Hobby Sites

Mini-lathe.com One of the best sites on the web for details of construction, operation and maintenance of mini lathes. Many projects.

 Mini-mill.com A subdivision of mini-lathe. Same as above.

Varmit Al's Lots of shop info and hunting and gunsmithing tips.

Jose Rodriguez One of the finest metal craftsmen around.

W. G. Ermers Interesting metal shop and more.

Merchants

Homier Mobile Merchants The lowest prices around for the mini-lathes and mini-mills, but you would be better off to buy them at their truckload sales due to the shipping costs. NOTE: Recently Homier has been very spotty on the stocking of the lathe. The mill is usually in stock, but see the truck sale note above. Shipping is rather high.

Harbor Freight Many handy shop items at good prices. They have a low cost ground shipping plan, but it is very slow. Regular UPS is a bit higher. Check the listings on their web site. They may have a store near you.

Online Metals Full range of machining metals at good prices. Short lengths are fairly reasonable. A bit high on drill rod. See Enco.

Enco Large catalog of tools and materials for the machining trade. Full range of qualities and prices. The best prices I have seen on drill rod. Raw metal sales may require lengths you do not need, see Online Metals, above. Processing and shipping are fast and small orders do not bother them.

Littlemachineshop.com A goldmine for the small shop hobbyist. They operate only on the web and are owned by a small shop hobbyist. All sorts of accessories and any part you might need for a mini-lathe or mini-mill (yes, every part).

PM Reasearch Supplier of kits for miniture shops and steam engines.

Caswell Plating Great supplier of polishing and powder coating supplies. Very reasonable prices and quick shipping. Full range of buffing wheels, compound bars and powder colors.

Reference Materials

This book, six years in the making, contains a wealth of secrets, hints, etc. for both the experienced and the hobby machinist. Click on the book photo to go to the author's home site where there is much more information. Review: I have read this book cover-to-cover. It is hard to put down. As the author advises, the book is written from an industrial shop viewpoint, but many of the practices covered apply to the smaller scale hobby machinist. It is a jewel for novices as it explains many of the methods they have not been exposed to and clarifies many operations that might seem too difficult for the uninitiated. It is a must have for any hobby or commercial shop.