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I am making a rear mounted tool post. I will have to bore holes in the carriage for 1/4-20 cap screws. I am wondering if cobalt drills or even HSS drills will work. Also , will HSS endmills work for a counterbore. Only 4 holes are needed. I will start with #6 drill and try to tap the hole. mike

I usually grind the front relief 10°. Side rake and back rake about 15°. Different materials call for different angles. I usually just use the same ones for every metal. It is rare that I have to bore smaller bores . Little Machine Shop has an informative article on grinding HSS lathe cutters...

Make your small boring bars from Allen wrenches. The steel is very hard. I use a Dremel tool and cut off wheel to reduce the short leg to a length needed. Even the front relief can be roughly done with a Dremel tool. mike

Why change from solid to soldered joints? Silver solder is hard solder and melts at average temperature above 1100° depending on the make up. There are some hard solders that melt at about 850° and others at a high of about 1400°. Sometimes hard soldering is known as silver brazing or just...

I think you are making a mistake building your own mill. There probably are many used mills or even new ones that would cost less than trying to make your own. I have an acquaintance who bought a new South Bend lathe, deep pockets I suppose. Now he wants to save money and build his own mill. I...

At first I used a small vacuum with a 1-1/4" hose. Clogged up often. I switched to my old reliable Craftsmen 6 gallon , 2-1/4 hose. I rarely have to unclog the hose now. I placed a tray I made under the bed to hold most of the swarf. I pull the tray and dump it , then vacuum what's leftover. mike

I got carried away with the zeros. Thanks for the info, I printed your post out as your explanation made me think some day I might try again. mike

Ken, fire brick absorbs the heat, insulating brick reflects heat. I bought 6 insulating brick online , also called refractory bricks. They are white in color, very light weight and break easily. I also bought refractory cement. Mainly to cement broken bricks. You need a propane torch that puts...

I built a 8'-0" x 12'-0" enclosure that was removable for a customer. This was a pantry in his garage. I screwed 1/4" plywood on each side of 3-1/2" metal studs 2'-0" on center. The studs had fiberglass insulation taped to the studs. The long side has three 4'-0" panels , short side has two...

I spent about 4 hours on it today. I separated the saddle from the carriage only 3/16". That was enough to get a 24TPI sabre saw blade over the clamp screw. I had to make a holder for the blade. Hack saw blades were too wide and flimsy. I cut thru the M8 screw , took several hours as the screw...

Today I broke the screw that locks the saddle to the bed. The lathe is 10x22 G0602 .The screw is probably cross threaded. I'm afraid I'll have to remove the clamp to back out the screw. The top of the screw is broken about 1/8" below the saddle. I am not sure how to remove the saddle clamp. I...

Luiz, I would only score the work with the lathe. I imagine the cutter digs in when parting. You can cut as deep as it is safe before digging in ,then cut the work with a hacksaw. The live center is okay to cut part way thru but will jam the work if you were able to part most of the way thru...

The plans are in two different books. The first one gives you plans for a simpler one than the second book. I believe the title is " Milling by Harold Hall." The other is 'Tool and Milling Cutter Sharpening". I have both books, latter shows how to make many accessories for the grinder rest. Do a...

Norm as far as spade drills heating up in hardwoods , you are correct. Not sure if the bits will be annealed and go soft. I used to get some jobs installing electric hinges and fire exit devices ( panic bars) on wood slab doors where long drilling was required. I kept a 5 gallon bucket 3/4...

Two days ago I did the same thing, hit .473 . Wanted .437. Part went into the growing pile of usable material for anything but what I intended it for. Not a mistake as I am sure I can use it for something else like a sinker for a fishing line. mike

I have been using I imaging brand I have been using " I Gauge "imaging scales for at least 10 years. I have two on the lathe ,one each for Z axis on the mill and drill press. Also have another on the X axis on the mill. Other than replacing batteries once in a while these work well. You have to...

Start by marking the chuck, #1 opposite side#3 , then #2 and#4 opposite sides again. Two chuck keys as mentioned is a very big help. Layout centers on the end of bar, both ends if needed. I use layout fluid and a height gauge to scribe the centers If the work is short enough to stand in a...

Make a bushing that will be sized for Loctite . I would make the bushing from bronze , cast iron or brass instead of aluminum. You could also use a press fit instead of Loctite. I haven't had much luck with press fits, that's why I suggested Red Loctite. mike

Mike the edges to see if one edge is thicker than the other. The T shape is hardly noticeable but the extra thickness on the top edge helps in parting off. Tough to see but the second photo appears that the T is on the bottom . I have one type of parting tool that is parallel but the top is an...

If you have a commercial building site near you , often 1" wide strapping would be found for free. Often used for safety rails between columns and around stair and elevator shafts . Sometimes an entire perimeter is strapped. Also sometimes lumber yards still strap their framing lumber with...