The Home Machinist!

The increased HP won't increase the output of your compressor pump unless the current motor lugs down as it fills the tank at the upper end of it's pressure range. As STRR said, your compressor output is a function of rpm & cylinder displacement. You can gain faster recovery and an increase in c...

As Harold said, I have a healthy respect for all the machines in my shop.
But, if I fear any of them, it's my old 60 rpm 1/2" hand?drill. That thing
will twist you like a pretzel and tie your hand to the trigger with the cord at the same time.

northwoodsguide wrote: is it going to be possible for me to get the right backing in the 2 hundred dollar range?

You mean like this?:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=508&PMCTLG=00

That wouldn't be the wisest way to do it. Your right, very easy to damage the threads on your spindle. but, even if you could do it without risking damage, you would translate any runout in your chuck to the new backing plate when you cut your threads. The idea is to make the entire backing plate ru...

+1 for Abe Books! I bought my 18th edition there at a substantial discount from what I saw on flea-bay. It has no info on carbide inserts or G-code/CNC but that's what I have a computer for. But, it does have the info I look for most - threading, gears and gearing, materials, toolbits (HSS and carbi...

Here are a few I've done. A height gauge for setting tool height made from a dial caliper that hit the floor and broke the fixed jaw. http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j422/Scottike/Hgtgauge.jpg Also pictured is a collet chuck I made that lets me use R8 collets in my Rockwell 10" lathe. The s...

Choosing AXA or BXA depends on the size & kind of work you mostly do, and the size of your lathe. If most of your work is on the smaller side, and your lathe is on the smallish side (9-11") then a BXA toolpost wouldn't be my choice. The tooling is more expensive if you choose to use the lar...

If your 3 jaw has 2 piece jaws, make a set of AL soft jaws to hold the part. Then center drill the end. Mount a small boring bar and take a couple of cleanup passes on the center hole you just drilled at 60/30deg. (I re-purposed a broken 3/32" end mill for this purpose) Try to chuck up the work...

HSM had an article on one that started with the May/June 2008 issue.

Odds are it is 1 1/2 x 8 tpi, but I would pull the existing chuck off
and verify.

Your looking for Loctite 271 "Locktite Red"
Here's a link to their offerings:
http://www.loctiteproducts.com/threadlockers.shtml

I bought one of those Cheapo X Y drill press vises, it has the same problem. when I disassembled it, I found that the base was bowed up in the middle, causing the slide to be tight in the middle, one end was .012" higher than the other - and twisted to boot, so it didn't sit flat. After a coupl...