Hey r/machining,

We have a lot of experience across different manufacturing processes, systems, and industry challenges. Figured I'd hang out here and answer whatever questions you have – whether it's about production, technology, materials, industry trends, or just shop floor stuff, anything really.

Curious to hear what's on your minds.

Fire away!

Only drill press I’ve ever had is cheap harbor fright stuff. Played around on a Bridgeport mill a few times. This is the 15-655 model. 120v. Don’t know much about it except I know it’s heavy. I’m hoping to use it to drill through mild plate steel and maybe ar500. Or sell it, idk. Picking it up Thursday, somehow. Any info on moving drill presses without messing them up is also appreciated.

Hello all! 👋

I am watching some of Clickspring's top-noch videos on watchmaking. In this video, he is making a DTI. The pair of screenshots are from a scene where he is centering a brass "bridge" on a watchmaker's faceplate for lathework. Now, I understand how the stick would work, but what I don't understand is why he would not just use the tailstock to center the workpiece, then tighten down the clamps?

The video and time in question.

Any ideas? Thanks!

So, I bought a mondiale L1 lathe and l'm trying to restore the lathe as best as i can. I'm currently working on the variomatic system, adjusting everyting and I found this square screw (part 15). I dont want to take the whole system apart to know what this screw does. so does any one know what this screw does?

I’m having a hard time finding the exact manual for this machine all the other manual I come across have different gearbox layouts. I’m also interested in hearing more information about this machine.

Hey everyone!

I recently started a pen collection, and because I love designing things, I decided to build a custom display case for them myself using Onshape.

I actually own a 3D printer and use it a lot, but during the design process for this project, I got completely obsessed with CNC machining and the beauty of subtractive manufacturing. There is just something incredibly satisfying about a cleanly milled block of metal and crisp plastic chips that a 3D printer can't replicate.

Because I live with a disability, I can’t physically operate a CNC mill myself. But I really want to see this design realized through genuine machining rather than just sending it to an automated corporate factory line. I'd love to collaborate with a fellow hobbyist who has a garage or desktop setup and would enjoy taking on a fun, highly precise project.

The Project Details:

Main Enclosure, insert, lid: Designed for 6061-T6 Aluminum (fully optimized for standard milling with generous internal radii).

Gasket/Midplate: Designed with standard countersinks for M2.5 screws, optimized for 4 mm sheet metal.

I have fully completed STEP files and clean technical drawings ready to go. I’ve done my best to ensure the geometry is completely "Design for Manufacturing" (DFM) friendly so it won't crash your machine or break your tools!

I am located in Belgium, but I am happy to work with anyone across Europe (or globally if shipping makes sense). I will, of course, fully cover the cost of all raw materials, shipping, and your machining time / beer fund.

If anyone has a mill up and running and wants to team up to bring a cool desktop accessory to life, please drop a comment or send me a DM. I'd love to share the 3D renders with you!

Thanks for reading,

Koen

I just finished it last night and wanted to show it off. This was my first big project on my lathe (13" South Bend), I've had it for 6 years now but I've only used it to make small bits of tooling for a 12 ton press and do some minor work on a few rifle barrels.

The center ring was cut out of a 6.5" piece of cast iron with a hole saw and band saw. I was able to save enough of it to make a backplate or something. Fingers are precision ground 7/8" 12l14 and the parts of the upright are mild steel, everything is bolted together and located with a few taper pins in case I have to take it apart. I had to hand scrape the V on the base to get it to sit right on the ways. Knobs are a McMaster part I had to modify to clear the screws holding the top cap on, drilled and tapped for a set screw to hold them on the leadscrews.

Next step is to modify it so it can hinge open but it works well enough for the project I needed it for.

Made this little punch for my buddy that does locksmithing. Ain't the prettiest but it works. Didn't harden it because being that small of a diameter it probably would have just made it too brittle and warped, plus we don't do hardening in my shop anyway so don't really have a way to. Apparently it works good.

It’s been a while since I was in a job shop and last 10 years been machining production automotive.

Looking to build a small CNC shop.

General question is how complex are the parts you machine on a daily basis?

Looking at MFG.com and it seems they throw the most complex components on there (with some easy ones)

When I worked in job shop it was heavy oil and gas so a lot of simple milling and turning but with large diameter tooling.

We got this new Jet end mill but I don’t have the model. I am used to a Lagun mill that had a call it set that was an arm length reach of you as you were working on the mill. I would like the same thing for this jet mill. I also would like to get a drill set so I can use it as a drill press. Does anyone know the part number of this mill so I can order all the required hardware and cutting tools?

Need advice on how to power a cnc lathe with live tooling and sub spindle. The placard says 20hp and 96 amps. thought phase converter but not sure how big of a converter we would need. Im a machinist not a electrician lol. Shop has 220 and can get a dedicated panel for the converter if needed. Any advice would be appreciated. Only machining aluminum and stainless for now. Machine is a mori seki from 1996

Yesterday I uncrated a brand new Precision Matthews PM-1130. I liked the cam-lock spindle and the 1.5" spindle bore and Precision Matthews has a pretty good reputation.

Got all the oil cleaned off, and it powers up, and I hear the relay click when I engage the power, but - no joy. The most important part (having the chuck turn under power) doesn't work.

Talk about frustrating. The service tech was really patient on the phone calls (three of them) First, we went through all the obvious things. Are the guards in place and closed, is the spindle in either forward or reverse and not in the off position ... then he had me open the front and rear covers and look for obvious connections that aren't connected, but everything seemed tight.

Then he had me get out the meter. The VFD isn't getting power - so now we know the first problem and that's why the motor isn't turning. The relay has a light on it. The contactor has 124 volts in to it, but no power out of it.

He said having a bad contactor it pretty rare, but it can happen. So now they have to source a new one for me and get it to me ... then the fun starts and I get to put it in.

I know they don't have a field tech that they can send to me, and that (at over 500 lbs) it's not like 'send it back and we'll send out another one' ... so it has to be fixed, and there's no one else to do it except me - but it's a bummer.

My wife says I look on the bright side too much, but at least I'm learning a lot about the inside of the lathe

Hello there, I made a tolerance mistake when ordering parts for a project and I now have 500 machined/welded parts with a bore that’s too large by roughly 0.2 mm.
The part in question is a stainless steel ring with a 30 mm OD, 22.2 mm ID and is 8mm thick. The bore has a small chamfer on each end.
That part is supposed to slide on and off of a shaft that measures 21.94 mm in diameter (that part can’t be modified). I was aiming for a tight tolerance for a tight fit that could be removed. At 22.2 mm, the part wobbles way too much and can even come off. I was able to slide a 0.1mm shim and the fit is perfect.
To clarify, this part is for cooking camping equipment. It will likely see temperatures up to 400° F or so.
I’d like to know if there are ways to somehow shim that bore by such a small amount.

Could someone quickly go over this drawing for me, to make sure I wont give a machinist a headache. I don't make drawings frequently, and I will likely not be making this one myself. even tough I only need one.

EDIT:
With the help of y'all I improve the drawing to this :))

I have an opportunity to get a pretty cheep Knee Mill from my old place of work and they're looking at getting rid of 2 VERY old mills. There is an ACER Ultima 3VKH and another SHARP mill with a pretty worn nameplate but I can make out "HMV 82120303".

Both are heavily used but maintained. They have Reeves drive. They're each probably 10-15 years old and still functioning.

Does anyone have strong opinions about which I should go for?

Why is no one talking about the sub's description. What kind of sick twisted joke is this? This is not r/metalworking, this is r/machinists!

I have an aluminum box that i need about 3mm shaved off. I looked online but all services are for new parts.

I have recently downsized my mill from a J-head Bridgeport to a benchtop sized. With the loss of the knee meant I was sacrificing distance between the head and the table. I am using an R8 mounted #33 Jacobs chuck and without a bit it is about 2.5" - does anyone know of a 1/2" capacity drill chuck with a lower profile? Since most keyless chucks are longer than their keyed counterparts, I am fairly certain that it will need to be a keyed chuck.

I've even been considering an ER-32 in an R8 mount ... this is not as adaptable as a drill chuck, and changing sizes would be slow, but it's worth considering if there is nothing else out there.

Thanks in advance

I'm trying to find a face mill that will fit the TTS style arbor in the link below. Everything I've found has been $250-$1000. It there anything to be found for less than $200?

https://tormach.com/tts-shell-mill-arbor-1-2in-31830.html

how do i adapt a 4mm dshaft from a motor to a male m10, i am building a small drill that takes 1/4 hex, but the chuck is a m10 female and i cant seem to find the adapter for 4mm to M10.

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