Does anyone near Indianapolis have a milling machine I could use?

[tigman250]

Originally Posted by MXtras

For me, that's like asking to sleep with my wife or daughter.

Scott

he can have my wife, but stay the hell away from my daughters and mills!:evil:

[dougpfaff]

Originally Posted by tigman250

he can have my wife, but stay the hell away from my daughters and mills!:evil:

I should have seen that coming.lol

[moe1942]

Originally Posted by tigman250

he can have my wife, but stay the hell away from my daughters and mills!:evil:

Tig, didn't you say you were divorced????

[Shade Tree Welder]

Originally Posted by moe1942

Tig, didn't you say you were divorced????

If'n he's not, he will be if she ever sees this thread...

I would let the kid use my mill, but he would have to bring his own tooling...

[TriHonu]

Some times you just have to look harder...

I found this ad on Craig's List in Minneapolis. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/tls/502612753.html


I grew up in central Minnesota. The High School and VoTech school used to offer Summer School Machine Shop classes. The cost was $45. You would sign out a tool box and had access to a complete machine shop. You could bring in your own projects or the instructor would provide projects based on what machines you wanted to learn how to operate. You had to pay for the steel you got from the school. Basic tooling was provided and you only had to pay for tooling if you destroyed it.

I learned a lot and had access to a shop where the only thing stopping me was my imagination.

As for someone letting you use their tools... That will be tough.
I have let some close friends use my equipment but only under my supervision and only with the understanding that if they damaged anything they would pay to fix or replace it with an equivalent item, and I get it in writing. I have a written Loan/Rental agreement that lists the items, terms/conditions and costs. Even if I loan them something at no cost the conditions state what they owe me if it is damaged, destroyed or not returned by the specified date. Having them sign a document makes them enter in to a legal agreement and lets them know the consequences. I also don't provide consumables anymore. Blades, grinding disks, sanding belts and pads, etc cost money and I don't want to count how many times I've gotten tools back and had to replace these items out of my pocket. Someone properly using my tools for a couple of hours won't cause any significant wear and does not cost me anything. But I draw the line at buying your consumables or having friends borrow equipment to go and do "PAYING" jobs for them. If they are making money off my equipment, they will pay me to use it.

I got burned on loaning out tools to close friends. I loaned a $1200 saw to a close friend and it got stolen out of his garage. It took me two years to get a replacement saw from him. In the mean time I ended up buying a replacement so now I have two. Still burns my a$$ every time I look at them...

[dubby]

It's sad TriHonu, but I think a lot of us are the same way.


I just got my tile saw back, after it being "loaned" out for a day job. I got a kick off that job, but I havn't seen the damn thing in nearly a month. No telling how many other "jobs" it's done. I did notice it had a new blade, the old one only had 5 hours on it at most? For that kind of use that would necessitate a new blade, I'm not going to support anyone's day job. I didn't even get to use it enough before I hurt myself to even make it pay for itself.

My trailer has begun spending MUCH more time at home since I started charging for it as well. The only person I don't charge for is the buddy that offered to pay the registration on it--and eventually did. He also maintains it well the entire time it's in his posession, and has greased the bearings more than I ever have.

[Shade Tree Welder]

I try not to borrow tools, and I am very selective on who borrows them... cause you just never know what will happen...

Last time I borrowed a Portaband, I had a new blade on it. I burned up a couple. My buddy got it back with a used blade on the machine and a couple of new ones in the box. He was happy and so was I.

[MXtras]

If you borrow something from someone, return it in far better condition. Clean it well, repair the cord, replace the blade, tighten the handle, polish it - whatever. Just don't lube it - that seems to cause issues.....

That's common courtesy in my opinion.

Scott

[flametamer]

Originally Posted by MXtras

If you borrow something from someone, return it in far better condition. Clean it well, repair the cord, replace the blade, tighten the handle, polish it - whatever... That's common courtesy in my opinion.
Scott

Mine too. I have borrowed a local guys backhoe a couple of times and it's the same thing. He has a "you break it you bought it" policy which is fine by me. It gets returned with at least the same amount of fuel and hydraulic fluid in it(a few of the cylinders leak) it is clean and all other fluid levels have been checked. I goes a long way toward next time.

Dt

[TriHonu]

dubby, Shade, MXtras, flametamer: glad to hear "Common Courtesy" still exists.

I'm not too cynical, but there seems to be more and more people that only care about themselves, their wants and everyone else be damn'd.

I very seldom borrow anything. When I do, like you, it is treated better than my own and returned in better condition than when I got it. If that means the tank is full, the blade is new or sharpened, or it has been cleaned it is the least I can do to show my appreciation. My neighbor has a $10,000 zero turn commercial mower with a bagger you can dump with out leaving the operator seat. (I love that mower...) He lets me borrow it in the fall to mulch up the leaves and dump them at the back of my lot. I have over an acre and too many trees. Each time I do my yard, I do his entire yard also. And when I return it, both tanks are full no matter how I got it. He really appreciates me getting his yard done. He is a small engine mechanic and in the fall the he works from sun up till 8 or 9 at night.

He has borrowed some of my construction equipment and damaged a hose and hydraulic coupler. There was a new hose and coupler on it when I got it back with an explanation of what happened and what all he checked. I couldn't ask any more than that.