Old milling machine and chinese crap.

>>1204442
Amazing find!

1: Take it apart, photograph it as you take it apart so you know how to put it back together. Degrease and clean everything. Make some tools out of wire to reach hard to reach places. Grease/oil it up and put it back together.

2: Cheap shit is cheap because it is very inconsistent, either in spec or durability. Sometimes, you get one that works perfectly and lasts a long long time. Most of the time it is shit, is off spec, and lasts about as long as 1 good job.

>>1204443

Thanks Anon!

1. Good general advice,actually bought new grease and oil today. The sump is a different beast though, it is in the base of the machine, so it is really hard to get at, but I guess wire tools is the way I have to do it. Gonna take forever :p

2. Good point, I don't expect the milling bit's I bought to last long, but if I'm lucky the chuck and collets will be tolerable.

I assume pic related? Looks super nice, how much was it? Can you take the sump off/apart? If I were you and had the time, I'd love to completely take apart the thing and clean the ever-living shit out of each individual part. De-rust what needs de-rusting, paint what needs painting, etc. Old tool refurbishment is one of my favorite things to do.

I don't know your milling experience (I, personally, have none), but cheap tools seem like a good idea for now until you gitgud at the craft. Better to fuck up the 3 dollar bit than the 30 dollar one. Plus learning how to do a good job on shit tools makes you that much better when you get the good stuff.

>>1204462
Yup, pic related.
Cost me about 900 american bucks. (cheap where I live)
I'm not sure if I have the time or need to COMPLETELY disassemble the whole machine, but I love tool refurbishment myself so I'll go over most of the machine and clean it up.
I have some milling experience, but I am a blacksmith by trade not a machinist, and far more experienced with a lathe, so yeah, might as well wreck some cheap shit while I'm learning.

>>1204466
Hell yeah man. If you don't mind me derailing the thread a bit, how'd you get into blacksmithing? What kinda work do you do, and would you recommend it? I've been looking into picking up a trade, so I'd love your opinion on your line of work. Thanks!

>>1204468
No prob man. I actually got into it through art-school. Where I live there really wasn't anywhere to go to get schooling or apprenticeship when I was younger, but I found out that the Academy of the Arts in my hometown had a forge so I applied there, got in, dug into the forge like a tick and stayed there for a few years.
Been running my own workshop for close to a year now. Most of the work I do is commission based, so whatever the client needs. What I get asked to do most is either small-ish decorative pieces, custom tools (knives, axes, chisels etc) or custom welding jobs (not blacksmithing, but it pays well).
As a career, it is hard to be a full time blacksmith, at least where I live, demand isn't that great, so it helps to have some extra skills, like welding and machining so you can take on other small jobs, or have some other supplementary income. I rent out parts of my workshop for example to cover some costs.
But I would for sure recommend it. It is a hugely satisfying and fun craft, and if you just wanna get into it as a hobby it doesn't have to cost that much to get started either.

>>1204475
Nice, thanks for the insight!