The Home Machinist!

I do not have a problem with end mills walking out. One reason for the post is that sometime I need to mill small parts of thin plate. Sandwiching between something beefy is fine for a long straight cut but for small parts with some intricate profile like fingers I figured that if the mill pushes do...

Thank you Glenn. Exactly what I was looking for.

I was surfacing a 1.75" wide HRS with a 1" inserts mill (2 inserts) and it seemed that the mill was cutting better when the cut ended in the clear than during the return when the cut was ending in the center of the part. I proceeded to cut offset one one side discharging in the clear and m...

If an end mill has to have positive rake on the end the flutes helic must look like a drill bit or a mirror image if meant to rotate backward. This imply that the cutting force has a lifting component. When edging thin plate or hand pivoting a piece on a dovel to round the end is preferable to have ...

Digressing a bit... everyone is familiar with rubbing a wet finger on the rim of a crystal glass. Only with a light touch the glass starts to sing a note; in other words it chatters. Use a heawy touch and noting happens, same idea between a fiddlestick and the fiddle wire. Parting manually is not fo...

Can you spell BUE? Built Up Edge, I am so proud of myself guessing a good reason befor reading Harold response. BUE can be avoided increasing speed, the fact that it developed as the SFM went down is a pretty good clue. Once you get it on carbide, when it leave is prone to take a chip and make a cra...

My wife has turned pens on her wood late, it never occurred to me to make metal pens.
Brass, stainless anodized AL. They may be a little heavy but nobody uses a pen for long writing anymore; just to write a check or a grocery list.

Why the adjusting screw?
What is the purpose of the ball and socket?

About the value of shop classes, even for college bound folks that will "manage" a megacorporation. I took shop for 3 years in middle school and 5 years in high-school, not a typical study plan but middle school was a trade school and high-school was tecnical institute. My specialization w...

Trepanning, which akin to Face-Parting.
Is a pain, but large holes require less relief.
I like to keep the groove wider than the tool.

Two lengths of pipe at least as long as the bushing. One with OD < Bushing OD and ID > Bushing ID so it sits on the bushing. Second pipe ID > Bushing OD, OD not critical so it sits on the forging. Two big washers, two nuts, and a piece of all thread Let the screw do the work. Smooth, safe, andnNo ha...

Sealkiller A rolling pin with no handles is not just a cylinder, it is more like a barrel stretched axially.
That shape allows some "steering" so you can expand the dough from center outward.
It's a very common variant in Italy where we like to make lots of pasta.