Hello,
I'm always a bit dissatisfied with my metal work efforts. Any advice on if training myself up would pay off or am I better off going for rapid prototyping things like 3d printing/CNC services?
Thanks
Sam
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Work on my skills or look at rapid prototyping
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Greg Stephens
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Re: Work on my skills or look at rapid prototyping
Sam, What is your background in hands on work? I have a woodworking degree and some metal work experience. Still, I had to struggle with a lot of basic metal working techniques. There are a lot of difficult decisions to make.
I am trying to decide between CNC and manual lathe an milling machines.
I have to admit a lot of the work you see here is very intimidating, but many of these guys have machinist backgrounds. I found making parts out of brass sheet stock to be the easiest place to start. I hate working with aluminum. You tube is an amazing resource.
There is always more to learn. This is a challenging hobby that sucks you in quickly.
I am looking at getting into casting when my business becomes stabilized.
I am trying to decide between CNC and manual lathe an milling machines.
I have to admit a lot of the work you see here is very intimidating, but many of these guys have machinist backgrounds. I found making parts out of brass sheet stock to be the easiest place to start. I hate working with aluminum. You tube is an amazing resource.
There is always more to learn. This is a challenging hobby that sucks you in quickly.
I am looking at getting into casting when my business becomes stabilized.
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Adrian Harris
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Re: Work on my skills or look at rapid prototyping
I bought a CNC lathe as I could never produce multiples of things to good enough tolerances on my manual one.
Once you've written the program, you know they will all come out the same, within the tolerances of the machine, even months later.
It does mean more time on the PC and less in the workshop, and that's even worse when you start to get into 3D modelling for casting or milling. I need some elephant head tow hooks for my T-34s and I was seriously thinking of trying out lost PLA casting them, but it will take me weeks to draw the master out in Fusion360.
One thing to remember is that the pictures on here are very rarely of the first attempt, or maybe even the fifth, so don't expect things to work out perfectly first time every time.
I've gone through whole lengths of brass bar whilst fine tuning a CNC program on the lathe, but I just chalk it up to the cost of the hobby.
Adrian.
Once you've written the program, you know they will all come out the same, within the tolerances of the machine, even months later.
It does mean more time on the PC and less in the workshop, and that's even worse when you start to get into 3D modelling for casting or milling. I need some elephant head tow hooks for my T-34s and I was seriously thinking of trying out lost PLA casting them, but it will take me weeks to draw the master out in Fusion360.
One thing to remember is that the pictures on here are very rarely of the first attempt, or maybe even the fifth, so don't expect things to work out perfectly first time every time.
I've gone through whole lengths of brass bar whilst fine tuning a CNC program on the lathe, but I just chalk it up to the cost of the hobby.
Adrian.
Contact me at sales@armortekaddict.uk for details of my smoker fan control module
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Greg Stephens
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Re: Work on my skills or look at rapid prototyping
Good points Adrian. For most of us this hobby is a distraction from something. It gives us a chance to channel energies and develop new skills.
I do have some questions to post regarding equipment purchases. I am at a bit of an impasse right now regarding manual or CNC
I do have some questions to post regarding equipment purchases. I am at a bit of an impasse right now regarding manual or CNC
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Stephen White
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Re: Work on my skills or look at rapid prototyping
Greg, for what it's worth, I opted for an entirely manual set of machine tools, not because I'm a Luddite but because I enjoy turning and milling. I missed out on metalwork at school and having spent my professional life around engineers, I was curious to learn some basic machine shop skills myself. I'm entirely self-taught and enjoy (almost) every minute of developing new skills on the lathe and mill. There are so many good videos out now that learning isn't difficult. Adrian is right though, you don't always get it right first time. With any machine tool, the real challenge is less the actual machining process itself but the work holding. Trying to figure out how to hold the work to present the face to be machined is where experience is quickly acquired, whether second hand from books and videos or first hand by trial and error.
I wrote a full Knowledge Base topic on equipping a basic workshop for building from the box but never got around to writing the topic for custom building. The latter topic does contain some links which might be of interest, particularly the one about choosing a lathe.
Although I largely work in aluminium, steel and brass and cast parts in white metal and resin, I think 3D printing has a lot to offer, particularly if you take the trouble to learn a good CAD package. I did think it was "cheating" but in reality, the design process is just another skill to learn, which, as you say Greg, is the real joy of this utterly absorbing hobby.
I wrote a full Knowledge Base topic on equipping a basic workshop for building from the box but never got around to writing the topic for custom building. The latter topic does contain some links which might be of interest, particularly the one about choosing a lathe.
Although I largely work in aluminium, steel and brass and cast parts in white metal and resin, I think 3D printing has a lot to offer, particularly if you take the trouble to learn a good CAD package. I did think it was "cheating" but in reality, the design process is just another skill to learn, which, as you say Greg, is the real joy of this utterly absorbing hobby.
Re: Work on my skills or look at rapid prototyping
Many thanks all for the insightful words.
Greg: My only formal training was a few metal work lessons at school. I've been bodging things and getting frustrated since childhood. I only learnt how not to ruin drill bits last year.
At the moment I'm leaning towards Stephen's approach. I work with computers all day so probably good to get away from them for my hobby. Also my shopping list is a scribe, protractor, good centre punch...
Many thanks all,
Sam
Greg: My only formal training was a few metal work lessons at school. I've been bodging things and getting frustrated since childhood. I only learnt how not to ruin drill bits last year.
At the moment I'm leaning towards Stephen's approach. I work with computers all day so probably good to get away from them for my hobby. Also my shopping list is a scribe, protractor, good centre punch...
Many thanks all,
Sam