Handout #1

TOPICS: Shop Safety, Cutting parts from stock, Filing, Measuring tools, Lathe, Mill, Edge
finding (X0, Y0), Setting tool depth (Z0), Cleaning

All reading and figure references are from Modern Metalworking by John Walker (On reserve at the
library).

Read Chapter 4 in Modern Metalworking (pp. 63-67)

CUTTING PARTS FROM STOCK MATERIAL

There are two ways to cut parts out of stock:

1) Using the horizontal band saw. This machine should be used for cutting larger pieces
of stock. The majority of your parts will be cut using this machine. Always cut your
part ~1/8” oversize to leave enough material to face it down to size.
2) Using the vertical band saw. This machine should be used for cutting smaller pieces
of stock or if shaping is required. This machine will be used for cutting the base plate
from a square piece of stock to a more circular shape.

After any part is cut there are extremely sharp burrs that need to be removed before any
other machining is done. Debur the part by using a file. The stock also must be deburred
before placing it back on the racks. Only file on the forward stroke; filing on the
backward stroke will dull the file.

Before any machining is started there are 5 things that need to be done:

1) The part needs to be secured

2) The tool needs to be secured
3) The correct rotation of the tool needs to be verified – majority of the time the tool is
always rotated in the clockwise direction. If it is rotated counter-clockwise the tool
will not be able to cut and can damage the tool and your part.
4) The correct RPM and feed rate need to be set – If this is not set correctly then a poor
finish may result and the tool can be damaged.
5) Oil should always be used when cutting metals – Oil is used to lubricate, cool the
tool, prevent chips from sticking to the tool, and helps flush chips away.

MEASURING (Chapter 5)

1) Ruler – provides rough measurement

2) Calipers – (Fig. 5-36 p. 82) provides accurate measurements down to .001”. It is easy
to read and can quickly measure over a wide range of distances (0” – 6” in most
cases) and can be used to measure both internal and external dimensions.
3) Micrometer – (Fig 5-9 p. 72) provides the most accurate measurements down to
.0001”. It can only measure in 1” increments: different sized micrometers must be
used to measure different ranges. A micrometer should always be used to measure
when working with tight tolerances.
Read pp. 74-77 in Modern Metalworking for learning how to read a micrometer.
 Problems: http://cf.linnbenton.edu/hhs/pe/gibbsr/web.cfm?pgID=2262 This is an
excellent website to learn and practice how to read a micrometer.
4) Dial indicator – (Fig. 5-48 – 5-50 pp. 85-86) used to index a vice or part to be in line
with the spindle on the mill. They are also used for checking if things are out-of-
round or not, such as checking if a Jacob’s (drill) chuck is running true.

LATHE (Read pp. 403-408, 410-411)

The lathe is used for cutting round stock down to size. When machining on the lathe, the
part is moving where as the tool is stationary. There are various cutting operations that
can be performed on the lathe:

1) Facing – cutting the part to length. This operation is always done first. If the tool
height is not set at the dead center of the part then a little “nubbin” will be left behind,
and the tool height needs to be adjusted. If it is a square nubbin then it means the tool
is too low; a round nubbin indicates the tool is too high (refer to Fig. 26-73 p. 430).
The height is adjusted w/ an allen key – turning the key Left Lowers and Right Raises
(easy to remember L and L, R and R).
2) Turning – cutting the part to the outside diameter
3) Boring – cutting the part to the inside diameter
4) Tapers and Chamfers
5) Drilling, Reaming, etc.
6) Threading – putting external threads onto a part

When setting up the tool, the angle b/t the tool face that’s facing the part and the part
itself should be b/t 30 – 45 degrees if using an insert tool.

The 3 most common ways of holding parts in the lathe (depending on the size/shape of
part) are:

1) Using a collet – best way for holding smaller ø (diameter) parts (1” or less)
2) Using 3-jaws (universal) chuck – best way for holding larger ø parts (> 1”)
3) Using 4-jaws (independent) chuck – best way for holding square, rectangular, or odd
shaped parts
4) Between centers – best way for holding stock when entire length of part needs to be
turned to a ø (This method will be used for turning the base plate of the motor to
size). The part is clamped b/t two plates where one plate is attached to the spindle
and the other plate is held in place with a dead center mounted on the tailstock. A
part can be held directly with the dead center, but a center drilled hole needs to be
drilled first so the dead center has a place to hold it (see p. 419 Fig. 26-38A and Fig.
26-43 on p. 421)

ALWAYS check all clearances of tool travel by rotating the spindle by hand BEFORE
turning the machine on. Lathes can be extremely dangerous if caution is not used.
NEVER lean or hover over the moving spindle. NEVER leave the chuck key in the
spindle: it can become an extremely dangerous projectile.

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MILL

The mill is one of the most versatile machines in the machine shop. It can be used for
machining square or round stock, facing, drilling, tapping, etc. When machining on the
mill, the part stays stationary whereas the tool is moving. The mills that are in the shop
are vertical milling machines where the spindle is in a vertical position and held
perpendicular to the table. There are 3 axes of movement: X (left/right), Y (forward,
backward), and Z (up/down).

The part should always be cut to size before any other machining operations are
performed (this rule may not always apply in certain cases). When clamping your part in
the vice, it should always be clamped in the center of the vice, unless an operation does
not permit it. Recommended MAX amount of material to be removed: 0.100”

There are two basic methods of milling operations:

1) Conventional milling – this is where the part is fed in the opposite direction of the
cutter rotation (i.e. the part is fed counter-clockwise around the tool). At the start of
the cut the chip thickness is at its minimum thickness. This method should always be
used for roughing cuts. If climb milling is used (see below) then the tool is trying to
dig in the full depth of the cut at the beginning of the cut, and can cause too much
pressure to build up causing the part to come out of the vice, tool or part to shatter,
etc.

2) Climb milling – this is where the part is fed in the same direction as the rotation of the
cutter rotation (i.e. fed clockwise around the tool). At the start of the cut, the chip
thickness is at its maximum thickness. This method should always be used for
finishing cuts. If conventional milling is used for finishing cuts, the tool will tend to
slip before digging into the material, and therefore, give a poor finish.

Please see page 5 of this handout for an illustration of the two methods.

0.005” – 0.010” of material should be left on the part for the finishing cut. No more than
0.100” of material should be removed for roughing cuts

Setting up the mill:

The vice is the most common way to hold the part. It should be indicated w/in 0.001”
of the spindle by using a dial indicator (Fig. 30-53 p. 490). The part is supported in
the vice with parallels. The vice and parallels need to be clear of any chips before
setting up the part; clean the chips out with a rag. A chip under the parallels will
cause your part to be machined out of tolerance.
The tool is then secured in the spindle by using a collet. End mills are ALWAYS
placed directly into a collet. Drills and reamers will be held in a Jacob’s chuck (i.e.
drill chuck – Fig. 24-9 p. 369) which is held in a collet. End mills are NEVER to be
put in a Jacob’s chuck: Jacob’s chucks are built only to withstand vertical motion not
lateral motion.

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 Once the part and tool are secured, then you are ready to machine. Figure out what
RPM you should be running at by using the RPM chart on the wall of the shop. Make
sure you have oil before making a cut. Edge find and set tool lengths if necessary.

Edge finding – sets X zero and Y zero (Fig. 30-90 p. 502). Do not forget to move the
table to accommodate the radius of the edge finder – this sets the center of the spindle
directly over (0, 0). Y0 should always be the side of the part on the rear jaw of the vice if
possible. This jaw is stationary, and therefore, Y0 will always be the same. X0 is
normally set to the left, but it is ultimately determined from the drawing and where the
dimensions are called out from. A vice stop should be used to maintain X0, so when the
part is removed, it can be placed back exactly where it was, and edge finding again is not
necessary.

Run edge finders at ~1300 RPM and always in the clockwise direction.

Tool lengths – sets Z zero. When drilling holes that are not through holes, Z0 needs to be
set so you know how far to drill (Z0 is when the tip of the tool is just touching the top of
your part). Use a ¼” dowel pin to determine Z0; a dowel pin is used b/c it minimizes
damaging the tool.

CLEANING

You are responsible for cleaning EVERY machine that you use that day. The machines
and surrounding area need to be cleaned as soon as you are done using it.

1) Remove and recycle all chips in the appropriate bin. DO NOT put mixed chips (i.e.
steel, brass, etc) in the “Clean Aluminum” bin!
2) Clean under the mats
3) Clean tools and put back in their appropriate places
4) Remove collet from the spindle
5) Turn OFF machine power and digital read out power
6) Sweep floor
7) Verify with Nicole or TA that station is clean before leaving

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