I agree! Would be an awesome long term project to make a really flushed out miniature shop. Especially if he plans to move at some point, I’m sure he’d love to have that displayed in his new shop/office. Great idea
Since there are so many pieces to his shop, it might be cool is Tested could work out a way for viewers/members/makers to build different miniature parts of his shop and have Adam put it all together on channel. It would have to be orchestrated to some degree so they don’t end up with 300 miniature lathes...
"Love talking about my milling machine" Honestly, I love this kind of energy. I'm an artist myself, and just talking about the hyper specific things like what kinds of paper are good for what kinds of work, I can go on for hours. It's so fascinating how stuff like that is totally unimportant to 99.999% of people, but to you it makes a world of difference.
I own 4” and 6” Chinese vises. Out of the box they were 6-8 thousands off in various places. After a treatment on a on a surface grinder and some scraping they are both better than 0.0005 in any direction. The point of my post is that you can get an accurate vise for less but need to put some work into it. Grinding a vise on a surface grinder is a 1-2 hour job for a local machine shop. At $50-80/hour it could still be a better deal than a “cheap” beat up Kurt that may or may not show up on Craig’s, especially in areas where manufacturing became extinct.
7:25 "Experience is the way in which you gain the knowledge in order to know what you're looking at." This video was another great insight into Adam's though processes, but I didn't have a lot of connection, since I'm not a machinist and can only tell you the difference between a lathe and mill from these videos. But with this line, there was truly a "click" in my head. I'm a photographer, and when I started, I bought a decent, low-end DSLR with a couple of kit lenses. It took me about a year of shooting to not only hone my own skills, but to realize WHAT the camera and lenses were doing, where the shortcomings were, and what I needed to evolve*. This is where the click happened. Adam was talking about machine-shop tools, but with this one line, the whole thing coalesced into something applicable to anything someone does. *The old axiom of better equipment doesn't make you a better user is true to a degree, but when you outgrown the equipment, then yes, it DOES make a difference.
The mouthpiece story resonates with _all_ wind players, not just saxophonists. As a trombonist, I have a box full of mouthpieces I've used over the years. And different mouthpieces will play better/worse on different horns: it's not just a case of the right mouthpiece for _you_ but for _the_ _horn_ as well.
I’m gonna sign up ! I’m a Maker. 27 years as a Graphic Designer. Now I’m really getting into building wooden ship models. All my tools are in miniature, from Tweezers to table saws and disk sanders ! Satisfies my Soul.
H & W Machine rebuilds Bridgeports and sells all the parts. Your can rebuild it and replace the acme screws and nuts on all ends to take out the play. An easy and cheap non marring clamping accessory is to cut a piece of copper pipe and spread it flat, the cheapest you get and works for years.
Adam, how do you feel about having wood working "dust" (which is unavoidable) in your machine shop??? We have found that the presence of wood working machines next to a metal working machine is problematic at the least. What do you think and how do you deal with the issue of the gum and goo working into the machine tools.
Sew a long hoodie from old bed sheets and keep the machine covered unless in use. Try to schedule the work so no dust is produced when you work with metal. It works both ways as the metal chips could be flying around and messing fine finish on wood. Also, make it a standard practice to use any type of dust extractor when using power tools on wood. A medium size shop vac is better than nothing. Get (or make) an extension cord with an automatic switch to turn the dust extractor on when you turn the tool on and off when the tool is off. And once a week vacuum the shop top to bottom. It is not only good for the machines but for people working in the shop. It is so much nicer to work in a clean shop :-)
Just sold my Bridgeport yesterday after 15 years. Finally time to make the investment and buy a fresher one. As soon as it went I missed it. Can't wait to get a better one and will buy the best one I can afford. That has always been my thought too. Great videos and happy milling 👍✊
I'm not hung up on any patricular make but definitely newer more accurate machine or maybe a cnc. Bridgeports are expensive and hard to come by here in Ireland.
Good point on having an actual need. Lot of people buy random stuff or oversized/powered/hyped/whatever in consumerist society. Plus used stuff can have incredible value, you don't need fancy things. I also like to sleep on it - whenever I make a largish purchase (say, more than 10% of my monthly income), I do my research, make my decision and hold the purchase for a few days. Gives you a fresh mind to evaluate your decision.
One of the absolute best place to get affordable machine tools is from tech schools, they're always rotating stuff in and out, and it's such a great place to look.
I used a 1948 Delta Rockwell table saw for years. It even sent me to the hospital once [kickback cause fence was slightly out of square ... fun]. But using that, thinking about usage, thinking about my situation [multi user shop, not all educated], and efficiency, and so on. When we bought a new one, it was a big expense, but it has been ridiculously good to have because of that. We've also spent some time with two .... less than ideal band saws, and that headache is telling us a lot about what to do in the future.
Interesting. My tool experience is woodworking focussed, but I have had a similar opinion for a long time. I don't suggest going out and getting the expensive tools when you are starting. For one thing, as you mention a couple times, complex tools all require tuning and maintenance to provide good results. As a beginner, getting a beginning level tool that will do the job as well as you know how to do it provides you a very valuable opportunity - learning what you really need and how to keep the tool tuned to yield its best possible results. Once you have learned fully how to maximize that tool's potential, if it's still not capable of yielding the results you need, then it's time to start researching a replacement, and by then you will have truly learned what you actually need, and what you don't. I've known more than a few beginners who ran out and got a very high end tool, and couldn't understand why it wasn't magically producing the results they wanted. Learning how to take care of a tool is at least as important as learning the techniques of using it.
Scrap leather pieces are a great option to protect parts while clamping them down for milling. Love this video. I owned a compact 8 mill / lathe combo. Kept the lathe sold the mill. Purchased a separate mill because I didn't like changing it back and forth.
Two Isotopes of "Chinesium": "Blue Chinesium" (Taiwanese) , regarded as superior to "Red Chinesium" (Mainland Chinese). Enco was mostly Taiwanese up until the late 1990's. Grizzly is mostly Mainland Chinese (excepting their "Southbend" productline, which is Taiwanese).
Stoked to see the video about annular cutters! I recently started using them as well (maybe a year ago) and what a time saver! Pricey, but well worth it. Seriously awesome
Oh crap! I can tell what that is so I better hurry up and place my order because Adam creates a crazy backorder situation. I've holding off for too long anyway but I should be really happy with the upgrades that have happened over time. Really look forward to the reveal video.
I would love for Adam to do a tool segment on "homemade tools"; the tools you either couldn't afford, couldn't acquire, or simply didn't exist for a job you needed to get done. SO... you make one!! I would think that's right up his alley and probably has a few he could show.
I love the story...reminds me of my time as a college student working at a tool & mold shop in Canada. Shop had a dozen Bridgeports along with huge CNC mills. Sadly, plastic injection mold making shops are dwindling...is your wood floor especially reinforced underneath?
For my photography equipment I started with a pretty basic camera. I found the limits of that camera/lens and upgraded that part of it. I wanted to shoot sports more so I bought a longer lens with a lower f stop. Just how I choose new gear, thought it may be helpful!
After the story about the machine shop being snaked from you (and the mention about guitarists having similar stories) I heard my wife sniffle a little bit. And then she said “Mine was a Gibson Hummingbird. Thanks for bringing me back, Adam.“
Been following your channel for along while, including the amazing bench you made - awesome man! The term "out of the box" thinking gets thrown around too easily, you're the real deal though!
Floor strength needs to be considered as a constraint here, and carrying machine tools up three stories round some tight corners. Hence the popularity of the Emco Unimat series whilst in manufacture.
I used to sell computers and always got the same basic question - Which one do I need? I would always answer with - buy the best you can afford that will do what you need it to. I feel the same applies to tools (and I have bought some tools). Buy the best you can afford that will do the job.
This is great timing. I just scored an old bridgeport on a government auction site for $250. It's my first mill but was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up.
The Lathe Mill he's thinking of is an EMCO and it is made by an Austrian company that made some castings in Italy. They are very small and very precise machines. The only down side is they are so expensive and hard to find in the USA you probably cant get one. The last one I failed to buy I stopped bidding at 2500$ and that was for a 5 inch lathe mill. I've seen the 7-13 inch machines go for between 3-8K.
I have been thinking of what could be a fun one day build for Adam and I thought of a coffee tamp for an espresso machine. You, Adam, had talked many years ago about how you obtained an espresso machine and had a barista come to your home and teach you the basics of use. I have not heard much since about it, but creating a metal tamp with a hardwood handle could make for a fun one day build that involved many processes.
Adam, since you know by experience what beginning CNC mill users need and what they can "get by with or make work on a budget to start" - I would love to see you pickup a very inexpensive, say 3018-size, CNC kit (literally you build it from a kit of parts) and build it and talk about how you would improve it step by step as people can afford it.
I have realized that I need t oll stat buying machines. I apprenticed for years and when he passed away I was really devastated and wanted nothing to do with the industry. I was wrong in my thinking at the time and need to do his memory and legacy its it's due and start spinning up the tool and making stuff. Thank you for that
Man, Bridgeports are so wonderful to use! I used one when I took a machining class in college, and it was absolutely a dream! It's now my dream to someday own one, because I know I'd use the hell out of it!
I have an Emco 8 and it is large enough for any jobs I need to undertake. It's the most precise lathe I have ver seen built to DIN standard. I also have a Boxford Lathe which is larger but I and trying to give it to a friend.
After using a Selmer Jazz 3*, metal mouth piece, when I went back to the Yamaha 4 C everything was so much easier. The selmer had developed my embouchure . Remember Me !
Tell you my sob story... I am a guitar player and hobbyist guitar tech. I followed a bunch of yard sale signs to what was an estate sale. Old guy died and his daughter was looking to sell everything quickly so she could sell the house. I noticed some music stands and rough looking guitars in various states of disrepair. I asked if there might be any other music stuff and the daughter told me that I *just* missed out... Her dad was a luthier and repairman, as well as a musician. Just 10 minutes before I got there a couple of guys gave her $1000 and took ALL the good stuff. It kills me to think about what I might have missed out on...old tools, vintage guitars, amps, parts and components...if only I had got out of bed a bit earlier...if only i diddn’t stop to get that cup of coffee beforehand...if only i diddn’t stop for gas first...ugh!
What do you recommend for a "Sustainable" Cutting Fluid? I plan on adapting a Fluid Pump under my Vise with a Debris Screen. Plus, my "Mill" is an older Rockport 8-Speed Drillpress (~1962) that I am converting.
Good rule of thumb for juat about anything. Buy the best you can afford. But do some research. Being the most expensive, doesn't mean it's the best one.
Great video! What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to get there shop up and going? For example. I have most of the basic tools, clamps, drills, angle grinder, circular saw, etc. I’m wanting to expand and get more tools to make projects easier and to make my options for projects wider.
i bought a 42" Bridgeport mill for a song due to the DRO not working and at first that was fine i have great measuring tools but after seeing how Adam uses his im really thinking to replace the damaged unit
Buy a Birmingham if you want a good mill at a great price. The parts interchange with a Bridgeport. I used them in trade school and later convinced the shop I work in to buy one.
I’m considering a mid life crisis as a maker thanks to these videos 😂 Adam, a question if I’m lucky enough to take a moment of your time. What do you recommend for a good beginner workbench and vice combo? I have many hand tools, but seriously looking into a workbench + vice once I can save enough money.
Vise for what use? Woodworking mainly? Metalworking? A mix? Wilton and Yost both make great general purpose vises. As far as workbench, the best advice I ever heard is to build your own. People's heights vary so much that having a workbench at your ideal working height is best done with a custom bench, even if you just cobble it together for your first attempt. The experience will teach you what to do when you build your second bench.
Anything works, Jamie did a good video on welded workbenches, but I make most of mine from wood. One rule: NO SWIVEL VISES. EVER. The moment you put any impacts or heavy force into them they clap out and start spinning like a stripper on a pole. Also, if you’re not wall-mounted, casters are worth their weight in gold if you get good high quality ones. Don’t go cheap on casters, vises, or power tools. Legit, any questions like that feel free to ask I’ve been blue college since I was a kid this has been my life haha
@@colricht Gosh, I love my 4.5" Wilton bullet swivel bench vise. To be able to turn the vise to an angle is very helpful if you have a long or awkward shaped work piece. Best advice is to get a beefy one. I paid $10 for it at an estate sale -Score! But any vise on a bench is better than no vise.
@@sundaynightdrunk Good response. One would want different benches with different vises for one's various crafts. In a perfect world with unlimited shop space and funds. As a college shop teacher, I built a beefy, rigid maple laminated topped woodworker's bench with 2 vises, side and end mounted, with 3/4" dog holes bored in pairs. 4x4 legs with 2x4 cross-bolted stretchers and a shelf below. I loved working on it but so did my students. :( Since retiring, I really should replace the rickety one I've been suffering with in my own basement shop.
It's the same way with musical instruments. It is quite possible to spend as much money on a guitar as you would on a house, but in order to make that worthwhile, you have to be an exceptional guitarist. I am not an exceptional guitarist, so I'm fine with what I have now.
il never buy a mill. im not a maker nor have that kinda cash, but for some reason I just love these videos the passion and experience of his stories are wonderful
Great advice, thanks! I'm trying to find a mill-lathe combo, a good one. Space in my shop is a major consideration. Are Smithy Granite Lathe-Mills Good? Or something similar, another brand? I'd love to hear anyone's opinion and advice.
I remember Adam mentioning he had a Conn 10M "Naked Lady" saxophone in a previous video. If he still has his sax stuff it would be awesome to see a video on it!
I went out and spent $15k on a tormach when I first got a house with a garage. Turns out what I needed was a CNC router. Mill has been sitting untouched in storage for the last 5 years.
awesome thanks. was just thinking about this.... int he same vein, i'm looking at a small bench lathe to get started - not a full blown lathe. i want to do small wood work and also some metal work. could I just get a metal work lathe and a wood working rest ? Might be another video idea?
To Steve Dellicarpini as someone who has used milling machines as part of my job, I'm not suggesting I am at 'machine operator' level. Buy an edge finder something like www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-050101-Edge-Finder-Shank/dp/B002SG7PPC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=edge+finder&qid=1603503836&sr=8-2 Buy a second identical clamping set; I often found I wanted to clamp things in 3 places, having to use all different length pieces for the next clamp was very frustrating.
Back in the 80s and 90s a lot of old engineers and techs from MIT, Draper, Lincoln Labs, etc. were dying off or going into elderly housing and you see adds for big Bridgeports cheap. The expensive part was to hire a rigger to get it out of their basements and garages! As for vices, get yourself a hundred year old Wilton! Just get two friends who are linebackers to help you lift it!
I think Adam was talking about a precision machinist vice like you bolt down to the mill table. I think it was Tom Lipton that recommended a 6 inch vice. It covers 90% of most jobs you'll ever encounter and is not too heavy that it's a pain to move on and off. I have a Kurt 688 (6" wide) and it's about all I want to be moving around.
Great advice on buying tools and equipment but in my country it's real easy actually to hide a bad engine or body when it comes to cars btw I'm from Bulgaria
After looking it’s def Andy’s bench. It just looks like it has a hardboard top on it. The new vise on the right is a dead giveaway! Can’t wait for that video either!
@@bigscreenbird8198 it's a big piece of leather he uses to protect the top. He moved it from his old bench that's why I didn't catch it was the new bench. 😄
I was advised that if you know what you need, buy the cheapest tool that will do twice what you need. If you don't know what you need buy the second cheapest tool available. If it does your job you win, if it doesn't you return it for a refund and the experience will have taught you enough to know what you need.
Adam I have asked in here a number of times about what would be the most importatnt & most used out of the mill & the lathe as im looking to buy one & the other later, most of what I do is the same as you(props & bits) & making some 4x4 custom truck parts, then the most important tools & bits to start off some projects, I hope to hear from you soon as your vids get closer to what I do or am doing ;) .
As a guy that just went through this, you need both. If you absolutely can't get both, a lathe is better. You can use angle grinders, bench grinders, handsaws and files to "mill" parts. But only a lathe can turn parts. At least that's my 2 cents. Oh and whatever you spend on the machines, expect to spend the same amount on tooling and accessories.
@@chrismorris8695 Thanks Chris for your advice I was leaning towards the lathe for props & some vehicle parts but then I would still need a mill to macine other parts...damn me for prototyping on the 3d printer without final step machines ;).
@@ttonygreybeard proceed with caution, my friend. I was you 1 year ago and now I have a garage that's full (of machine tools) and a wallet that is empty. But what fun to be able to touch your imagination.
I saw you made a model for a mech and it reminded me of what I think is the coolest games ever. It’s called titanfall 2. The game has similar mechs called “titans” that are controlled by the players called pilots. Although titans do have their own AI for controlling themselves. Like I said it’s a really fun game with a steep learning curve and I think it should’ve been more popular than it was but it was released in the week between a call of duty game and a battlefield game.
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I would love to see Adam build a smallish scale version of his shop, a diorama maybe 🤔
I agree! Would be an awesome long term project to make a really flushed out miniature shop. Especially if he plans to move at some point, I’m sure he’d love to have that displayed in his new shop/office. Great idea
Since there are so many pieces to his shop, it might be cool is Tested could work out a way for viewers/members/makers to build different miniature parts of his shop and have Adam put it all together on channel. It would have to be orchestrated to some degree so they don’t end up with 300 miniature lathes...
I have the feeling that, if this were to come to fruition, Adam would have to change the diarama with every change in the shop.
Cool idea.
@@paulstokes8587 Do one every 5 years and see the evolution.
I'm not a machinest, I don't own a milling machine, and don't have plans to get one maybe ever, but I thoroughly enjoyed this
"Love talking about my milling machine"
Honestly, I love this kind of energy. I'm an artist myself, and just talking about the hyper specific things like what kinds of paper are good for what kinds of work, I can go on for hours. It's so fascinating how stuff like that is totally unimportant to 99.999% of people, but to you it makes a world of difference.
Your videos really help me through a hard day Adam. Much thanks.
I own 4” and 6” Chinese vises. Out of the box they were 6-8 thousands off in various places. After a treatment on a on a surface grinder and some scraping they are both better than 0.0005 in any direction.
The point of my post is that you can get an accurate vise for less but need to put some work into it.
Grinding a vise on a surface grinder is a 1-2 hour job for a local machine shop. At $50-80/hour it could still be a better deal than a “cheap” beat up Kurt that may or may not show up on Craig’s, especially in areas where manufacturing became extinct.
7:25 "Experience is the way in which you gain the knowledge in order to know what you're looking at."
This video was another great insight into Adam's though processes, but I didn't have a lot of connection, since I'm not a machinist and can only tell you the difference between a lathe and mill from these videos. But with this line, there was truly a "click" in my head.
I'm a photographer, and when I started, I bought a decent, low-end DSLR with a couple of kit lenses. It took me about a year of shooting to not only hone my own skills, but to realize WHAT the camera and lenses were doing, where the shortcomings were, and what I needed to evolve*. This is where the click happened. Adam was talking about machine-shop tools, but with this one line, the whole thing coalesced into something applicable to anything someone does.
*The old axiom of better equipment doesn't make you a better user is true to a degree, but when you outgrown the equipment, then yes, it DOES make a difference.
As a saxophone player, it always delights me when you mention the sax of your past, Adam!
The mouthpiece story resonates with _all_ wind players, not just saxophonists. As a trombonist, I have a box full of mouthpieces I've used over the years. And different mouthpieces will play better/worse on different horns: it's not just a case of the right mouthpiece for _you_ but for _the_ _horn_ as well.
I’m gonna sign up ! I’m a Maker. 27 years as a Graphic Designer. Now I’m really getting into building wooden ship models.
All my tools are in miniature, from Tweezers to table saws and disk sanders !
Satisfies my Soul.
H & W Machine rebuilds Bridgeports and sells all the parts. Your can rebuild it and replace the acme screws and nuts on all ends to take out the play. An easy and cheap non marring clamping accessory is to cut a piece of copper pipe and spread it flat, the cheapest you get and works for years.
Adam, how do you feel about having wood working "dust" (which is unavoidable) in your machine shop??? We have found that the presence of wood working machines next to a metal working machine is problematic at the least. What do you think and how do you deal with the issue of the gum and goo working into the machine tools.
Sew a long hoodie from old bed sheets and keep the machine covered unless in use. Try to schedule the work so no dust is produced when you work with metal.
It works both ways as the metal chips could be flying around and messing fine finish on wood.
Also, make it a standard practice to use any type of dust extractor when using power tools on wood. A medium size shop vac is better than nothing.
Get (or make) an extension cord with an automatic switch to turn the dust extractor on when you turn the tool on and off when the tool is off.
And once a week vacuum the shop top to bottom. It is not only good for the machines but for people working in the shop. It is so much nicer to work in a clean shop :-)
@@rok1475 That is very good practical advise. I shall be doing just that and am thinking plastic sheeting may work well too. Thank you!
@@glennfelpel9785 plastic does not work.
Tightly woven cotton fabric is best for this application.
Just sold my Bridgeport yesterday after 15 years. Finally time to make the investment and buy a fresher one. As soon as it went I missed it. Can't wait to get a better one and will buy the best one I can afford. That has always been my thought too. Great videos and happy milling 👍✊
A better/newer Bridgeport or what do you have your eyes on?
I'm not hung up on any patricular make but definitely newer more accurate machine or maybe a cnc. Bridgeports are expensive and hard to come by here in Ireland.
Took a few weeks of searching but I got a Gate mill in great condition. It even has a Sony DRO. Happy days!😀✊
Good point on having an actual need. Lot of people buy random stuff or oversized/powered/hyped/whatever in consumerist society. Plus used stuff can have incredible value, you don't need fancy things. I also like to sleep on it - whenever I make a largish purchase (say, more than 10% of my monthly income), I do my research, make my decision and hold the purchase for a few days. Gives you a fresh mind to evaluate your decision.
One of the absolute best place to get affordable machine tools is from tech schools, they're always rotating stuff in and out, and it's such a great place to look.
I used a 1948 Delta Rockwell table saw for years. It even sent me to the hospital once [kickback cause fence was slightly out of square ... fun]. But using that, thinking about usage, thinking about my situation [multi user shop, not all educated], and efficiency, and so on. When we bought a new one, it was a big expense, but it has been ridiculously good to have because of that. We've also spent some time with two .... less than ideal band saws, and that headache is telling us a lot about what to do in the future.
Interesting. My tool experience is woodworking focussed, but I have had a similar opinion for a long time. I don't suggest going out and getting the expensive tools when you are starting. For one thing, as you mention a couple times, complex tools all require tuning and maintenance to provide good results. As a beginner, getting a beginning level tool that will do the job as well as you know how to do it provides you a very valuable opportunity - learning what you really need and how to keep the tool tuned to yield its best possible results. Once you have learned fully how to maximize that tool's potential, if it's still not capable of yielding the results you need, then it's time to start researching a replacement, and by then you will have truly learned what you actually need, and what you don't. I've known more than a few beginners who ran out and got a very high end tool, and couldn't understand why it wasn't magically producing the results they wanted. Learning how to take care of a tool is at least as important as learning the techniques of using it.
Scrap leather pieces are a great option to protect parts while clamping them down for milling. Love this video. I owned a compact 8 mill / lathe combo. Kept the lathe sold the mill. Purchased a separate mill because I didn't like changing it back and forth.
"Made of chinesium"
Literally the best word ever!
Sounds like a comic book metal or element discovered in china.
Two Isotopes of "Chinesium": "Blue Chinesium" (Taiwanese) , regarded as superior to "Red Chinesium" (Mainland Chinese). Enco was mostly Taiwanese up until the late 1990's. Grizzly is mostly Mainland Chinese (excepting their "Southbend" productline, which is Taiwanese).
I feel like that's something AvE would say.
Its an Ave saying
@@erowidoz @admin 1 you just made me find AvE, and he's great. Thanks!
Stoked to see the video about annular cutters! I recently started using them as well (maybe a year ago) and what a time saver! Pricey, but well worth it. Seriously awesome
Embouchure, wow what a word. And a blast from the past from playing the tenor sax in high school.
Oh crap! I can tell what that is so I better hurry up and place my order because Adam creates a crazy backorder situation. I've holding off for too long anyway but I should be really happy with the upgrades that have happened over time. Really look forward to the reveal video.
That ginger beer on the work bench is awesome!!! You commented on that a while ago and I found it at Walmart. Love it!!!😁😁
Been thinking about a mill for helping with machining parts for folding knives for years. This helps -thanks Adam.
Kurt workholding...some of the best vises I have ever used. The fit and finish, feel, and ease of use, even though it is JUST a vise is amazing.
I would love for Adam to do a tool segment on "homemade tools"; the tools you either couldn't afford, couldn't acquire, or simply didn't exist for a job you needed to get done. SO... you make one!! I would think that's right up his alley and probably has a few he could show.
Bought a Emco Compact 5 CNC with a 6-tool changer a while ago. Still building my shop so haven't started using it yet but I can't wait to try it out.
I love the story...reminds me of my time as a college student working at a tool & mold shop in Canada. Shop had a dozen Bridgeports along with huge CNC mills. Sadly, plastic injection mold making shops are dwindling...is your wood floor especially reinforced underneath?
Great vid! Absolutely must-have with any mill: dial indicator and mag holder.
Also need an edge finder and a centerdinder
For my photography equipment I started with a pretty basic camera. I found the limits of that camera/lens and upgraded that part of it. I wanted to shoot sports more so I bought a longer lens with a lower f stop. Just how I choose new gear, thought it may be helpful!
After the story about the machine shop being snaked from you (and the mention about guitarists having similar stories) I heard my wife sniffle a little bit. And then she said “Mine was a Gibson Hummingbird. Thanks for bringing me back, Adam.“
Great advice, and your bench looks different 🤔
Been following your channel for along while, including the amazing bench you made - awesome man! The term "out of the box" thinking gets thrown around too easily, you're the real deal though!
Hey buddy any idea when he is gonna do a video about it?
So exited to see his reveal video! Your work is just mind blowing!
Been looking out for the new bench :) cant wait to see Adam`s video on it. Just watch him geek out with childlike glee.
Floor strength needs to be considered as a constraint here, and carrying machine tools up three stories round some tight corners. Hence the popularity of the Emco Unimat series whilst in manufacture.
I used to sell computers and always got the same basic question - Which one do I need? I would always answer with - buy the best you can afford that will do what you need it to. I feel the same applies to tools (and I have bought some tools). Buy the best you can afford that will do the job.
This is great timing. I just scored an old bridgeport on a government auction site for $250. It's my first mill but was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up.
The Lathe Mill he's thinking of is an EMCO and it is made by an Austrian company that made some castings in Italy. They are very small and very precise machines. The only down side is they are so expensive and hard to find in the USA you probably cant get one. The last one I failed to buy I stopped bidding at 2500$ and that was for a 5 inch lathe mill. I've seen the 7-13 inch machines go for between 3-8K.
I have been thinking of what could be a fun one day build for Adam and I thought of a coffee tamp for an espresso machine. You, Adam, had talked many years ago about how you obtained an espresso machine and had a barista come to your home and teach you the basics of use. I have not heard much since about it, but creating a metal tamp with a hardwood handle could make for a fun one day build that involved many processes.
I would add that owning a couple of V blocks to clamp round parts is pretty essential too!
Adam, since you know by experience what beginning CNC mill users need and what they can "get by with or make work on a budget to start" - I would love to see you pickup a very inexpensive, say 3018-size, CNC kit (literally you build it from a kit of parts) and build it and talk about how you would improve it step by step as people can afford it.
I have realized that I need t oll stat buying machines. I apprenticed for years and when he passed away I was really devastated and wanted nothing to do with the industry. I was wrong in my thinking at the time and need to do his memory and legacy its it's due and start spinning up the tool and making stuff.
Thank you for that
Man, Bridgeports are so wonderful to use! I used one when I took a machining class in college, and it was absolutely a dream! It's now my dream to someday own one, because I know I'd use the hell out of it!
I have an Emco 8 and it is large enough for any jobs I need to undertake.
It's the most precise lathe I have ver seen built to DIN standard.
I also have a Boxford Lathe which is larger but I and trying to give it to a friend.
After using a Selmer Jazz 3*, metal mouth piece, when I went back to the Yamaha 4 C everything was so much easier. The selmer had developed my embouchure .
Remember Me !
Tell you my sob story...
I am a guitar player and hobbyist guitar tech.
I followed a bunch of yard sale signs to what was an estate sale. Old guy died and his daughter was looking to sell everything quickly so she could sell the house.
I noticed some music stands and rough looking guitars in various states of disrepair. I asked if there might be any other music stuff and the daughter told me that I *just* missed out...
Her dad was a luthier and repairman, as well as a musician. Just 10 minutes before I got there a couple of guys gave her $1000 and took ALL the good stuff.
It kills me to think about what I might have missed out on...old tools, vintage guitars, amps, parts and components...if only I had got out of bed a bit earlier...if only i diddn’t stop to get that cup of coffee beforehand...if only i diddn’t stop for gas first...ugh!
What do you recommend for a "Sustainable" Cutting Fluid?
I plan on adapting a Fluid Pump under my Vise with a Debris Screen. Plus, my "Mill" is an older Rockport 8-Speed Drillpress (~1962) that I am converting.
Good rule of thumb for juat about anything. Buy the best you can afford. But do some research. Being the most expensive, doesn't mean it's the best one.
Great video! What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to get there shop up and going? For example. I have most of the basic tools, clamps, drills, angle grinder, circular saw, etc. I’m wanting to expand and get more tools to make projects easier and to make my options for projects wider.
i bought a 42" Bridgeport mill for a song due to the DRO not working and at first that was fine i have great measuring tools but after seeing how Adam uses his im really thinking to replace the damaged unit
I would love a video on everything a person would need to get started on a mill
Start with a course in machining. Everything else will come after that.
Buy a Birmingham if you want a good mill at a great price. The parts interchange with a Bridgeport. I used them in trade school and later convinced the shop I work in to buy one.
I’m considering a mid life crisis as a maker thanks to these videos 😂
Adam, a question if I’m lucky enough to take a moment of your time.
What do you recommend for a good beginner workbench and vice combo?
I have many hand tools, but seriously looking into a workbench + vice once I can save enough money.
Vise for what use? Woodworking mainly? Metalworking? A mix? Wilton and Yost both make great general purpose vises. As far as workbench, the best advice I ever heard is to build your own. People's heights vary so much that having a workbench at your ideal working height is best done with a custom bench, even if you just cobble it together for your first attempt. The experience will teach you what to do when you build your second bench.
Anything works, Jamie did a good video on welded workbenches, but I make most of mine from wood. One rule: NO SWIVEL VISES. EVER. The moment you put any impacts or heavy force into them they clap out and start spinning like a stripper on a pole. Also, if you’re not wall-mounted, casters are worth their weight in gold if you get good high quality ones. Don’t go cheap on casters, vises, or power tools. Legit, any questions like that feel free to ask I’ve been blue college since I was a kid this has been my life haha
@@colricht my 6" Yost is a swivel and even my IR 2135TiMax hammering away won't move it nor will my 36" 3/4" breaker bar.
@@colricht Gosh, I love my 4.5" Wilton bullet swivel bench vise. To be able to turn the vise to an angle is very helpful if you have a long or awkward shaped work piece. Best advice is to get a beefy one. I paid $10 for it at an estate sale -Score! But any vise on a bench is better than no vise.
@@sundaynightdrunk Good response. One would want different benches with different vises for one's various crafts. In a perfect world with unlimited shop space and funds. As a college shop teacher, I built a beefy, rigid maple laminated topped woodworker's bench with 2 vises, side and end mounted, with 3/4" dog holes bored in pairs. 4x4 legs with 2x4 cross-bolted stretchers and a shelf below. I loved working on it but so did my students. :( Since retiring, I really should replace the rickety one I've been suffering with in my own basement shop.
I love seeing the respect you have for you tools, even the "cheap"ones
Hey Adam you should do some lathe videos. Love the videos
His expression after the first ad was priceless
It is awesome that you own those sneakers, and makes perfect sense too. They were based on shoes worn by astronauts in space, for anyone not familiar.
I would just love to see you hand scraping those ways!
A DRO is a game changer on a mill
Can't stop looking at the loose Omega watch lol :D
It's the same way with musical instruments. It is quite possible to spend as much money on a guitar as you would on a house, but in order to make that worthwhile, you have to be an exceptional guitarist. I am not an exceptional guitarist, so I'm fine with what I have now.
Can you teach us about milling bits and sop of the mill?
il never buy a mill. im not a maker nor have that kinda cash, but for some reason I just love these videos
the passion and experience of his stories are wonderful
Yay, new Q&A video. These are always super informative. not sarcasm.
Somehow saying youre not being sarcastic seems really sarcastic
Great advice, thanks! I'm trying to find a mill-lathe combo, a good one. Space in my shop is a major consideration. Are Smithy Granite Lathe-Mills Good? Or something similar, another brand? I'd love to hear anyone's opinion and advice.
I remember Adam mentioning he had a Conn 10M "Naked Lady" saxophone in a previous video. If he still has his sax stuff it would be awesome to see a video on it!
Who’d a thunk, five years after MB, we’d be spending so much more time ‘with’ Adam every week?
Scrape the ways. Its hella satisfying.
Adam, I recommend watching Robin at ROBRENZ, and Stefan at Stefan Gotteswinter. Really educational, in depth machining videos.
I went out and spent $15k on a tormach when I first got a house with a garage. Turns out what I needed was a CNC router. Mill has been sitting untouched in storage for the last 5 years.
When are you doing the Andy bench?
awesome thanks. was just thinking about this.... int he same vein, i'm looking at a small bench lathe to get started - not a full blown lathe. i want to do small wood work and also some metal work. could I just get a metal work lathe and a wood working rest ? Might be another video idea?
Adam Can u please turn on CC? I am hearing impaired (Deaf) Thanks!
As is Adam! (Impaired, not deaf; he speaks about it e.g. th-cam.com/video/D-Ptuq85R8Y/w-d-xo.html but search TH-cam and you find multiple.)
Nice vice price and size advice!
Adam would you go over a router and bits for us newbies..thanks definitely huge fan .thanks for keeping us going threw this virus stuff
To Steve Dellicarpini as someone who has used milling machines as part of my job, I'm not suggesting I am at 'machine operator' level.
Buy an edge finder something like www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-050101-Edge-Finder-Shank/dp/B002SG7PPC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=edge+finder&qid=1603503836&sr=8-2
Buy a second identical clamping set; I often found I wanted to clamp things in 3 places, having to use all different length pieces for the next clamp was very frustrating.
Thank you so much for all the vids this past year. What do you recommend as a workbench topper? Hardboard?
His topper is leather
I am really looking for a good lathe-mill combo. I cannot find the one he mentioned first. Does anyone have a link?
Back in the 80s and 90s a lot of old engineers and techs from MIT, Draper, Lincoln Labs, etc. were dying off or going into elderly housing and you see adds for big Bridgeports cheap. The expensive part was to hire a rigger to get it out of their basements and garages! As for vices, get yourself a hundred year old Wilton! Just get two friends who are linebackers to help you lift it!
I think Adam was talking about a precision machinist vice like you bolt down to the mill table. I think it was Tom Lipton that recommended a 6 inch vice. It covers 90% of most jobs you'll ever encounter and is not too heavy that it's a pain to move on and off. I have a Kurt 688 (6" wide) and it's about all I want to be moving around.
Everytime he says Mitch Romanowski I can't help but hear Kramer saying from my friend Bob Sacamano
Milling machine without an indicator? Inconceivable!! 😱
Even though i can't do anything what u do.. The info feels good!
Lol I love our uncle Bumblefuk as well.
I’ve adorned a few things with his stickers and I love my Chickadee hoodie :People are evil.
All hail our favorite bastard and rockhound. Uncle bumblefuck
I recognize that bottle! I am now addicted to Bundaberg Ginger Beer.
Great advice on buying tools and equipment but in my country it's real easy actually to hide a bad engine or body when it comes to cars btw I'm from Bulgaria
Is that the new workbench Andrew Klein made for Adam? Excited to see a video on that.
After looking it’s def Andy’s bench. It just looks like it has a hardboard top on it. The new vise on the right is a dead giveaway! Can’t wait for that video either!
I noticed that too! That’s gotta be it...
@@bigscreenbird8198 it's a big piece of leather he uses to protect the top. He moved it from his old bench that's why I didn't catch it was the new bench. 😄
@@dungeonmasterv oh that makes sense. Thanks for the heads up
Andrew Klein himself has just mentioned it here!
I was advised that if you know what you need, buy the cheapest tool that will do twice what you need. If you don't know what you need buy the second cheapest tool available. If it does your job you win, if it doesn't you return it for a refund and the experience will have taught you enough to know what you need.
Adam I have asked in here a number of times about what would be the most importatnt & most used out of the mill & the lathe as im looking to buy one & the other later, most of what I do is the same as you(props & bits) & making some 4x4 custom truck parts, then the most important tools & bits to start off some projects, I hope to hear from you soon as your vids get closer to what I do or am doing ;) .
As a guy that just went through this, you need both. If you absolutely can't get both, a lathe is better. You can use angle grinders, bench grinders, handsaws and files to "mill" parts. But only a lathe can turn parts. At least that's my 2 cents.
Oh and whatever you spend on the machines, expect to spend the same amount on tooling and accessories.
@@chrismorris8695 if you can get a 2 axis cnc mill it depends because you can get a decent circle out of it but thats depends. On alot of factors
@@chrismorris8695 Thanks Chris for your advice I was leaning towards the lathe for props & some vehicle parts but then I would still need a mill to macine other parts...damn me for prototyping on the 3d printer without final step machines ;).
@@ttonygreybeard proceed with caution, my friend. I was you 1 year ago and now I have a garage that's full (of machine tools) and a wallet that is empty. But what fun to be able to touch your imagination.
Is no one going to mention that shirt? That’s amazing
Is that a cheeky Aussie original Bundaberg drink in the background?
You bought a mill from Chico Macmurtrie? Small world......I’m glad that the experience didn’t turn you off machinery forever!
RIP mythbusters, i would not be the person i am today without it.
I saw you made a model for a mech and it reminded me of what I think is the coolest games ever. It’s called titanfall 2. The game has similar mechs called “titans” that are controlled by the players called pilots. Although titans do have their own AI for controlling themselves. Like I said it’s a really fun game with a steep learning curve and I think it should’ve been more popular than it was but it was released in the week between a call of duty game and a battlefield game.
I also have a milling machine, I make a clamp myself, and a flying cutter💪😯
You know when you recommend anything they become scarce on Ebay. You should get a commission.
New work bench?🤭. Can’t wait to see the video on that one!
Good evening Adam. Happy Friday !
Use alcohol to cool when milling or turning aluminum like denatured alcohol!!
Is that your new Work Bench ?
Delightful! Thanks team!
“The Creampuff Mill” not a nickname, just a very precious baker.
When are you and Tom going to collab?