On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 09:09:05 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
Roger wrote:



When I studied that stuff we didn't have automation. No CNC, it was
set it up and one cut at a time, unless you had a turret and then you
*might* do up to 4 or 5. :-))

From what I've seen, for a "one off part, or even a couple, it was far
faster than setting up a CNC machine.


Did you have to whittle your own cutting tools, out of stone?

It hasn't been all that long ago, BUT one test was to give you a file
and a chunk of metal. You were expected to make a sold cube using
nothing what you had been given. I've forgotten the tollerances, but
it was only a few thousandths.

In one class we ended up making our own files.
I was going to say we didn't use stone, but we did for sharpening.


For milling, I've found the the Bridgeport EZ traks to be excellent for
one or two parts. There's really no "set-up" involved. In a few seconds
you can program the machine to make a hole pattern (It will do the math
for you,) mill a circle or a rectangle, or whatever.

I'm looking for one of those as there were a couple of machine shops
that went out of business within 30 miles of here.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com