The Home Machinist!

Thanks Jim. I'll try cycling the permanent magnet on/off. Maybe sopping up the coolant beforehand will help too. Something about this just doesn't feel right, can't imagine getting large parts off the chuck. A covered (plastic/paper) magnet from above? How do you pull a 1/4" x 4" x 4"...

Nice work! That spindle, you said it was a "double angle collet chuck". Store bought somewhere, or shop made? And btw, any hints on using the magnetic chuck? Things are so flat I have trouble pulling them off the chuck due to residual magnetism and vacuum sticktion - prying scratches the c...

I've a manual 6x12 grinder and have a need to alter the cup points on some 1/2 x 13 x 2" setscrews. I'd like a slightly rounded point and would really, really be interested in seeing a home-brewed grinder setup. Another setscrew needs a long point, ground to 55 degrees. I also have a need to sh...

Once the plate threads onto the spindle fully, how about lightly snugging it up and take a light face cut (or two) across the chuck side to clean up, then flipping it (with the spacer installed) and re-face the plate register? All indexing would then be from the threads.

Could you slather some layout blue on the spindle threads and register for me? Let it dry, then spin the plate on and remove it, see where it's binding. It's sounds like the register bore is too tight. Simple to bore it out, but having the register face square to the threads is critical, and you've ...

The original manual spells out the New Departure bearing part numbers: Rear: 773L093C-P1 Front: 4773L10N3081C-P1 Which are no longer available.. The bearing guy picked out 60102ZNJEM and 60092ZJEM in grade ABEC-3. They're OK. I'd rather have ABEC-5 and sealed, but I couldn't find the larger one with...

I have a 1955 too, and last summer I replaced the bearings. Once you remove the spindle nut on the left end and the bearing cover on the right end, it all practically falls apart. There are four Belleville spring washers setting pre-load. Make careful note of their assembly; the rest is easy.

Small tools. Always buy two. One to use and one to lose..

Sounds like shrink-to-fit and margins might be turned on. Good thing you checked the actual size before drilling.

Layout by hand?? What?!

It's in the thread called "Involute Gear Cutting", near the end. This might link you to it: http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=88834&start=21 You'll have to install some software from sourceforge.net and activestate.com to run it, but it's all free stuff, no st...

I posted something to plot and generate/draw/print involute gears the other day. If you take the number of holes and divide by the diameter of the bolt circle, then plug that number into the "diametral pitch" box, the result can be used to layout a bolt circle. I mean, if a guy is desperat...

I think the AL plate in a three jaw has some merit, but I'd want to thread a center hole in the plate and run a length of all-thread out the back of the spindle to help secure things. In fact, you can use a short length of round just shy of the jaw depth (jaw depth minus plate thickness and a tad mo...