Good tool sources

[eblaschka]

Hi

I'm new to the forum

This Christmas I will fulfill my long lasting dream and buy a lathe/mill machine.
Don't beat me up - it's going to be a Smithy Midas. That's all the money and space I have.

I will need to buy everything needed, from Cutters, endmills, marking fluid, indicators...

Can you give my some pointers where to buy these things?

I don't need mass-production tested o.oo1 precision, but I also don't want to regret buying some cheap crap, that is not worth the money.

I don't know the ranking yet, from BMW to Yugo so to say.

Also are there any catalog companies where I can buy most of the tools needed as a one-stop shop?

Thanks a lot !

[masonbcaldwell4]

imho, look for valenite / kennametal / sandvik (stay away frm greenleaf) tooling for cutters, and starrett or mitutoyo for measuring (or brown & sharpe, like their last words' better)
MSCdirect.com is one source for everything (and I mean everything) at one stop. even if you just go to browse, if you sign up for their catalogue, you'll get a book about the size of a large dictionary, plus their monthly sale mags. not everything they sell is good stuff, stay away from import, or anything not name brand... I'm sure some wisened ol' grandaddy machinist will slap my hand for some of those brands, but by and large, they've served me well in the past.