OTHER SHOP WORK
MILLING HACKS

MILLING HACKS

Here are three simple CNC milling hacks. 1.) Slip a zip-lock bag over a dripping coolant nozzle while loading and unloading a part or cleaning up the machine. This’ll save you some aggravation. 2.) Secure floppy C-clamp handles with a rubber band to save time, and a...

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CLEANING A WHETSTONE

CLEANING A WHETSTONE

When setting up a job on one of our milling machines, we lightly run a fine grit whetstone lightly over the milling machine’s table to make sure there are no tiny dings, lumps or bumps on the table that may cause inaccuracies when milling. The whetstone eventually...

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EASY PARALLELS

EASY PARALLELS

When I need some quick parallels for small jobs, I use the blocks from the Mill Clamping Set. They are adjustable for height and work well for small projects like pressing off a power steering pump pulley. Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Menahga, MN

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A HEAVY-DUTY DRILL PRESS

A HEAVY-DUTY DRILL PRESS

When drilling to repair stripped holes, I often use the VGS seat & guide machine. I made this little pilot to go in a good hole and level it up against the spindle, this one is 3/8-16, and I also have one made to go in 7/16 stud holes. I tipped it in the valve refacer...

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4-ALARM PRIMING PUMP

4-ALARM PRIMING PUMP

I made this primer pump out of an old fire extinguisher that I found in a Flea Market for $ 20.00. It required a 1/8”, a ¼” and a 16 mm fittings at the end. I now fill the engine and when I see a bubble in the clear hose, the job is done. Sylvain Tremblay Ateliers de...

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LUBRICATING LARD

LUBRICATING LARD

I once worked for Roy Johnson's Automotive Machine Shop. This is where I was introduced to the use of common cooking lard as a lubricant when drilling on steel. Yes that's right, now you’re cooking with "Bacon" in the shop. The use of the lard makes cutting clean,...

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