Aussie Mike's machine shop

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by DaveW

And...complete with "Aussie Mike Limited Edition Tool Holders"

I reckon that was what helped sell it LOL!

What type of tooling do you run in your mill Dave? R8, NT20, NT30 etc?

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

New addition to the workshop recently. A bigger, better band saw. A horizontal metal cutting band saw is a very handy piece of equipment. This is my third one now as I've gone bigger and better as the budget could afford it.

This new one is a beast. Cuts fast and accurate and has a really nice vise setup and swivel base for miter cutting.





Built in coolant pump and feed rate control. Taken a bit of tweaking and learning to get the feed rate right bit the results are great now.



I've got a big fabrication job making trolleys to go under 20 foot shipping containers so we can move them around the factory. Very heavy duty and designed to take an 8 ton load.

Here's most of the steel for them.



Cheers

[Dimis]

Will you be using hallibrand or sunburst style wheels?

Nice toys... err tools.

Enjoy.

[muzzza]

Gee Wizz Mike.............Mr "Hare and Forbes" must just love it, whenever you push open their showroom door !!?? You must be a "Red Carpet Customer" by now. Good Stuff.........Murray

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by muzzza

Gee Wizz Mike.............Mr "Hare and Forbes" must just love it, whenever you push open their showroom door !!?? You must be a "Red Carpet Customer" by now. Good Stuff.........Murray

Yes I have spent a bit of time in their shop LOL!

I went in for some band saw blades for my old bandsaw and walked out with a whole new machine. They had a sale on and it was about $300 off. Couldn't resist.

I think part of it is they are about the only machinery shop that's open on a Saturday morning. I think the others would sell a lot more to hobbyists if they opened their doors on a Saturday.

Cheers

[Gav]

Don't lie, it was not a spur of the moment purchase.
You had been thinking of buying one days before that!!!

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by Gav

Don't lie, it was not a spur of the moment purchase.
You had been thinking of buying one days before that!!!

You caught me out Gav. But I had to say that or the wife will kick my butt. She always uses the excuse "It was on special so I just bought it" so I thought I'd do the same.

Gav has a very similar saw that I've been keen on since he bought it. So when I saw the sale it got my mind ticking over. I was still undecided when I got down there but once I saw the machines and had a play with a few of them my mind was made up.

Cheers

[Jaydee]

How would you compare the band saw to a cold saw? They always use one here at Steel supplies, and it's relatively quiet and quick.
JD

[stephen low]

And given the picture above Mike, noting that the cutting was for a work job, tax deductable too I bet - lol

I can see a shed run to a real man cave when the weather gets better...and I get my car back!

[Gav]

A band saw has a larger throat for larger materials.
The saw blades are a fraction of the price too.
Even just resharpening a cold saw wheels are dearer thank a bandsaw blade.
A cold saw is faster and more accurate though.

[Aussie Mike]

What Gav said...

The larger capacity rather than the speed is the selling point for me. There aren't many cold saws that can cut a 6" diameter billet.

Blades for this machine are about $60 each.

Cheers

[just dreamin]

Cold saws are generally used for solid material as they don't wander and have no flex. Band saws both vertical and horizontal have some flex in the blade and usually have finer teeth for lighter material. However none of this is absolute and heavy/coarse pitch blades can be used on band saws effectively.

[Aussie Mike]

I'm using variable pitch blades on this machine. They have a mixture of course and fine teeth. So far I've been cutting a lot of 100x100x5mm SHS steel and they seem to cope well.

The blade is about 25mm wide so doesn't flex as much as my smaller machine which has about a 16mm wide blade. It seems to cut pretty straight but I imagine it'll be like the smaller machine and the cut will start to wander when the blade gets dull.

Cheers

[Jaydee]

I guess the other advantage is, if you are cutting a 6 inch billet is that you can walk away and it'll stop on it's own. I used to have a reciprocating steel saw. It was really old and slow. I gave it away a long time ago but I wish I kept it now. I mainly use a friction cut of saw, but I hate the noise and I'm sure the neighbors do to. Roughly how much is a bandsaw worth. I might put it on my Christmas list.
JD

[Aussie Mike]

I do like the set and forget aspect. Like with my current fabrication job I have one piece cutting while I'm measuring and marking out the next one.

Hare and Forbes have a good variety at different prices. Fortunately most of them are on display in the show room so you can check them out before you buy.

Metal Band Saws - Horizontal | For Sale Sydney Brisbane Melbourne Perth | Buy Workshop Equipment & Machinery online at machineryhouse.com.au

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

I picked up a neat tool for the lathe the other day. I've been wanting a ball turning attachment for ages and finally found one I liked the look of. Most of the ones I've seen replace the whole tool post and that seemed like a pain in the butt to me. This one is mounted on the tool post and I have set it up in one of my quick change holders. It makes setting it up and using it really easy.



For the first project to try and learn how to use it I thought I'd knock up a gear shifter knob. I've turned up heaps of different styles over the years with all the different gearbox conversions but never been able to machine a round one. I thought it turned out pretty good for a first effort. Quite a fun little machining project.



Cheers

[stephen low]

Good to see you back on the forum mate.

So can I put my order in Mike?

And how did you work inserting the AC logo?

Cheers

Steve

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by stephen low

Good to see you back on the forum mate.

So can I put my order in Mike?

And how did you work inserting the AC logo?

Cheers

Steve

Let me know what you want and I can knock something up.

I've got a bunch of AC and Cobra logos that I bought from Finish Line years ago. I've used them for wheel center caps, horn buttons and gear knobs. They are self adhesive backed. I machined a recess in the knob and the log fits right in. Pop it on after fitting the knob, that way you can clock the logo correctly with the knob screwed in place.

Cheers

[Tenrocca]

Mike, Your balls are spectacular.

Nicely done

[Aussie Mike]

Originally Posted by Tenrocca

Mike, Your balls are spectacular.

Nicely done

LOL. Sounds like my wife when we were first dating...