by T. Alan The quill lock on a Bridgeport style milling machine tends to lock under the pull of gravity and vibration. Sometimes it's nice to have it as loose as possible, such as when doing small hole drilling or other operations that require a sensitive touch. Fortunately, the fix is both cheap and easy. [...]
by Chuck Rice For carrying odd shaped, heavy items, a Double Fisherman's Knot makes a good rope handle that will not cut into your hand. I used it to carry a 50 pound lathe headstock to a metalworking meeting. Without the knot, the headstock was an awkward, two handed load. By adding additional loops (I [...]
By Gary Edson Um, the title “Wooden Arbors” brings to mind grapes or wisteria, I guess. But for me, wood arbors are a real quick, cheap and easy means for holding stuff in lathe chucks. They are okay for situations where accuracy and rigid holding are not issues. Some arbors are one-use affairs; you may [...]
By Dave Kellogg When using a horizontal band saw to cut angle iron, sometimes it is desirable to cut through only one leg of the iron, requiring the angle to be clamped square to the jaws of the vise. Work on the mill also typically requires the angle to be clamped with one of the [...]
By Leonard Davis Most of us have a powered source to cut metal, be it band saw or disc type. However, now and then it’s just as easy to use a hacksaw. Anyone who has ever used one to cut metal knows what a pain in the arm it can be, thus the nickname Armstrong. [...]
By Andre Delisle Here is a very handy trick. I guess many of us know about it, but I think those who don’t use it might be interested. It’s a small, electric screwdriver with a shop-made bit to fit my key chuck. Mine is a Black & Decker Smart Driver; other makes would work as [...]
