The metal shop is where the heavy iron lives. A full-size vertical milling machine and an engine lathe let members make precise parts in steel, aluminum, and brass: shafts, bushings, brackets, fixtures, and repairs for machines that stopped being sold decades ago. Welders, a bandsaw, a chop saw, grinders, and a drill press round out the zone for fabrication work: frames, carts, brackets, and art.

What people make: custom motorcycle and car parts, tooling for the other machines in the shop, repairs for farm and shop equipment, steel furniture, and the occasional battlebot.

Training

Every machine in the metal shop requires training before solo use. The mill and lathe can seriously hurt an untrained operator, and they’re also the machines most easily damaged by a bad cut. Training is one-on-one with the zone lead or a qualified member and typically covers:

Mill: tramming, workholding in the vise, edge-finding, reading the DRO, speeds and feeds, climb vs. conventional cuts.
Lathe: chucking, tool setup and height, facing, turning, drilling, parting, and threading.
Welding: machine setup, safety gear, ventilation, fire watch, and a supervised session on scrap.

Our metalworking instructor runs periodic classes on the mill and lathe (see classes), and a Thursday-night demo is always available.

Safety

Safety glasses always. No gloves at the mill or lathe. No loose clothing, jewelry, or long hair. Never leave a chuck key in a chuck. If you’re not sure, stop and ask.