Advice wanted for an apprentice beginning his tool collection

[Matthew Dudley]

Machinists,
I am an apprentice machinist start to build my tool collection. I currently work for a small machine shop that supplies most tools and go to Athens Tech which supplies materials and tools. I recently bought two rolling toolboxes that I plan on filling with tools related to the mill and lathe in separate boxes with some common tools in both. My current buy list will be below. Please let me know what tools y’all think I should add or remove from the list. I am thinking about opening my own shop someday, so I would also appreciate some advice on planning for that. I have completed Introduction to Machining, Mills 1, Heat treatment/ Surface Grinding, and Blueprint (GD&T). My Fall 2022 classes are Lathes 1 and Mills 2. I plan on taking CAD/CAM and Lathes 2 in the spring and graduate Fall 2023 from Athens Technical College Precision Machining and Manufacturing program. Projects I have made so far include: drill gage, lathe test bar, precision ground and heat treated v-blocks, rotary step block, machinist soft face hammer ( turned aluminum 3 components), machinist screw jack, surface gauge and t-handled tap wrench. Machines I have operated include a Cleveland Automatic Screw Machine that was used in World War 2 and a Warner and Swasey turret lathe model 3.

Thanks for the information and advice



Mill Box List:

1. 1x 6” dial calipers
2. 1 set 0-3” micrometers
3. 1 box set parallels
4. 1 set standard wrenches
5. 1 set metric wrenches
6. 1 set standard Allen keys
7. 1 set metric Allen keys
8. 1 vise handle
9. 1 pick set
10. 1 test indicator set
11. 1 set of common taps ( 1/4-20, 1/4-28, 3/8-16, 3/8-24, 1/2-13, 1/2-20…)
12. 1 set common end mills (1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1”)
13. 1 drill index ( 0-1”, #,letter)
14. 1 set R8 collets ( 1/16 - 1)
15. 2 keyless drill chucks, R8 shank (0-1/2,1)
16. 2 keyed drill chucks, R8 shank with chuck keys (0-1/2,1)
17. 1 chip brush
18. 1 tap-drill/ decimal equivalent chart)
19. 1 machinist handbook
20. 1 small surface plate
21. 1 small height gauge
22. 1 surface gauge with indicator
23. 1 set v-blocks
24. 2 1-2-3 blocks
25. 1 scientific calculator
26. 1 tie-down kit
27. 1 roll double sided tape
28. 1 bottle dyekem
29. 1 set writing utensils
30. 1 set files
31. 1 deburr tool kit
32. 1 can tap magic
33. 1 oil can of cutting oil

Lathe list:

1. 1 set 6” calipers
2. 1 set 0-3” micrometers
3. 1 set standard lathe tools ( HSS turning/facing tool RH/LH, HSS threading tool, HSS chamfer/1/16R undercutting tool, Carbide of all above, knurler, parting tool)
4. 1 set standard wrenches
5. 1 set metric wrenches
6. 1 set standard Allen keys
7. 1 set metric Allen keys
8. 1pick set
9. 1 test indicator set
10. Tap wrenches/ die handles
11. 1 set of common taps ( 1/4-20, 1/4-28, 3/8-16, 3/8-24, 1/2-13, 1/2-20…)
12. 1 drill index ( 0-1”, #,letter)
13. 2 keyless drill chucks, Morse 4shank (0-1/2,1)
14. 2 keyed drill chucks, Morse 4 shank with chuck keys (0-1/2,1)
15. 1 chip brush
16. 1 tap-drill/ decimal equivalent chart)
17. 1 machinist handbook
18. 1 scientific calculator
19. 1 roll double sided tape
20. 1 bottle dyekem
21. 1 set writing utensils
22. 1 Live Center Morse 4 shank
23. 1 set Thread Gauges
24. 1 set Thread Wires
25. 1 set Go/No gauges (common thread sizes)
26. 1 set common bolts + nuts
27. 1 set gauge pins
28. 1 set files
29. 1 deburr tool kit
30. 1 bottle tap magic
31. 1 oil can with cutting oil

I am thinking of something similar to NYC CNC’s ultimate toolbox setup as shown in the video.

 

[Davewitt]

It has been years since I worked as a prototype machinist so what I have to say may not apply anymore. You only need one box to start with.
Quite a bit of what you are listing was supplied by the shop, such as taps, end mills, drills, collets, drill chucks, surface plate, height gauge, surface gauge, tie-down kit, double sided tape, dyekem and tapping fluid, lathe tools, live and dead centers, go/no go gauges and cutting oils.

To start with, get the tools you use the most, then expand as needed. For instance one and two inch mics or is everything now metric? 6" calipers, chuck keys, machinery's handbook, 6 & 12" scales, combination try square set, 2 test indicators, files, hammer, allen wrenches, etc.

Wait until you land at a shop before expanding too much beyond the basic tools.

If you plan on owning your own shop, get some management - business training. Doing the work and running a business takes two different skill sets.

Good luck,
Dave

 

[michiganbuck]

Projects I have made so far include...
A nice list you made and a good experience..but some things bought online are real bargains.
Add to tool list...
Mill edge finder.
6 or 8" digital caliper (mid-priced is OK)
Angle plate with 2 6" C clamps. (buy used and grind if needed)
V block with top clamp (one that can lay on its side is best.)
lathe fish gauge. (new with numbers)
10 power loupe.
Homemade mini surface plate, 8x 12 x 1/2" ( About) careful wet surface ground is OK Dead square/Dead flat with a few screw thread 3/8 holes, as a gauge indicator plate or solid test square.
square-head protractor.
Sine bar.
Pocket math book.
Make a set on a slide bar shaft tap wrench for lathe and drill press tapping.
Know how to check and make a part dead square.
*to buy as you need stuff
*You can't buy everything you need for a mill/Lathe /all up front, it is just too much money.

 

[Matthew Dudley]

It has been years since I worked as a prototype machinist so what I have to say may not apply anymore. You only need one box to start with.
Quite a bit of what you are listing was supplied by the shop, such as taps, end mills, drills, collets, drill chucks, surface plate, height gauge, surface gauge, tie-down kit, double sided tape, dyekem and tapping fluid, lathe tools, live and dead centers, go/no go gauges and cutting oils.

To start with, get the tools you use the most, then expand as needed. For instance one and two inch mics or is everything now metric? 6" calipers, chuck keys, machinery's handbook, 6 & 12" scales, combination try square set, 2 test indicators, files, hammer, allen wrenches, etc.

Wait until you land at a shop before expanding too much beyond the basic tools.

If you plan on owning your own shop, get some management - business training. Doing the work and running a business takes two different skill sets.

Good luck,
Dave

I am currently an apprentice with Williams Industries in Monroe, GA. Most of our measurements are standard and we convert the metric. My plan is to have a box per machine type so that I can just roll my box to the machine that I am operating and not have to gather the tools for each job. I may just take over the shop when my boss retires since we only have 4 employees including the boss. The others do not have any interest in the company other than their jobs. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Matthew Dudley]

Projects I have made so far include...
A nice list you made and a good experience..but some things bought online are real bargains.
Add to tool list...
Mill edge finder.
6 or 8" digital caliper (mid-priced is OK)
Angle plate with 2 6" C clamps. (buy used and grind if needed)
V block with top clamp (one that can lay on its side is best.)
lathe fish gauge. (new with numbers)
10 power loupe.
Homemade mini surface plate, 8x 12 x 1/2" ( About) careful wet surface ground is OK Dead square/Dead flat with a few screw thread 3/8 holes, as a gauge indicator plate or solid test square.
square-head protractor.
Sine bar.
Pocket math book.
Make a set on a slide bar shaft tap wrench for lathe and drill press tapping.
Know how to check and make a part dead square.
*to buy as you need stuff
*You can't buy everything you need for a mill/Lathe /all up front, it is just too much money.

All the projects I listed are school projects I have either started or finished. I do appreciate the list additions

 

[Bill D]

How about a copy of machinery's handbook. An older one is fine.
Bill D

 

[Matthew Dudley]

I plan on getting one for each box.

 

[John Garner]

In the 47 years since college graduation, none of my employers have knowingly paid me to operate a machine tool. But as a manufacturing and test engineer in the aerospace business I've worked very closely with machine shops and machinists. Based on those interactions and having some knowledge of Midnight Machine operations, I'll make a couple of suggestions:

An assortment of good-quality screwdrivers.

A big and little Red Rubber Hammer. I really like the Halder ruckschlagfrei (that may well be spelled wrong), but the el-cheapos from Harbor Freight work well enough.

The ratcheting box-end combination wrenches are really worth having.

A couple sets of thickness "feeler" gages. Replace all blades that become rusted, bent, or torn.

A couple of flat "sharpening stones" or a FLAT block and sticky-back sandpaper.

Thread files are worth considering.

Hi-Liters and permanent markers.

A tin of EP grease and bottle of light lube oil.

A notebook to document all out-of-the-ordinary setups and techniques so that you can recreate them when needed.

Double check ALL your calculations.

 

[tdmidget]

With that list all you need is machines and orders and you're in business.
Throw that away or frame it with a note not to be that stupid again.
You DO NOT buy consumables such as perishable tooling or chemicals. Your boss makes the money from these so HE buys them. If the shop can't afford this stuff, move on.
You say that you are an apprentice. What apprenticeship program? You don't get to bring some guy on board, call him an apprentice and tell him to spend a fortune on tools. A real apprenticeship is sanctioned by the state and federal labor departments and has rules for this stuff.

 

[Matthew Dudley]

With that list all you need is machines and orders and you're in business.
Throw that away or frame it with a note not to be that stupid again.
You DO NOT buy consumables such as perishable tooling or chemicals. Your boss makes the money from these so HE buys them. If the shop can't afford this stuff, move on.
You say that you are an apprentice. What apprenticeship program? You don't get to bring some guy on board, call him an apprentice and tell him to spend a fortune on tools. A real apprenticeship is sanctioned by the state and federal labor departments and has rules for this stuff.

Technically, we have no apprenticeship program but 90% of the things I would expect from a formal apprenticeship are being ta by my boss. I live and work in Georgia where there is no formal apprenticeship opportunities to my knowledge or any state within 300 miles of me. I am builying up my tools in case I decide to open up a shop or get a job that requires me to bring my own tools in the future. As I said before, all tools are supplied by my boss or Athens Tech for work and school. We receive a Gene Haas Foundation Grant every year for toolboxes for students after their first semester, which the students are given upon graduation. I am learning a lot from both work and school and may endup running the company since no one else seems to have any interest in the company if something happens to my boss or he retires. I am one of only three employee, currently the whole shipping department, only screw machine operator, and am coming up with an inventory system and catalog for our customers.

 

[Matthew Dudley]

In the 47 years since college graduation, none of my employers have knowingly paid me to operate a machine tool. But as a manufacturing and test engineer in the aerospace business I've worked very closely with machine shops and machinists. Based on those interactions and having some knowledge of Midnight Machine operations, I'll make a couple of suggestions:

An assortment of good-quality screwdrivers.

A big and little Red Rubber Hammer. I really like the Halder ruckschlagfrei (that may well be spelled wrong), but the el-cheapos from Harbor Freight work well enough.

The ratcheting box-end combination wrenches are really worth having.

A couple sets of thickness "feeler" gages. Replace all blades that become rusted, bent, or torn.

A couple of flat "sharpening stones" or a FLAT block and sticky-back sandpaper.

Thread files are worth considering.

Hi-Liters and permanent markers.

A tin of EP grease and bottle of light lube oil.

A notebook to document all out-of-the-ordinary setups and techniques so that you can recreate them when needed.

Double check ALL your calculations.

This is the kind of advice I was looking for, thanks.

 

[Limy Sami]

Humility and common sense - both in large.

 

[Matthew Dudley]

Already experienced the need for both many times. I am having trouble with some small parts trying to thread 10-24 UNC 2A on my surface gauge spindle bolts that bend after 15 thou thread depth. I can probably get all parts done within a work day if I can figure it out. Not due for a couple of weeks, so shouldn’t have to rush or spend nights working on it. I am going to ask my boss if I could just finish my projects at work since we are slow right now. He has been very helpful, especially when I crashed my v-blocks into the surface grinder at school a week before they were due.

 

[john.k]

What a list.....Id say Ive never worked for a shop that had half that stuff....let alone an apprentice with it.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Whatever you buy get your name on them and be very careful who you lend them to. Think of it like this - “ Would I lend this guy some money ? “ If the answer is no don’t lend them your tools.

” Snap-On “ used to make a sticker that said something like - “ I make my living with Snap-On tools, please don’t ask to borrow them “. Put one on every tool box. Some guys think borrowing tools off apprentices and not returning them is a good game to play.

Good luck with it all, Tyrone.

 

[AD Design]

As others have mentioned, do NOT buy perishable/consumable cutting tools or fluids unless you already have a shop with paying customers. Your employer is supposed to purchase them for shop use. The above advice of engraving your name on your tools is sound advice. Loaning out tools is a sketchy habit to start. You want to be a nice guy and help but before long many of your personal tools will be "out" and you won't have them when YOU need them. Even if you're in charge it's not your job to provide others with tooling the shop needs. Don't learn this the hard way. Good luck, be safe.

 

[MilGunsmith]

For your calculator, look at the Machinist Calc Pro 2. It has most of the formulas preloaded, just add the data as needed. For your Machinery's Handbook, the large print editions are much easier to work with, although they take up more room in the toolbox. It doesn't need to be the latest edition as most of the information is the same. The really old editions are good to have as there is information that has been removed from the new versions. Very handy if you do repair work on old equipment. Definatly put your name on every tool if possible. The items you make, possibly add the date made, in the future you can look back and see the progression of your work. I have tools that I have inheretid from my grandfather and uncles that they made as apprentices that are marked with their names. When I use them I think of them. If you make any tools for special jobs, mark them with what job they are used for, if not enough room for the info, an ID number that you can cross reference in a notebook or database. It will make things easier for future jobs.

 

[BT Fabrication]

Buy once, cry once Is what I say, as for tools.
#1 buy GOOD measuring tools, sure they will cost more, but you only need to buy them once unless you drop and break them. IE like mitutoyo digital calipers and micrometers. there are some good used options out there also. In my experience, most chinese junk is just that.
#2 thread wires are good but dont need all the fancy go/nogo gauges.
#3 all the taps are only needed if you need them, but having a various size of tap handles is a good thing. Tap sockets are also good to have that fit on rachets.
#4 mag base with dial indicators, with resouloution in the 0.001 and another that is 0.0001
#5 gauge blocks and gauge pins, a decent used set is worth its weight in checking things.

basically, buy all your own good measurement tools if the shop isn't ISO, you will always need them. Everything else if you find you need a sine plate etc buy them as you need them. you mostly need to know how to make something to size and verify it is in spec by measuring it!

 

[gustafson]

As a young person starting out, having tools in your toolbox you never use is money that could have been spent on food and rent.
Measuring equipment at most modern shops will be calibrated and tracked by the company. Own your own dial calipers and mics, but no go gauges? Some places may demand you take them home.
Buy the basics, save the money to buy the things you find you need.
As a long time shop owner, while I own and keep drill indexes, I have drills in the cabinet that have been there for 25 years[seriously] One does not use offsize drills often, why own them?
Own the taps and tap drills that you will use to make fixtures. The rest will be in the CNC machine you run.
6 and 12 inch scales
edge finders
scribers
pin punches
center punch
Eye loupe
I have a copy of the Machinerys Handbook in my Gerstner handbook drawer
Never use it.
Internet is faster.

 

[AARONT]

I could cut down more, but remove this stuff. This should be purchased by your employer. If you need any of these items and they won't supply them you need to leave.

1 set of common taps ( 1/4-20, 1/4-28, 3/8-16, 3/8-24, 1/2-13, 1/2-20…)
1 set common end mills (1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1”)
1 drill index ( 0-1”, #,letter)
1 set R8 collets ( 1/16 - 1)
2 keyless drill chucks, R8 shank (0-1/2,1)
2 keyed drill chucks, R8 shank with chuck keys (0-1/2,1)
1 Live Center Morse 4 shank
1 roll double sided tape
1 bottle dyekem
1 can tap magic
1 oil can of cutting oil