Machinist tools- what should a begginer buy?

Jim sez:

"My favorite for six inch rules though is the starrette

IMO, there is a lot to be said for "working in fractions". One of my most useful tools is a vernier caliper that reads to 1/128". I use it mostly for basic measuring and layout work, while reserving the "decimal reading" mics and calipers for locating and fitting running parts.

Bob Swinney

Do you care about metric? If so there are options which can pick that up at the same time. I'll make notes about that as I go through the following list

Dial, vernier, or digital -- depending on your luck, and your eyesight. (If your eyes are in need of glasses for close work, then my order of choice would be:

2) Dial,

If you want to add metric, the order of choice would be:

2) Vernier (many have both metric and imperial scales and verniers.

Another benefit of the digital, whether you care about the metric work or not, is that you can zero them on the size of your target diameter, and then read how much you have left to turn off on the lathe. (Perhaps divide by two depending on whether your lathe's cross-feed is calibrated for direct diameter removal or radius removal.)

Also, you can zero the inside measurement on a single hole, and then use the inside between two holes of the same size to get a direct reading of center-to-center distance. These tricks are more difficult on a dial or a vernier -- requiring a notepad or a calculator in addition to the instrument.

And while you are at it, get ones which read in 0.0001 (tenths), not in 0.001" steps. You can get close enough to that coarser figure with good calipers. (And a good sense of feel, since calipers spring a bit with higher contact forces.)

The same trick for measuring material left to remove can be done with the digital micrometers, and they read in 0.00005" (half-tenth) steps -- probably closer than you will need to work for a long time.

But *don't* buy digital *new*. I've gotten them all from hamfests or eBay auctions.

Since you have an 11" lathe, I would consider that you might want a set of micrometers 0-6" (probably the biggest that you can turn over the cross-slide.)

Nice for some things, including the center gauge for marking off where to drill the center holes for turning between centers.

Yes -- and telescoping gauges, as well, for the larger bores. Someday, if you're going to make precision bores, perhaps for cylinders, you may want to eventually pick up tri-mikes for good self-centering bore measurement. This is certainly another thing to go to eBay for, as one or two might exhaust your stated budget at new prices. :-)

Yep!

There are better ones than the "Last Word", and the others are better in the presence of swarf, but it is a minimum one.

The 0-1 is for sure needed.

The 0-3 can be set up on the lathe bed for turning to precise length, or on the cross-slide, if your cross-feed leadscrew is badly worn with lots of backlash and error.

Hmm ... not until you discover that you need them -- unless you are also expecting to get some radius end mills to produce edges where you may want to check radius -- and normally you know what end-mills you have. For diameters -- you have your micrometers.

Yes -- both inch and metric.

If you're expecting to do a lot of threading, some thread measuring wires (to use with your micrometers), or if a *serious* lot of threading, especially threading to fit a matching piece which you don't have, a set of interchangeable anvil thread pitch diameter micrometers. Once you get one with the full set of anvils, stick with the same brand so you can get them without anvils (cheaper). These are also eBay items in my book.

A set of center punches.

If you want to have a nice setup, a Starrett toolmaker's hammer -- with a magnifying glass in the head

A surface plate (not too expensive), and a height gauge with scribe. for precision layout work.

A good scribe, and some spring calipers of all four types - Inside, outside, dividers, and hermaphrodite calipers -- the last another way to find the center of a round workpiece, and to layout a distance from an edge.

Of course, Dykem layout dye to go with these.

As others have suggested, an edge finder for the mill. Probably one with a 0.200" cylindrical end, and a pointed end.

Enjoy, DoN.

snipped-for-privacy@d-and-d.com (DoN. Nichols) wrote in news:bqhbhn$6rm$ snipped-for-privacy@fuego.d- and-d.com:

Yes, I use Metric exclusively at work and just about everything else (except cabinetmaking). I've used it so long I have to convert inch things to metric to mentally get a picture of size....lol.

But, alas, a huge amount of equipment and most measuring instruments produced over the last 40 years in the US is in the Inch system, so I chose that for the topic of my post. I would prefer to work in metric, it's easier. Neither system is more precise than the other, it's just the number of decimal places you extend out and have to work with.

Most all of what has been previously mentioned I would also recommend. Additionally, I've taken a few photos of some other tools that I absolutely rely upon:

For layout work I use a hemaphrodite caliper frequently:

Instead of a combination square's protractor, I find that a universal bevel protractor is more versatile:

The following photo shows a tool not comercially available but easily made. I apply a 45 degree chamfer on the edges of many of the projects I construct and this tool makes this job easy.

HTH ... Rick Renner

Sorry, I forgot the last photo:

...Rick

More likely to be Murphy, if you've spent the bucks for a high-quality one. The worst is when you discover someone using *your* micrometers as C-clamps. (Yes, it *does* happen from time to time.)

Other than that -- if your micrometers have carbide anvils, and you use the thimble ratchet or a friction thimble to limit the torque (or you develop a good feel), you will have those micrometers for life.

Neither will a *good* one -- unless you run a piece of clean paper between the jaws, lightly close them on the paper, and draw it out, to remove various particles which can keep it from re-zeroing. The same is even more true with micrometers. It doesn't take much to keep a tenths-reading micrometer from repeating.

Granted, if there is slop in the gears, and excess friction in the bearings, and perhaps loose gibs on the sliding head, you won't be able to ever get a cheap dial caliper to repeat, even with the most thorough cleaning. But I do have two 6" size dial calipers -- one Chinese (Phase-II) and one Starrett (actually a 0-150mm one, not a 6"), and both seem to be equally repeatable, though the *feel* of the Starrett is markedly superior.

And for calipers, they are sensitive to where on the jaws you measure, if you are not being very careful to minimize the force applied. Calipers *bend* -- more so with the full length of the beam in use.

Check it out again with proper cleaning of the jaw faces. That might be all that is wrong.

Of course, if there is a tiny bit of swarf in the rack gear, the dial will jump as you pass that, showing *greatly* different values each time around. Even the best of the dial calipers can fall victim to that, too.

Maybe -- maybe not.

This is a case of the wrong material for the job. I can see the knife biting into the aluminum and climbing up on top if you are trying to cut along it.

I have both, and tend to use the manual ones these days, because I am doing more precision layout than before.

Before, when I was laying out chassis for component and control mounting holes, there was a lot less precision needed, and the automatic was a lot more convenient -- and it allowed me to use the other hand to place a bucking bar behind the impact point, so I got a proper center-punch mark, instead of a deep dimple with the lighter gauge aluminum chassis. :-)

One thing to watch for on eBay (other than sellers who have no idea what they are selling. :-) There is a seller who is located in Connecticut, near Hartford, I believe, who keeps putting things up on auction which have been "refurbished" by a quick application of paint, and who takes forever to get around to shipping -- by which time he has likely forgotten what was described as coming with the item in the auction -- if he *ever* ships.

It won't do much good to give his real name, as he keeps getting kicked off of eBay and coming back with a new name. The clues to watch for are:

4) Usually, he is claiming an address somewhere in Connecticut, but has claimed at least one New York address.

6) Tons of auctions (perhaps 200+) set up in a very short time, by someone who has no feedback, and thus is supposedly a very new eBay seller.

If in doubt, post the auction number here (or one of the other auctions which he is running at the same time, if you don't want to call attention to the item which you are considering bidding on), and ask if this looks like a "Babbin". There are enough of us here who have seen lots of his auctions so we can usually tell.

Good Luck, DoN.

The other reason that calipers give different readings at different distances from the tips, is that most of the work is done near the tips, and hence most of the wear occurs there. But the zeroing happens where they're tight, near the inside of the jaws. A few thou of wear front to back is not unusual.

Also seen with Mass. addresses as well on occasion. The auction photos often have blanked out backrounds - photoshopped or whaterver - to hide whatever else is around the item.

Jim

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Or was that Murphy?

Randy sitting here in disbelief...........

I do like the Starrett TRXL series. Not too pricey either for small ones.

I did try cleaning them when I recieved them, but it didn't seem to do any good. However, It's possible that I may have been over tightening them when closing the jaws. I have a bad tendency to torque up on things. Can't find them at the moment, and may have tossed them. Hope not, I'd like to look into them a lot further now...........

Good to know, but the dial was smooth in operation, just couldn't get it to return to zero. Looks like my sunday will be spent looking for that caliper.........

Exactly!!!!!

Same for Sheet metal door frames. :-)

One of the things I judge a seller on is the appearance of the auction listings, just as you list, and to go further. I send an email asking questions, and see how the seller responds. Some don't, and I kiss them goodbye. Those that respond nicely and answered the questions will get the bid. The rest are evaluated according to how they answered the questions. Have to say that most transactions work really well this way. Just have to remember to ask about shipping consolodations prior to bidding. Just paid 26.00 fixed shipping for 2 auctions, for a single 10.00 package. Live and learn.

I'll keep my eyes out for the "Babin"!

Thanks for the replys. I'm still watching the posts, and the rest of the group, picking up good ideas!

I just realized that in the original posting that I forgot to say remove the first 2 m from my address to reply via email. *sigh*