David J. Gingery (/ˈɡɪŋɡəri/; December 19, 1932 – May 3, 2004) was an inventor, writer, and machinist, best known for his series of books on how to build machine tools.
Casting and Machining Parts for the Updated Gingery Metal Shaper. Speed Table for Atlas-Craftsman 12” Lathe ** Excel Spreadsheet for above article **.
Gingery is most famous for his Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap series, which details how to build a reasonably complete machine shop at low cost, often from scrap metal and other items. The hobbyist starts by constructing a small foundry capable of melting silicon-aluminum and zincalloys from recycled automotive parts. Then green sand castings are used to make a metal lathe. The lathe is the first machine built since it can be used to help build itself. The lathe and foundry are then used to make more complicated machine tools.
The books in the series are, in the suggested sequence of construction:
- The Charcoal Foundry
- The Metal Lathe
- The Metal Shaper
- The Milling Machine
- The Drill Press
- The Dividing Head & Deluxe Accessories
- Designing & Building The Sheet Metal Brake
There is another book by Gingery, not usually counted as part of the series, entitled Building a Gas Fired Crucible Furnace, which can be substituted for that describing the charcoal foundry.
The dominant themes of the series are recycling, using inexpensive and free materials, and bootstrapping the shop's capabilities. Gingery is noted for using basic methods, seldom used today, in order to make it possible for a skilled hobbyist to build the machines in the book series, usually without the aid of power tools or other expensive instruments.
In addition to the Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap series, Dave Gingery and his son Vincent have published a large number of booklets on shop practices, engine construction and mechanical miscellanea.
He was also a devoted amateur musician (primarily tenor banjo) and vocalist performing the music of the Great American Songbook and classic country. He told the story of practicing yodelling out in the middle of a field at his farm, before finally realizing he couldn't do it as well as he wanted.
Links and references[edit]
Dave Gingery Pdf
OK - we're (well, I'm - but we're using the imperial 'we') making a lathe. Like, for machining metal. Out of melted beer cans, in a flowerpot in a trashcan full of sand. As the great Dave Barry said: 'I am not making this up.'
Why?
Well, as the immortal John Belushi said: (loud belch) ... 'why not!?'
Our Good Book is the Orange Book of St. Gingery - also known as 'The Metal Lathe', by the late Dave Gingery. This handy pamphlet-ish book, the 2nd of a series of 7, has step-by-step instructions for folks wanting to build a lathe from scratch. Many folks around the world have built or are building 'the Gingery lathe' -- there's an entire newsgroup on Yahoo dedicated to 'Gingery machines', as well as a ton of websites.
I'm putting together pictures, notes, and so on, to help others on this sacred journey -- and for a few friends who think I'm nuts (but secretly wish they could do this if only their wives would let them, and if they thought they could get away with it without burning their ... ummm ... fingers ... off).
The books are available at Lindsay Books' website, and/or at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, etc. Check out: http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/index.html for the main series.
The Metal Lathe Gingery Pdf To Excel Free
This is how the project works: (a) You make 'patterns' of the parts, out of easy-to-work stuff like wood (pine is good), plywood, hardboard (the dark brown stuff that lots of pegboard and 1950s elementary-school fixtures are made of), etc. (b) You make molds in sand, with a few other ingredients; melt metal (easier than it seems, and DARN good fun!); and pour the molten metal into the mold cavity. And, (c) you combine the parts you make, with a few bits of steel, machine bolts, and such, from the local home center or hardware store.
Tools needed are simple: while a drill press is VERY helpful, the plans are designed around simple tools like a power hand drill, a few threading taps (not too hard to borrow, or fairly inexpensive at the local home center/hardware shop), etc.
The most important thing, imho: you'll learn a LOT about Making Things -- metal casting, machine tools, parts, tolerances, etc. -- it's a thrilling learning process! And - when you're done - you'll have the core component of a fully functional machine shop!