Recommended Tools and Machinery for Your Team's Machine Shop

[DonRotolo]

Hm. More questions than answers for this thread. I must be slipping...

Originally Posted by Peter Matteson

or how to use the cadillac gages on the surface plate for making precise measurements.

OK, you got me: What is a Cadillac Gauge? I Googles it but, well, you can see for yourself what I got.

Originally Posted by George

Dial calipers skip

Indeed they do; does anyone know how to un-skip one? We have a nice Starrett that someone made skip, and it just bugs me that ")" is not anywhere near vertical.

Originally Posted by Wayne Doenges

How do you teach a student CW/CCW with a digital watch?

Rotate the watch one way, then the other...

I make it a point to teach the vernier caliper and vernier micrometer; both are super valuable and it's a good skill to have. I don't bother with the slide rule anymore, though - too easy to forget, replacements are ubiquitous.

Even IF we could ever get a CNC (anything), I'd still want the kids to learn a manual machine. You just learn so much more feeling the cut with your fingers. Maybe an exception would be a laser/water/plasma X Y cutter for sheet goods; rare is the machinist that cuts a perfect straight or curve by hand with a torch. Kids can always use a saw; they are somewhat intuitive.

One of the first things we cover in Pi-Tech (Spet-Dec each year) is hand tools; You'd be surprised how many kids have never seen a Yankee Screwdriver. Cool High Tech Plus, when i ask for a 5/8" box wrench or ball peen hammer or (whatever) I want the kid getting it to have a clue as to what s/he should return with.

Back to the original post: I agree with squirrel, skip the mill and get a better lathe. It is easier to get past a milling problem than a turning one. And, in a pinch, a solid drill press and X Y vise will allow for light milling (but not as a steady diet).

Overall, a great shop setup. Thanks!