Calling all metal lathe experts...

[Justin B.]

I just augmented my backyard "dawg-house" with a Harbor Freight 9x20 metal lathe.  I think my first "real" project will be to make a wheel balancer.  But, I first have to figure out what I'm doing with it!  I had a few lessons from a retired gunsmith about 25 years ago when I was at Ft. Hood but got transferred before I ever did much useful stuff with it.

[Semper Gumby]

Cool.  A lathe is one of those mysterious things that allows you to build tools.  Of course you have to have something on the brain to figure this all out.  A friend of mine, Ron Mass has one from a WWII Guppy class submarine.  My peg board obsessed brain drools over his lathe.  But unfortunately I have no clue how to use one.  My brain is an early version not equipped to use a lathe - probably 0.1b or c. :-/

[Justin B.]

So far I have figured out how to turn a round bar into a big pile-o-chips and shavings, made two stainless steel hinge pins (to replace the busted plastic ones) for the lid on the crapper, and actually cut some threads on the end of a 1/4" rod that actually accepted a nut!  I was really pumped after the thread thing...  Then I got careless/distracted and the machine showed me who was boss by stripping it's nylon sacrificial idler gear.  It came with two spare gears, so if I strip one every three weeks I'm in deep crap!
  
After I make the balancer I'll turn out a clutch alignment tool, if I ever get around to changing the clutch on the '80...

[MrRiden]

Make two balancers I sure could use one and wouldn't be shy to ship it around this list as needed! As for lathes, I was more of a vertical mill / grinder operator but still have my copy of Machinery’s Handbook http://tinyurl.com/w3rgq a good addition to your library!
Rich

[Jon_P]

i would love to have a lathe and a mill. i am a fab guy so i am always cutting, grinding & welding. there are somethings a lathe would just do the trick faster and better. dont you just love harbor freight!

[Justin B.]

I spend too much money whenever I go over there and I think the wife has taken to hiding the flyers when they come in.    I ain't seen one in almost two weeks...  

[Jon_P]

my miss lets me have them cuz she figgures its the lesser of two evils. i have the tool guys stop at the shop every week, talk about being able to ring up a tool bill

[Justin B.]

Yeah, those guys are as bad as dope dealers!  [smiley=1drink.gif]

[Justin B.]

mrridden, I broke down and ordered a copy of Machinery's Handbook - dang it was expensive!

[MrRiden]

Youll find youll use it though. A good reference that eliminates the need to "reinvent the wheel" whenever you are trying to solve an issue.

[Flora_Max]

Make two balancers I sure could use one and wouldn't be shy to ship it around this list as needed! As for lathes, I was more of a vertical mill / grinder operator but still have my copy of Machinery’s Handbook http://tinyurl.com/w3rgq a good addition to your library!
Rich

Mr Riden, what do you mean by Vertical Mill.   Im innto woodwork myself.  Very good with a wood lathe but only used a metal lathe in school.
cheers Shannon