I had to shorten some axle studs for my Hot Rod. They were hex head and could be gripped in the back of the chuck jaws along with a couple nuts and that kept the stud in place. I set the last nut to the point of the amount to be removed and machined up to that. Randy...
RELOCATING TIMING MARKS
Timing marks on pulleys can be relocated by using the following formula: C = Pulley Diameter x 0.00873 x #° Where: #° = the number of degrees the timing mark is to be moved along the rim of pulley. On pulleys 6" and greater, with moves of 30° or less, a dial caliper...
SPINDLE END SUPPORT
When chucking a long workpiece in your lathe, such as bar stock used to make custom valve guides, it’s imperative to support the far end inside the spindle. Commercial spindle liners are available but can be costly or you may not have the exact size needed on hand....
KEEPING IT ON CENTER
Sometimes, we get those cores in the shop where someone had previously attempted to drill out a broken fastener, and they wander way off-center. We often need to install a larger repair insert than we normally would. I like to use a piloted counterbore cutter to drill...
TAP DRILL SIZES
When you need to make a thread repair, and someone has "borrowed" your tap drill size chart, here is a little trick. Subtracting the pitch from the nominal thread O.D. will get you very close to the tap drill size for a 75% thread. Here are some examples: Metric...
CLEAN INSERT INSTALL
CLEAN INSERT INSTALL I made this tool to install slotted drive thread inserts. This is for when you want to run them upside down for a cleaner install, and to recess them. The alloy DOM tube is turned down to fit the tapped hole. Drive them in, and simply loosen the...