Plans, projects and How-to's for Home Machinists and Other Makers
Here is a table that presents the table angles we need to set when we grind standard lathe tools. Note that the headings at the top of each column eliminate the word “angle†after each heading but otherwise matches the diagram above. The front relief (angle) in the table is the same as the end relief angle in the diagram above. … Read the rest
I tried making some machinable wax last night. It’s supposed to be harder than plain wax and mine wasn’t, or at least not noticeably. But I believe I can fix it by re-melting it and dissolving more plastic into it.
Machinable wax is made from ordinary paraffin (candle) wax that has HDPE or LDPE plastic added to it to make it harder, more dense and to raise its melting temperature. … Read the rest
I needed a large and very flat work surface to build my CNC router table on. I didn’t have a big enough workbench and I didn’t want to take the time or spend the money to build one. And concrete floors aren’t as flat as you might think, especially mine. So I used a 3/4-inch thick piece of MDF, some 3/8-inch tee nuts and bolts to build a temporary flat work surface on my basement floor. … Read the rest
I’m a believer. As a new guy I totally sucked at grinding lathe tools. It’s almost painful to admit how many stubby, misshapen, multi-faceted, overheated and just plain ugly lathe tools I made back then. The amazing thing is that some of those tools actually worked as well as the pre-ground tools that came with my lathe. … Read the rest