The Home Machinist!

Do you mill out a slot and then just take a series of cuts with the dovetail cutter to get the angled part? Nice looking project. Scott.

Yes Scott, you want to remove all the material you can with a regular cutter {rougher} then use the dovetail cutter.
Michael

No, muddstopper, it doesn't work that way. All mill tables are going to be "drooped" from age and gravity. But it can't be picked up using the method you suggest because the table is traversing the knee while you crank the table back and forth and you will only pick up local defects in the...

I would think that no matter where you live, there is a big truck repair shop not far away and they are a good source for salvageable materials for your home shop. Axles are big and I think they are 4140. Brake drums are great for the bases for your grinders or anything else you need a stand base fo...

Thank you Scott and yes, your right on all counts. I wish I would have made this about 15 years ago as I now discover it is something you use all day long instead of some of those things we build that gets used a couple times a year.
Michael

gmacoffline, how the hell do you remember all that stuff? I have trouble trying to remember where I sat my coffee cup down last. OK, here's one that has bugged me. I'm going to boil some eggs. I fill the bottom of the aluminum pot with eggs from the refregerator. The bottom of the pot is covered wit...

gmacoffline, some good idea's there I will have to put into effect! And you said you don't have imagination! Thanks again
Michael

Thanks for the nice comments fellows! Well, now I'm enjoying it as much as building it. Victor, I'll bet you know what that big grey thing is! Marty, I thought the toilet paper would save me from running to the bathroom whenever I have a bad wreck on the mill or lathe. Really though, I like the tp f...

Here are photo's of a toolbench I just got done with. http://myweb.cableone.net/michaelaz/tbfront.jpg I used maple for the top. I can't work in wood, no tools, but a friend did a nice job putting it together for me. http://myweb.cableone.net/michaelaz/tbtop.jpg I made three racks to hold the lathe t...

Not sure I can give many difinative answers here, but will make a few comments. With a motorcycle engine I would want at least .060 running clearance. All engines "grow" with the heat. Also when you bore cylinders, you might just go out of your mind trying to consider the best and correct ...

Those look like good screwdrivers, cba. Their photo's do a good job of showing what some of us are trying to explain. I was forced into learning this and grinding my own drivers because of working with guns. I didn't even want to knock of the blueing from a screw slot. And even after grinding the bl...

Nice work Jacin.
Michael

I have been using Snap On screwdrivers for several years and have been very happy with them. I have done a lot of gun repair and always ground the tips to fit. With gun repair you have to have a good fitting driver and having lots of screwdrivers I think, is the way to go. After you learn to grind t...