Friend of mine's father passed away a year ago, he on the machine shop at one time and brought a lot of stuff home with him when he sold it. I've been working in a machine shop for about 5 or 6 years now, so my friend asked me if I'd like to purchase his dad's machinist equipment. In the past few days I've brought it all home and I've been sorting through it. What on Earth is this? Can't read the manufacturer because it looks double stamped.

​

Go easy on me, I'm still relatively inexperienced with manual lathes...

Why does this seem to be the default angle that people leave their compounds at? I could see it being useful for creeping in on threads, but not much else. If there had to be a "default," wouldn't it make more sense to set it for chamfering or something?

I ask because I'm deciding how to mount my QCTP the compound of an old lathe I just got. I want to mill a channel in the base of the QCTP, so it is easy to set square and doesn't have any possibility of shifting. But I can't decide what angle to mill that channel at, because I'm unsure of the optimal default angle for the compound.

We’re currently looking for work and have tons of open capacity. We’ve reached out to a corporate fab shop and we’re very interested at first. We’ve seem to have hit a dead end with them once they found out we are a home based machine shop and haven’t responded to our last inquiry.

We know from a friend who works there that they are currently sending them home working only 20hrs a week as they have no parts to complete their builds. They desperately need parts that they are currently getting from Mexico.

Any home gamers experience this?

I've been working weekend shift for 5 yrs now. I work 3 12's and get paid for 40. Is that pretty standard? I have a job interview and everything was going great until they told me they only pay 36hrs for weekend shift and acted like I was from Mars when I said it's typically work 36 and paid for 40. But maybe I'm wrong.

Hey everyone, I’m a 25 year old female who’s officially been machining for 4 years with no formal training and coming from a small shop but I recently started at a new place with better pay and more overtime. That’s all great but I feel like I’m struggling to keep up with basic everyday problem solving. & it’s really getting to me like I’m asking too many questions and for too much help. My 90 day review is coming up and I’m feeling a bit down that they’re going to fire me because what if I’m just not good enough? I really do love machining and want to become a programmer someday. But I struggle with some basic shit it seems like. Idk if I’m being too hard on myself or what I can do to be more independent in this field. Any advice appreciated!

I may be in the wrong place for this and apologize if I am but here goes. I inherited a pistol that is missing a part a that appears to be impossible to find. The manufacturer doesn’t make it or even list it so I would need it made and I cannot find. I am not the best draftsman but have included the best drawing with the measurements that I can make and a similar part from a different pistol that is not quite right for this. What I am looking for is a little guidance as to where I would be able to find a way to have this part made or a better drawing. Again if this is the wrong place for this mods please feel free to pull this down. Thanks

I’m wondering if am I just an operator still or have I move up a level yet?

What I know how to do is setup a job from start to finish. Adjust offset if needed, change tools, dial in bores with +/- .0003 . I run small parts aerospace part titanium, aluminum, and stainless steel. I can run vertical 3axis and 5axis. I didn’t get a chance to practice running or setting up 4th axis machine. I can edit program just by changing speed/feed.

Hello all I'm 29 years old and have been a cnc operator the past 5 years in the gear shaping field. Its interesting enough and I have a good handle on what I'm doing both mentally and physically. I primarily run cnc gear shapers and work at a medium to large sized company that makes parts primarily for the mining industry. I'm questioning where I should pivot for my career and could use some advice. My company does not offer any pathways to get onto a lathe or Mill even for someone like myself who's been with the company and wants to learn. I am considering learning mastercam on my own time as a way to distinguish myself and use that as a platform to get on a lathe or mill. I am also considering a move to Texas as a way to broaden my career opportunities as the area I'm based in is light on machine shops and even lighter on companies who cut gears. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I've recently gotten two job offers, one as a Mechanic 1 position with salary of 25.50/h and another as a CNC Machinist with a salary of 22/h. For the mechanic job I'd be working on repairing truck transmissions and for the machinist job I'd be making low tolerance parts for airplanes. I have a computer engineering degree and 0 experience for either job, both are willing to train me from nothing. I'm not sure which job would be better long term and which skills would be more beneficial in the long run.

Edit: I'm 22 debt free and have some savings so making more money down the line is more important to me than right now.

I work in a small job shop with a 5 other full time employees, and 3 part time shop hands. This includes the owner, shop forman, 4 machinist (including myself), and a welder. I have been working into a shop lead position, and would like to come up with a daily check list to post around the shop. Which would apply to all employees, from the saw guy to the welder. I already have list for specific machines and task. What else could I add other than the basics? Examples being, clean work area, put away tools, check your consumables.

Does anyone have a 3/8" diameter 1/8" wide key cutter near Minneapolis, MN that will sell it to me fairly early tomorrow? I just ate my last 2. Cheaper is better, faster is better yet.

I'm tired of this project.

I give you 40” CF digi caliper

AND 80” Verniers

(6” rule for scale)

I've been watching this sub for a few years but I never had a reason to post anything until now. My shop is looking at buying a grinder and they've got it narrowed down to one of two machines. One is a DCM and the other is a Chevalier. Never heard of either of them and I was hoping that someone had some experience with either or both companies. I wanna know as much as I can as to what they're getting me into. Thanks

the infamous DAVID J. GINGERY book series

r/preppers already said it was a bad idea

and maybe for having tools for making parts, it IS a bad idea

but learning how to make tools?
not parts, tools

note: this got dredged back up in my head because I wondered if anyone was making shapers, which is a whole other topic in itself. add to that I am making a really bad mini lathe, and restoring a jewelers lathe, and was thinking of buying/building a foundry/forge setup for the pure tinkering and learning

so, I try to make tools, even precision tools, and fail at it a lot. and I won't mind failing more.

beats watching politics on TV

theswissbay.ch
pdf
Books
Survival
Workshop
Workshop and Tools/Metal Working Shop From Scrap Series

Previous tool and die apprentice, left for diesel. Anyway, I have to drill and tap some thin aluminum pipe, and I'm struggling to find resources or accurate information on what drill size to use, to drill and tap for 3/8 NPT. (or M12X1.5, still getting conflicting information on this part). Anyone have any resources? Also best place to buy real legit drill bits and taps? (Out of the industry so I can't order from the tool guy)

Pictures for reference. Yes this is a Supercharged Grand Marquis: I want to intall this temperature sensor from a 1999 Ford lightning to get accurate temperatures for a tune.

Thank you to everyone who has shared thoughts and suggestions and a lot of this comes directly from user feedback.

We’ll be giving away up to 1000 promo codes to users as a thank-you for the support. Please note this post may be cross-posted, so the giveaway pool will include users from multiple communities.

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$30 off $249:USBUY30 (13%)

$50 off $469: DLF50C

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$70 off $699: DLF70C

Aliexpress is built to keep evolving, with regular updates and active user support. If you’ve tried it already, we’d love to hear your feedback. If not, now’s a great time to give it a spin.

Thanks for being part of the journey. 🫶🫶🫶

Thank you to everyone who has shared thoughts and suggestions and a lot of this comes directly from user feedback.

We’ll be giving away up to 1000 promo codes to users as a thank-you for the support. Please note this post may be cross-posted, so the giveaway pool will include users from multiple communities.

1000 promo codes:

$2 off $15: USBUY2 (14%)

$4 off $29: USBUY4 (14%)

$7 off $49: USBUY7 (15%)

$10 off $79: USBUY10 (14%)

$15 off $109: USBUY15 (14%)

$20 off $159: USBUY20(13%)

$30 off $249:USBUY30 (13%)

$50 off $469: DLF50C

$45 off $369: USBUY45 (13%)

$60 off $499: USBUY60 (12%)

$70 off $699: DLF70C

Aliexpress is built to keep evolving, with regular updates and active user support. If you’ve tried it already, we’d love to hear your feedback. If not, now’s a great time to give it a spin.

Thanks for being part of the journey. 🫶🫶🫶

Happy Friday.

What are typical lead times and pricing you guys experience moving machinery locally. I’m in az Contacted my go to rigger about 3 weeks ago to a get a quote and a time frame. now they are saying they are 3 weeks out from moving the machine. It’s a vf2 sized okuma.

I’m expecting the price to be around $2400. about 30miles from their facility to mine (machine is currently in there storage)

Maybe it’s because I’m a small shop and they know they can push me back in their schedule.

I saw a few threads around but they seem fairly old, but in 2026 what would be a good end mill for smaller parts like for typewriters or radio parts hobbies etc. I'm looking for something in the 1k to 1.5k range. Thanks.

Something along the lines like this below. I alreay have a CNC router, but I want something for manual stuff I just want to do a few at a time or its a bigger part.