• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.
  • Several Regions have held meetups already, but others are being planned or are evaluating the interest. The Ontario GTA West area meetup is planned for Saturday April 26th at Greasemonkeys shop in Aylmer Ontario. If you are interested and haven’t signed up yet, click here! Arbutus has also explored interest in a Fraser Valley meetup but it seems members either missed his thread or had other plans. Let him know if you are interested in a meetup later in the year by posting here! Slowpoke is trying to pull together an Ottawa area meetup later this summer. No date has been selected yet, so let him know if you are interested here! We are not aware of any other meetups being planned this year. If you are interested in doing something in your area, let everyone know and make it happen! Meetups are a great way to make new machining friends and get hands on help in your area. Don’t be shy, sign up and come, or plan your own meetup!

Recent content by BradH

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    Shop layout and organization

    Great space! In my shop I put the mill and lathe facing each other, because I am only using one or another at a time, and often swap between the two. The mill protrudes a bit but leaves a lot of the wall space open for other gear. For example, I might turn the corner with the toolboxes into...
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    Lathe and Mill Tooling

    Hey Peter: I had a small dovetail cutter... but broke it trying to touch off on the workpiece! I like the DTI setup. There is a video on YouTube - Metal Tips and Tricks guy - he makes a DTI holder by hand-filing the dovetail. Not a big piece, so maybe the way to go?
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    Old Lathe Project

    Nice!
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    Involute cutter

    I purchased two gear cutters recently. I won't discuss the first because it was pricey.... The second I purchased from the UK. RGD Tools I think it is called off of EBay. Overall good and fast to get them here. Lots of Chinese gear cutters where sets are the price of a good cutter here...
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    lathe tool inserts

    Hi Rick: I agree RE: Bob. He has stuff I didn't think I could easily get in Calgary... Did a job for a friend and we needed a 1/4 X 36 or 40 tap... I forget the exact pitch. I didn't think anyone would have it but Chris found it at McDougals. Been back regularly since!
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    Milling Question

    Hey: @ Tom O - yes, the locks often move the table a bit, but that shouldn't change the orientation of the part, just the positioning. @ Peter T - I have dialed the "floor" of the vise and it is within a thou across the plate. I agree - RE: the setup being bad. I have tried soft wire between...
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    Milling Question

    Morning JW: Level, no. But as one fellow on Practical Machinist pointed out, many machines on Navy ships are never "level" but still produce good results as long as the cutter relationship with the table is correct... so I am going to agree with that and say I don't think that is the issue...
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    Gun Blueing

    The hot water bluing treatment is called Dicropan IM from Brownells. http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/metal-bluing/specialty-bluing-chemicals/dicropan-im-reg--prod1067.aspx Looks like they only ship to the US though... Basic process is clean, cold water...
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    Sourcing Metal | General Discussion

    Hi Peter: Yes, Montana Shipping Outlet / MSO has depots at both Eureka (crossing from west of Fernie in BC) and Sweetgrass (south of Lethbridge). Have used Eureka pretty much exclusively. It is a bit of a trek, but makes for a good excuse to ride motorcycle out that way. Someone indicated...
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    Gun Blueing

    Hi Brian: There are a few different methods. Most bluing is a corrosive process using salts at high temperature. Cold blues are also available - you could buy from Wholesale Sports or the like. Browning is a rust process. There is a method - I have instructions here somewhere - of a hot...
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    Milling Question

    Anyone know what is a reasonable expectation for parallelism on a milled surface? Try as I might, I can't get down as close as I would hope. Typically it is in the range of 0.005". over about 6". I know nothing is perfect... but that seems a bit big. I have trammed the head of my Hartford 8...
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    Sourcing Metal | General Discussion

    @Peter T - re fasteners... I use Quest Industrial down near Blackfoot Trail. The guys there are awesome. Never used Online Metals, but I have used Speedy Metals out of the US. Shipped to Montana and picked up there... chunk of cast iron.
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    Milling vise work stop "Doubleboost Style".... kinda

    Yes, I drilled and tapped each side, so it can be located on either side as required. I am thinking that maybe drilling through the clamping bits I could get less surface area and therefore greater holding power (higher pressure) on the clamps... will have to think about that. They are a bit...
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    Milling vise work stop "Doubleboost Style".... kinda

    @JW: no specific reason except that I like brass, and had some 3/4" stock left from making brass fingers for my fixed steady... @ Peter T: Mine is threaded directly into the vise. It is the dents I didn't want... so decided to try to build it like a dial indicator stand connection. I looked...
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    Milling vise work stop "Doubleboost Style".... kinda

    Yup - set screw would have been easy, but the idea is that the knurled brass bit pulls a threaded piece up, locking the rods. Will get pics of pieces... Each main body holds two threaded pieces, and the knurled bit is a nut.
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