.

[bandmiller2]

Cedarman if you can run a mill you can run a lathe,most oldtimers would be more than happy to give you help.You learn as you go if you have your own lathe theirs no pressure,and you might like it as much as milling.Frank C.

[metalspinner]

I am a self taught machinist and find it a very handy skill.  The largest obsticle to cross is measurement. 
Not just thinking in terms of 10th's, 100th's, or 1000th's of an inch, but learning to accurately measure with the tools to get those results.  The machines themselves are fairly straight forward to operate  - as long as you set them up correctly. ;) (feed speeds, material selection, cutter selection, etc.)

I remember the first time I cut a set of threads. 8)  I am sure the feeling I had was similar to cutting your first boards with the sawmill.

With so many manufacturing jobs leaving the states, finding instruction on these types of machines will get more scarce as time goes on.  Some introductory courses may be had at community colleges or trade schools.  Having someone show you "what and how" is certainly faster than the way I did it. :

[pineywoods]

Bandmiller I'm in total agreement with you. Over the years I have acquired a small atlas lathe (not big enough),a vertical milling machine, 2 welders, cutting torch, couple of grinders and a good assortment of wood working tools. I can build or repair most anything, but it's all trial and error, sometimes lots of error ;D
I'm dumb enuff to don't know that I can't, so just go ahead and do what needs doing :

[york]

OK...i have a few toys myself...i have learned,if you want it done right,do it yourself...my shop,is in the walk in basement of my house....have belt drive metal lathe-huge drill press-cut off saw-looking at a bandsaw-4 1/4 and 9 in grinders-ac/dc 225 welder-10,000 champion welder- about 5 corded drills and 2 cordless drills-knaack roll case,full of snap on hand tools and some  SK-looking for better vice,mine is bolted to loader on the tractor-the welding bench,is the bucket on,my smaller loader,can move around and adjust the height-love this stuff-also have a grumpy dog.....thanks

[SAW MILLER]

Be careful using the loader bucket for a welding table.If you loose your ground you might find a new one through bearings or electrical components and dat ain't good!

[york]

SAW MILLER,
oh yes,i have thought about that....do all my welding outside,like having a portable welding bench-may rethink,what i am doing....Bert

[Dave Shepard]

We are pretty well equiped here for farm repairs. I've got a deal on a 10" or 12" Atlas, should have that home in a few weeks. Don't see a vertical mill in the near future, but will probably get a J-head at some point. Have plenty of welding and torching capacity.


Dave

[Ron Wenrich]

We have a nice assortment of hammers.  If it doesn't work after the first whack, we get a bigger hammer.   :D

We have a guy come in and do most of our repair work.  He is a top notch welder, knows hydraulics and electrical wiring, and is a mechanical engineer to boot.  If he can't fix it, he'll design something else.  He also has a machine shop. 

I'm totally spoiled by him.  I start thinking out loud about something that would be an improvement for production, and he has it designed and ready to install in a couple of weeks.  If something breaks, he'll figure out why, and how to improve it. 

Guys like that are hard to find. 

[kelLOGg]

I feel pretty much at home in this thread. I do a lot of welding associated with the sawmill - adding loader/turner, head advance, log arch. I do it all with a stick welder, big hand grinder to remove mistakes, metal cutting band saw and a cutting torch. I'm well known at the scrap steel yards. Fantasize about a lathe and a milling machine but I doubt I'll get them. Made a lot of mistakes doing the above but usually work my way out of them.
Bob

[Ironwood]

I am soon approaching true metal worker, blacksmith status. Benders, plasma cutter, torches, mig, forging capability (no power hammer yet), Two HUGE t-slot tables for fitting (cheaper accessories than accorn tables). not real intersted in machining capability as I have several affordable machinsts near by.

           Ironwood

[DR Buck]

I'm beginning to scare myself for being able to do my own stuff.   Aside from a COMPLETE line of woodworking equipment, I've got lots of metal working things.   And since I took those 2 welding courses last winter I've expanded the welding equipment line.

Portable MIG unit
Lincoln Precision TIG/Stick unit
Oxy/Acet torch outfit
plasma cutter
2 metal cutting chop saws
sheer/break/roller
Drill press
band saw
grinders, cutters and numerous hand and hand operated power tools.

[GF]

Couldnt live without alot of the items I have.  Use them all the time to build my own parts

Metal Lathe
Milling Machine
Electric Mig Welder
Electric Arc Welder
Gas Powered Welder
Oxy/Act Torch
Plasma Cutter
Metal Chop Saw
Metal Band Saw
Metal Break

Machined and built my sawmill with all these.  My full time job in maintaining networks, telecommunications, and file servers for the State of Okla.

[WildDog]

I'm lucky to have my father-in-law an hour away he's a diesel mechanic and metal fabricator for farming gear and a top bloke to go with it, he will drop anything to come and lend a hand....he's coming over tomorrow so I'll send him home with a load of firewood and cow manure.

I weld most of my own projects but have never had a go at machining.

Blacksmithing is my afterhours hobby when the family's gone to bed, love standing by the forge on a cold winters night bashing away at the anvil,  looking at a treadle hammer next.

[musikwerke]

One of the tools I acquired a couple of years ago is an ironworker.  Like my plasma cutter, I don't know how I got this far in life without it. But then, I'm reminded of something my father told me many moons ago: by the time you can afford all the tools you want, you'll have built everything you need.  I'm finding that somewhat true.

[Ironwood]

You guys keep reminding me of tools I forgot to mention, Two horizontal Kalamazo metal saws, one vertical metal saw, one ironworker, and,... well many industrial drill presses :.


Ironwood

[DR Buck]

OK.   I give up.   What's an iron worker?    ???    I always thought it was someone that worked in a mill.  :

[Dave Shepard]

It's a hydraulic punch press, often with notchers and a small metal brake in the middle.


Dave

[adrean louis]

ya i can relate to you guys being a s. o. b. myself (son of blacksmith) its amazing how handy some of those old tools are.

[bandmiller2]

Dr. Buck,The Iron worker is the holy grail for us backyard smiths,depending on model will shear,bend, punch,notch just about anything you want to do with a piece of metal. Frank C.

[DR Buck]

Dr. Buck,The Iron worker is the holy grail for us backyard smiths,depending on model will shear,bend, punch,notch just about anything you want to do with a piece of metal. Frank C.

Anyone got a picture to post?

[Fla._Deadheader]

  We built an Ironworker. Patterned it off the Piranha model. Only way to punch Stainless. It would punch a ½" hole in plate steel. All pics are regular film, none on Computer.  Google Edwards or Piranha. 2 different styles.

[Dave Shepard]

I tried to find a pic of a Piranha last night, but as usual I got hits on anything but ironworkers. :

I've used a 50 ton Piranha, very handy, and is really great for high production of little parts.


Dave