What are your FAVORITE home shop machinist (HSM) tips?

[Nelson]

Do you have some FAVORITE tips you use in your Home Shop?

Post them here for all of us to share!

Thanks!


:tiphat:Nelson

 

[pjf134]

Break all sharp corners, unless you like getting cut on sharp edges. A knife edge will chip easier than a blunt edge also.
Paul

 

[HSS]

Break all sharp corners, unless you like getting cut on sharp edges. A knife edge will chip easier than a blunt edge also.
Paul

I like that one Paul, my wife fusses at me all the time for not breaking the edges. LOL

 

[george wilson]

Even American drills can have a curve in them. When buying them at a store,roll the drill against the counter top with a finger. Observe the drill to make sure the ends don't wobble,indicating a curved drill bit.

To drill acrylic plastic and sheet metal,grind the leading edge of both of the cutting edges of the drill vertical for about 1/32". This keeps the drill from sucking through as it reaches the underside of sheet metal,causing the metal to grab and spin. It also keeps acrylic sheets from shattering when the drill breaks through. This tip will save you a lot of money if you are using sheet plexiglas.

 

[nctoxic]

Even American drills can have a curve in them. When buying them at a store,roll the drill against the counter top with a finger. Observe the drill to make sure the ends don't wobble,indicating a curved drill bit.

To drill acrylic plastic and sheet metal,grind the leading edge of both of the cutting edges of the drill vertical for about 1/32". This keeps the drill from sucking through as it reaches the underside of sheet metal,causing the metal to grab and spin. It also keeps acrylic sheets from shattering when the drill breaks through. This tip will save you a lot of money if you are using sheet plexiglas.

Now you tell me!

I was trying to put a smilie after that, and it just didn't work. Anyway, could you explain that tip just a little more. I just put a small crack in a piece of plexiglass drilling a small hole when it grabbed and pulled the thin sheet enough to crack it..
I can't visualize the alteration you have described. Thanks.

Tim,,,

 

[British Steel]

Hi Tim,

I don't know how George does it, but I lay the cutting edge on the edge of an oilstone (medium) with the drill parallel with the top face and canted out sideways and stroke it along the edge a few times - this gives you a flat (George reckons 1/32", I usually go 0.5mm - 1mm, same effect) on the edge at right-angles to what you're cutting, kind of like a zero-rake tool for turning brass, so it "scrapes" the material rather than digging in like a positive-rake tool.

My favourite tip would be transfer screws, as a lot of people don't seem to have heard of them!

To transfer the location of a blind threaded hole to a covering part, turn a 60-degree point on a short length (or a bunch of 'em) of thread (I find the end of a capscrew works well) then grind a couple of flats on the pointed end to grip and turn it with. To mark the hole's location screw it/them until the point's about 0.020" / 0.5mm above the surface and position the covering part - a couple of thumps with a malllet and you'll have nice neat punch marks in line with the threaded holes - simples!

This works really well for fitting chucks to backplates - a hell of a lot quicker than trying to measure the mounting hole PCD off the chuck and mark it accurately on the backplate Make up a bunch in your preferred sizes (I have a half-dozen each M5 - M12 and a few UNC/UNF and Whitworth/BSF) and store them in the little boxes taps (once broken) come in (ideally the taps for the thread size) and you're good to go.

For *unthreaded* holes it's a bit more difficult - you'll need a good fit, but not so tight you can't pull 'em out by the flats - and yes, I've had a struggle a few times! If you leave 'em soft you can always dremel off the point, drill and tap and then pull/lever on a screw threaded in - desperate measure given away for free!

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[irishwoodsman]

numbering each jaw in a four jaw chuck and use the odds and even when centering your stocks:biggrin:

 

[irishwoodsman]

using transfer punch to mark blind holes, untill a few days ago i didnt even know what they were for and i'm 53 yrs old. thanks to you guys:biggrin:

 

[nctoxic]

Hi Tim,

I don't know how George does it, but I lay the cutting edge on the edge of an oilstone (medium) with the drill parallel with the top face and canted out sideways and stroke it along the edge a few times - this gives you a flat (George reckons 1/32", I usually go 0.5mm - 1mm, same effect) on the edge at right-angles to what you're cutting, kind of like a zero-rake tool for turning brass, so it "scrapes" the material rather than digging in like a positive-rake tool.

Dave H. (the other one)

Dave,
Thanks. If I'm reading this right, it's like "taking a little off the top." In other words, flatten the point of the drill bit just a little (1/32 or 0.5mm)? Not completely flat, just a little less pointed? Maybe I still don't quite get it. Kinda like why I can't get the smilies to work. Lol!

 

[irishwoodsman]

Dave,
Thanks. If I'm reading this right, it's like "taking a little off the top." In other words, flatten the point of the drill bit just a little (1/32 or 0.5mm)? Not completely flat, just a little less pointed? Maybe I still don't quite get it. Kinda like why I can't get the smilies to work. Lol!

i think its kinda the same way you hit the end of the nail to keep it from splitting your board:biggrin: