Made a fly cutter

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Well You know that most of you guys got me into cast bullet shooting! ( And a bunch of you got me into PC coated bullets!)
Just starting to wonder if a lathe and mill are now in my future!!!:embarrassed:
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
If you do there are lots of folks that will help, and of course there's Youtube and other net resources. But lust like bullet casting, now matter how often you say it to yourself or your spouse, it really WON'T save you money. But you might have a lot more fun!
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
I know I know ...also cast bullet shooting was going to save me money! NOT!
There are just too many cool things!
You guys are all "Enablers" but I love it!
Just keep Posting this great stuff!
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Keith, while I'm not real sure that I'm worthy of your praise, on your other point, I'm in constant amazement of the angles, fit and finishes that were produced in machine shops where the only source of power for machinery was water or steam.

ShopFloor.jpg
 

Ian

Notorious member
But lust like bullet casting, now matter how often you say it to yourself or your spouse, it really WON'T save you money.

Usually. If you buy a really inexpensive hobby lathe, on sale, and do a lot of gunsmithing with it, it can save you a LOT of money. I paid for my lathe at least twice with the money I saved in gunsmithing fees in the first year. Now, technically, I wouldn't have saved any money if I'd paid $4000 for a proper gunsmithing lathe. Also, technically, it didn't save me a dime because just like bullet casting and handloading, all a lathe did was allow me to do a lot more for the same amount of cash. That's what I tell my wife, anyway. Imagine how much more I could do with a mill.....right Honey?
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Excellent point, Keith. And we got to the moon on slide rules with the most rudimentary
computers. Trig, good tools and smart folks can make almost anything. Of course, CNC
can make it faster and cheaper and easier in many cases.

This is how is it that an entire firing system subassembly for a S&W M&P .45 auto handgun
sells for $26 retail. :) I discovered this when trying to buy the tiny spring that holds the
trigger bar sideways when removing the magazine safety (option) on mine.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Jim, it is often just the way we think.
I am too cheap to buy 2 new Star sizer dies at 50+ each but spend 5K on a lathe, tools, and wiring to make them myself for 2 bucks each.
Just think, once I make 100 or so for my own use I break even.......
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Like hunting for "free meat". :rofl:

Now, I did used to get rabbits, squirrels and armadillos for really cheap, shooting them with
my .22 rifle. After that, it went all down hill, at least from a money savings standpoint. Had
a whole lot of fun, though.
 
Last edited:

Intheshop

Banned
Told the wife my first mill was for one of the boys...... he did go along to help pick it up. She was like,"you only got one"?