First...Bearings....at the outset take whatever bearing they send you BUT remember that Chinese bearings are crap. What you really want are Japanese bearings. IF..and IF you can...pull the bearings (after speaking to Grizzly) and find a Miller bearing dealer and have them spec out the bearings - most likely by size. They may not be as expensive as you think. High speed and ceramics get expensive quick.
Next..
I get the age thing. I am sure many other people do here too. At the same time there ARE employers looking for the seasoned ones. HD and Lowes are two right off the bat BUT usually unless there are many stores there you usually do not get in as quickly unless the unthinkable happens. Those stores, and MOST hardware stores, want older young guys that have experience to be able to help the customer because they need it. They (seasoned employees) are the 3rd biggest marketing tool they have.
Your strength is your knowledge and experience. The 20 yr olds will always be faster than us, often stronger, BUT nowhere near as reliable because their interests have more pull than a John Deere LOL. I know nothing of the area you live in (sounds like a small town), nor do I know your work experience, BUT look for management, supervision, consulting, etc. Every profession needs them.
Furthermore..DO NOT state unemployed..NEVER EVER EVER. You can say you were "laid off and became self-employed but that full-time self-employment is not for you'. You are and have been self-employed you just never made big profits - yet! :)
So in the meantime...learn that new toy but don't get hurt. I think it was Rufus talking about little things to sell while getting practice with feeds and speeds of different materials and threading. While maybe monotonous they CAN make you a c-note here and there and they do add up. Then even do what Sinner and VOB have done by making little lights. Christmas IS coming!
Just remember the sign I had in my repair shop:
All Customers and friends must pay for services rendered.
We did a survey and found that only our friends did business with us and
since our customers are our friends and our friends are our customers
we must charge for our services in order to keep providing our services.
I don't know, but HD passed me by a bunch of times. When I go in there and see what they did hire, I think maybe their previous job, before HD, was holding up a sign at a corner.
Anyhow, I go to Dunbar Armored tomorrow. The guy told me I would interview, do the driving test and sign all the paperwork, so it seems I might have a job after all. Hope so. 30 hours a week, but it's much better than no hours a week.
congrats on all the new gear OL, you'll have a complete hoot learning how to use it all, then the world's your lobster :)
I'm not sure if you have a set and/ or if there's still cash in the kitty, but a decent wire drill set (1-60) is a very useful addition to a 29pc fractional drill set if you plan on tapping many holes. I sure wish I had one! Also a set of S&D drill bits is very handy if you need to open up a large hole and saves a ton of time compared with using a 1/2in drill and then using a boring bar the rest of the way. If you end up using much HSS for turning/ boring a medium and hard Arkansas stone (or a diamond hone) will put a lovely edge on your bits, especially for turning aluminium.
I never tire of using my lathe and it'll be even better once I get a treadmill motor and tach on it, then it'll have variable speed at a twist of a dial.
Just wanted to let you know I was able to put a care package together of various shop supplies, lathe tooling and some other helpful machinist tools, even a pair of safety glasses.
I’ve seen a bunch of mods to go with a DC motor on the 0602. A lot of guys seem to like that. I guess it’s just a lot quicker than belt changes. I had been looking at Deming bits, if that was what you meant, but man are they expensive. I know, high quality, but I wouldn’t want to only buy one or two a year. I don’t know how much I am going to bore. I’ve got a bunch of odd, non-machinist ideas, which will all probably fall apart, but I don’t plan on boring a lot of rod stock. I think it’s a big waste of resources. I plan on trying some different thick wall tubing, even though it’s usually not true, maybe I can find some that is "close enough, to be able to use, to cut back on all the waste. That’s another thing. I have to find out about, getting rid of the waste metal.
Like I say, once I get to where I know how I am going with it, I will be able to decide on modded parts.
Looks like I will have the job, by next week. Went for the interview and went to get my DOT certificate, (DOT - Department of Transportation- It's basically a physical, eye test and drug test, to clear a person for driving commercial vehicles in the USA), so next week should be orientation time. I will be a driver until I get certification as an armed guard and till I get my weapons permits. One permit for guard work and another for personal carry. Time to start thinking about a pistol. Hey, I can make my own, with the lathe and drill press, LOL. No, don't get me started down that path!!