Ended on 08/22/15

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!!

Time to start thinking about a pistol.

I’m sure the Mrs. will be thrilled about this!

If you keep the metals separate places will pay you for the waste.

That’s great news Justin. Hopefully you will be able to balance work and WORK.

and the wife.

Around here, unless you are going to fill a minimum 20 yard dumpster, they will not collect. You can take it to them and get a few cents, but other than that, they don’t mess with it here. I will be saving the stuff in cardboard boxes and just drop it off every so often. Hopefully, only once or twice a year. When Carrier left, they were filling huge dump truck sized dumpsters and the scrap yard was only paying a few dollars, for those full dumpsters.

Yes, another wonderful “discussion” in the works.

speed changes are a bigger issue when you change work diameters or materials alot, otherwise you can get a good finish by playing with depth of cut and feed rate. Using thick wall tubing is a great way to go, it just depends if whatever design you have allows it. You can get import S&D sets for not alot of money or used ones off eBay - a touch up on the grinder and stone and they'll work just as well as the fancy ones.

Cretins, around here you get scrap metal prices that reflect the value of the metal.

Be careful out there O-L.

08/12/15 A little bit of an update in the bottom of the OP.

I don’t know how everyone else feels but to me this is a “good thing” in many different ways.

Giving you something to look forward to while still looking for a “job”. Anxiety sucks.

A few dollars to fund a career change

Being able to anticipate seeing your creativity stretch in new ways.

A chance to give tangible thanks to one of the forum mainstays.

It’s just a really cool thing to be a part of.

I have to ask… The lathe weighs 300+ lbs. How did you get it up on the table?

(I’m betting some elaborate pulley system made out of office chair castors, baling wire, and the jack from your car…)

Engine hoist to table, pallet jack to move table into place. Check the op for details.

I agree completely. I’ve never been part of such a helpful and generous “online” group of people. This was a great demonstration of why this community is such an honor to be a part of… a community that Old Lumens contributed greatly in building. Love it!

Thanks, knowing it was there somewhere made me actually read all the replies. Again, a non-video person here (no, not video problems. Work machine, no speakers)
There’s a great set of stills in post# 135 for us motion-picture-impaired, though.

+1

08/13/15 - The lathe is now ready to run. See the bottom of the OP.

Video of the first cuts with the lathe.

Sweet. Its good to hear that when your machining its talking to you. Now to interpret what its saying.

My gears stick themselves together from the oil and grease between them and if I do have to remove them use a screw driver either side to carefully lever them of the shaft, keep in mind mine isn't a Grizzly.

Try to avoid having so much material hanging out in front of the chuck. A good rule of thumb is to try to limit it to 3x the material diameter.