Apologies if this is a very regular subject.
I run a small business and have often got stuck on simple projects because we don't have access to a small lathe/mill and companies around here and not interested in doing an odd piece of machining to a verbal spec.
The jobs are normally very simple in plastic, aluminium, copper, wood or steel, like fabricating a:
Tubular plastic casings (was milled from a 1.5" and 2" drain part coupling using a bench drill). Copper heat sink using water as a coolant (again used plumbing bits, lots of solder and filing) Copper cube to act as a heat conduit Coupling from aluminium (the commercial couplings don't fit the tubes we use, so we grind down the galvanised pipe to fit)
3m rod to hit into the ground (hard cone one end and threaded at the joints for disassembly)Its not continuous work, some months we write software and it will sit there, other times it might do a job every day. At most we are talking 10 units all the same and items don't need to be more precise than about 0.2mm (8thou)
Given that we don't have a lot of room for machinery our choices appear to be:
1) Buy a mini lathe and mini milling machine that will fit onto the work bench and try to find someone to do larger pieces 2) Buy a three in one machine to do all the odd jobs that would take longer to explain than do ourselves. 3) Throw out the bench, buy a floor standing drill and buy a larger lathe with vertical milling attachment - and use the computer bench, drill stand or lathe bed for hammering bits and pieces into shape!!Our budget is around £2000 ($3000) we want it to do at least a couple hundred jobs before it needs replacing.
Mike Haseler
P.S. I will of course be doing a few homers - like wood turning?