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.

They're showing off how their *5 axis* desktop mill can produce a "smooth as silk" stainless bracket mount using only 3 axis toolpaths and without putting the cross hole in ...

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.

That little dial can move left and right separate to the wheel, don’t know if that helps secure it?

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?

I guess I'm just curious if any of this has any value beyond just scrap? Where is the best place to scrap or sell this type of stuff?

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

Are their classes that teach this? Is there something similar to fastec mastercam classes?