Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[CNC_RICK]

Everyone looks at a lathe (to buy) that can do absolutely everything.... And that's the one to buy.... If that lathe can't do, exactly one thing correctly, nobody wants that lathe... What about the multitude of everything ELSE that lathe is capable of doing?? Nobody thinks that way... Nobody does. I can tell you that a somewhat less than ideal lathe can do some pretty nice work. It just takes experience and some patience.

Edit... Maybe that's why I own 11 lathes... Each of my lathes are good at something...

 

[Squankum]

Liane and our son used Cologuard and received false positive results, meaning they had to have colonoscopies to be safe.

 

[Squankum]

Everyone looks at a lathe (to buy) that can do absolutely everything.... And that's the one to buy.... If that lathe can't do, exactly one thing correctly, nobody wants that lathe... What about the multitude of everything ELSE that lathe is capable of doing?? Nobody thinks that way... Nobody does. I can tell you that a somewhat less than ideal lathe can do some pretty nice work. It just takes experience and some patience.

Edit... Maybe that's why I own 11 lathes... Each of my lathes are good at something...

Had a friend who needed to make a part or two for his race car, picked up a lathe in his area. An old Sears/Atlas lathe that had spent is life in a NASCAR shop, dating back to when the sport was more grassroots. My friend did all of the homework he could to learn (and to be safe) and as the years went by, was tickled at how many things he could do with it.

 

[Squankum]

Squakum, don't sell yourself short... I've had to deal with my own machines, as I couldn't afford the biggest and the best machines out there. In most cases, my many machines are at least 100 years old. I learned what it took to make an accurate part on a 100 year old machine.

Keep plugging away at my Underground Lair thread! Eventually you'll get to my discovery of the museums devoted to measurement and machine tools of the Industrial Revolution, both in New England.

 

[CNC_RICK]

Keep plugging away at my Underground Lair thread! Eventually you'll get to my discovery of the museums devoted to measurement and machine tools of the Industrial Revolution, both in New England.

Yea, I'm at about page 45 or so. I've lost track on my way, (computer reboot) and was waiting for you to respond, so I could find you in "new Posts". I'm back in, now. Love yer stories, your research, everything you write about. I have a fond feeling about the Chevy 235 "Stovebolt" engine. My dozer (from Dad) has a transplant engine in it, and I wondered where the oil filter might be on that engine...

 

[CNC_RICK]

Had a friend who needed to make a part or two for his race car, picked up a lathe in his area. An old Sears/Atlas lathe that had spent is life in a NASCAR shop, dating back to when the sport was more grassroots. My friend did all of the homework he could to learn (and to be safe) and as the years went by, was tickled at how many things he could do with it.

I have my Dad's Atlas/Craftsman lathe and it is very dear to my heart. I've only broke the lantern tool post, once. I welded things back together, and everything's cool. It is no match to my (4) Warner Swasey turret lathes.... Plenty of giddy-up up and horsepower for roughing cuts... Love those machines.

 

[CNC_RICK]

There's no substitute for some "snort" that the Turret lathes had to offer. Plenty of deep cuts, with carbide tooling. The machines were three-phase, but I made them work on 220 v. At the farm .

 

[CNC_RICK]

My biggest quest in life was to own a VTL, at home, (Vertical Turret Lathe) with some size to it... At least 36" swing.. My plans never came to fruition, but a guy can dream.... Something close to what I ran at the Company, so many years ago...

 

[CNC_RICK]

The one I ran at work was 72" swing, about 50 hp..
Just a sweetheart. I can't imagine having a machine that size at home..

 

[Coolabah]

Greg, no one gets out of this life alive so I try my best to enjoy the surprise of waking up.

Haha, well I used to live across the road from a nursing home and would often see the more mobile residents out and about for a walk up or down the streeet.
My favourite reply to my usual passing greeting of "Good morning, how are you today ?" was:
"Well Greg , at least I'm on the right side of the grass" . First time I heard it I nearly choked with laughter
(explanation in case different where you live: we have a lot of "lawn cemeteries" where you just have a small paver like one of those in the Hollywood stars walk of fame where you are buried usually in, basically, a field )

 

[bugnut]

Bob, glad to see you!

 

[Prospecter]

I'm afraid of Occupational Therapy because it might make me forget what working was like, It has been 27 years since I got paid for working. I prefer working for myself (and Liane) at home.

Actually, you should BE an OT. You've been inventing your own accommodations and modifications so you can get stuff done for years. Kind of an OT poster boy!

 

[drivesitfar]

Bob you’ve always amazed me at your abilities to do maybe more than most of us with two good hands can and I (we) always love your stories which seem to be endless.

You and I have always differed in our opinion of the medical community so I’ll never suggest you do anything different than do what your gut tells you to do. What I can do is wish you and yours the very very best and hope to see your posts as long as you are able.

Here’s to another good day above dirt and let’s make someone smile today even if it’s only our not so young brides.

 

[Squankum]

I'm afraid of Occupational Therapy because it might make me forget what working was like, It has been 27 years since I got paid for working. I prefer working for myself (and Liane) at home.

Actually, you should BE an OT. You've been inventing your own accommodations and modifications so you can get stuff done for years. Kind of an OT poster boy!

"Class, we have a special visitor today, a man who has been working one-handed for more than half a century."

(Bob walks in with running chainsaw, demented grin.)

Bob: "And this is my new assistant groundskeeper!"

(Emiliano comes in, one leg, crutch, swinging a machete.)

 

[CNC_RICK]

The one I ran at work was 72" swing, about 50 hp..
Just a sweetheart. I can't imagine having a machine that size at home..

This machine, with a fairly large part on it... Once you (me..) would start the chuck, approach the part with a cutting tool, start taking a rather large depth of cut, turn the coolant on... At that point, the machine makes its own weather happen. Coolant bouncing off the chuck jaws (and the part) creates quite a bit of mist. The coolant pump had a 10 HP motor on it. In the case of a steel part, those c-shaped chips, dark blue in color, once the water-based coolant hit those, and the water turned into steam, then eventually, only the oil was left, started to make smoke, to fill the building... With smoke. Every time that happened, my boss would walk over and see me with a grin his face. I guess he knew I was making some money for the Company. Ha. I had to be very diligent on keeping my chips cleaned out, from around the part, but still inside the sheet metal guards in place. I had a chunk of 2x4, about 4 feet long, to use like a paddle to shove the chips toward the chip conveyor, to go into a dumpster that the forklift had to empty. Good times.... Some days, I miss running machines like that.

 

[scooterbum46]

Maybe that's why I own 11 lathes...

An old Sears/Atlas lathe

I have my Dad's Atlas/Craftsman lathe and it is very dear to my heart

I had a Atlas/Craftsman 6x18 given to me a number of years ago, complete with the countershaft speed reducer and the complete set of change gears. It had been left in a shed and the unpainted ways and other parts were covered in a light layer of rust. Twenty years later, I'm getting around to finishing the painting and making a list of upgrades (mostly changing the tool post). I may put some updates on my barn build page in the next few days..

 

[CNC_RICK]

Well, there you go, @scooterbum46. Have a fun time with that machine. My Dad used this one so much, I ended up making a new lead screw for his while I was in voc-tech, learning Machine Tool Technology. That worked out for his machine. I should tell you that Dad wanted this lathe for a Christmas present. That was back in the late '60s. According to Mom's stories, Dad kept hinting for something for Christmas. His hints were, something like this... (In Dad's words...). He wanted something that starts with L. ends with an E. And has ath in the middle... In Mom's words, she got tired of his hinting, so she bought the lathe for him.

Dad used that machine for many things it wasn't intended to be used for... He made his own steady rest, out of mostly large re-bar, meant for concrete work. Dad was very innovative with his machines, and always found a way to get a job done with the equipment that he had available to him. I've softly followed in his footsteps, but I'll admit that he was a hard act to follow...

 

[CNC_RICK]

Another time, he got into rebuilding hydraulic valve assemblies... He quickly learned about the very small tolerances involved to make this happen. Next thing you know, Dad made his own OD grinder, with a spindle, a grinding wheel and a 1/3 HP electric motor, left over from a dismantled Maytag wringer washing machine. Oh, the stories I could tell about my Father.. ha.

 

[Coolabah]

Everyone looks at a lathe (to buy) that can do absolutely everything.... And that's the one to buy.... If that lathe can't do, exactly one thing correctly, nobody wants that lathe... What about the multitude of everything ELSE that lathe is capable of doing?? Nobody thinks that way... Nobody does. I can tell you that a somewhat less than ideal lathe can do some pretty nice work. It just takes experience and some patience.

Edit... Maybe that's why I own 11 lathes... Each of my lathes are good at something...

Haven't seen him for a decade or three but way back then I had a "Gym Buddy" whom I met whilst training -heck of a nice bloke , he was the biggest womaniser and obviously oh so charming and I do think "a bad boy". He was pretty much more Vinny Jones than Brad Pitt in the looks department but always had at least three women on rotation, who also seemed to know about each other , and were still chasing him like he was on "The Batchelor".
One day, resting between sets , I asked him: "mate, why do you not want to have just one girlfriend at a time , you must be exhausted ?"
His answer pretty much mirrored your take on lathes

 

[Squankum]

Haven't seen him for a decade or three but way back then I had a "Gym Buddy" whom I met whilst training -heck of a nice bloke , he was the biggest womaniser and obviously oh so charming and I do think "a bad boy". He was pretty much more Vinny Jones than Brad Pitt in the looks department but always had at least three women on rotation, who also seemed to know about each other , and were still chasing him like he was on "The Batchelor".
One day, resting between sets , I asked him: "mate, why do you not want to have just one girlfriend at a time , you must be exhausted ?"
His answer pretty much mirrored your take on lathes

OK, now I have to track down the old poster.

 

[CNC_RICK]

Haha. Love the responses about my lathes. Not sure how to respond to @Coolabah. How did my lathe stories turn into pretty girls? Ha. I was going to let Bob take control with any answers that needed to happen.