Lanis3333
New Member
Hi Everyone !
I am so very happy I have found this forum. I've been doing some lurking and felt its time for a little introduction.
Back when I was a young impressionable 16 year old, I met a gunsmith that made rifles for full bore target shooting. I would hang out at his shop for hours watching him work on his LeBlonde lathe turning down rifle barrels and cutting chambers. This was my first introduction to precision and I learned a lot in those few years. Fast forward a few more years and I have a degree in Engineering, and was working at an Ag-Equipment manufacturing facility with every tool imaginable. My career then took a left turn and I ended up in the broadcasting industry, which I still do (and absolutely love) today. However, my desire to own my own tooling never left.
Back when Covid was a new thing, I was working in the UK and had to come home in fear of being stuck in London. Work dried up completely and found myself with a lot of time on my hands. Time to build my dream garage!!!! My father and I spend 2 months building a perfect 26'x28' (the biggest I could fit on my property) garage with 2x6 walls, R-60 insulation in the 10' ceiling and 100 amp service. Now, time to start filling it with tools!!!!
A few years back, I bought a RF-30 drill mill but it really sucked as the only place I could put it was a really hot mezzanine at a friends shop. It was really uncomfortable to work there, so It didn't get much use (also no DRO, crap vice, and limited tooling, no power feed). I also had a crap Princess Auto 7x14" lathe that was pretty much useless except for cutting aluminum or brass.
Now that the 2 motorcycle projects are out of my garage, and the walls are finished, it's time to spend some money!!! I had some $$$$ earmarked for a new, big boy lathe. After a lot of sober and non-sober contemplation over what to buy, I finally ordered a Grizzly 0824 (14"x40"). I found this forum looking for advice on how to level said lathe with it arrives.
BAD NEWS:Grizzly 0824 was enroute to Sweetgrass, MT today to my shipping drop point. Very exciting until I see the photos that the shipping agent sent of the damaged lathe. It looks like it tipped over and smashed its way out of the crate. The shipment was refused, and the damaged lathe is on its way back to Grizzly.
In the mean time, I am going to bring the RF-30 to the garage. I have some exciting projects for it that I'd like to share with the forum. First project is installing my Touch DRO (Tablet based DRO from Yuriy's Toys), and next is installing a Precision Matthews power feed.
I am probably going to ask a lot of stupid questions on this forum. I apologize in advance for that! As one of my profs said "There are no stupid questions, just stupid people !" I don't have a single day of formal education in machining. My teachers have been You-tubers This Old Tony, Quinn, and James from Clough42 (and a bit from Abomb...)
First stupid question:Where do you buy tool steel that doesn't cost an arm and a leg in Canada ??? I have some things I'd like to build but the material costs are out of control !!!! Maybe tool steel just costs that much ??!?!!
Anyone from the Greater Metropolitan Saskatoon area willing to come help level a new lathe when it arrives? Much beer and steak will be supplied in exchange for using your machinist level and your knowledge. Any advice on what leveling feet to buy? Are the KBC tools rubber vibration isolation feet worth the $$$ ?
I am looking forward to the knowledge I can gain from you grizzled veterans on this forum. I have a list of projects 10' long, but my technical ability has to catch up to my imagination.
Lanny
I am so very happy I have found this forum. I've been doing some lurking and felt its time for a little introduction.
Back when I was a young impressionable 16 year old, I met a gunsmith that made rifles for full bore target shooting. I would hang out at his shop for hours watching him work on his LeBlonde lathe turning down rifle barrels and cutting chambers. This was my first introduction to precision and I learned a lot in those few years. Fast forward a few more years and I have a degree in Engineering, and was working at an Ag-Equipment manufacturing facility with every tool imaginable. My career then took a left turn and I ended up in the broadcasting industry, which I still do (and absolutely love) today. However, my desire to own my own tooling never left.
Back when Covid was a new thing, I was working in the UK and had to come home in fear of being stuck in London. Work dried up completely and found myself with a lot of time on my hands. Time to build my dream garage!!!! My father and I spend 2 months building a perfect 26'x28' (the biggest I could fit on my property) garage with 2x6 walls, R-60 insulation in the 10' ceiling and 100 amp service. Now, time to start filling it with tools!!!!
A few years back, I bought a RF-30 drill mill but it really sucked as the only place I could put it was a really hot mezzanine at a friends shop. It was really uncomfortable to work there, so It didn't get much use (also no DRO, crap vice, and limited tooling, no power feed). I also had a crap Princess Auto 7x14" lathe that was pretty much useless except for cutting aluminum or brass.
Now that the 2 motorcycle projects are out of my garage, and the walls are finished, it's time to spend some money!!! I had some $$$$ earmarked for a new, big boy lathe. After a lot of sober and non-sober contemplation over what to buy, I finally ordered a Grizzly 0824 (14"x40"). I found this forum looking for advice on how to level said lathe with it arrives.
BAD NEWS:Grizzly 0824 was enroute to Sweetgrass, MT today to my shipping drop point. Very exciting until I see the photos that the shipping agent sent of the damaged lathe. It looks like it tipped over and smashed its way out of the crate. The shipment was refused, and the damaged lathe is on its way back to Grizzly.

In the mean time, I am going to bring the RF-30 to the garage. I have some exciting projects for it that I'd like to share with the forum. First project is installing my Touch DRO (Tablet based DRO from Yuriy's Toys), and next is installing a Precision Matthews power feed.
I am probably going to ask a lot of stupid questions on this forum. I apologize in advance for that! As one of my profs said "There are no stupid questions, just stupid people !" I don't have a single day of formal education in machining. My teachers have been You-tubers This Old Tony, Quinn, and James from Clough42 (and a bit from Abomb...)
First stupid question:Where do you buy tool steel that doesn't cost an arm and a leg in Canada ??? I have some things I'd like to build but the material costs are out of control !!!! Maybe tool steel just costs that much ??!?!!
Anyone from the Greater Metropolitan Saskatoon area willing to come help level a new lathe when it arrives? Much beer and steak will be supplied in exchange for using your machinist level and your knowledge. Any advice on what leveling feet to buy? Are the KBC tools rubber vibration isolation feet worth the $$$ ?
I am looking forward to the knowledge I can gain from you grizzled veterans on this forum. I have a list of projects 10' long, but my technical ability has to catch up to my imagination.
Lanny