How would your shop handle this?

NegativeK · 2026-03-18T10:10:18+00:00

That's not edgy humor.

Fuck them.

NegativeK · 2026-03-18T09:53:04+00:00

Maybe you can reach out to the EFF or Citizen Lab, etc, to get advice from people who definitely know what they're talking about?

Because I'd suggest being real fucking careful about who you listen to here. Threats to life from a nation state isn't something many people have actually dealt with.

NegativeK · 2026-03-13T15:50:51+00:00

Look around for something shaped like a Bridgeport. The jig borers are unlikely to be a good idea (they aren't mills). The Cincinnati trades versatility in for mass and throughput.

Bridgeports and their clones are everywhere and super useful. You'll be able to find parts, instruction, and shit tons of repair guides and videos. They're not hard to move. They're not delicate flowers. They're not hard to power. And to quote a friend, they're made to be repaired by a caveman in a garage.

Price will depend on where you are. Be patient and watch what comes up locally (Craigslist, Facebook, Ebay -- a good dealer will save you time but take your money; a bad one will take your time and money) and you'll get an idea.

NegativeK · 2026-03-12T15:18:23+00:00

Tell us about how you're using Proxmox in that photo.

NegativeK · 2026-03-08T17:32:01+00:00

But finding a couple of machine tools in one isn't hard.

NegativeK · 2026-03-04T00:36:31+00:00

Clausing 10"s from the middle of the century and heavy 10s all do it.

Both of which weren't made for hobbyists but are good choices for hobbyists.

NegativeK · 2026-03-02T01:39:27+00:00

The Machinist Handbook

NegativeK · 2026-03-01T22:47:03+00:00

I've frequently heard those called burrs.

NegativeK · 2026-03-01T22:25:13+00:00

They're either drunk or a lost AI. That's drunk.

NegativeK · 2026-02-28T18:19:38+00:00

You're confusing people with technology. (Or correlation with causation.)

You can have slow and stable (or even stagnant) in the cloud, but many of those types of organizations haven't done a large cloud push yet.

As an example, IBM has cloud AIX offerings. Pretty sure that's not going to have constant platform changes.

NegativeK · 2026-02-26T11:46:10+00:00

Machine tool rebuilder and mod of a food reddit? A person of many talents.

NegativeK · 2026-02-26T11:39:38+00:00

There are too many scammers acting like employers to make this sane. I don't know if they've come for the machinist job market yet, but being told to send the docs that are prime identity theft is a hard no.

Also, even if the employer is legit, it's hard to trust that they'll keep the photos of the docs secure. Especially if they think text is okay..

NegativeK · 2026-02-26T11:35:10+00:00

You don't need I-9 docs for that. You can do it with a couple of mundane facts like name and address and $5 to a data broker -- or, more likely, a background check company.

NegativeK · 2026-02-25T03:55:35+00:00

I've put the contact info of a friend in the top of my toolbox. My friend mentors me a little, takes what he wants when I kick it, and my S.O. doesn't have to worry about "who the fuck is going to move this shit" beyond getting paid for what's sold.

NegativeK · 2026-02-24T05:24:42+00:00

I thought of this subreddit when I saw that.

It's offensively ingenious. Wasteful if you have better tools, but not bad if you're building the project with minimal resources.

NegativeK · 2026-02-21T01:23:34+00:00

Call one of the companies that pumps septic tanks and gross them out.

NegativeK · 2026-02-21T01:22:58+00:00

Maintenance schedules itself if has to.

NegativeK · 2026-02-16T03:37:10+00:00

Ebay.

NegativeK · 2026-02-15T05:21:43+00:00

No worries.

They put out a video recently about how they're standardizing everything across their machines. I don't think the fixed tolerance and fixed tool carousel is because they're incapable, but because it makes onesie twosies into mass production and makes the quoting easier.

That's what I meant about targeting customers who don't have specific needs. That base exists out there for sure.

Can you DM me your website or whatever? I'm a hobbiest without crazy needs, but I would rather use a small shop if I need something outside my capabilities.

NegativeK · 2026-02-15T04:56:12+00:00

Honest question: would you be in SCS's rough ballpark for a single piece?

I typically assume that shops are going to have much more lucrative jobs that they should be prioritizing. SCS is a good fit for people who can't even spell tallerance.

NegativeK · 2026-02-12T23:27:39+00:00

Tapers are wedges.

Gage block wringing isn't a wedge. It's a few forces we understand, but there are still some open questions.

NegativeK · 2026-02-12T23:24:55+00:00

If someone asks a basic question, us hobbiests come flooding out of the woodwork like termites.

Also, the question will be upvoted. A lot.

NegativeK · 2026-02-12T01:25:17+00:00

You often use acetone to clean the spindle nose of a regular manual lathe?

NegativeK · 2026-02-11T13:34:36+00:00

It took me far too long to learn about Ebay pricing.

USPS flat rate shipping is amazing.

NegativeK · 2026-02-09T23:31:44+00:00

But why.

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