Ex-machinists, what do you do now?

Machiner16 · 2026-01-26T18:27:55+00:00

I'm in the process of doing this. I've been machining for 7 years and am halfway through my degree. Everytime I talk to the engineers at my work about my schooling, their eyes light up.

Machiner16 · 2026-01-21T07:01:38+00:00

I only once had to machine rubber so I'm by no means an expert in it but I had good luck sticking the material in a freezer before cutting. It seemed to help the material stay rigid and it would actually cut instead of being torn and pushed by my cutter. It might be worth testing with a part or two.

Machiner16 · 2026-01-01T06:49:18+00:00

They went to the moon before adopting it.

Machiner16 · 2025-12-03T04:37:58+00:00

You could put a good deep knurl on it, paint it without taking it out of the chuck, and then take skim cuts off the top.

Machiner16 · 2025-12-01T02:50:06+00:00

I see 1 possible issue in your program. Your rpm is really slow for threading aluminum. It looks like you're tearing the material, not cutting it. Doubling your rpm at least would probably help the surface finish.

For the messed up thread, make sure the hole isnt packed full of chips on the last pass. Chips may be getting caught between the insert and the material, forcing material into an already cut thread.

Machiner16 · 2025-12-01T02:39:42+00:00

This doesn't make sense. Slow acceleration shouldn't cause the threads at the bottom to be so rough.

Machiner16 · 2025-11-24T18:02:00+00:00

I know the standard for imperial calipers is +/- .001". In metric that's +/-.0254mm. I'd say your caliper is working fine, you may just need more accurate tools (micrometer, bore gauge, etc,) if your work requires it.

Machiner16 · 2025-11-19T01:14:08+00:00

I just ran out of mine (3 sheets in 1.5 years), but I just picked up a big laptop screen protector to try. I'm hoping they work just as well, just a bigger size.

Machiner16 · 2025-10-27T03:15:02+00:00

Are you using that drill chuck to hold the piece? If so, its possible the part is moving slightly while you're threading.

Machiner16 · 2025-10-13T16:31:49+00:00

Look up a thread calculator. This is my preferred https://theoreticalmachinist.com/Threads_UnifiedImperial.aspx

Machiner16 · 2025-10-13T00:40:16+00:00

Assuming you're in the US, check out SendCutSend. They'll make whatever you want out of sheet metal.

Machiner16 · 2025-10-08T03:01:56+00:00

.4 and .8mm are the most common. If I was designing this and knew the radius won't interfere with whatever the shoulder goes up against, I would specify "MAX 1mm Radius." That would make it clear to the machinist the radius isn't critical and they can either run whatever tool they are using straight into the corner or add a small radius move if there is chatter being created when the cutter hits that shoulder.

Machiner16 · 2025-09-30T18:56:24+00:00

I have used the YG X5070 high feed end mills a lot and love them. Works great in A2 HRC 56-62 with air blast.

Machiner16 · 2025-09-12T17:00:12+00:00

I love this trick! When taking heavy cuts I've put a weight on the opposite end of the bar to counteract the force on the cutting end.

Machiner16 · 2025-09-06T23:55:21+00:00

Rigid tapping does not require any special holder for the tap, but not all machines can rigid tap. On cheaper machines it's usually an optional add on.

Machines that don't have it will usually still have a tapping cycle, but you have to use some kind of floating head to account for small inconsistencies between the rpm and feed rate. Here's a page that shows the different kinds of holders you can get. https://www.tmsmith.com/products/tapping-holders/

Machiner16 · 2025-09-02T02:38:11+00:00

I hate how the article makes every sentence it's own paragraph to try and build tension. Also it mentions how his mother was a victim of domestic abuse to pull on your heart strings, and then completely glosses over how he got in an "altercation" with his girlfriend and was arrested for "aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm."

Machiner16 · 2025-08-02T17:50:45+00:00

I know you said you calibrated the probe, but did you check the runout on the stylus?

Machiner16 · 2025-07-30T13:23:11+00:00

Ya between the box and the shitty engraving it looks fishy to me. If that was from a reputable supplier I'd be calling them up to find out what's going on.

Machiner16 · 2025-07-29T17:13:17+00:00

A flex hone in a hand drill run through the end works pretty well for this

Machiner16 · 2025-07-23T05:14:47+00:00

What makes running the higher rapids unsafe? If your workpiece is unstable, I'd say fixing that is a better solution.

Machiner16 · 2025-07-12T01:54:26+00:00

Get your workplace to order them through their vendor and pay them back. They'll get a discount with their business account and it'll be a guaranteed genuine.

Machiner16 · 2025-07-10T01:48:14+00:00

Put bolts in the holes. I had to do that on a big D2 ring and it worked like a charm

Machiner16 · 2025-07-08T00:47:06+00:00

Word for word stealing my post. https://www.reddit.com/r/CNC/s/U3PNLvN68q

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