By James Donnelly Many of my projects include drilling and tapping blind 2-56 threads. Once the tapping operation is complete, it’s sometimes a challenge to get all the oil and shavings out of the hole so the screw will turn to the bottom without obstruction. What’s needed is a small dose of low pressure air. [...]

By Lowell Geier The enclosed picture is rather self explanatory. It is a jig I made for the vise on my imported, horizontal band saw. I use it to hold short pieces, such as the nut shown in the picture. The two plates of the jig can be made to any size, to suit your [...]

By Thomas LaMance Modelmakers and toolroom machinists often find it necessary to improvise special lathe dog drivers when setting up precision jobs on lathes and milling machines. The special driver is designed to prevent chattering and undue backlash when machining light work betweeen centers, using either the conventional dog or the clamp-type toolmaker’s dog. It [...]

The following is an excerpt from the October/November 2009 issue of Machinist's Workshop By Fred Prestridge I have wanted a double rifle for a long time. They have always been way out of my league in price, though. For those of you who are not familiar with them, there is a reason they are expensive. [...]

From the archives Sometimes it’s difficult to create setups for castings or other pieces with unusual shapes. An easy and cheap solution I’ve found is Bondo – yes, THAT Bondo! For those who don’t know, Bondo is a brand-name for a dent and rust filler often used by body shops to hold a car together. [...]

by Jim Hauser My two photos show how I was able to use some donated mousepads in my shop. The one used on the extra table I designed and built for my Logan lathe is a bit small but still does a good job of protecting the items I like to keep close at hand. [...]