(The Wife Calls It A Toy)
Daniel J. Dyke
It is a milling machine. It is not a lathe, but it will be joined by a lathe soon. Lathes make round objects. Milling machines make irregularly shaped objects. What am I going to make with it? Money? Probably not much. I am a hobbyist and the making of stuff is what fulfills the need within in me. People have made aluminum chassis or parts to replace defective originals or to fix defective design. Some people design totally new things and produce them in limited quantities. Others design a master at home and have them mass produced in a larger shop. Me? I want to play.
When I decided to buy a mill I laid down some criteria.
1. It has to be CNC capable. I will buy the upgrade kit later.
2. It has to be made in a country that does not enslave its own people.
I don't mind sweat shops as many sweat shops in third world countries pay
more than non-sweat shops and so by local standards they are great places
to work.
3. It has a reputation for working without rebuilding. "Red Army"
tools have a reputation for having to be cleaned and rebuilt.
4. The company has been here for a while and understands that a hobbyist
can be a good customer.
5. It has to have a support forum.
6. It has to be capable of what I want.
7. It has to be a relatively complete package and I can afford it.
My choices the boiled down to TAIG and Sherline. I bought a TAIG as they were running a special this month on a milling machine. BWA has a Sherline and loves it. That alone almost got me to buy Sherline. He prototypes all his stuff on his Sherline.
Have I used it? No. I need to get a few more things. I expected this but have to wait until I get more money. What do I need? A machinist's square, machinist's oil, raw aluminum, and a vent for my basement window to get funny smells out and out quickly. If the wife smells, my life is h3ll!
Will I use it? Yes, but I am going to learn it step by step before I bite off a big project. You can bet I will post pictures of my successes and not say a word about failures unless it is funny.
Dan