# Simple cool 1 day project needed.



## Susquatch (Aug 30, 2021)

My bride of 50 years was talking to my sister about all my "dumb machines". That turned into "what can I do with them"?  After a lot of what is that? Why would you want that? And who the F cares? I finally said, I'll tell you what, let me think about it for a while and I'll come up with something that you would like and then we will make it together! 

Unfortunately, they both LOVED that idea........ Now I'm in big trouble and I could sure use some help! 

Helping would likely turn into watching. But that's ok. 

Can you think of some small useful cool gizmo that can be made on a lathe and mill that a girl would like and/or at least appreciate?

Any ideas?


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## DPittman (Aug 30, 2021)

Candle holder???


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## DPittman (Aug 30, 2021)

Custom salt and pepper shakers?


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## DPittman (Aug 30, 2021)

Meat tenderizing hammer? (Some other forum member has experience in that project I think)


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## YYCHM (Aug 30, 2021)

She loves it as it has some heft to it.  When my daughter saw it, she had to have one as well.


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## YYCHM (Aug 30, 2021)

I made this jar lid as retribution for the glass lid I broke  Not exactly a milling project though.


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## combustable herbage (Aug 30, 2021)

Here is a couple 

Metal Lathe Tutorial 18 : Your Second Project! - YouTube

Metal Lathe Tutorial 16: Your First Project! - YouTube


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## Susquatch (Aug 30, 2021)

Great ideas guys! I'd prefer something that requires both a lathe and a mill, but then again, I'm not sure either of them would know the difference!

Candle holders are a terrific idea. My bride has candles everywhere! Personally, I hate them but she would love it. My sister would not. She and her still at home daughter both have allergies to almost anything smelly, smoky, or nutty.

I love the meat tenderizer. I really do! But I confess I'd be a bit worried about the exact cut of meat my bride might choose to tenderize.......

I also like the pepper & salt shakers.  But that might take a while to do since threading isn't exactly a starters skill. But talk about the cool factor! Wow!

I hope I never break a glass lid on the wife's jars. But that lid would surely get me out of hot water if I ever did!

For now, I like the jewelry idea in the video with a small twist. How about a thin custom stainless ring made on the lathe with symmetrical holes and perhaps flats made on the mill. These could be filled with clear epoxy to give them an amber look and then polished on the lathe again. Stock sourcing is easy peasy - Stainless nuts & bolts are cheap! And a hex nut would be super easy to index on the mill.

What girl doesn't like jewelry - especially some they made themselves on the big guy's cool machines!

I'll prolly make some prototypes so I know what I'm doing on the big day.

There is an old saying that I love. "A wise man changes his mind often." Please don't hesitate to make more suggestions.

THANK YOU!!!


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## kevin.decelles (Aug 30, 2021)

Cribbage board. My next cnc project


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## kevin.decelles (Aug 30, 2021)

For me, aquarium stands did the trick.

I follow that up with wood working projects to deflect from the metal.

Picture frames, cutting boards, paper holders, ink stands etc.

That , and travelling around the world whenever asked , even though being away from my things makes me nutty


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## YYCHM (Aug 30, 2021)

kevin.decelles said:


> Cribbage board.



Can't picture that as a lathe project


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## kevin.decelles (Aug 30, 2021)

My bad. 


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## kevin.decelles (Aug 30, 2021)

But it would be a 4 jaw chuck alignment marathon and doable


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## kevin.decelles (Aug 30, 2021)

Coasters for the sunroom


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## Janger (Aug 30, 2021)

Espresso tamper


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## Janger (Aug 30, 2021)

Fix busted stuff. Candle holder. Tea light lamp, oil lamp.


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## YYCHM (Aug 30, 2021)

Janger said:


> Espresso tamper



You did that on a manual machine?


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## YYCHM (Aug 30, 2021)

Susquatch said:


> I love the meat tenderizer. I really do! But I confess I'd be a bit worried about the exact cut of meat my bride might choose to tenderize.......



I think this is your solution.  It requires some milling for the teeth, some turning, some knurling, and some threading for the handle.  I'll bet ya that you end up making two


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## CalgaryPT (Aug 30, 2021)

Susquatch said:


> My bride of 50 years was talking to my sister about all my "dumb machines". That turned into "what can I do with them"?  After a lot of what is that? Why would you want that? And who the F cares? I finally said, I'll tell you what, let me think about it for a while and I'll come up with something that you would like and then we will make it together!
> 
> Unfortunately, they both LOVED that idea........ Now I'm in big trouble and I could sure use some help!
> 
> ...


Choose cautiously my friend. I hear banjos.

If this endeavor backfires—say she doesn't like the results and spreads the word around to a bunch of our spouses—all our shops could be in jeopardy on this forum.

No pressure though


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

kevin.decelles said:


> For me, aquarium stands did the trick.
> 
> I follow that up with wood working projects to deflect from the metal.
> 
> ...




Aquarium stands eh...... Reminds me of a story. I made a 40 gallon aquarium stand out of solid 1" oak planks a few years after I got married. It was drop dead gorgeous and still is to this day though one of my sons has it now. My younger brother saw it a little after I made it and decided he could make money selling them. So he made a bunch of them and brought them around to various pet shops in the city to sell for him. They sold like hot cakes so he bought a table saw and made more. They sold too so he made even more. They didn't sell so well. Apparently he had saturated the local market. BUT, it was a beginning for him. He ended up becoming a master cabinet maker doing custom cabinets and furniture the old fashioned way. All because of one aquarium stand. 

No, I'm not helping either of them make an aquarium stand. And no cribbage or cutting boards either. 

I HATE TRAVEL. Did way too much when I was working. Learned to hate airports, hotel rooms, taxis, and fine dining alone. I was born a farm boy. I have a beautiful farm of my own now and I want to die a farm boy too.


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

Janger said:


> Espresso tamper



I love the espresso tamper. Prolly way too difficult for them. 

But I might make one of those for me! And if I made one for her sisters husband who is a coffee nut, my bride would suddenly have a different view......


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

YYCHM said:


> I think this is your solution.  It requires some milling for the teeth, some turning, some knurling, and some threading for the handle.  I'll bet ya that you end up making two



I agree totally. I do love it. But it would take days to make it. Needs to be simple.


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

CalgaryPT said:


> Choose cautiously my friend. I hear banjos.
> 
> If this endeavor backfires—say she doesn't like the results and spreads the word around to a bunch of our spouses—all our shops could be in jeopardy on this forum.
> 
> No pressure though



That settles it. The meat tenderizer is out! 

Never thought of that. I forget about unintended consequences way too often. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut when challenges like that happen. 

Best all pray that it goes well.


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## combustable herbage (Aug 31, 2021)

Susquatch said:


> That settles it. The meat tenderizer is out!
> 
> Never thought of that. I forget about unintended consequences way too often. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut when challenges like that happen.
> 
> Best all pray that it goes well.



Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire.

Don't make it too easy, its a great idea, too often we build and show spouses what we have made to impress them but we don't always let them know the effort and precision required might be an eye opener for them.  Have fun!


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## historicalarms (Aug 31, 2021)

for me it was a new set of chair leg buttons made from aluminum because the old ones had started to mark the floor....forever justified me having a few machines with "she who must be obeyed"....also saved me from having to finance and replace those 35 yr old chairs .


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## Scattered Parts (Aug 31, 2021)

Janger said:


> Espresso tamper



That espresso tamper looks a bit like one of these.


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## Scattered Parts (Aug 31, 2021)

It is a tool for kegel exercises.


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## CalgaryPT (Aug 31, 2021)

Susquatch said:


> That settles it. The meat tenderizer is out!
> 
> Never thought of that. I forget about unintended consequences way too often. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut when challenges like that happen.
> 
> Best all pray that it goes well.


We're all right behind you until such point as our spouses turn on us. Then it's every metalworker for himself.


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

Chair leg buttons. Love it. But not enough "cool factor".

Kegel exerciser - the bride doesn't need that. There is a guy who has been hanging around here for 50 years who supplies more of that exercise than she can handle. My sister? Just plain awkward......

Every machinist to himself eh? Ya, I get that and I won't hold it against any of you for throwing me to the she-wolf.


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## YotaBota (Aug 31, 2021)

Susquatch said:


> But not enough "cool factor"


The problem here is that the definition of "cool" is so different between guys and girls and they won't tell us what they consider cool.




But then on the flip side




Face it gentlemen,,,,,,, we were doomed from the start. LOL


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## DPittman (Aug 31, 2021)

kevin.decelles said:


> Coasters for the sunroom
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


A sunroom for the coasters?


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

YYCHM said:


> Can't picture that as a lathe project



Sure you can, just turn the board into a vertical cylinder on a bearing. You just spin it right or left to face whichever way you want. Might be a bit like 3D Chess.......


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

YotaBota said:


> The problem here is that the definition of "cool" is so different between guys and girls and they won't tell us what they consider cool.
> View attachment 16872
> But then on the flip side
> View attachment 16873
> Face it gentlemen,,,,,,, we were doomed from the start. LOL



That pretty much sums it all up..... Is it my imagination or is that guy sleeping? 

Reminds me of a joke. 

This fellow is a model citizen. He gives more than he takes, he is kind and generous to everyone. He always strives to make the world a better place. 

God sees this and decides to reward him by granting him a wish. 

The fellow thinks a bit and then says he would like a bridge to Hawaii from Vancouver Island so that people could drive there whenever they wanted instead of flying or sailing. 

God looks at him as though he were truly stupid and says, are you kidding me, do you have any idea how far that is and how deep the ocean is between here and there? That's waaay too difficult a task. Ask me for something else. 

The fellow thinks a bit more and then says. I'd like to be able to understand women. 

God looks at him as though he were stunned once more. Then he asks him if he would like 2 lanes or 4 on that bridge.......


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## Susquatch (Aug 31, 2021)

DPittman said:


> A sunroom for the coasters?



Hahaha! Good one!


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