Project ideas for machining

[alfazer]

Wife asked me ...When are you going make me something nice with that lathe? (I mostly just use it for bushes, spacers, random fittings and motorcycle bits.)

Every metal lathe or mill project collection seems to be a turner's cube, miniature steam engines, or various little engineering tools and accessories.

The only decorative thing I've ever done was make a salt shaker and a Christmas tree decoration when I was student.

Any links or ideas? I have a Myford Super 7 at home. At work I have access to manual mill, lathe and small CNC lathe and 3 axis mill, although time is a squeeze.
I can use Solidworks and the mill uses 2D dxf and 3D stl.
thanks

 

[danielbuck]

standing toilet paper roll holder

paper towel holder

towel holders/racks

cabinet knobs

Wood turners usually make pens as gifts, no reason you couldn't make a pen from whatever metal you want

 

[OccupantRJ]

Replacement crossfeed and compound lead screws, along with the accompanying nuts for lathes. Some are no longer available or hard to get, and rather expensive.

 

[12husky]

This earned me a few points a couple years ago


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[LXCam]

paper towel holder

That was the very first thing I machined when I got my mill. I can't begin tell you how impressed the wife was.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Jewelry. Something like a nice ring would be a good project.

 

[Kevin54]

I made the wife a nice set of candle holders out of a limb of an old Redbud tree on my metal lathe.

 

[Firstram]

Make your wife a nice meat tenderizer or some coasters or a spoon rest or fridge magnets. Keep making useless dust collectors until she tells you to stop, then you can continue using it to keep the important things working.

 

[Fluxion]

Black Powder Cannon! I've made a few of my own.

How about a pepper mill? Make the grinder mechanism then post pics here so I can see how you did it, lol!

 

[danielbuck]

Pepper mill, that's on my list to make for ME.

I love black pepper, I put it on/in just about everything, have 3 different wood pepper mills with various types of pepper corns. Would love to make a solid brass pepper mill :-D

Stainless or brass coasters would probably be pretty easy.