by Don Wiederhold I’ve seen many versions of carriage stops and I’m not going into detail on how to build one, as the many versions on different lathes require a clamping method to fit your specific lathe. However, I do have some features for you to consider when you make your own stop for your [...]
by Howie Grunert If you are anything like me, you have a Digital Read Out (DRO) on your milling machine; here is a trick you may not be aware of that you can use the DRO for. Most DROs have a function called “Bolt Hole Pattern,” where you can assign a center point for a [...]
by Howie Grunert If you need to turn a disk, especially a thin one that cannot be clamped in the lathe’s chuck, then read on. You will need to make a simple fixture first. Start out with a cylinder of about Ø1-1/2” and about 1-1/2” long; dimensions are not incredibly important. Face one side of [...]
by R.G. Sparber I get one of three reactions from people who see this new drill table format. Some say they hate it, some ask why I bothered, and some really like it. The basic idea was to be able to start with a needed hole diameter and use it to find the closest number, [...]
by Steve Jasik I bought some M3 disposable razors some time ago and removed the blades from them for one of my projects. I could not quite bear the idea of simply tossing the handles, so I took a good look around the shop and thought they just might work with my Swiss pattern files. [...]
by R.G. Sparber Before we had the need for interchangeable parts, machines were made by “cutting to fit.” There is nothing wrong with this approach in the hobby shop. The vise I built depends heavily on cut to fit techniques. Many holes must perfectly line up, but this is done by match drilling. Overall accuracy [...]
