Landon M.'s Profile

2 Reviews

The DVD does presume the viewer will have at least basic, fundamental knowledge about machine tool operations, but it doesn't get into the minutiae and complexities that might be too much for the beginner to digest. I'd say it's definitely geared towards the "advancing beginner". If you're the lucky guy who found a Taig at a garage sale for $50 and have never even thought about machine tool operations before, there will be some things you will hear on this DVD that you'll probably have to google. Given that most people who purchase taigs are already advancing hobbyists, I believe the level of instruction in this DVD is totally appropriate for a beginners "how to" DVD.

One heads up for new Taig owners who haven't ever done any machining before: understand before you rent this DVD that a lot of the operations shown are done using accessories and peripherals that do not come standard with your lathe. These are things that any serious hobbyist will need to buy anyway- some of them are "taig specific" while some of them necessary for machining in general- but be aware that a lot of the instruction on this DVD isn't geared for someone who just "opened the box on Christmas morning" and doesn't have anything else.

Taps and dies, the Taig milling attachment, three jaw self centering chuck, four jaw manual chuck, flywheel cutting, etc- all of these things are addressed on the DVD and will require the purchase (or in some cases, fabrication) of end mills, end mill holders, drill bit sets, taps and dies, lathe die holders, indicator test gauge and stand, plunger indicator gauge, etc...

All in all, I would certainly recommend this to a hobbyist who hasn't ever done any machining before. If you're an advanced machinist who already has a high degree of comprehension of general machine tool fundamentals, this DVD probably isn't going to teach you much that you don't already know, given that many of the Taig operations are the same as any other lathe operations, only in miniature.

Short review of the "Advanced" DVD.

This is where Mr. Rodriguez really lets his knowledge off the leash. It's very apparent that he has a true genius caliber mind for spatial reasoning and mechanicals- a mind that not everyone is blessed with- so take this into consideration. Also, his vocabulary for technical terms is pretty darn high. Not pompously high, but he does explain things in a very precise sort of way, usually utilizing the proper technical phraseology. No biggie for formally trained machinists, but for self-learners who are advancing, it might cause a Google trip or two for a clearer understanding (I will mention here that the fact Mr. Rodriguez speaks with an accent is absolutely not what I'm addressing here. His overall command of the English language is probably superior to 90% of native speakers and he is eminently understandable in every way)

As with the first DVD, this volume addresses a number of functions that are 'tool specific', requiring peripherals that are more esoteric than those required in the beginners DVD.

Still, if anyone wonders what this little wundermachine is capable of, you really see it in action on DVD #2.

Highly recommended.