Tech School milling machine project ideas

[DHuffman]

My youngest son just started a 2 year precision machining course and is looking for ideas on a shooting related project.

Any ideas welcomed. Thanks!

 

[riverwolf1]

Build a rail gun! Top & Base, when completed he could sell it.

 

[riverwolf1]

Like this!

 

[GerryM]

Precision bullet making dies.
Theres always a need for those.

 

[joshb]

Tell him to make Daddy a custom front rest!
OK, two. Father and son. That would make shooting more fun!!!

 

[hogpatrol]

Fixtures for truing actions, chambering barrels, recoil lug pinning; a barrel vise, action wrench, etc. In other words make something you can use to make more stuff, i.e. tools.

 

[Toolbreaker]

How about something like a small reloading press, aka Harrell's compact press? If he's just starting out, something like that should give him a good primer on all of the bread & butter processes of machining: simple design & drafting, milling, turning, threading, some fitting and mathematics.

 

[jdh47]

He can make a tripod front rest. It does require some welding.



And a Remington rear entry wrench.

Also a Wilson type bullet seater cut with the same reamer he chambered with.

Lots of things shooting related one can build.

 

[ragsflh]

lots of good ideas

 

[JRS]

Does your son have to supply his own material?

 

[Uthink Uknow]

He might consider building picatinny (Mil. Spec.) rails with 0, 20, 30, 40 MOA built in. It will probably require him to also build the sine jig to hold the work piece. That is interesting too.

 

[butchlambert]

Precision bullet making dies.
Theres always a need for those.

Gerry Gerry, Kinda like some others that have responded, the OP said milling machine projects. I doubt that they will do EDM electrode shaping and and operating a plunge EDM.

 

[GerryM]

2 year precision machining course right? why only considering the limitations of just a mill and lathe?

No plunge and machining electrodes? How about the other tooling laps die bodies etc etc?

Jigs etc etc I don't see where it specified milling Making those dies is an art form

At R IT Rochester NY in the 50's and early 60,s to pass the machine shop program by Ray Beihler and Walt Astles
Then again I Believe the tool steel dies of the day were bored and reamed in a lathe
I know Ross Sherman did it that way.

 

[B Nettesheim]

Tools tools tools, barrel vice, action wrenches, trigger guards, butt plates, an entire stock would be cool, make a barrel hexagonal, fluting a bolt or barrel. Oh and have fun too!

 

[DHuffman]

Thanks for all the replies! I've already suggested the front rest and rails as well as bolt fluting. I'm not sure who supplies materials. I'll have him cruise this thread.

 

[Steelnecktie]

Good milling project !! These monster reloading blocks were made by @The Viper
They are awesome, I have found a lot of uses for them and they stack on each other for storage. They are super handy after annealing brass with AMP, just put hot shell in block, who thin a couple minutes, block sucks heat away from brass and they are cool.

 

[butchlambert]

2 year precision machining course right? why only considering the limitations of just a mill and lathe?

No plunge and machining electrodes? How about the other tooling laps die bodies etc etc?

Jigs etc etc I don't see where it specified milling Making those dies is an art form

At R IT Rochester NY in the 50's and early 60,s to pass the machine shop program by Ray Beihler and Walt Astles
Then again I Believe the tool steel dies of the day were bored and reamed in a lathe
I know Ross Sherman did it that way.

Gerry, Gerrry, The OP headed this thread for milling machine projects. Now if he is interested in lathe and grinding, so be it. Gerry, if he is a polished machinest at this time, he can then learn to make electrodes and do plunge EDM. I doubt in the 21st century that competition bullet dies are turned on a lathe, reamed, and polished. Maybe he can learn how to rifle in a wooden box like in the olden days.

 

[DHuffman]

I don't pretend to know much about it but believe he is looking for a project that focuses on gaiming proficiency on the mill at this point.

Again thanks for the responses!

 

[bobm]

How about one of these? Easy straight forward project for the beginner. Lots of milled parts, some turned, some wired, some purchased. Then you get to use it.

 

[22DASHER]

A scope checker!!!