newbie

Last year I bought a 5x8 utility trailer and upgraded the heck out of it while teaching myself how to weld. Well now I enjoyed that so much I want to try something bigger. I plan on building a pressure washing, hydroseeding, and fire fighting trailer unit, gonna have a skid mount hydroseeder, a...

Hi all my Heros I have very limited experience with a lathe so bear with me please. A friend gave me a Logan 820 from 1947. It has been siting for ~20 years. It was used for hobby use its whole life. Dirty but no rust. I am cleaning it up and learning how it is built. It has some minor issues...

I've been afraid to ask this question, because I'm sure it displays(pun intended) my ignorance but I've been searching for the answer here for a couple of days and I can't find a clear answer. My searching has lead me to more confusion. So here is the background and hopefully this will give...

I'm a beginner looking to buy my first lathe. I'm not interested in a mini-lathe and I'm not ready to spend $3k+ on a Precision Matthews. I do want a lathe with some heft that I can grow into and will enable me to take larger cuts when needed. I found a Clausing 10" Model 4914 metal lathe for...

First off, I'm not a machinist. I'm an electronics nerd, but I have a hardware (metal, not silicon) question, and I'm hoping I can hit you good folks up for some advice. here's a part from my keychain. It separates, so you can give keys to a valet or something. That part on the right is...

Hi guys, I recently acquired a fairly large assortment of machine tools, including an aciera mill and a bridgeport "M" head which i'll be adapting to fit the mill, the head came with a collet chuck and one collet (the smaller one) for which i can't find any documentation. it's ~27mm at the...

Hi all, I know this isn't exactly a machining question, but I'd like your point of view! I make custom metal furniture, and more and more lately, we need very consistent threaded holes. I normally tap by hand, but some projects need more consistency than I can provide. I haven't been able to...

Greetings, First, I'd like to say thank you to the members of this forum. I began machining just under 10 months ago, and the advice people have given me here has really propelled me forward as I try to climb each mountain. I am trying to successfully inject a mold I made for a card, but I...

Greetings, I am trying to make an ejection system for my small aluminum molds with my Taig Mill, similar to what Mr. Socha does in this video (specifically the mold shown during 2:50 - 4:46): While his mold and ejection pins are made out of brass, he mentions that perhaps brass is not an...

Dear All, I am delighted to be allowed to join the forum. The rules state that I should begin by posting an introduction: I hope that I'm doing this in the correct place. I enjoy making, fixing and exploring things. When I'm not working, or messing around in my home workshop, I grow...

Greetings Machinists, I am trying to get a circular groove cut for a small mold I'm making (like for a lego brick). I use circular interpolation, but it comes out as an oval (out about .005”). How would I achieve an accurate circular groove? Here is a picture of the CAD model: Details: .8...

Hello Machinists, I just purchased a Taig about five months ago, and am entirely self taught (using what I could find on the internet). I am cutting small molds out of 6061 aluminum. What is the optimum RPM, IPM, and DOC for a optimum surface finish using a carbide facemill? I understand...