Notes on Workshop Techniques

This is a series of articles describing machining techniques and tricks to get the best out of your workshop machinery.

All comments represent a personal viewpoint and the opinions expressed are my own and based mostly on experience. The objective has not been to produce a technical dissertation, there are many engineering text books that fulfill that role far better than I can hope to. This is more like basic information for the Model Engineer modified by ideas and tips which I have found useful over the years. Little is new in this hobby, and the information has been collected from so many different sources that it's impossible for me to credit all the originators individually. In some cases I may point you to a source where further information may be obtained. You will appreciate this is going to take some considerable time to put together so I might as well post it in installments. Those items marked with a should be available - if not complete.

• 1. INITIAL SETUP
• 2. ADJUSTMENTS AND MAINTENANCE
• 3. LATHE TOOLS
• - 3.1 Tool holders
• - 3.2 Rear Toolpost
• - 3.3 Turning Tools
• - 3.4 The Parting Tool
• - 3.5 Sharpening Lathe Tools
• - 3.6 Obtaining the best finish on the Workpiece
• 4. CHUCKS AND WORKHOLDING
• - 4.1 3-Jaw chuck
• - 4.2 4-Jaw chuck
• - 4.3 Collet chucks
• - 4.4 Miscellaneous chucks
• - 4.5 Working with the faceplate
• - 4.5.1 Machining and fitting a chuck backplate
• - 4.6 Centers
• - 4.7 Mandrels
• - 4.8 Steadies
• 5. KNURLING
• 6. DRILLING AND REAMING
• - 6.1 Drilling in the lathe
• - 6.2 Reaming in the lathe
• 7. BORING
• 8. MILLING IN THE LATHE
• - 8.1 Milling Chucks
• - 8.2 Endmills and Slotdrills
• - 8.3 S/F Cutters and Slitting Saws
• - 8.4 Vertical Slides
• - 8.5 Flycutting
• - 8.6 Gear Cutting
• 9. SPHERICAL TURNING
• 10. TAPER TURNING
• - 10.1 Short Tapers
• - 10.2 Long Tapers
• - 10.3 Internal Tapers
• 11. TOOLPOST GRINDING
• 12. SCREWCUTTING
• - 12.1 Taps and Dies
• - 12.2 V Threads
• - 12.3 Worm Threads
• - 12.4 Internal Threads
• - 14. LAPPING

WORKSHOP

• 15. HARDENING AND TEMPERING
• - 15.1 Silver Steel (Drill rod)
• - 15.2 Gauge Plate
• - 15.3 Case Hardening
• 16. SILVER SOLDERING
• 17. MARKING OUT AND MEASURING
• - 17.1 Basic marking out
• - 17.2 Using the Surface Plate
• - 17.3 D.T.I. and dial gauges
• 18. USING FILES & SCRAPERS

WORKSHOP HOW-TO

• 1. Make square or hexagonal holes.
• 2. Fits: Running, driven, interference, shrink.
• 3. Make a workshop hydraulic press.
• 4. Drill straight holes at odd angles.
• 5. Make and use small chisels.
• 6. Cut large holes in sheet metal.
• 7. Make a tap and die from carbon steel.
• 8. Use your drill press as a tapping arbour
• 9. Cross drilling in the lathe - Barry Harrison
• 10. Anodising aluminium

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