The Home Machinist!

We have used a strip of thin gasket material, wrapped around the shaft, and pinched/clamped between the halves of the steady rest to keep it in place. Squirt a little oil on it and you're good to go. Still leaves a slight, very slight mark, but easily polished out. As was mentioned with rollers, you...

Try the "big blue" style sheet.

Bob, I've only ever made a couple in crankshafts. Probably a little larger, journals 1.5"Ø and about 2" wide. We used a 1/4" wide "T" type cutoff tool, with a radius on each corner. Turned from a solid, with the tool hangin' out about 2.5". Had to make the bearings also...

Enco boring head country of origin? Don't know for sure, but they're probably about 10% to 25% of the price of others, so I can probably guess. You're correct about the "direct reading", and I believe that is the only way to go. Make sure to ask when buying though, because they are made bo...

I collect Starrett tools also. (I told you I really liked 'em [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif"%20alt="[/img] ). Every once in a while I have to pull out the old #64 Test Indicator, or the #65 Center Tester, etc.! and use them just to see the reactions. Just can't get into the digital ...

I've got to agree with Harold...can't beat Starrett, IMHO. Many will disagree, but my livelyhood depends on it...part of being in the trade. Maybe not a requirement, but have got a pretty good selection of Starrett "at home" also...plus a few older B&S and Lufkin.

Dylan. Collets WILL hold end mills securely as long as everything is in good shape, clean, and properly tightened. ER collets have a greater range, so you don't need as many. ER collets are shorter, meaning less gripping area = the least secure of the three you mentioned. Biggest selling point for t...

Try your local auto parts store. I have bought it at a couple of the big "chain stors"...NAPA & Auto Zone.

Roy. I have the Aloris BXA on a 13" SB and it "fits" perfectly. A friend has the AXA on a 10", and although it takes smaller tooling, he did not like the size of my BXA on his lathe...just a little too big.

Hanz, what I know as a "spider" has a similar design to the "3-legged soft jaw boring spider" but with four or eight screws and a design that allows it to be attached to some type of tailstock center...or a complete unit, with Morse taper that would fit in the tailstock. Used ins...

Hanz, by biggest concern would be measuring the "way" angle accurately and then duplicating that angle when tilting the head. I wouldn't worry too much about rotating the part to cut the 2nd side of the "V". Assuming you have a machined suface somewhere on the "face" of...

Hey Matt. You might want a variety of vise jaw "liners". Have made them out of soft aluminum and stuck 'em on semi-permanent with silicone caulk. All kinds can be usefull at times on a bench vise. Hardwood, softwood, canvas, rubber...almost whatever you ahve around [img]/ubb/images/graemli...