What have you done in your shop lately?

[Aukai]

Good looking helpers.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

Most of what I've done today has been directly outside the shop - clearing the foot (and counting) of snow in front of the barn, along with the big pile the plow guy always leaves before he remembers that I actually use the barn.

 

[derfatdutchman]

On Sunday I finish leveling the new mill, the leveling feet made the process quick and easy. My original plan was to winch the old mill/drill out of the shop, but mother nature had other ideas.

 

[nnam]

I got my self some files lately (those on the yellow envelope to the bottom). It all started a long while back with the long top file. I realized it cut metal very well. So I looked closely, it's a "Johnson" made in USA. It's a file just like some china made files I have. They all have "sharp" teeth, but this one cuts. I didn't know files cut by then. I thought they "grind" things. So I read about it (and posted here). I learned that just like other things machinists do with metal, they cut. That makes sense.

So I saw these new to me files and bought them. Some are Nicholson, made in USA. Some are Heller, also made in USA. One is Delta, not sure where it was made. A couple made in Europe (Finland and Switzerland).

I also found out that knife files are both excellent on steel and in-expensive.

Maybe those are enough and I shouldn't buy anymore.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

Nah, you need about four or five times as many, not counting the needle files and the rifflers.
You tried any Grobets yet? Outstanding cut in their swiss pattern files.
Got hold of some Inox files (also by Grobet) recently. Still getting used to them - was hoping they'd do well on HSS but they mostly just skate over it.

 

[nnam]

Nah, you need about four or five times as many, not counting the needle files and the rifflers.
You tried any Grobets yet? Outstanding cut in their swiss pattern files.
Got hold of some Inox files (also by Grobet) recently. Still getting used to them - was hoping they'd do well on HSS but they mostly just skate over it.

That's a lot of files. I have 2 set of needle files, but they're harbor freight. I never heard of rifflers before. They looks like wood working files.
I checked but no Grobets. However, I found I have another very coarse file (maybe for wood), made by Nicholson from Columbia.

 

[savarin]

I love the nicholson magicut on aluminium, produces an almost mirror surface with care

 

[Stonebriar]

I made two shelves for the top of my lathe. One across the back and one over the gear box. Used a rubber mat for the cushion.

 

[nnam]

I made two shelves for the top of my lathe. One across the back and one over the gear box. Used a rubber mat for the cushion.

Very nice. How did you keep it so clean?

 

[nnam]

Today I bought an oiler cap for my lathe. The tiny 1/4" oil push in tube with a spring cap. It came with a wick. So I managed to squeeze the wick in. I checked and there wasn't any wick inside, or at least the hole is rather deep. After I got the wick in, I put in some oil, but it took forever for a few drops of oil to come down. So I managed to pull the wick out again. I wonder if I need to push the wick really deep down or not having the wick at all.
Or find a service manual and look up to see if there is wick in there and do the same. This is on the tail stock. There are two of them in there.