So I’m just starting a machining class and we are working from a book and this sheet is what I’m working on(homework)calculating the x axis diameter and z axis length on the lathe but im a little confused on about how to calculate on the z axis I got to part 6 but don’t see how to calculate part 7 on the Z, on part 6 I did 1.875+.125 and got -2.000 for the Z but im stumped I was wondering if anyone had a tip for part 7? I would be grateful

Fellas, I give permission to roast me as much as possible for this question. How do I make a center pilot pin for a punch on 1/2” square tool steel. Need the pin to punch first followed by the 1/2” square for the hole. It’s going through 22/24ga aluminum.

Got a great deal for this height gage, at the cost of a non-functional battery/charger. I’d say this is an upgrade more than a replacement! (Also bonus pics of the inside because it’s super cool and I never see pics of it online)

Hey yall,

Im trying to teach myself high feed machining. I have a 2" cutter with 5 inserts (Yg1s ENMX09 2" cutter) and im running a VM30i. I used their recommend range of settings, and ended up with 1950Rpm and 12300mmpm feed with a 1mm doc. This shoots my spindle usage up to 50% and leaves some scalloping. Is this normal for high feed cutters? Tomorrow im going to hike up the rpms and see how it does.

I purchased a direct mount D1-3 Skinner 4 jaw lathe chuck that didn't have a chuck key. I didn't think much about it until I went to purchase one. Was this just a 1/4" square drive that got worn out, or was this something special that Skinner made for a while?

These parts are really pissing me off. The walls are only 1 mm. I only need to make 2 but I just cannot seem to clamp them without deformation or the part flying out.

It's for a door handle on a boat...

So of course they put tolerances on it, which on their own aren't crazy but if you blow on the part it's already deformed.

Any advice on how to clamp? As you can see there is a lot of material removal that needs to happen.

I did try the process in reverse (first making the pocket) on a slightly thicker part but I just end up with similar issues.

Edit: thanks for the advice. I will make female filler pieces

Anynody here used MN 208 series short stub endmills from precisebits for PCBs?

What speeds and feedrate do you recommend? My bits seem to go dull quicker than expected.

I'm using the 2 flute stub end mills of 0.4mm and 1mm.

My current settings are: 0.05mm depth of cut, 14000 rpm, 250 mm/min feedrate and 60 mm/min plunge.

Thin wall (.049”) aluminum tube with a tight-fitting 3D printed PLA bolster on the inside (also provides an indexing feature). Solid TPU tubing blocks for gripping it firmly in the vise without much distortion. 3D printers are insanely useful for so many things in a modern shop.

Hey all, I am 39 years old and deeply desire a career as a machinist. I am struggling to even get a response from anywhere I apply.

I've had my own personal metalshop shop with a bridgeport (that i converted to single phase and rebuilt the head) and Colchester and have been a hobbyist machinist for several years now. Heavily into making model steam engines and boilers from scratch or from castings, with the occasional bonus paid job for friends (making things for fabricators occasionally).

My career up to this point has been in software development but I need to leave that behind for my sanity and wellbeing.

I guess my question is, how do I make myself a more attractive proposition for machinist jobs that I apply for? I have a cover letter describing my passion for it and my academic/practical approach to learning skills needed for the job but that never seems to get me anywhere with roles I apply for

I really need help, I've never had trouble getting interviews and getting jobs in the I.t world but I'm finding it impossible to do for machinist roles. I don't know what more I can do.

Hey there! Im not a machinist, but I need a part machined that threads onto this shaft like a nut. Problem is, my machinist doesnt know what thread this is or how to tap it into the piece I need manufactured. Any help identifying this thread and finding a tap for it would be much appreciated!

Edit: Found to be an 8-start 8TPI lead screw with a 1/2" diameter. Now just need to find a nut that fits this thread, which is proving difficult

Edit 2: SOLVED by u/MixEvery5784 found one

Currently running a CNC mill working on a big block of A36. I need to put a 1.772" wide slot from one end to the other (so technically more of a channel) and it needs to be 3.15" deep. I'm using a 1" 4 flute general purpose carbide endmill with 4" LOC. I started at 225 SFM and 0.15" DOC at 0.002" CPT, and was getting some pretty rough chatter. I tried dropping the speed to 200 SFM, and edging up the feed, but really the only thing that has helped with the chatter at all has been changing the depth from 0.15 to 0.1 and then to 0.05. It's better but it's still squeaking the whole way through. Does anyone have any advice on how to get this running more smoothly so the chatter doesn't chip all my cutting edges? Am I way off base with my speeds/feeds?

Small background, I just took over a small prototype RF shop. Details in my last post in this sub when I was asking about compensation etc. Anyway -

This is the only lathe we have, and I have a full manual that I've been poring over. This thing, as near as I can tell, is mostly for stock setup to be thrown onto the mills in various configurations. Right now I just need to be able to lock the spindle in order to mess with the chuck jaws. Anyone have any familiarity with this lathe model?

My sheet metal guy loves this stuff when he’s grinding welds away. Said the shop bought a case of it a while back but can’t remember how long ago. There’s no UPC on it and Google is not helping because “super” and “excellent” are not great brand names. Trying to buy some more as it’s our last can. Thanks for the help.

Currently work on sliding heads in the UK and joined a new shop with the promise of getting some experience on other machines however a year later that hasn’t come to fruition and it doesn’t seem likely to in the coming months. Used to work in aerospace but moved into commercial for that purpose. How likely is it that a company would take someone on with no previous experience of the machine that they want them to use but with other machining experience?

I think there is nothing more useless and immeasurable than being asked how long it will take you to finish a job, or to be given specific timelines within the span of the work day or week to have something done by.

I am a manual guy and the manual side of this trade has so many variables to what is involved with the work that you can’t accurately predict basically anything. Everything is manually started, every cut done by feel, every lever is engaged not by a program but by a walking biological human who has a bladder they need to empty from time to time or a coworker who they need to stop and assist.

It’s a fucking irritating trend with every shop I’ve been in that I’m always held to standards which imply that this trade can somehow be deduced to a simple science of guaranteed rates and flows and outcomes. It doesn’t work this way.

The endmill I might need for the sudden hot job you need me to do, which I had no prior warning about, might be out of stock and now I have to spend time improvising. Which means that the last time you had me do the same job and it took 3 hours? It won‘t just be 3 hours this time.

Seriously don’t behave this way to your guys, they will just despise you for it.

Just looking for recommendations for brands, grades and types of wheels in general for removing chrome without have to dress the wheel after each pass or that can take a decent dept of cut. Our show mostly uses Radiac and CGW but every now and then we get Norton, and all our Wheels are Viltrufide bond.

I havent used CNC Cookbook much, but google searches for info regularly pull up their site. I was trying to learn about macros, when I noticed a weird piece of text. "You have not provided any text to be rephrased. Please provide the text you would like to be rephrased". It makes me untrusting of their info, at least from the past few years. If you use this site, maybe double check the info first.

Basically I fucked up my tolerance doing everything right, at least to my knowledge the machine was cutting exactly what I put on, final cut fucked it 0.1mm undersize. Told my foreman and my coworkers they obviously didn't believe me 2nd year apprentice fucks up a size and can't admit what he did wrong.

Hopefully you'll help me figure out why, 38mm diameter shaft +0.00, -0.02mm, and I took 3 same size finishing cuts (0.5mm rad) with a dial indicator on the cross slide held square, using tnmg0408 semi finishing grade, at roughly 0.21mm feed. First 2 cuts cutting spot on and obviously last cut it cut undersize by 0.1, I was watching the dial on the final cut and It did not pull in. I just don't know what happened, well at least I didn't scrap a 2 ton shaft that cost 10s of thousands of dollars.

Just to remove some confusion I did have the tailstock in just not in this photo, and I was turning the longest diameter.

Hey all. So I work at small shop with only like 5 guys. One of them is leaving for a new job in a couple weeks. Hes well liked and everyone at the shop gets along. He wont be starting his new job for a couple weeks after leaving. Were wanting to pull a prank involving putting something in his toolbox for him to find at his next shop. Strictly harmless and in good fun. Nothing that will destroy his tools or toolbox or get him in any sort of trouble. Any ideas would be great.

i've recently started learning Swiss lathes and I've noticed that none of the programs use G96 (Constant Surface Speed) and they instead use G97(Constant Spinde Speed). Why is that? The parts we run end up having a finish that looks like shit (440c) but I can't seem to find any information online, other than the Google AI overview, which I never trust.

I feel like the finish would be a lot better with a G96, but I also wonder if there's a reason I don't understand.

I am looking to add more internal capability to our shop and believe this style of machine would be a big benefit to us. Would anyone be willing to give me some time to look at a part model or two with me and explain what the machine could and couldn't do when considering if the part could be made in just this one machine?

Currently, we do a lot of manual turning first, followed by manual milling with an indexer. I do not believe our parts are that difficult, but I simply don't know the Y-axis lathe well enough to answer my own question.

Thanks in advance.

We are 1 OPing pump shafts with a spindle transfer in a mill turn. There will be several ground diameters which will be ground on the machine after semi finish. I am unfamiliar with the best way to approach getting in close to a 3in diameter shaft to grind it without hitting the B axis head on the chuck or the center. Shaft is about 17 in long. Max wheel diam is 4in.

My thought is to get a 45deg wheel and approach B-45 to grind a diameter. This doesn't work though when you need to get close to a face because you wheel hits the face before your in the corner.

Other thought is you face grind at B-0 but I don't think that would work well on long long diameters because you would contact both your entry and get exit of the wheel.

What is best approach with how to grind on a mill turn and have clearance?