Plans, projects and How-to's for Home Machinists and Other Makers
Rob
I unexpectedly bought a CNC mini-mill a couple of weeks ago and since then I’ve been trying to learn about CAD and CAM software. It came with the very popular Mach 3 controller program and that will be enough to get me started cutting metal. But my understanding is that sooner or later I’m going to need CAD/CAM software if I want to design a part on my computer and then make it on the mill.… Read the rest
Here’s a book about gunsmithing that you can download as a 40MB PDF file. It’s Advanced Gunsmithing by W. F. Vicery and it was published in 1940.
It’s an old book but I think you may still find it useful and interesting, even if you don’t own a gun, because it describes how to use many of the same machine shop tools and techniques that we’re still using today. … Read the rest
There’s an excellent thread over on the Home Model Engine Machinist forum that describes a modification for reducing the X2 mini-mill’s notorious column flex. It looks like it would be fairly simple to do. The hardest part might be cutting a 1-inch thick steel plate to the proper size (or paying to have someone else do it).… Read the rest
I try to post at least one new article each week, but I’ve been bogged down on some long articles that just aren’t ready yet. So, I thought I’d try writing a quick post with some short tidbits that I hope someone will find interesting.