I have a Unimat 3 lathe.  It is the older model, all cast iron.  I have turned a few things on it.  I made an aluminun plate for the table of an old Craftsman bandsaw, for a friend at Custom Columns.

I have purchased the Dave Gingery series of books "Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap".   I am collecting scrap aluminum, to include pop cans, old harddrives and several old gas grills.   I plan on building the metal lathe as a skills building project, plus I get a larger lathe out of the deal.   Whether I continue with the series, only time will tell.   Tho, the shaper looks really cool.   I have cut an old BBQ propane tank in two, to make the foundry furnace.   That was interesting.   For safety purposes, I filled it with water and used my 4" grinder with a cutoff blade, to cut the top off.   I will have to post a picture.

I also have three in the "The Machinists Bedside Reader" series by Guy Lautard.  Great info and some really good stories.

I have also worked on shaping a piece of RR rail into a makeshift anvil.  Several cutoff blades and a grinding disk later, it is looking better.  See Beginning ,  Current

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