I've had my lathe for a few weeks now, been doing web research, and practicing what I've learned. Well, today I decided it was time to actually make something, and being the incredibly creative guy I am, my first project was a muzzle brake :-). I think it came out pretty good for a first attempt:



The pics are as machined, other than wiping off cutting lubricant, I haven't done anything else to it. Material is 6061 aluminum. The machine is an older (10-12 years) Grizzly 12x24 belt drive, and I think it leaves a surprisingly nice finish. I need to invest in some more tooling, especially some longer boring bars. I'm limited to about a 3" reach with what I have.
If any of you machinists out there have any critiques, I'd love to hear them. This is all new to me, and I'm learning as I go. Any tips and suggestions would be more than welcome. Later.
Dave