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New job at work (machinist)

MrJLR

Jeff
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Joined
Feb 12, 2016
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Location
Menifee, California
I'm a machinist.....35 years
We got a huge contract to make parts for bunker buster bombs.....
This part is 10" OD..... We had to buy a new, bigger lathe...$500,000!
The lathe will pay for itself in 7 months.....
Fun part to make....at least the first few...then I hand it off to operators.

Jeff
 
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I'm trying my hand and machine work, got a friend teaching me about lathe work . . .

All I've got to say about it is that I now have the utmost respect for all of the machinists out there as the work they do is incredible ! ! Thanks ! !

I'm learning all kinds of way to miss my numbers as I'm working on some of these parts . . . ARGH ! !
 
I gave a machinist parts from a 3 phase on off switch shaft that broke the other day because it was plastic. He made a replacement with the original parts and he modified the end that went in the contact block. I wish I had a pic because it was ingenious. I would have never thought of doing what he did. Its on the machine and working!
 
I'm a machinist.....35 years
We got a huge contract to make parts for bunker buster bombs.....
This part is 10" OD..... We had to buy a new, bigger lathe...$500,000!
The lathe will pay for itself in 7 months.....
Fun part to make....at least the first few...then I hand it off to operators.

Jeff
:xscuseless:

:lol:
 
I'm a machinist/ punch press tool and die setter . you definitely have to have patience and focus. it can be trying at times. these are table stops / adjusting nuts for the 300 ton Pacific. these start life as 400 lb solid chunks of bronze that are meticulously machined on a leblonde 4 jaw and finish at 9.750 OD. they are ID threaded. raw material price alone is approx 6k .you absolutely cannot **** one up.
IMG_20180913_073631.jpg
 
I'm a machinist/ punch press tool and die setter . you definitely have to have patience and focus. it can be trying at times. these are table stops / adjusting nuts for the 300 ton Pacific. these start life as 400 lb solid chunks of bronze that are meticulously machined on a leblonde 4 jaw and finish at 9.750 OD. they are ID threaded. raw material price alone is approx 6k .you absolutely cannot **** one up.View attachment 859224
That's just flat out COOL!!!
 
here is a die, die pot / bottom punch and top punch for the same 300 ton . this thing is a monster and weighs in around 250 lbs. the part is a gear roller for the automatic steps that pop out when you open the doors on certain pick up trucks.
the parts are compacted powdered metal, then sintered at 2,300 degrees , sized ,machined and then shipped.
IMG_20171019_074105.jpg
 
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I have seen some incredible things made by toolmakers I know, guns, steam engines, and to many replacement parts that were designed wrong that I broke over the years!! Love to watch them in action!!
 
Someday I will have a lathe for my shop...someday. :thumbsup:

Know that feeling . . . Been there . . .

But I now have a 12x36 in my shop to learn how to do this stuff . . . Funny thing is now I wonder how I went so long without it . . .
 
What's the largest diameter that can take?

It's called a gap bed, and can turn a part 12" in diameter if it fits in the gap . . . Otherwise it's a bit smaller - but that covers probably 99.98% of anything I'm working on at home.
 
It's called a gap bed, and can turn a part 12" in diameter if it fits in the gap . . . Otherwise it's a bit smaller - but that covers probably 99.98% of anything I'm working on at home.

By chance, is it a Craftsman/Atlas 12" x 36" lathe; model number 101.28990?
 
[QUOTE="MrJLR, post: 911398157, member: 24090"[/QUOTE]
that is totally badass and state of the art. we are still working with 30 year old lathes that work, but are still completely mechanical
 
I'm a machinist/ punch press tool and die setter . you definitely have to have patience and focus. it can be trying at times. these are table stops / adjusting nuts for the 300 ton Pacific. these start life as 400 lb solid chunks of bronze that are meticulously machined on a leblonde 4 jaw and finish at 9.750 OD. they are ID threaded. raw material price alone is approx 6k .you absolutely cannot **** one up.View attachment 859224
Can't buy hollow material? Would save time if that's possible. Cut a lot of brass and bronze in my 26 years at the refinery along with 17-4, 316 SS, 11-13 Chrome (hated that crap lol), Cast Iran, and the list goes on. For the big stuff, we usually got material that was hollow. Lots of fun having to make a 14" OD pump wear ring that needed a 12" ID from 11-13.....not! Especially on a manual machine. There were a few times when hollow stock wasn't available and it happened more times than I cared for.
 
Can't buy hollow material? Would save time if that's possible. Cut a lot of brass and bronze in my 26 years at the refinery along with 17-4, 316 SS, 11-13 Chrome (hated that crap lol), Cast Iran, and the list goes on. For the big stuff, we usually got material that was hollow. Lots of fun having to make a 14" OD pump wear ring that needed a 12" ID from 11-13.....not! Especially on a manual machine. There were a few times when hollow stock wasn't available and it happened more times than I cared for.
you would think they would order it already hollow. my understanding is that it's more cost effective for us to do the ID machining in house. i asked the same question a number of years ago. 2 of our machines use 1 pair each. they are usually replaced once every 3 years unless there is some kind of detrimental malfunction. I've been in the building when there has been one. the 300 ton over ejected which in turn ripped the die pot completely out of the table and split both the adjusters in half. it sounded like machine gun fire from the bolts ripping out followed by the sound of a bomb going off. it literally shook the building
 
No, it's a Grizzley lathe . . .

Probably a G4003? That's what I have... 12x36 with the gap removed it has a 17" throw.... But I've never removed the gap since I don't have a need for anything that big....

I bought mine second hand from a guy who barely used it... He let his son in law wire it & a couple wires got crossed which melted a contactor.... I got it not working for $500... Spent about three hours diagnosing it & the fix was a new contactor that I had in stock...

Got the three & four jaw chucks, the steady rest, the follower rest, an AXA tool post & 7 tool holders.... Plus a few dozen high speed steel tools...
 
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