Next Shop Purchase?

Next Shop purchase?

  • Metal cutting band saw

    Votes: 3 15.0%

  • Drill press

    Votes: 18 90.0%

  • Vertical oscillating sander

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Your recommendation?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Kydex kit

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    20
R8 collet is nice. That's probably the one deal breaker for me.
 
I have a PM-25. For its size, I like it quite a bit, and will make due with it for a while. But if I had to do it over again (and not get a full/Bridgeport size) I would most definitely go up to an RF45 size machine. For an extra 1K, you seem to get much more of a machine. If you have the space. Food for thought benchtop mill wise.
 
The OP is asking about his next $200 purchase.

A Bridgeport, or MP-25, or RF-45 is nice. A $1500-$4500 mill and a $1000 or more in accessories and tooling is always nice, but not affordable to most hobby makers.
 
He posted a list with four things on it between $100 and $200. He said he couldn't purchase all of them at once, and wanted to know which to buy next.
 
If I had $200 to spend, and was just getting started, I'd probably scour the local classifieds for a used drill press (mid to large sized bench top, or even a floor model), and then a used porta-band to mount vertically, or even possibly a used vertical/horizontal band saw.

To comment on the mill, I have a full sized knee mill, and while it is one of the most used (and useful) tools in my shop, it is also the most expensive. That said, I couldn't imagine NOT having it anymore. Do you NEED one to make knives? Not at all. But they're so versatile (and not just for knife making off course) that sometimes I wish I had two! ;)
 
Thanks again for all the replies. Going to a big swap meet to see what there is. I found a few floor drill presses on some local classifieds I'm going to look at this weekend. So far I'm leaning towards a floor drill press then a metal cutting band saw. My budget is easily expandable, just gotta save for an extra month or two for a nice mini mill. Which is definitely on the list now!
 
You'll find a drill press and saw very useful. My Harbor Freight portaband finally started falling apart, and I just bought two Milwaukee heavy duty portabands at the same auction I got my drill press to replace it. It's so useful, I'm thinking of mounting one on a table and keeping the other without for using as they're originally intended.
 
Not near as fun, but how are you set for PPE? Good respirator, filtration system, eye protection etc...
 
mitch4ging said:
Not near as fun, but how are you set for PPE? Good respirator, filtration system, eye protection etc...
Click to expand...
I bought a nice respirator off amazon for carpentry/painting. Filtration system could be better, currently use a shop fan pointed at me with the garage open and side door for air flow. Made a nice catch can below my large belt grinder and it's doing a decent job catching a bunch of the metal too. Definitely need some more lighting though
 
I'm not saying a mill wouldn't be nice to have, but for the price of one you can buy a lot of the need to haves. I suppose if you do certain things a mill might be more than just nice to have, but I think a lot of guys are making knives of various sorts without one. If someone wants to give me on for free I'll take it though :) I'd vote drill press for now.
 
The drill press is adequate for what you are currently building, but if you continue to move more toward folders the mill will be helpful. You can build fixtures with the mill for precise fitting of folder components.

after all knife making is just about acquiring tools....Right?
 
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