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For a very long time I used my 7x12 without any modifications whatsoever and made lots of good stuff, so unless you discover some significant problem with your machine I'd suggest just starting to make stuff and learning as you go.? Some of the first things I made were some simple chassis inserts for my VW golf to replace the broken luggage-cover lift hooks, the things the lift straps hang onto on the hatch.? The originals don't seem to hold up very long.? I made the replacements from aluminum about 20 years ago and they're still going strong.? I actually learned a lot from that, turning studs with a specific ID, OD and length, and tapered inserts to expand the end of the studs.? I hand-cut two slots across the end of each stud so it could expand as I inserted the insert so the stud would be captured in the original hole.

The key to making items like this is to look at the original (broken) pieces to see how they work and then make parts that produce the same function....but simpler and probably uglier <g>.? Use the KISS principle whenever you can :)?

The other key issue is using decent cutting tools.? I started out _trying_ to use the cheap brazed-carbide cutting tools that many 7x12 vendors want to sell you, but they usually are about the worst possible thing you could use on a 7x12.? The? cutting angles on them can vary all over the map, and often are bad for a relatively low-powered 7x lathe ... or for that matter ANY lathe, unless you've got the right grinding setup for carbide.? If you don't want to mess with grinding your own cutting tools for now, buy a set of cutters that use carbide inserts from a vendor like LMS (Litttle Machine Shop) -- perhaps not ideal, but in my experience inserts work well enough for many of the things I want to make.? Most of my insert cutters are using the same insert they came with, 10+ years later -- since I mostly turn aluminum or softer materials.? Maybe the finish isn't mirror-like, but it's usually good enough for my purposes.

Remember the old Machinist's adage that "perfect is the enemy of good enough" and you will have a more enjoyable time making things.? Maybe I didn't reproduce the phrase exactly, but....it's good enough, right??

Mark

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