Making MONEY in a manual machine shop 

Thanks for stopping by and watching the video. Yes the old Colchester is a beautiful lathe. However, I still need to find some money to add the Multiflix toolpost and digital read out. Then it would be a world beater. Hope you're well buddy? Cheers, Aaron.

G'day Fred. Thanks for the feedback mate. Not nearly as nice as your laser project though. I was just watching your update. Truly amazing mate. Cheers, Aaron.

G’day Ralfy. Yes it’s ok mate, dirty stuff though. I’ve been spoilt using bright mild and other stuff 😂. Cheers 🍻

G’day Terry. Yes I wanted to do something different. I could have done it on the milling machine with a boring head. But not broach it successfully on the mill with my current set up. Thanks for watching buddy. Cheers 🍻, Aaron

G'day Doug and thanks mate. Absolutely, any money is win for me. Until my wife sniffs it out and spends it LOL. Cheers Aaron.

G’day Paul. I still need to reply to your email, sorry I’m such a slack arse. Thanks mate, I had fun doing this video and hopefully the customer is happy with it. Cheers 🍻, Aaron

I've been thinking. Me and you just might be related Anthony 🤣

Hahaha. Not wrong Max the big boy was a “huffin & a puffin”! Dianne had to come out and give me a Chiko roll infused injection to keep me going 🤣

Thanks mate 🙏. I try hard and and like to share what I do with others. Good for my students to see too. That way I practice what I preach to them. Cheers 🍻 Aaron

Good morning Peter. Always great to hear from you buddy. Yes I agree. It's one of those lathe accessories that gets overlooked and not used to often. TBH and from memory, this is probably only the 3rd time that I've ever used one (in 38 years of being the trade). However, it's good to keep my hand in mate. I think that's the problem with many teachers these days, most just don't practise what they preach. As for the gingerly mill, you've done an amazing job on that machine and it's a true credit and testament of your knowledge and skills mate. Us old school mechanics get overlooked don't we mate 😉. Cheers, Aaron.

G'day Matty. I agree buddy, that black bar is a real sht to machine. The sharp HSS tool worked much better then the carbide tool. You're right, a quick tickle with some linishing tape and voila. I was going to machine the pulley on the mill with a boring head, but decided to change it up with a faceplate on the lathe. Cheers buddy 🍻, Aaron.

Hey buddy how's things? Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my video. Yes, I needed some larger tool steel to grind down to do this keyway. I only had 1/4" & 5/16" which are both under 8mm (bugger). So it was 2 x 4mm stacked parting blades for the win. I would love a broach set and press. But the lathe needs a Multiflix tool post and DRO before I can buy those. I'll send that email now. Cheers, Aaron.

G'day Bill. Hope you're well mate? Yes my brother coined the phrase "humpty dumpty building company" so now it's stuck. Especially if we are doing dodgy or not to textbook work. Thanks for watching Bill. Cheers from Melbourne, Aaron.

All goo mate, cheers. Down here we'd call a dodgy job "a bit how ya goin or she'll be apples" 😁

Thank you 🙏. Welcome aboard 👍🍻

G’day Steve. Yes the Colchester is a beautiful old girl to use. I’m very lucky to have it. She was destined for scrap when I got it. Cheers 🍻

Thanks mate. Yes many different ways to get the job done. I only did it this way to show some fave plate action. But agreed, would have been easier on the mill. Cheers 🍻

@@AaronEngineering face plates scare me :)

@@HM-Projects 😆 me too. I had some pucker factor machining this. 👍🍻

G’day Eddie, yes those 2 jaw chucks are rare 😂. Thanks buddy, I wanted to change it up a little with this video and use the faceplate, as I could’ve just bored it on the mill. Cheers 🍻

@@AaronEngineering Its pretty simple. Did the pulley end up going on the motor with the key way lined up and the key fit? What you've shown everyone is another way to hold a part securely and *GET THE JOB DONE.* I did degree in aerospace and have been doing automation and control systems for 30+ years. I have watched so many people do so many stupid things while they got lost doing everything other than what was required. I love things like CAD but I hate that just like its made too many engineers lazy and ignorant. Just like MS Word has made people lazy with spelling and grammar AutoCAD has made engineers lazy. I know there are engineers who can't tell the difference between a lathe and a mill or MIG & TIG, because they've never set foot in a shop.

@@tonywilson4713 G'day Tony. Thank you for the positive and honest feedback. I agree with you, not too long ago some university students reached out to me to machine some Formula SAE-A car parts for them. Upon visiting their university workshop I noticed they had a lathe and mill, but were banned from using it. At another campus they had HAAS CNC one with a 5 axis trunnion on it, but were not allowed to use those machines either. Makes a mockery out of our education system doesn't it. My high school kids can use more machinery than these bachelor / master degree students can. God help us, how will we ever have the manpower or know how to build new submarines? Cheers, Aaron.

@@AaronEngineering I started in mech eng at RMIT in 83. We could not start the 2nd year unless we passed the 3-week workshop class at the end of the 1st year. We spent a couple of days in the welding shop before we moved to the machine shop and made a small bench vise from castings. In 84 I went to America and did aerospace and the American degree qualified people are even worse. Some of my recent experiences in the mining game have been horrifying at how ignorant so many engineers are. I surprise tradies when they howl about engineers because I agree with them. They're like "Wa, wo, uh - you agree????" Yeah because I spend a lot of time cleaning up the disasters they create. Boeing Max-8 was a good example of incredibly well educated people being ignorant of reality. And there is a huge crunch coming and its not an Australian problem - its everywhere. You know that Apple TV series Foundation that's just come out? I read those books while in college. One of the main reasons the character Hari Seldon claimed the Galactic Empire was doomed was because they were not keeping up with education and skills across the empire. In the books there's a story that a couple of 100 years after the collapse they start venturing out from the Foundation to see what's there and who they can help. Most planets are dystopian nightmares but they find one still functioning. It has operating power stations and other infrastructure but they find a problem. The power stations are failing. When the ask the chief engineer why he doesn't know. When they press him they find that he has NO EDUCATION, the title ?chief engineer" is a hereditary title he got from his father. We are now at a point in history where our corporations are not being run by the best people they are being run by people who have inherited the title of CEO as we see with the Murdoch, Trump and other families. We are also seeing a huge downgrade in the value of the skills that modern societies NEED TO KEEP FUNCTIONING.

Hi Paul 👋, thanks mate I hope everything is well over in Florida. I hear it’s a beautiful place. Cheers 🍻

things are great.....best wishes, Paul@@AaronEngineering

Thanks Ralfy I appreciate it mate 🍻

hahahahaha, you're killing me. Love it, nothing like a "attitude adjuster" in your car or back pocket when needed. I'd be too scared of pulling it out in the states as you'd get shot wouldn't you? Damn it, I want a handgun now. Bloody Australia and their anti-gun disarm the population laws 🤣

G’day Robert. In regards to the faceplate mate I agree. Probably only the 2nd or 3rd time that I’ve used one in my entire life. Most people would’ve bored that pulley in the mill (as I nearly did), but I thought the faceplate would make for better RU-vid viewing. I did read somewhere about the vinegar but have never tried it. So it will actually remove that mill scale after soaking it for 24hrs? Yes I need a cheap hydraulic press and set of broaches Robert. Broaching in the lathe like that is so Humpty Dumpty 🤦‍♂️. Thanks for watching mate. Talk soon 👍🍻

G’day Edd. I probably should have explained myself better. The old Colchester easily parts off via power feed, & eats it like butter. The reason I did it this way was so I could set my cross slide dial wheel (I.e. hit the size once and set). I machined 8 x 90mm pieces and then parted / faced them to size. Here is the footage I forgot to add in my video mate. Cheers 🍻, Aaron. instagram.com/p/CUpDMoTldhj/?

@@AaronEngineering ah makes sense! Thanks for taking the time to reply.

@@eddtube You’re very welcome Edd. I always take the time to reply to my viewers. Thanks for watching and supporting me mate 👍🍻

Thanks Chris 👍🍻

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback.

Morning Chris. You nailed it on the head mate. The pulley is shaped like that to help track the belt. A belt will always ride to the high point of the pulley. Glad you enjoyed the video mate. A little different today, as I posted the video in the morning instead of the afternoon. Cheers 🍻, Aaron.

Hi Daniel, glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in. Cheers, Aaron

Thanks John. I love my little shop. Be lost without it mate. Cheers 🍻

@@AaronEngineering yes I often wonder how normal people survive without a fully equipped machine shop.

Especially during theses times John 🍻

G'day Glenn. Yes I hate machining the black bar. It really is dirty stuff to machine. I've been spoiled, as we've been using bright mild and free machine grade at school with the kids for past 10 years. Thanks for watching Glenn. Have a good day mate. Cheers, Aaron.

G’day Hein. Thanks mate I appreciate the support buddy 👍😂

Thanks buddy 👍🍻

G’day Jeff, how’s things? Hope you’re doing well mate. Thanks for watching, it was nice to change it up with this video and use the faceplate on the old girl. Cheers 🍻. Aaron

I haven’t used my face plate yet. I did use my steady the other day to clean up the vintage Cincinnati drill press tube. Hope you and yours are well!

G’day Jeff. We are well thanks for asking. It’s good to hear that you’ve been out in your shop. I haven’t used my steady rests yet. Need to find a project now so I can 😂

Yes mate, I was huffing and puffing making this. I need a crab or lobster roll 🥯 to get my energy back 😂

@@AaronEngineering I know just the spot with lobster rolls so big you need a forklift to pick them up!

@@CapeCodCNC now you have my undivided attention 🤤

I typed Gday but came out as Gray.lol

G'day Rick. It's good to hear from you mate. Trust you are well over there? Yes I had a little break from RU-vid for 2 weeks. I was inundated with school work (marking & corrections) and it was all getting on top of me. We are still in lockdown over here and my students are so far behind now in the workshop. It's stressing me out on how I'm going to get them over the line. Cheers, Aaron.

Rick, funny enough I didn't pick up the typo and actually read it as G'day. See how our eyes play tricks on us. Well that's what my wife says, as she never had her glasses on when she married me. Now she just places a paper bag over my head LOL

Good replies on all of them Aaron. That wife reply killed me. Yeah, I don't know what I would do if I had to give up my arms. I keep them locked up and since Covid, I haven't been able to get out to the range or my back hills for shooting. As for the persuasion bars, I keep a couple in the truck as you never know when you will need some help. Have a great week my friend....

G’day Craig. Those clamps were made by Rob Townsend from tir_services over in Canada. He donated them to my shop back in February 2020. They are amazing and have got me out of the poo twice now. This is Rob on Instagram instagram.com/tir_services?

Hey mate how’s it going? I would probably cheat and CNC machine it at work. You could also use an old copy turn set up to perform the operation.

G'day Tom. I am unsure of the actual grade mate. However, it's just common hot rolled mild steel. TBH, I hate the stuff. Bloody mill scale makes a mess and goes everywhere. Cheers, Aaron.

G'day Grant. No worries at all mate. The good thing about a RU-vid video, is it allows you to see what actually goes into what seems to be simple job. Was great seeing you mate and thanks for the work. Next on the to do list will be those CNC machined parts. Cheers, Aaron.