Johnny B. and His Garage Shop.

This is one of our visits with Johnny Bellantuono at his garage shop. He is the Chairman, Executive VP of Dynamic Manufacturing in Hillside, IL. This is a family owned business that he gave us a tour of while we were visiting. In the near future we will be uploading a video of that tour. You can check out Dynamic's website and Johnny's Instagram at these links:
www.dynamicmanufacturinginc.com/
Check out and subscribe to Johnny's Instagram if you want to follow him in his journey learning machining and grinding.
/ jbellantuono610
Johnny's Podcasts:
/ @johnstone610

[@bcbloc02]

Good of you to help him out. Always nice seeing more people in the trades.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Brian, Johnny is a super person. There are a few others in our area I been helping out too. Most want the training without the KZbin Video. We appreciate Johnny allowing us to make KZbin videos of his journey knowing that others will benefit as well. Steve

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Nice shop setup started, he will do great. Very nice of you Steve to help Johnny.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Randy. Steve

[@johnstone610]

Thank you Randy!

[@dizzolve]

Respect the generosity to give up your time for greater good ...... and sometimes even just ........ some good. "Good" man

[@johnstone610]

Steve and his family are incredible people. They are even more helpful and kind when you get to know them!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Bobby. Steve

[@abennett5636]

The Bridgeport brings back some good memories of working with my grandfather as a kid.Machining just gets in your blood nice shop.

[@brianpoi5117]

That was a very good, instructional video. More like this.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks, will do! Steve

[@imysteryman]

Thanks for sharing your method of squaring, it make a bunch of sense.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You're very welcome! Steve

[@josephlovell6951]

Nice to see you out helping and using it to help others

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Joseph. Steve

[@dannywilsher4165]

Very good information to know!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad it was helpful! Steve

[@ActiveAtom]

Nice to view this share Steve and Family, we are happy to see you share this young mans vision and his wonderful equipment. We like seeing the surface grinder being new to owning one ourselves and learning from Steve's videos, we think he is really knowledgeable, his efforts have guided us GREATLY thus far Johnny Lance & Patrick.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Our pleasure! Steve

[@johnstone610]

Thank you all! Could not ask for a better mentor!

[@andrewschaefer7109]

Thanks very much Steve, really appreciate you sharing your knowledge.. what a nice young man Johnny B . Good to see

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You are welcome.

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for watching! Steve

[@Randallvgc]

Another great video. I like the “Golf Pro Parking” sign!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for watching. Steve

[@James-fs4rn]

👍Great content as always. Congrats to Johnny on the home shop and being able to get the master for private lessons. I'm sure many are wishing we could have the same. I would add: always lock the knee after you position it. This helps accuracy by removing some the tilt and Abby errors. Sorry if it was said and I missed it.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks James, I have helped others close by too. Recently a man across the state actually came to our shop a few weeks ago for a day training on the surface grinder with future visits when he is ready. If you are close by we can always get together at Solid Rock, I would be happy to help out. I just have to be careful with the limited free time I have available. Only so much one person can do at a time. As far as locking the knee I rarely do it and tram the head with the knee unlocked. I know you seen many of our video's so you are aware of the precision I achieve. Steve

[@radiusnorth1675]

I'm inspired by your generosity of time and knowledge.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thank you very much.

[@mamoshimamoshian9078]

Greate Guys. I really Wish I could be with you Guys and learn from Steve. He really is an Amazing Master. Good Luck

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for the kind words. Steve

[@garyshirinian]

Beautiful I love it. Great work . I'm a tool and die maker for sometime now. Good luck I see you are with good hands there . Good luck

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks. Steve

[@outsidescrewball]

Great discussion and demonstration

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Chuck. Steve

[@destro513]

Okay the back jaw. Assuming it's not the vise or the jaw, as I'm sure you've disassembled and stoned it all down, you can shim the vise temporarily or shim the head where it mounts to the ram. I did this on a prototrak at work and brought it right in on the interapid dial

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

The table was out, it would vary as you traversed across it. So shimming the back jaw would only be good at the spot where you shimmed it and out again as you moved in the Y axis. Johnny just bought a new Acer mill so everything is right on now. Steve

[@t.d.mich.7064]

Try a new spindle nose on the "CheValYay" grinder. Found .0003" run out on a new grinder once and once replaced, it ground flawlessly. Your Bridgeport mill was made the same year I started my Tool-Die apprenticeship. Have fun with your adventure.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks old magician. Steve

[@kimber1958]

Great content thanks

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad you enjoyed it. Steve

[@rodfrey]

AHHH! The moustache is gone! I thought for sure you'd recruited your younger brother to do this video for you!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Hi Rod, That was an accident. I woke up groggy that morning and was going to trim my mustache and forgot to put the trim attachment on. I woke up real quick after the first pass. It could have been worse I was going to start with my eyebrows first but changed my mind. Steve

[@johnstone610]

Only a matter of time until someone noticed!

[@corndog6700]

Johnny B, you mentioned you're trying to hit some tight tolerances on your mill. What do you consider tight tolerances, .0005? .0002? 50 millionths? True story. I worked with an 80 year old machinist, 60 years exp. We regularly had to do .0005 tolerances, .002 true position, .001 parallel and perp. Not the tightest, but not something you just slap in there and let it fly either. And he hit the numbers every time. Even parts i struggled with. When he retired, I figured I'd try his mill (original early 80s Bridgeport, not re-scraped anything other than new nuts on the screws), it had to be tuned in, right? It wasnt the mill. Mine was much tighter. Watch those old guys, when they're gone, so is that knowledge.

[@johnstone610]

Hey Robert! I would be happy with anything sub .001 in squareness and flatness after a basic squaring op like you see here. I use the grinder for anything tighter than that if applicable. That is impressive being able to hold those tolerances on a manual mill! I am always trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can when I am around experts!

[@corndog6700]

Oh yeah, almost forgot. How often do you have to clean the chips out of that Gerstener tool box, it looks like you'd roost right into it. Anyways, nice little shop, and you're fortunate to have Solid Rock there to slap you around a bit and keep you pointed in the right direction. Good luck brother .

[@johnstone610]

Haha quite a bit! I have some guards that I put up but they only help so much. I need a bigger shop... I am extremely fortunate that our paths crossed!

[@johndebrular979]

I believe that I would consider moving that tool box behind the mill to another location. Might be full of chips by now.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Johnny is aware of that. Steve

[@johnstone610]

A constant battle John! You are right it does have a million chips in it by now. The boxes are there temporarily until my new lathe comes in and I can finalize the layout of the shop. The grinding grit likes to cover my computers as well... A work in progress!

[@chrismate2805]

Great video, when to deadblow.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks. Steve

[@joell439]

Excellent tutorial. Only detail I might add is close the toolbox lid to keep the chips out 😜

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Hi Joel, Johnny is aware of that and plans on addressing I believe after his new lathe comes in. Steve

[@johnstone610]

A constant battle Joel! If only I had a 4 stall workshop instead of a 2 stall!

[@chrisstephens6673]

Of all the you tube machinists that is only the second time i have heard someone say about the quill being fully up, but then there are only one or two who work to tight tolerances and one is called Steve.😉

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for the kind words Chris. Steve

[@t.d.mich.7064]

I also always ran the threaded stop up and locked it. Keeps the spindle lock working longer and prevents any possible drop.

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc kind words where they are due.👍

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@t.d.mich.7064 it doesn't take a genius to know that the greater the surface area the greater the rigidity, hence a fully up and locked quill, but some folks are too lazy to wind up the knee.😉

[@petermurphy3354]

@@chrisstephens6673 A lot of You Tubers use the quill for better camera angles. If you raise the knee or lower the head you will not be able to get a good view for the camera. It does set a bad example though. I personally never use the quill for any milling, only for drilling & tapping.

[@jcs6347]

Question Steve: Do you know who re-built Johnny's Bridgeport? Thanks

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I just know his first name. I will let Johnny give you the details. Steve

[@johnstone610]

Hey JC! Gerry from Condor Machine Tool co. in Chicago did my rebuild. He is fantastic and I highly recommend him. He works on all of our manual mills at Dynamic as well. His phone number will come up with an internet search. He is located right next to Midway airport in Chicago.

[@santopezzotti730]

Hi John where did you get the apron and what is the name of the calculator

[@johnstone610]

Hey Santo! The apron was made by Tyler Newberry at Nice Custom Goods. He let me design my own apron and he brought it to life! He is on social media and has a website as well. The calculator is a Machinist Calc Pro 2. You can get those at a lot of tool distributors and even on that big online store that sells everything that everyone uses!

[@santopezzotti730]

@@johnstone610 hi John I am a 71 year old newbie for the past year I have been buying tools a auction. God has blessed me. I have a small shop 14 ft x 14 ft I hope to tram my mill and vise in this week end. I will try to find the apron guy thanks hope to talk to you soon

[@santopezzotti730]

@@johnstone610 are you finding the apron being hot in the warm weather.

[@johnstone610]

@@santopezzotti730 Luckily I have AC in my shop so I have never really tested it when it was super warm. It is pretty heavy leather so it may get a little warm but the fit is loose enough to get air between you and the apron so I wouldn’t worry to much.

[@NiceCustomGoods]

@@johnstone610 Thanks, John!

[@niclascarlsson4150]

Hello! Did you find a solution for your surface grinder problem? I have the exact same machine, bought brand new. It´s capable of very accurate work and true mirror finish from certain angles. Problem is that when light hits in the "wrong" angle the surface finish looks like crap. Like a tractor tire pattern. Even the factory table grind looks bad in the same way. Impossible to get a UNIFORM surface finish, rough or fine! Niclas from Sweden

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

No. Johnny had to trade it in for a Hydrophilic Acer. The Acer is great. In the past I liked Chevalier grinders but will never by another new one after the bad experience with this machine. I will never recommend them to anyone again and warn others to stay away from this company.

[@niclascarlsson4150]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Ah, ok! I suspect something is wrong with the spindle on these machines(?). I have tried everything from dynamic balancing of wheels to special suspension of coolant hose to prevent vibration transfering from the pump. Adjusting Z-axis ways... It´s very frustrating because the machine grinds extremely flat and accurate, but not as pretty as one would like. Thank you for your answer!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@niclascarlsson4150 We tried everything I could think of to fix it to no avail. I was getting a better finish at .005" depth of cut on my Acer than we could at .0001 depth of cut on this machine. And the Acer cut was 10 times better in on the profilometer. There was an extra coupling in the tool box that I never seen ship with a machine before and when Johnny received the machine that back spindle guard was removed which lead me to believe they tried to fix it before and yet sold it to Johnny as a new machine.