The Home Machinist!

I have the Craftsman Drill Press with the skinny belt. I bought it new in the 60's and did not see the belt until I got it home. I figured it would not last long and I could replace the pullies when the belt broke. It never did. I have use it often and mostly with drills from my 1/2" sets but I...

Did you check the blade tension ? Not enough tension on the blade can make the blade walk off the wheels. I've had that happen on other belts, mostly flat leather belts. I don't think that is a problem on this one as it will run forever with no load then it jumps off the drive wheels instantly when...

Progress Report -- I have gotten to the drive wheels and they are not rusty. They are covered with a oil layer, something I must have hurriedly done that when I pulled it out of the water. I have not yet tried but I'm pretty sure some Simple Green and paper towels will clean up the drive wheels quic...

I have an older model grizzly. Same problem. The key for me is to adjust the down feed to just the right point. Mynsaw has a small hydraulic cylinder that controls down feed. A bleed screw on the top of the cylinder controls the rate of downwards travel. If you have the same hydraulic feed, perhaps...

Tracking for sure -> and / or rust on the wheels under where the blade contacts...when drive surface has to be clean and dry..look at the bottom drive wheel. I'm sure there is some rust on the bottom drive wheel but I could not figure how to get it off. The wheel diameter is too large to fit in my ...

I have a 16-year-old Grizzly G4030 (per id tag manufactured in 2006) metal cutting band saw, bought new, that for it’s first 10 years worked perfectly. I did not use it more than a few times per year so it should not have any significant wear. However, it did get wet when my shop flooded so I took i...

About 50 years ago my dad had left some parts to soak in gasoline. The can was in our garage (an un-heated detached) building. I saw the can and wondered about it but did not do anything to it. Perhaps a week or two later I was back at college and I got a call from my mother telling me that my young...

I also use Buttercut for everything I'm cutting, drilling, milling, reaming, honing, etc. It comes in quart can with a spout in the top. I've never had any problem with it spoiling, but have had times when the spout broke off the can top hole. I can't figure how to make a replacement so I just buy a...

so I'm inclined to suggest that wood helps prevent rust I have heard that also, and can report that I do not have problems with rust on my woodworking planes that live in drawers made of plywood. "Okay," you say, "but your're in Phoenix where it's very dry." Indeed that's true m...

Where are you finding affordable fixed reamers suitable for taper pins ranging from #0x3/4 to #4x1. I looked at McMaster Carr and found the prices were about $77 each. I need them for rebuilding my ShopMaster 3-in-1 and will only put in about 4 holes with each size. I'm totally ignorant about just w...

I use to work for IBM in the manufacture of MultiLayer Printed Circuit boards. The boards we were making had tiny embedded via holes to carry the circuits from one internal layer to another. We had a custom made heavy duty drilled hole machine that used drills with a .125" shank diameter a tape...

Slightly off topic -- but curiosity always motivates me. I saw the company name, Stuart Turner, and thought that's the company name on my old wood lathe and jig saw. I just went down to the shop and saw that my old tools were Walker Turner. Anybody know if there was a some historical connection betw...