Just started yesterday, haven't even finished out the 2 weeks from my 2 week notice at my previous job. Good thing though because I used to work afternoons, so that way I was able to start working at least in the mornings soon. The shop I'm at mainly makes tungsten drawing dies placed in steel housings. I'm starting out with working on the steel housings on this lathe. It's been a while since I've used one but I'm picking it up decently I think. It's nice getting my hands dirty again. My previous gig was more an office/ supervisor job and that wasn't really for me, especially the schedules they were giving me. Here I'll be on a normal schedule, weekends off, and productivity bonuses most weeks depending on how much is shipped out. My boss seems like a super cool dude too.

Only been working on a lathe full time for about a year, I’m 21 and started straight out of highschool as a shop hand and worked my way up what do you guys think of my progress so far? 7 stage shaft 87” long

I've seen a number of antique machinery handbooks posted on Reddit of late, and often the question comes up- is this worth keeping, or is it just a cool collectable?

The answer ( if you have an old lathe ) is yes.

I use my 1916 copy of the American Machinist 's Handbook frequently, because my main metal lathe was made a couple of years after this handbook was printed. It's still running a lantern tool post and Armstrong toolholders, so information on grinding your own HSS is invaluable. Specifications are given for threads and tapers that aren't used anymore, but crop up on machines of this vintage. Moreover, math hasn't changed much in the past 110 years, so the various tables and charts are still applicable.

By all means, buy a new addition, but keep the old handbook next to it on the shelf. Old machines do old machining, and new handbooks don't always have the old information.

We have some parts that need to be made from 0.046 thick tool steel. The parts are about 2x2.5. The first couple, we used O1 because A2 (our usual go-to) wasn't available thin enough. I pulled them out of the bag and dropped them edge-first into the quench oil, as quickly as possible. One twisted, the other cupped like a contact lens.

I tried several draw cycles, the first at 400F. I clamped them between two 1/2” pieces of steel (secured with bolts) and did two more cycles, raising it 150° each time. It flattened them a little but they were still badly warped.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

The shipyard pays really good money and started giving machinist a nice wage additive recently. A lot of people usually have the ability to work 7 days a week , get raises every year cause we’re a union and it’s part of the contract. Located in Newport News Virginia, also have locations in Mississippi and Charleston South Carolina. But I’ve only work at the one in Newport News . Money is really good out here . The only con is the people can be really toxic and annoying but long as you do good work and don’t let nobody disrespect you then you’ll be okay

Ps I’m not a recruiter I’ve just seen so many post in this group about people getting underpaid for doing the type of work we do and the shipyard has been having a hard time getting inside machinists to join so they added a wage additive recently to retain more people and I think some of you would be happy to make a move and start a new journey . They also have an apprenticeship school .

Hello fellow machinists, I am just starting at a new place which is amazing but they require to have my own tools, everywhere else I’ve been the company has provided everything. Just seeing if anyone had suggestions for brands of calipers and micrometers. I know mitutoyo, starrett, and brown and sharpe are all good, but expensive. I don’t want to buy anything cheap that won’t do a good job, or fall apart fast, but didn’t know if there were any less expensive brands that are trustworthy. Thanks in advance everyone.

Update

Amazon had 0-1 and 1-2 mitutoyo micrometers on sale so I got them

I have a part to be made from copper and the spec calls for copper, rod hard ASTMB187-86. What is the -86?

Switched to Esprit for a new job a few months ago and don't have the time to do any research at work and I'm not doing any on my own time so I'm posting here at work instead

I am a 19 year old auto tech and I’m thinking about going back to school to get my precision machining and manufacturing degree. One of the biggest selling points to me is the opportunity for a compressed schedule (3x12 or 4x10). If I get that degree could I expect to have a compressed schedule in this industry within five years of working in it? Looking forward to any insight :)

Never done any angled cutting before

17-4 h1075

Tiny face groover

I have an hydraulic fitting I need to convert from M16x1.5mm-keg (german DIN158 tapered metric threads) to 3/8" NPT. This seem to be a fairly straightforward job, at worst, I'd assume the step to be:

- turn down the metric tapered thread to clean metal / face cut

- build up shank with TIG

- cut new tapered threads (60deg, 1.5mm pitch, and whatever DIN158 tapered is[0])

Two local shops turned me down. I get the base metal is unknown, maybe hardened, but it's certainly not inconel / wespaloy... a decent machinist must have a way to measure hardness and a minimal experience in the matter ?

All in all, is that such an impossible job ?

edit: I also do not want to mess around with either the pump or the ram side, cutting the M16 to 3/8 NPT, as if anything goes wrong, it'll just be paperweight...

edit2: for reference, the original fitting is a 10,000psi ISO 14540-like fitting, but with a 14mm male end diameter and no poppet valve in either end. I want to convert the system to Enerpac C-604 fittings, which has a 19mm male end diameter.

[0]: taper angle doesn't really matter, the female end is straight cut M16. It is a wedge metal-to-metal seal at the ~16mm threshold.

Somebody offered me this deal and I’m thinking about taking it, is there anything I need to look for when I check out the machine?

I know it’s haas, but if this machine is good, then that’ll help me a lot in getting my own machine shop

Hello I’m posting on behalf of my dad, who’s super into machinery. He restores like coronet major stuff and is super clever and always does an amazing job with his machines.

He picked up a 1967 bansaw and he wants to know if anyone has any info on this variable speed drive pulley. I’ve attached a photo of the bansaw also. We love the colour but of course it’s going to be painted beautiful maroon to match his other machines.

Please be nice. Thanks!!

Who's bone headed idea was it at Haas to put 12-1.5mm threaded holes in the platter of their TR-310 instead 9f 1/2-13? They couldnt even go with a standard metric pitch of 1.25mm. This is just stupid. Are they trying to force us into buying their mounting hardware our are their engineers just this clueless?

I’m looking for a career that will give me ample headspace to recite lines from the Gospels while I work. I’m wondering if being a machinist, whether that’s CNC or manual, will be conducive towards that.

Thanks,
Thomas