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....
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...
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 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...
EASY SET SCREW This is an easy way to align a pulley or sprocket, when drilling and tapping for a set screw on the key. Suspend the pulley (or sprocket) on a length of key stock, supported and by vise jaws. Tighten the vise to secure the pulley. Center over the keyway...
THE WIGGLER When using a wiggler to center a mill spindle on a center punch mark or layout lines, many machinists use a pencil to push on the wiggler's pointer, until it runs true. However, risk of injury occurs when the pointer is pushed a tiny bit too far, and...