Hi, I’m Paul

[papflynnParticipant @papflynn]

I live in Republic of Ireland. I’m an electrician. The last time I used a lathe was in 1978 when I was a first year apprenice fitter (age 15). I loved working with the lathe and mill. I left after the first year to start again as an apprentice electrician. I always said I’d build a workshop and have a lathe, Mill etc for when I retire (which looks like it’ll be at least another 8 years or .
However…. I’ve just ordered a new GH1236 lathe and a VMC milling machine from Warco and hope to have it in 3 weeks. I’ve been out in my nice warm empty workshop imagining the machines there.
No doubt you’ll all be sick to death of me asking for advice as to using this equipment. Note that I have no real idea as to what I will use the machines for. Initially I’ll just be playing around with them.
And on that vein, perhaps an idea or two as to what my first project should be?
Regards,
Paul

[papflynnParticipant @papflynn]

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hello Paul,

Sorry for not spotting your post earlier.

A 'traditional' first project is the Stuart 10V or 10H steam engine – although that's quite small for your equipment, it would still be good for getting used to your gear.

There's a build thread started recently by David Clark HERE

Neil

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Welcome Paul.

All advice is freely given so never be afraid to ask.

George.

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

If I may be allowed to publicise two of my books which are intended to introduce the newcomer to the lathe and the milling machine. These, have both plans and instructions for making workshop equipment, and progressing from the very simple to relatively complex items, in so doing moving the novice from beginner to quite able machine user.

The books are, “Lathework, a Complete Course” and “Milling, a Complete Course”.

See my website here and here for details.

If you wish to take up Neil's suggestion of a H10 or V10 Stuart engine and would like to make a quick start then you could take a look at my pages regarding making these. They are though based on using a lathe only but most of the milling task methods can easily be transferred to the milling machine. The article can be found here. Other wise follow David's thread as it progresses.

As a relatively newcomer to metalworking you may fine my website as a whole worth looking at, it has around 500 pages of metalworking info. The best place to start is at the book style index. With individual questions you cannot do better than to pose them on this forum, the members are very helpful.

Harold

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

If you're going to link to your own site from here Harold then it's good internet manners to place a backlink to Model Engineer from your own site

I have no idea if you have already done this, just thought I'd mention it

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Paul, I would agree with everything that Harold has advised. I have both the books he mentions and they are well worth getting. Also, look at TomsTechniques website – he has instructional videos on lathe work, milling, tool grinding and safety which are very good, under the umbrella of "common sense machining", and as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Also, don't – never in fact – feel you can't ask a daft/stupid question on here, it's been often stated on here that if you don't know the answer then the question isn't daft or stupid and this is a very good site for getting good advice, so welcome and enjoy!

Chris

[papflynnParticipant @papflynn]

Thanks guys for the warm welcome.

Neil, that engine looks like a nice project, but I think I'll just play around with the machines first before I destroy the makings of a very nice looking engine.
I have ordered Harold's books as recommended as well as a copy of the 'Metalworkers Data Book'. I do remember having a copy of the Zeus Data Charts and Reference Tables which I purchased away back in 1978 and had up until very recently, but cannot for the life of me find it now .

And don't worry Chris, I will be asking loads of questions. But for now I'm like a 6 year old waiting for Santa to arrive with my toys (Lathe, Mill and now books).
Paul

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

Thanks Ady for the prompt, in fact I do do as you suggest for personnel websites similar to mine. I did also have a link to the ME/MEW website on my home page. Initially, I only intended my website to be a show case for my many pastimes, this can be seen by the fact that pastimes such as live sound recording, cabinet making, pencil sketching, etc. have all low page numbers. Similarly, for personnel pages such as our holidays and being members of the Salvation Army.

However, as most readers will know, the website has grown well beyond those initial ideas and the home page has been edited on numerous occasions with the link to the ME/MEW site going AWOL. I will therefore Ady again add a link to the forum. I feel though that having done that I have a responsibility of doing it for the other forums I am a member. My present list has fifteen forums on it and I know there are others that link to my website, some non English speaking. So as they link to my site then I will place a link to there's. I can create the list from the data I receive for visits to my website.

As this will no doubt increase the list to twenty, plus, I feel a page dedicated to the links would be the best approach. As I am very busy at the moment (hence the delay in replying to you comment Ady) I cannot promise to do this till the new year but once done I will come back to let the thread know.

As an aside, the link I see from a forum in many cases gives a link back to the actual page on which the link to my site exists. This is good as I can see immediately the subject being discussed. This site though, with a few others, lists the link as coming from the home page. Because of this I have to use Google to see what is being discussed relative to me.

Harold

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

Ady. Following your prompt regarding me adding a link to this forum on my website I have now done that. As I said, I would then feel I should also add links to the many forum that I make occasional comments on and whose members publish links to my website within their comments.

I had though the number of forum was 15 but getting out my list and comparing it with the stats for January I found a few more and the list actually is now 30 forum. No doubt it will grow as I will check the stats for the next few months.

I contribute to most of the English speaking forum but only very occasionally. I have also contributed to a couple of the non English forum using Google translate, (hilarious results with some languages) and reply in English asking that someone would translate it for the local language, has worked on the few occasions I have tried

The list can be found on my website here

Harold

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Harold, that is an enormous list just to advertise your books!! Only kidding,

You must have nothing else to do

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

Posted by KWIL on 06/02/2016 23:09:45:

Harold, that is an enormous list just to advertise your books!! Only kidding,

You must have nothing else to do

If only!

Thanks Kwil

Harold

[Author]

Posts