Hi from South Africa

Hi, I live in Gordons Bay, South Africa.

I am a BI project lead and my hobbies are RC cars/Helicopters and now also started with some home machining.

I bought a minilathe made in the east under a German licence and I am very happy with the quality of this machine.

I also got a mini milling machine. Different name but same as the S2 mini mill that is so popular in the States.

South Africa does not really cater for the hobby machinist and finding material is quite a big problem. I currently get whatever I need from the local scrapyard. Suppliers does not cut material and sell in short lengths, so if you need anything you need to buy full length stock.

Quality machines for the hobby machinist are also not as freely available as elsewhere in the world. Importing a lathe will cost us around three to four times more than for someone in the States.

Luckily I am quite near to a tool and machine supplier and can get whatever tool I cannot make from them, again at a very steep price.

Hi christoe,

Welcome!

Sounds as though your new hobby is off to a good start, though I'm sorry to hear that expenses are so high in SA. You'll just have to build more homemade tools... :) Meanwhile, have a look at our Machining category for inspiration.

When you're ready to share some of your own homemade tools, we'd love to see them. Please post them directly in the Homemade Tools subforum. We'll add each one to the database, as well as to your builder page on the site.

Non-tool items should be shared in the Not a Tool, but Homemade subforum.

Ken