On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:17:09 GMT, "no spam" wrote:

Sounds like a cheap way to get started as well as a good leaning
experience.
In the machine info it talks about casting your own parts and following
that
I have been reading up on casting and building your own foundry.

Now with all that said the questions for ya'll:

1) What books would you suggest for a pre-newbie?

I'll second another poster's suggestion of using the Gingery books.
I'm about 75% done building his metal lathe, and the instructions are
very easy to follow. It's been on a back burner over the summer
months, but I'll be finishing it up this fall.


If you want to get started machining..buy a used machine and learn to
use it. They can be had for little or no money. Ask me how I know...

Ok, HOW?

Start haunting Craigslist. Start driving down the back alleys behind
machine shops and paying attention to the machinery out back.
Read the local ads in your paper, become aquainted with the local
scrap dealers.
Hit a bunch of machine shops and let the owners know you are looking
for old machinery. They often have stuff taking up badly needed floor
space, and they network with other shops. Call up all the machine
repair guys in the phone book, and tell em what you are looking for.
Find out who the other hobby guys are in your area, and network,
network network.

Legwork, and face time with shop owners/recyclers/hobbyists will find
you machines.

http://home.lightspeed.net/~gunner/myshop

Im poor. I couldnt have afforded to buy all that.

Gunner, Master Scrounger