I have a Grizzly milling machine that I’ve wanted to power the Z axis knee for some time. I decided that rather than trying to fabricate something I’d just bite the bullet and buy a power drive kit for the Z axis. My research, and pocketbook, led me to Shars  Tool Company and the Model
A while back I converted my Jet 12 X 36 metal lathe to DC variable speed drive. Since then I’ve wanted to add some type of tachometer so I could see the actual speed the main spindle was rotating. I tried using a bicycle speedometer with a magnetic pickup with reasonable results. But calibrating it
This isn’t quite an expedition trailer project….But I guess it depends on one definition of “Expedition”…. I shoot a sport call “Cowboy Action Shooting”…..Grown folks dress up in 1800 period correct clothing and using 1800 firearms or reproductions compete in timed matches for speed and accuracy. There are matches all over the country and this
Bottom pour casting pots are fine for casting bullets for handguns and for rifle bullets under 250g. A bit of inconsistent weight isn’t going to matter much with these lighter bullets that are usually fired at shorter distances. But once you get into the 500+ grain bullets, the difference in weight that a bottom pour
an·neal əˈnēl/ verb  heat (metal or glass) and allow it to cool slowly, in order to remove internal stresses. Go Straight To The Video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G651TiaThJo or here: http://public.fotki.com/Rbertalotto/gunsmithing-reloading/annealing-machine/annealing-img-0852.html Brass is an interesting alloy. It is perfect for use in firearms cartridges because it expands easily upon firing to seal the breach of the firearm
The 1860 Henry rifle was a marvel of its time. The first lever action rifle made in serious quantity for the Civil War and afterwards until 1866. Thousands were produced. But it has a different way of loading from all the lever action to follow. Winchesters, Marlins, Whitney Kennedy, Burgess and others that load from the
I’ve been reloading Metallic Cartridges for over 40 years. The best thing that ever happened to this hobby was the internet. I can remember when a bunch of folks from all over the country used to get on our Radio Shack “WebTV” devices every night and share stories and information. Now there are thousands of
I have a horizontal bandsaw for cutting steel stock to length. It is an amazing time saver and a great asset if you do a lot of metal fabrication. This type of saw can be used in the upright position to cut metal on a small table. But it is inconvieneient to convert to this
A few years ago I purchased a 1985 vintage JET 12 X 36 BD metal lathe. This is a wonderful machine for the type of lathe work I perform in my home shop. But it used a 230V AC motor. I had to rewire my shop to connect it to 230V. This wasn’t a
Like many of you Home Shop Machinists, shop space is at a premium. My shop is located in my garage where I also store a few motorcycles and my  vintage sports car. A big fear I have is one day turning on the lathe accidentally with the chuck key still in the chuck, and flinging it across the
