2 episodes in one month! We can’t believe it either. Don’t worry though we didn’t cut on quantity to get it out – this episode is still over 2 hours. We won’t talk about the quality. Max, Stefan and Justin give shop updates (it has been about 4 months since Stefan has been on – that’s long enough for Stefan to build an entire Saturn V rocket in his basement). After that we talk about making money in the home $hop – when your hobby turns into a business. And no we aren’t the Business of Machining Podcast. In between the weirdness:
- Stefan is busy making telescope parts for
the Hubble Space telescopea local company requiring telescope parts. - Stefan is on the lookout for a new lathe. He would like a Hardinge HLV (don’t we all!).
- Justin and Max suggest looking at the Taiwanese clones like Cyclematic or Feeler
- Stefan broke down and bought a face mill with carbide inserts:
- Lancaster Watch Tools: https://www.instagram.com/lancaster_watch_tools/
- Max is working on a license plate holder for his AMG.
- Justin’s diamond dressers for the bench grinder are now for sale. You can find them on this site.
- Stefan is the reason why small shapers and grinders now cost an arm and a leg and everyone wants one.
- We talk about turning your home shop into a business. Over the past few years Stefan has done more and more work for clients.
- Keep it a hobby – you don’t want to destroy the fun in your life!
- Stefan does some work for this guy: https://www.instagram.com/stories/watchmaker.kl/
- Justin is upset about all the Bang Good advertising on Youtube.
And much more! You can listen to it directly here:
or you can download it directly.
Subscribe in iTunes (and please rate us!): https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/home-shop-machinists-podcast/id1180854521
Max’s website: The Joy of Precision and also his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdMt_havo3BxZJscvRCOGcw Max’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyofprecision/
Stefan Gotteswinter (our occasional host!) website: http://www.gtwr.de/ and also his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/syyl Stefan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefan_gtwr/
Justin’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thecogwheel Justin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecogwheel/
thecogwheel 
Love the podcast, thank you much!
________________________________
LikeLike
They are a blast to do … we need to record more often!
LikeLike
Awesome podcast…. Definitely coming back for more of this!
LikeLike
Thanks Andy!
LikeLike
Wonderful episode guys.
Re Linley jig bore, I own probably one of the last one ever made and can confirm the ways are square, not dovetailed. Still, that allows some light machining to be done.
LikeLike
Thanks Daniel. Yes you are 100% correct. The early Linley Jig borers (which I had – I sold it because I didn’t have any tooling) had dovetail ways. That made them better for milling but ironically the collet system was terrible for holding end mills as they would pull out due to the collet design. Your model has the traditional jig borer ways (which is worse for milling) but with an improved collet system that uses ER style collets. Whatever the case both are beautifully made machines perfect for the home shop. Still miss mine but was a good lesson in buying an old machine tool – make sure tooling comes with it.
LikeLike
Great episode guys.
The Taiwanese Hardinge copy you’re talking about is a Feeler FTL-618; they were (and still are) sold in the US as the AML618 and CTL-618. Chris Vesper (@vespertools on Instagram) has a very well kept example.
LikeLike
Ah, my drive to work is fun again! Not surprisingly, I haven’t finished listening yet, but I couldn’t resist chiming in.
For your one-off thread cutting escapade, I suggest 3D printing the custom gears you need. I did that once to make a super coarse acme thread. I measured the center to center on the two stub shafts and made a custom (totally random) pitch gear set with the right number of teeth and the exact center to center I needed. I also made them as thick as possible. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2878559
When I bought my Hardinge TL (and sold my “made on D-day” South Bend), it felt like moving up to an “adult” lathe, even though it was a smaller bed. Major step up in features and ease of operation. The TL lathes are pretty darn odd-ball in the Hardinge world; they have a dovetail AND an inverse dovetail sticking up in the middle of the bed that the tailstock runs on. The stupid things don’t even have a real manual (other than a nice sell sheet). Frustrating. Anyway, Stephan would clearly enjoy a Hardinge or clone; they are super nice to work on, and that 5C nose is sooo cushy!
Invention. Having 54 patents I’ve got some experience with the process. There is a significant chunk of my patents that are more defensive and “I’m almost positive this will work”, in addition to those that are protecting things that we actually built or might build. I’d be happy to blather on about the subject if y’all are interested. I’ve also worked with one of those “guys with wacky ideas”. I had some fun making a couple of prototypes for him, but I went into it without any expectation of money, despite his song and dance.
LikeLike
This and BoM has become my two favorite podcasts. A joy to listen to while doing things. Don’t have a shop but was listening to the episode while putting together my bicycle after taking it apart completely and cleaning it. Hope you have a good Walpurgis Night 😀
LikeLike
Have you guys quit with the podcast? I so look forward to the show and the beer selections.
Me and the 5 other people (and your mom??) are looking forward to the next show.
LikeLike
Hey Ed. The podcast isn’t dead – actually we are going to get back into recording this week. Max and I had a number of life events hit us that caused us to hit the pause button on some of what we have been doing. I guess that is the nature of a hobby – certain times require you to pause and take care of more important matters. But hopefully going forward we will have some more time to record again!!!
LikeLike
AWESOME!!!!
I totally understand life events getting in the way. Just want to make sure you guys know that people are listening and your followers are growing. I have shared your podcast to my machining friends and they are listening too. Your efforts are greatly appreciated as well as you beer selections (or absinthe).
BTW, I get your podcasts automatically in my phone so maybe just a 60 second recording saying you are still around and coming back soon… that would be great (reference Office Space…) Just so I don’t panic again 😉
LikeLike
Came to ask essentially the same question. Glad to hear you guys aren’t done and sorry to hear of what sounds like some heavy stuff. General feelings of appreciation and hope for well being headed your way!
LikeLike
Where is the next one? A little birdie told me that you guys plus Stefan made another one. Been waiting for months for a podcast. Make sure it’s sponsored by avon79 this time.
LikeLike
Good to read that you’re having a next episode coming. I’m waiting impatiently. You should nag Stefan to become a permanent host, I really enjoy his insights. And judging from what he posted in the forum recently he seems to have too much time on his hands. I reeeeeally wanna hear him talk about his new tool grinding machine!
LikeLike
I just got around to listening to this–great show!
I was thinking about your 3.11mm pitch screw for the tow hook socket. On my Chinese lathe with a 2mm leadscrew and my gearset, I get 80/49 * 90/94 * 2mm = 3.12635mm which is very close, about 0.5% error. I don’t think the “A” gear will fit with an 80-tooth gear but if I had a 180-tooth gear I could use a 40 instead which would work.
LikeLike
In my day job as an Engineer at Bombardier in Montreal I have tested aircraft in the NationalResearch Council wind tunnels in Ottawa. As you can imagine their machine shops were extremely well equipped and their staff were top notch. They were constantly building one off custom test rigs for various research programs. The gad several Hardinge lathes. They would not work with anything less. That was their standard. The tanks of the blowdown wind tunnel too half an hr to pump up so I had lots of chances to wander around their shop and when they realized that I had a real interest they were kind enough to let me do so. One day a new lathe came in. It was the taiwanese hardinge copy. Randy, the shop boss, told me it was $25k vs $50k for the real deal and the copy was as good. It certainly looked every bit as good. It was a dead copy, same color,you name it. It made you wonder why hardinge didn’t go after them legally. My sole means of assessing the machine was to turn the cross slide handle. It was as silky smooth as the hardinge. Ok not very scientific but the machine was still on blocks and even if it had been hooked up there was no way they were going to let some stupid engineer near it! Btw the machines weigh 600 lbs, less than you think. The motor is huge for its power output. The vbelt drive, headstock, tailstock, carriage, carriage drive and bed vway are all removeable so I think a determined person could get it into a basement. But one would have to be realistic about one’s ability to get all those bits back into the precise alignment that the mfg achieved with their specialized tooling, metrology setups etc. Not only is that machine have very precise alignment but it also has an insanely low level of vibration achieved by extensive precision balancing. I think I would rather knock out a portion of the foundation and dig a ramp in the back yard rather than potentially mess up such a machine. Btw wives are always really enthusiastic about making big structurally invasive mods to the family home to accommodate their spouse’s hobbies! I build airplanes and know a lot of others who do so and it is a common theme. Enjoying the podcasts. It is easing my isolation.
LikeLike
Oops a few typos in that last one. That’s my 1 finger ipad typing
LikeLike