Machine Shop?

Michael Czeiszperger · **Joined:** Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:35 am **Posts:** 861

Can anyone recommend a machine shop for something minor? Preferably close to Chapel Hill, if such a thing exists...

Thanks!

BretLuter · **Posted:** Thu May 23, 2013 4:43 pm

Don't know of anything in the Chapel Hill area, but for engine machine work of any kind- I always use and recommend CHS (Cylinder Head Specialties) in Wake Forest.

What sort of machine work do you need done? Might be a "regular" shop that could do it....

Michael Czeiszperger · **Joined:** Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:35 am **Posts:** 861

It need a hole enlarged in a very thick metal part, and its too big for a drill bit or die grinder, and too small for a angle grinder. I think a qualified machine shop would save me from screwing it up any more and would have the necessary equipment.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

I've been happy with Fabco Industries, but they're behind Performance Chassis in Cary.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Fri May 24, 2013 8:56 am

My experience has been to stay away from automotive centric machine shops for this type of work. If you are not asking them to turn a brake rotor, work on a cylinder head, or any of the other common things like that, they either claim they don't have the equipment to help you, not setup to do it, or more likely don't care to mess with your small task.

Richard

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Fri May 24, 2013 9:06 am

It's been a long time, but I used a shop next door to Carolina Automasters for some one-off machine work. I was fitting disk brakes to a car that originally had drums, and the rotor hats would not clear the flanges on the rear hubs. They were able to mount the axles on a lathe and cut the flanges down. Did a great job at a reasonable price (charged about 1 hour of labor). It wasn't hard, but it was not ordinary work either.

Brett_Murphy · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:02 pm **Posts:** 355

T. Hoff in Raleigh may be able to help.

If you just need a hole enlarged, would a drill press with the right bit be appropriate, or do you need a chamfer or something put on it?

Michael Czeiszperger · **Joined:** Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:35 am **Posts:** 861

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I ended up buying a Harbor Freight die grinder and high quality burr and it ate through the steel like butter. Unfortunately, I was wearing a t-shirt, and the tiny metal shards impaled themselves in my forearms. :-(

Ouch!

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

The worst part had to have been listening to Metallica's Iron Man on loop while it happened.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:36 pm

Michael Czeiszperger wrote:

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I ended up buying a Harbor Freight die grinder and high quality burr and it ate through the steel like butter. Unfortunately, I was wearing a t-shirt, and the tiny metal shards impaled themselves in my forearms. :-(

Ouch!

BTDT myself. Those burrs work very well, but are not excatly cheap. I think the one I bought was over $40.

Michael Czeiszperger · **Joined:** Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:35 am **Posts:** 861

This $10 carbide bur worked well for me:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VY ... UTF8&psc=1

Charlie Guthrie · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:14 pm **Posts:** 832

Glad the carbide burr worked out for you Michael. I should have also given you my tale of woe about using one; and that is to make sure to wear good eye protection and head covering. While porting a head I was careful to use goggles, but somehow a metal shard managed to fall out of my hair after I removed the goggles and I wound up in the ophthalmologist office while he pulled out the sliver with tweezers. Not fun.
Keep in mind it's not just the debris flying directly at you that can get to you, but the bits in your hair and clothes are often needle sharp (and pokey).
Charlie G

Brett_Murphy · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:02 pm **Posts:** 355

I keep a rare earth magnet in the garage to deal with the metal bits that fall out of hair and clothing and into one's eyes.

Charlie Guthrie · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:14 pm **Posts:** 832

Brett wrote:

Quote:

I keep a rare earth magnet in the garage to deal with the metal bits that fall out of hair and clothing and into one's eyes.

So, Brett, is the magnet in the shape of a comb or goggles or do you just hold it really close to your eyes and pull stray particles out of your eye? Inquiring minds want to know the details. I have a few rare earth magnets, as well as an assortment of speaker and fixturing magnets, but none seem like they could pick up a particle from one's eye from a "comfortable distance".
Charlie G

Brett_Murphy · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:02 pm **Posts:** 355

It is out of a hard drive, so it is kind of shaped like a semi-flat kidney bean.

It will tug loose particles out of your eye in a pinch, but it does have to be kind of close. I take it with me to the junkyard when I go.

It is purely an emergency item; if it doesn't take a bit of metal grime out of my eye, it'll be a trip to the Dr. Usually this and a good flush with water take care of whatever has gotten in there, though.

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