Buying Machine Tools At Auction?

[JBinNC]

Sounds like he may have been using the two chucks on the headstock to support a rifle barrel for chamber machining, etc.

You tell a good story! And kudos for transporting an engine lathe in a Jeep. That may be a first!

Jim

[confab]

He might've been casting his own parts, I bought a lot of pattern maker type tools from a WWII vet that passed. The larger one might be for boring--save all that tooling you might be halfway to boring fork sliders or something.

He would absolutely be the type. His house was a concrete pad house, and he made the WHOLE THING a machine shop. Tools in is garage, too. Yeah, he had one. Small garage. He chose the house for the machines? I dunno, maybe because it was heated? He looked like this was his whole life. I respect his determination. Whatever he was doing? He REALLY wanted it bad. It clearly consumed him.

Sounds like he may have been using the two chucks on the headstock to support a rifle barrel for chamber machining, etc.

You tell a good story! And kudos for transporting an engine lathe in a Jeep. That may be a first!

I think so too? It has a steady rest and a follower, and he used them both. I know from my research that the gun makers like the Grizzly version of this lathe (It was marketed under Enco, Grizzley, HF, Birmingham, and some other names.. So parts should never be a problem, anyway.) because it has a much bigger hole through the headstock for their barrels and stuff to pass through than other, similar sized, lathes.

It looks like you would use those chucks to take the wobble out of a very long workpiece as it spun? I know they use silver solder a lot for guns.. So, that may explain the solder splashes?

I never thought about guns before, but I might try to make one myself at some point.

A giant, stainless steel, muzzle loader would be cool.. Tennessee style. Long, small caliber. Could be a lot of fun?

And yeah, the jeep wasn't exactly part of the plan initially.. lol. But she is like: "Well, if it's only five feet long it should fit" And it did. We sat it on the big lathe pan and blankets, and it didn't damage it in any way.

Won't be doing an encore, though.. lol.

If we would have wrecked? OMFZ.. It would have been really ugly. The cops would have thought it was a car bombing, with all the crazy damage and shit laying everywhere. LOL!

"Did you hear anyone shout 'Allah Ackbar' before the crash? Were they wearing any kind of odd head coverings? "

"No, just some guy in the wreckage screaming about how stupid Harley Davidsons were and swearing a lot.. "

[confab]

It was so crazy, when I was unwiring it? I noticed a pipe and the wires going through the wall to a little lean to kind of thing beside the bedroom.. It had an air compressor in it and the pipe was an air pipe from the compressor, through the wall of the house, into the room with the lathes.

This is a cute cottage looking house in a nice, residential type area. Nice, tree lined street. Not rural. Not anything like what you might expect.

The outside of the house was pretty well kept up and you'd never guess any of this shit was inside. The neighbors were very close. Separated by the width of small driveways.

THAT is how how bad he wanted this. This guy was really, REALLY into making guns. (Or something?)

Never seen anything like it.

He had an open staircase to the upstairs. Maybe he lived up in that part? I didn't go up there.

[rockman96]

Congrats on the acquisition! Make sure you level it up good, especially if you will be doing any muzzle threading. A smallish precision level can be found for not a huge cash outlay. Good luck, and be careful... no gloves, loose long hair, or loose clothing EVER when operating!!! Machines are way stronger than we are and can pull you in in the blink of an eye! Not that you need to be reminded, but I had to say it.

ETA: Didn't want to post pics in case anyone doesn't want to see grisly reality, but here is a link that shows what a ;at the can do:

https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/machinist-gets-sucked-through-lathe-dont-click-if-you-dont-want-to-see.3124/

[JBinNC]

Congrats on the acquisition! Make sure you level it up good, especially if you will be doing any muzzle threading. A smallish precision level can be found for not a huge cash outlay. Good luck, and be careful... no gloves, loose long hair, or loose clothing EVER when operating!!! Machines are way stronger than we are and can pull you in in the blink of an eye! Not that you need to be reminded, but I had to say it.

Excellent admonition!

I would add, no jewelry. I don't even wear my wedding band, ever. Good way to lose a finger.

Jim

[confab]

Absolutely good advice. The mini lathe will just stall. So, it's not particularly dangerous as far as machine tools go.

Real lathes are much different.

PS: I forgot the auction had a google link to the residence.

Would you ever guess this is, literally, a machine shop?

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.032231,-80.6084324,3a,15y,18.4h,89.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skLF0dYIbdnAD-MmOPLP8Dg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Hoghead]

Who'd thought it? Such a tidy little place.

[confab]

Who'd thought it? Such a tidy little place.

Yeah.. It's a cool place. Like a little lake cottage?

You'd never guess the Pablo Escobar of homemade guns lives there. lol.

I'm sure he was a good guy. Anyone with serious hobbies like this one? Has to be a fun person to talk to.

[farmall]

Nice score. Looks new with low hours.

Now for tooling, measuring instruments, DROs (quite affordable these days and make life easy) etc.

[confab]

I got a bunch of 1/2 insert tooling from my Smithy thing..

It came with about a 5/8" boring bar and a strange, lantern style, grooving tool holder?

[rockman96]

Now for tooling, measuring instruments, DROs (quite affordable these days and make life easy) etc.

DRO's are the shiznitz! They make turning things like spacers, etc SO easy!

[farmall]

DRO's are the shiznitz! They make turning things like spacers, etc SO easy!

Sure do and they're awesome for compensating for backlash vs trusting the lathe or mill dials.

[confab]

More adventures in Dollar Store machine work!

Looks like we're headed to PA tomorrow night.




WOOT!

[JBinNC]

That looks very similar to mine. Early, no gauge on the spindle. The ID gauge mounted to the right of the motor, if included in the deal, is worth more than the machine itself.

Jim

[Hoghead]

More adventures in Dollar Store machine work!

Looks like we're headed to PA tomorrow night.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]105474[/ATTACH]


WOOT!

On a roll!