MachinistBlog.com – Page 16 – Plans, projects and How-to's for Home Machinists and Other Makers

StickFont – Free software for engraving

June 26, 2020April 23, 2011 by Rob

StickFont v1.1 is a free Windows program you can use to create single-stroke text for engraving. It’s very similar to another free program we’ve written about called DeskEngrave. Both programs will take a line of text and generate the g-code you’ll need to engrave it using a CNC mill, router or similar machine.… Read the rest

Machining trade insight–Nial McCabe

September 6, 2022April 15, 2011 by NateD

Nial McCabe’s machining workshop at the County College of Morris campus is a good example of where the American economy could be headed in the next decade. After all, as McCabe says, we need to become a society that makes things again.

Most of you probably remember Nial from his steam engine plans that we’ve linked to before, and may also remember that he teaches applied mechanics at County College of Morris in New Jersey.… Read the rest

Harbor Freight 1×30 Belt Sander Review

September 6, 2022March 20, 2011 by Rob

This is a review of the Harbor Freight 1×30 belt sander, model #2485. I noticed it was on sale and remembered Mikey telling me that a belt sander is a better tool for grinding lathe bits than a bench grinder. So I checked the customer reviews for it on their web site and they were generally very good. … Read the rest

Dial Indicator Helps Set Z-axis Height

September 6, 2022March 15, 2011 by Rob

I bought an old Federal dial indicator from a retired machinist that had a big flat donut-shaped magnet glued on its back. I almost passed it up because it was kind of ugly, but it has turned out to be one of the most useful tools in my workshop. It is particularly useful for adjusting the Z-axis height on my Harbor Freight mini-mill.… Read the rest