Educate Me: Smithy 3 in 1 mill

Ever since seeing JThw8's ad (too late ) I've been pondering Smithy 3-in-1's.

So anybody have any experince they want to share? Good or bad. Better/worse choices? GRM quality forums where I can learn more?

I'm thinking of assorted small projects it could be used for in my little hot rod shop. Not a full time milling operation. Space and budget are tight so a bench top machine is what I'm considering.

Nobody?

Just trying to keep this on the first page for now. I'll bump it again in the AM

I'm curious as well.

Let me qualify this with; I've never used one.

I looked into them before I bought my lathe. The main thing I heard about the Smithy is that changing from lathe operations to mill operations is time consuming. Also milling is limited due to the lack of reach.

I ended up buying a 9" South Bend lathe and a HF mini mill. The mini mill is a pretty good tool and has done everything I have asked of it, but even it is too small.

That's all I've got.

For $500 and local I was all-in because I already have a lathe so I could just use it as a cheap mill to replace my drill press until it was all clean and fresh, then flip it for real mill money (DAMN YOU SVREX!).

I would not search for any combo machine specifically just because of the limited capability unless space was at an absolute premium and time was not. For giggles - go on a machinist forum and ask if a 3-n-1 is good. It's like going on cornercarvers and asking which oil to use

Yea, I figured it would be safer asking questions here then jumping into a machinist forum and hitting a land mine with my first post.

My shop is only about 1000 square feet. It's already a little tight with the lift, cabinets, tool boxes, benches, etc.

First chance to bump for the day crowd.

As has been mentioned the 3 in 1s are a compromise but as you noted for small projects and limited space they have their place. That was my goal when I bought it, just some small bits here and there. Nothing requiring engineering grade precision. Smithy has been producing these things a long time with a lot of happy customers, but the pro grade guys who get the opportunity to work with machines that cost thousands of dollars will definitely not be satisfied with it.

One note about "benchtop" The one pictured above can be a benchtop but you need a really good bench, it weighs about 600lbs.

I think a smithy would be invaluable in a home shop if you dont have space for the real thing. Would be real handy in fabricating spacers, brackets, and other imprecise car stuff.

I'm looking to expand my fabrication tools beyond a drill press and bench sander. Something to make those brackets and spacers, etc.

I'd like to be able to mill the tops of cast aluminum valve covers for breather/oil fill openings. Maybe something to make some prototype parts too.

Rob_Mopar wrote: I'm looking to expand my fabrication tools beyond a drill press and bench sander. Something to make those brackets and spacers, etc. I'd like to be able to mill the tops of cast aluminum valve covers for breather/oil fill openings. Maybe something to make some prototype parts too.

I'll say... having a welder and a lathe (any lathe) around cuts way down on trips to the hardware store, junkyard or catalogs looking for stuff to "repurpose".

In just the last few weeks I have made steering shafts, spacers for my steering rack, new motor mounts, standoffs for my bumper, turn buckles for my wing... a short shifter - nothing exact or probably even correctly done but its all that little E36 M3 that stalls a project for days.

I want to get a small mill next so I can be as incompetent but somehow productive with rectangles as I am with cylinders.

About three weeks ago I had a chance meeting with a machinist that had been in the business for 40+ years and is now retired. I asked him about the Smithy and while he did not enthusiastically endorse any of them he did say that the Grizzly appeared to be HD enough to be good for small jobs. The one recommendation he did make was to get one where the head (Drill) could be moved out of the way when you needed to do other types of operations.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I want to get a small mill next so I can be as incompetent but somehow productive with rectangles as I am with cylinders.

For a small mill, what about a mini mill head for your lathe?

There was a thread in Off Topic about that- looked pretty good- just as much or more space than the 3-1 set ups. Just that the mill worked sideways.

Sure seemed like a really good idea.....

I have the Harbor Freight version of the 3-in-1. While its better than nothing, there are a lot of compromises as noted above. I can make spacers and simple stuff, but not much more. I don't have power feed, so I can't cut threads.

If you understand the compromises, it can be a useful machine. I did make a pretty sweet shift knob...