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Lathes / Milling machines...


fran9r

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Quick update...

Melton college are sending me the appropriate forms to sign up for the welding course, which is ran as a night class. It's a 10 week course, which is just aswell because for the 1st week I'll be on holiday. Hopefully that will get me sorted on ally and stainless welding. My brother has the right welder, I just need to find a gas bottle to be able to make stuff at home.

I'll be buying the DVD porter_jamie suggested. Watched the youtube clips, and I'm won over at the idea of being able to fabricate my own tanks...mmm, might take some time to get that good, but still. So that should be the general fabrication (brackets and stuff) sorted.

A mate has offered to teach me how to drive lathes and milling machines. Try as I might I can't find a course for this...but still, I'll get shown the ropes, become comfortable and hopefully be able to make the stuff I want. I'll be able to make a more informed decision as to what machinery I can use too.

I've just recieved a Lincoln college perspectus...the bit I find interesting is the description of the automotive facilities -they have a spray paint booth, which I didn't think colleges offered courses for. The only applicable course I can see is the 'Vehicle Restoration'. There is no mention of painting, but I might just ask. It's a daytime course, but I might register interest as a night course, just in case they consider offering it.

Progress!

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Good luck, as i posted before having some show you informally is probally the best way. if you need any advice on machine or tool purchase feel free to PM me.

JA.

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Do it man!

I did a course one night a week over the last year called 'Performing Engineering Operations' at the college of NW London, it was awesome fun. Used an oldschool lathe, did a fair bit of fitting (I now have a love/hate relationship with files) and was about to start on the milling machines when summer break happened. Would go back again this year but have to save for my wedding...

Started off making the pieces that were assigned during the course but my lecturer ended up letting me make bits for my bike. turned spacers to move my calipers in 4mm, bored and turned parts to make my top yoke fit.

Good timez.

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Ha ha... I know what the love/hate ything with files is about. New files for crimbo last for me.

I can still recall, 1995/6, Alistar Milburn declaring filing round bar to square was fucking boring and easy anyway.... his prize was to scrape an old surface plate back to flat. It took days :eusa_think:

Fran... the above all seems sound. 2nd hand tool merchants will have something kicking about - yellow pages. If you have the space for a biggun' it'll be nigh on free... but you'll need 8' by 4' + and a hefty concrtet base in the shed. Small lathes are expensive cos no one wants/can deal with something that weights 4 tons.

If you can imagine the part as a block of metal, then see the route to making it in your head, without the need to remove it from the vice/chuck ( if it it must, the least possible times) then your half way there.

Work clean and tidy. Knocking shite off the top of the gearbox of the lathe, into a job and sending it at light speed accross the garage is best avoided. Tripping up next to moving stuff, that will never stop, is scary. Tidy includes telling interested watchers to clear off, they're a nuisance.

The world of engineering is full of tinkerers, they are just reluctant to show their face to muppets. Some of these tinkerers are extremely clever. If you can demonstrate you are not a muppet from the planet Zog help will come, fairly easily, although not straight away... Probably from some mild mannered chap that builds rockets, and transports them in a Morris Minor with a big block V8 in it. The V8 may run on a blend of compost and Vimto or somesuch.

Muppetry Grand Meister numero uno; David Satchel-wanted to buiuld a scale replica of the Enterprise. To include all functions.

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Probably from some mild mannered chap that builds rockets, and transports them in a Morris Minor with a big block V8 in it. The V8 may run on a blend of compost and Vimto or somesuch.

How very true.

The bloke who taught me to use stuff has a V8 Anglia and a 200bhp Hilman Imp that weighs bugger all. :eusa_think:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bunged these on here, not on pinboard, cos cant get inverter to switch lathe on. Will check connections etc to make sure I wired socket up correctly.......

inv.jpg

lathe.jpg

Carbs are not for sale

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Quick update...

Melton college are sending me the appropriate forms to sign up for the welding course, which is ran as a night class. It's a 10 week course, which is just aswell because for the 1st week I'll be on holiday. Hopefully that will get me sorted on ally and stainless welding. My brother has the right welder, I just need to find a gas bottle to be able to make stuff at home.

I'll be buying the DVD porter_jamie suggested. Watched the youtube clips, and I'm won over at the idea of being able to fabricate my own tanks...mmm, might take some time to get that good, but still. So that should be the general fabrication (brackets and stuff) sorted.

A mate has offered to teach me how to drive lathes and milling machines. Try as I might I can't find a course for this...but still, I'll get shown the ropes, become comfortable and hopefully be able to make the stuff I want. I'll be able to make a more informed decision as to what machinery I can use too.

I've just recieved a Lincoln college perspectus...the bit I find interesting is the description of the automotive facilities -they have a spray paint booth, which I didn't think colleges offered courses for. The only applicable course I can see is the 'Vehicle Restoration'. There is no mention of painting, but I might just ask. It's a daytime course, but I might register interest as a night course, just in case they consider offering it.

Progress!

At Lincoln Trev Minnett (spelling?) used to run the spray booth (wore a cravate, drove an E-type and unfortunately probably retired now) and panel beating when I did mine, Neil Daff and Dave (can't remember his name) were the Automotive guys on the day courses. On the evenings we had Derek (looks like one of the blokes off Abba) and his brother - all top guys and a top facility and know their stuff. Still try and keep in touch with the guys now (since I left 15 years or so ago) and last time we spoke the mech/auto side was still going strong. Certainly was the first proper step in my career in the industry :thumbsup:

Rob

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Bit of a journey but.... I'm in wakefield and there are plenty of engineering courses here. At my last 2 jobs and current one the place is full of apprentices. 30 new ones a year easy. The courses the attend are at Wakefield college and Leeds Tech.

At both colleges you can do night courses. Welding, machining etc... whatever you fancy. Wakefield (Whitwood i think its still classed as) has a new campus opened this month and all new kit. I enquired about a welding course not long back. 22 weeks £300 odd quid. Think it was Tuesdays 6-9pm.

I've driven to Grantham in an hour in a van. Not that far really. The same college only a few years back stopped doing courses on Mining. I think you could say we are bit behind the times?

I agree with the H+S stuff. The company i work for is American and they LOVE H+S. H+S gets in the way of doing so many jobs, very frustrating but at least we've got jobs.

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Bit of a journey but.... I'm in wakefield and there are plenty of engineering courses here. At my last 2 jobs and current one the place is full of apprentices. 30 new ones a year easy. The courses the attend are at Wakefield college and Leeds Tech.

At both colleges you can do night courses. Welding, machining etc... whatever you fancy. Wakefield (Whitwood i think its still classed as) has a new campus opened this month and all new kit. I enquired about a welding course not long back. 22 weeks £300 odd quid. Think it was Tuesdays 6-9pm.

I've driven to Grantham in an hour in a van. Not that far really. The same college only a few years back stopped doing courses on Mining. I think you could say we are bit behind the times?

I agree with the H+S stuff. The company i work for is American and they LOVE H+S. H+S gets in the way of doing so many jobs, very frustrating but at least we've got jobs.

I know what you mean

I work for a company that was bought out by Honeywell (huge American corp)

Ladders are now banned

Every one has to wear safety glasses, even though there are no processes that are dangerous

Every one has to wear safety shoes even though its light assembly work of PCB's and plastic mouldings

Delivery lorries have to have their wheels chocked before unloading

Can't carry a coffee up the stairs in case you spill it on yourself or someone else, and burn them

Normal Stanley knives are banned

Nothing to be stored over 2m height

No welding now allowed on site due to fire risk

Any kind of hot work (grinding, use of blow lamp) has to have a permit, with checks carried out by fire warden, with exclusion zone etc

Risk assessments on everything

I could go on but I'm bored of it now

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  • 1 month later...

Update:

Bit pissed at Melton College...they bolloxed my application, so I can't start the welding course until Feb, but have at least offered to do it for free.

As thats a way off, I've just had my first night at Lincoln, a course on bodwork restoration. It is only steel based, but the fabrication technique is the same, and although not stricktly part of the course, it looks as though I'll be able to talk them into showing us the spray booth. Bonus.

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  • 2 months later...

Another update.

I've finished the bodywork course -and I'd reccomend it. I've bodged cars up before, but I recon I'd make a good job of it now...and picked up a few tips along the way. I was also able to rescue a really fucked 9R tank, which I'll use for carbon moulds now.

Just started my free welding course too, and I hope to sharpen up on MIG and get started with ally TIG too...I'd be happy with that to be honest. Maybe play with a plasma...

The actual lathe/milling is a little different...I've looked at all manner of options, but keep coming back to te biggest is best approach, which I just can't fit in the garage. Still, I may have a plan.

I'm also hoping to go straight from the welding course into a CAD 3D course -for a business application, but which will also be used my bike parts! Even if I get them made, I'll save by drawing them all myself. However, I keep looking at the CNCzone website, and I may go that route and convert something...we shall see.

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