Re: FWIW first welding job, 2 years on

"Richard Smith"  wrote in message news:m17c84kath.fsf@void.com...
Thanks for the hints about the 3-in-1 sheet metalworking machine.
Something of that size might be doable in my outbuilding if projects
were to go that way.
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I use sheet metal tools to fabricate electronic enclosures, they aren't much use for building machinery except for cover and control panels, which can be flat, and if aluminium cut on a table saw.
The valuable equipment is a lathe for power transmission components and a vertical mill for the static structure, plus a horizontal bandsaw to cut stock. The lathe and mill need to be stationary, the bandsaw can be wheeled to move to where you have room for long stock.
They don't actually divide that neatly, I use assorted 5C collet tooling to move work between the lathe and mill, and British model engineers have a tradition of making steam locomotives etc entirely on a lathe.
A knee mill is generally considered preferable to a mill-drill if you have the space and funds. In the USA a Bridgeport or clone is the small shop standard though I've built a sawmill, firewood splitter and tractor bucket loader on a knee mill half their size. The small scale mining equipment you've mentioned might be possible if difficult to make or recondition on machine tools the sizes of mine.