Nothing screams "this needs a precision level" quite like an outdoor session with the angle grinder and soft wood under over a ton of steel

@jakeoshay

25 күн бұрын

Indeed, the precision angle grinder. Done by hand. 😂

@TheDimsml

25 күн бұрын

@@jakeoshay I hate to be that guy, but don`t they hand scrape surfaces flat? I do know that if one uses that blue stuff, a carbide scraping tool and a reference flat surface, then you can get it pretty flat by hand alone. Not with an angle grinder, of course, but I thought it was just step one to remove excess metal.

@whoshotashleybabbitt4924

25 күн бұрын

@@jakeoshay nothing more precise than the “eye-crometer”

@Spookydude3

25 күн бұрын

@@TheDimsml hand scraping is painfully slow, with how out of flat that was it wouldn't be too unreasonable to use an angle grinder to at least get it close-ish if it was going to be hand scraped.

@beanieweenie9543

25 күн бұрын

@@TheDimsmlit would take 2 years to hand scrape that anvil.

Gets out a machinery handbook in previous video. Proceeds to be an absolute menace with machinery 😂😂

@eaoden8654

25 күн бұрын

A menace *to* machinery as well

@RobertGracie

25 күн бұрын

Alec previous video, does it by the book, this episode, the book is gone burned to ashes while Alec dances on its remains!

@SnyperMK2000JclL

25 күн бұрын

To be fair I'm pretty sure that's his default lol... gets a good idea of what to do then tries to do it from memory... its like a game of telephone that usually goes off the rails a tad.

@areyounecessary

25 күн бұрын

Having the handbook implies a willingness to read it :p

@AnthonyBowman

24 күн бұрын

@@SnyperMK2000JclL And now you know a little bit more about how to make compelling content on a highly successful KZread channel: Do things well enough to work and satisfy the essential needs of the thing and satisfy the people watching, but also do it just screwball/weird/wrong enough to give the complainers/haters/knowitalls/compulsive commenters something to comment about repeatedly. Add 1 part merch/sponsor plug, 2 parts charm, a dash of luck, and a whole lot of grinding (figurative and literal), and boom!

That setup impressed and horrified me in equal parts. Well done!

@FullSendPrecision

25 күн бұрын

I expected it to tip over.

@taitano12

25 күн бұрын

He and Will... They have the tendency to do that.😂

Install a laserpointer on the head of the bridgeport, so see if the dot on the wall sags as well... then you know, that the table sags bc of the head being too heavy.

@AlecSteele

25 күн бұрын

Great idea!

@brettfontaine4681

24 күн бұрын

I thought this was going to be some bullshit answer but that sounds so simple and effective.

@pacificcoastpiper3949

16 күн бұрын

​@@AlecSteeleya definitely gone mad mate😂😂😂

This is hands-down the craziest thing I've ever seen done with a Bridgeport. And I love every second of it. Absolutely amazed with the solutions Alec comes up with sometimes.

@drinkmorecocacola

24 күн бұрын

he couldve put two metal rods through the plastic housing on the circular saw. could even drop the tool down more than the plate it has installed.

@saltgunz_0064

24 күн бұрын

and with that jank set-up, ending up 0.15mm out of parallel beggars belief. i was raised in a household with a machinist/fabricator. i know how hard that small of a variance is to achieve with a good set up. i'm astonished.

@2000broncosfan

24 күн бұрын

@@saltgunz_0064 Yep, pretty impressive. I went to school for machining for a year or two, so I know a little, but not a ton. But enough to know how much of a pain in the ass it must have been to get that setup right lol

Maybe two suggestions: Firstly put the prcision level on the Bridgeport table to confirm that the table is not twisting and possibly tighten the gibs/ add more counterweights accordingly. Secondly, try to use a three-point contact for the anvil. This will get rid of the wobble you observed and makes leveling much easier. (That is just hammer in three wedges :) )

This is the very definition of "STUNT MACHINING". Glorious!!!

Id say we are watching his slow descent into madness but we are picking up quite some speed now.

@whoshotashleybabbitt4924

25 күн бұрын

😂😂😂

I’ve been watching Alec for YEARS now, and never have I ever been more nervous for him than when he started taking the mill apart haha

12:48 - *flashback to Will's darkest hour*

@_Agent_86

25 күн бұрын

I thought this was the flashback to his darkest hour @9:12 😂

@FACTBOT_5000

24 күн бұрын

The 9-11 of blacksmithing.

I love the approach you took. That tickles all my "i will not send these parts out to another shop"-senses. Also appreciate your crocs. Best shop shoes.

@StefanGotteswinter

25 күн бұрын

Addition: Would use two chain come-alongs and four concrete anchors to clamp the anvil base down, if i had to do this and could not talk myself out of it

@googleuser859

25 күн бұрын

I just came from your rotary table video to this abomination of a setup. I lt just shows there's different ways to do something 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

@njoshua3265

25 күн бұрын

@@StefanGotteswinter I agree, we've come too far too give up at the finish line

@AlecSteele

24 күн бұрын

Thank you Stefan!

This setup is exactly the correct amount of insanity. I think with leveling stuff there is a direct relation between how complex the leveling process is to how twisted you have to think to achive it.

My grandfather used to say “anybody can do it with the right tools…. How do we get it done with the tools that we’ve got?” Hats off to you bud. This is what he was talking about 😎👍

@geneticdisorder1900

25 күн бұрын

Yep, make use of what you have at hand. 🖐️

@Grandwigg

23 күн бұрын

​@@geneticdisorder1900and hopefully having both hands intact at the end.

Usually when Alex touches a machine tool I cringe, this time is no different, however I am impressed with the lateral thinking here and I can see this working with some tweaks. A good start would be to scale the cutter down to a 20mm end mill. If he replaced the wood blocks with concrete and used the forklift to press the work down to the floor I think it would stiffen it up. Looking forward to the next episode!

I've never heard the term "eyecrometer" before. I like it a lot, I'll have to start using that.

I wasn't so focused on this episode until I saw you beheading the Bridgeport. Then I was absolutely hooked!

I’ve been watching since barker street and I think this is one of my favourite series in years! So fun to watch you guys brainstorming and coming up with crazy solutions.

i love this series so much for some reason

@robertsmith4681

25 күн бұрын

Yeah taking apart old timey machinery is always interesting, we have much "better" stuff today but these old timers were still a lot more clever than we tend to give credit for.

Immaculate timing. Wife off on a work trip for the night. Which means it’s steam hammer on the living room tv whilst eating 😂👍

@takumi2023

25 күн бұрын

can't she appreciate a 20 minutes video? its not that long...

@MichaelFrankNZ

25 күн бұрын

@@takumi2023 Could be a steam hammer marathon perhaps? The artful descent into madness would make for a decent night of telly to me.

@nokbeen3654

25 күн бұрын

@@MichaelFrankNZ I remember the previous videos far too well. Instead it’s been a star Trek the animated series marathon on the bedroom tv. And don’t tell her this, but I ate in bed whilst watching 😈

@takumi2023

24 күн бұрын

@@nokbeen3654 lol dude if you like. i wouldn't eat in bed though too messy.

@vopenacattleco

24 күн бұрын

Nice alibi 😂

Don’t quit you can do this. I’ve seen you pull off the impossible before, you’ve come this far and I’m sure we would all love to see this lovely behemoth back in action once more. I would also like to add thank you so much for your content I always look forward to your videos 😊

@philthethrill7767

25 күн бұрын

Couldn't have said it better :) don't give up Alec!!!!

@AlecSteele

24 күн бұрын

Thank you 💪🏻💪🏻

If you’d have told me at 15 years old, I’d be getting excited for a new video of a man fixing 100 year old equipment I’d have never believed you yet here I am at 26 excitedly clicking on this newest upload 🤣

I've been watching you for years and I'm glad you gotten back to these types of multi episodes long series. Working on your machines is as fun and educational as the forging videos. Keep up the good work. Love your content

The world needs more people like alec who think outside the box and follow through.

@robm.4512

24 күн бұрын

I didn’t realise he’d followed through as well, didn’t even notice him fart. For myself, when I saw the Bridgeport rearranged with all of the mass of the head assembly overhung off the end of the table like that, I very nearly filled my own shreddies.😂

9:48 the most apt use of silly billy

You can check if your cutting head dives down by elongating that table full length and checking with your précision level if the other end of the table is still level. For tremendously heavy operations on huge castings some companies create a sandbox, filling the hollow parts and around a huge casted part to reduce chatter whilst machining. I saw that in aerospace for huge parts like spaceships

A couple videos ago I asked if you felt crazy enough to bolt the uppy-downy part of the mill to the anvil. You’re getting there.

Wedging the saw with the wedge your sawing …😂😂😂

This project is complete madness! (And I love it!🎉)

This is the best and most correct use of a Bridgeport. A++ would hang milling head off table again. 👌

Taking "Need a tool, Make a tool" to a whole new level. Love it!

Heya Alec! This is my favorite series you've done in years. Nothing against your other projects, but something about the absurdity of restoring such a neglected piece of history is very compelling. Keep it up brother

Sitting here on a Monday Morning Down in NZ, drinking my coffee from my Alec Steele mug, and very happy that nothing I am going to do today is this insane! Love your stuff guys, keep it up!!!

Literally the best mill set up I've seen. Had me chuckling the whole last 7 minutes of the video. Hope it works out for you!

So I usually watch videos at 1.5x. The part where Alec gets giddy with his giggles and laughs in fast playback speed is HILARIOUS and also makes Alec looks mad with that crazy Bridgeport setup LOL. My god that looks so sketchy as hell, but I can’t believe it worked LOL.

I love this series so, so much. There's nothing like it on KZread.

Alec! One day, I’ll have a shop, and it will be because you got me excited about it. Thanks a ton! I love your stuff!

Your silly, creative, git-r-dun nature, is my favorite part of your videos! Keep it up!!!

Soooo, for real, this is by far the most hilarious video series i have ever seen from any creator on KZread, its so well documented and it just has this experimental and childish kind of vibe but with heavy machinery and a proper community on your side 😂💪🏼😎 let's gooo

Just keep rebuilding old power hammers. Love it!

Loving the setup so far, very original use of a bridgeport and level

You inspire me with your tenacity and silliness.

We definitely find it entertaining. Always go down the unknown path my friend, it’s the best viewing

One of the best series on my feed right now

I've held off from watching you for months in hopes this would be done... just got from part 1 to part 8... suppose I'll have to wait another few months =p the project is definitely worth it for me, I truly enjoy putting myself in the place of 1900-1920 machinists' mentalities and resource availability. Great history, rock on man

I am quite glad you went with this option. I hoped in a previous episode you'd come up with it and take the plunge. Nice job using what you've got on hand. I hope it's enough to do the whole operation. See ya at open sauce!

Mate, I'm tremendously invested in this project! Needed to say that out loud

I am loving the new machining focused content, I do miss some good ol' heating and beating of metal

My motto is ‘there’s always a solution’ and this episode is literally right there 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Having fun watching the process. Stay safe.

Please continue in this direction! How to mcGyver a Bridgeport!! What good content! Love these multi part series!!

Been watching since the start and loved every second of it. You're the reason I got into blacksmithing 8 years ago (with an sledge hammer as an anvil and a carpenters hammer, forging nails and rebar in a campfire). Now I'm out here forging with the 140 Steele anvil and proper blacksmithing equipment improving the skills you taught me and making things I never thought would be possible. So thank you for all the laughs, knowledge, and content over the years. Keep it up, I'll be here til the end. Much love from across the pond, Elliott H. (from San Diego, CA, USA.) Ps, I'll never forget the "man I feel like a woman" bit a couple years ago, when you moved back to the UK (video : my German Friends Bottom Components at 0:40, favorite moment in Alec Steele History.

I'm loving this series. This eventually leads to a von Neumann machine and I'm hear for it.

Damn Alec, I enjoyed that a lot. I was thinking you need a big shaper to throw it on, but your unorthodox mill rig is just fun. And, maybe it'll work!

You should use a belt sander. I also love the weekly uploads. Love all the laughs too fellas. Well done

Knee mills, aka Bridgeports, are amazing machines. The shop i currently am in, i am told, once mounted the head a Bridgeport on the spindle of a large horizontal mill to cut a keyway that nothing else they had would fit into the bore to do. What happened here isn't that crazy, and when properly set up is quite ingenious and adaptive. It's got potential. For such a safety Sally Alec can be sometimes, here he is moving heavy metal things and machines in crocs.

Watching you learn how to do this as you go along is so incredibly satisfying

Does anyone else get nervous when Alec does his crazy maniacal laugh?

Now the fun part of putting that Bridgeport back together!

no clue if youll see this, but i used to watch every one of your videos year(s) before you moved from Barker Street. Its been a while since i made anything with my forge, or seen your content but had inspired me to get into blacksmithing, which unfolded into a plethora or hobbies that really make me proud of who i am. I finished forging a japanese petty knife recently, and am onto grinding now. You and Grant Thompson are on par with my father when it comes to creating inspiration for me to take on projects and challenges and do anything i want. I appreciate you, and am happy to see your channel growing and thriving and inspiring so many more people.

I wish I had not started this series. I hate waiting for new episodes! Very entertaining, wish my wife thought so.

Level - my Kingdom for a level. Floor, base. anvil. Love it!

This is actually so smart, I love it!

As a hobby blacksmith learning machining as a profession, I am enjoying this series so much

This is becoming the most chaotic series you've ever done, and I'm all for it!

That is the wildest thing over ever seen anyone do with a mill. Woah!

This has to be one of your most crazy creative solutions ever

Wowow the 1900’s?!? This thing is more than 25yo?!? What a piece of history!

See Alec going full mad scientist with this project is too much fun

Keep at it Alec. You got this.

Love your unorthodox approach to solutions Alec. This is series is epic 👌

I always love when Alec says "We"....What have "We" done Jaime...

the sheer level of jank is borderline unbelievable

*_That shell mill is applying a lot of force to the part. You should use instead an end mill at half the diameter of the shell. You will get the cut without a lot of the force being applied to the part._* 👣👣👣

@onsecondthought4174

24 күн бұрын

Yep. I was thinking the same exact thing.

People at work are gonna have a field day with this one.

Exciting! I love these scheduled videos!

We have a two-axis machine level that was used during the installation of our large former-NATO satellite dish. That level has been sitting attached to the structure since 1971 :) One of our team are restoring it -- cleaning the rust up a bit, etc. We used it to confirm that the structure was still perfectly level (I'd be shocked if it wasn't) as part of the restoration process. Not exactly a 100-year-old steam hammer, but....

Absolutely ludicrous, I love it.

I would anchor the milling machine down, as well as the anvil. You can install d shackles into the concrete with concrete bolts, then either chain or strap the anvil down to the floor to keep it from wobbling. Also, when you get the milling machine back in position, research leveling feet for the milling machine. Its a more permanent and easier way to level the machine while also keeping it mobile.

I'm super entertained! Glad you're back on the mill. You're on the right track imo!!

This is madness. And I am here for it!

I love the bridgeport hack. Remember that most of this stuff uses wedges originally because the casting and machining could not be very precise back then thus the graphite rope and gaskets with generous usage of boronze materials. wedge on 2 points of contact to wedge against one precision surface. All of these are originally hacks to improve tollerances and remove need for precision on the machine in many areas

@America_Yea

23 күн бұрын

My point is that beyond using say an actual anvil for counter weight and a more solidly constructed base this likely isn't much different from the original precision level used on the machine.

My man is staring down the BEST excuse to buy a shaper tool, and avoiding it. He could even save a few grand on shipping costs alone! (That's like 6 new things!) He even built one using a milling machine, and can't force himself to see what he's done.

Alec is really straining the bounds of the adage "If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid."

I do enjoy watching you two explorer and attempt to wholistically resolve problems. 👍

This project is amazing. Exactly because it is very difficult and only progressing slowly.

I like watching you improvise

Oh i’m so looking forward to this episode!

The giggling! The maniacal laughter!

PLEASE make longer videos

Alec, your ingenuity and creativity never ceases to amaze me😂🤙🙏

love the safety crocks

I was so ready for that mill to tip over. Maybe next video? 😂

I have no idea why you're doing any of this, but at this point I'm invested

Wow! This is freakin awesome! That's some out of the box thinking

Absolute insanity. I love it!

Option B. Machine the dove tail as best you can. Then use that surface as your reference. There is only 1 single freshly machined super-flat surface on that anvil, and you just made it. Make everything square to that.

I love the setup!!!

Madness! I like it! :)

Please don't give up on milling the Anvil. This is one of the coolest things you've done, and I want to see it finished. :D

What a madlad. I love this project so much.