Tips in general, little discussion , just the tips,

[michiganbuck]

Tip one: a good smear of grease on the tap flutes will hold/retain most of the tapping chips

Tip two: Zip-lock bags Sharpy marked make a decent small or any parts for OK safe storage.

Tip three: Hold your scale on an angle, or straight edge and look past to something straight or horizontal to roughly line up a part.

 

[apoet]

Similar to your third tip, but when setting up a vice on the mill: use your eyes to line up the back of the vice with a t-slot or the back edge of the table. This is usually sufficient to get the vice within a few thou.

 

[bhigdog]

Start all the bolts before tightening any of them..........

 

[kenton]

If you copy and paste error messages from your computer into a google search you may end up being your shop's defacto IT person.

 

[magneticanomaly]

Fill a blind hole you need to enlarge or tap with grease.

 

[michiganbuck]

To turn /whittle down a round part and not have a proper machine, you can thin coat spray paint with fast-dry primer, then run by hand to a grinding wheel to take away the primer. Often you may get .001 with each clean-up in a very even take amount.

 

[gbent]

Use your phone and take a picture of all error messages

 

[Booze Daily]

Just the tip…

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

When you’re drilling brass be sure to take the edge off the drill. Just a little rub with a small emery stick, or an old file at a pinch , will do the trick.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[TheOldCar]

When an orange box saying “You are ignoring content by this member” shows in a thread, don’t click on it!

 

[FredC]

Indicating tools in and saving space on a gang tool machine. Indicator holder turned to 1/8 to fit emergency collet pin holes.
A picture is said to be equal to a 1000 words. hope this is not too wordy.

 

[Mcfish]

Similar to your third tip, but when setting up a vice on the mill: use your eyes to line up the back of the vice with a t-slot or the back edge of the table. This is usually sufficient to get the vice within a few thou.

I had a coworker who I had a competition with doing this. Who could be the straightest on the first indicator sweep.

 

[Peter from Holland]

If a bolt is stuck hit it with a hammer on the head a few times
If a allen bolt is stuck and turned over also hit it with a hammer The hitting helps to loosen the bolt but also reduces the hexhole slightly
If something is stuck on a shaft also hit it with a hammer all around to strech it (within reason) If the setup is not sturdy the hammer gets no impact Then hold a heavy piece of metal opposite the impact area
If a thread is damages a bit and turns heavy turn the nut on till it is going heavy Then tap(not hit) it with a hammer while applying rotational force Work along till the threads fits properly
If a strip is not straight hit it with a hammer on the inside curve while laying on a anvil of some sort

Peter

 

[guythatbrews]

When indicating a vise parallel traverse the jaw, see which way you need to go, and bump it closer while still traversing, instead of bumping only at each end.

 

[SWYooper]

Having trouble figuring out why something is happening in a machine? Turn off the coolant, turn down the feed and literally watch what the tool/machine is doing.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

If you ever find yourself in a situation were you need to tighten a nut and an hexagonal bolt but you can’t get easy access to the bolt head. - Give the inside edge of one of the corners of the bolt head a sharp tap with your hammer. This will create a small, sharp, spike on the inside face of the bolt head. That small spike will dig into whatever you’re fastening and prevent the bolt head from turning.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[technocrat]

When your pipe thread is good and the teflon thread tape is too slippery to hold on, put a few dings in the thread with a hammer, wrench, another thread or whatever is handy. This will catch the tape and hold it so you can wind it on. Great will brass all-thread.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

When your pipe thread is good and the teflon thread tape is too slippery to hold on, put a few dings in the thread with a hammer, wrench, another thread or whatever is handy. This will catch the tape and hold it so you can wind it on. Great will brass all-thread.

Following on from your post - there is a right way and a wrong way to wrap the tape around the thread. Holding the pipe in your left hand and the tape roll in your right hand place the loose end of the tape on top of the thread and hold it in place with your left hand thumb. The tape needs to come from the bottom of the role . Wrap the tape over the top of the thread and then round the pipe. Easy to do, hard to describe.
3 wraps of the tape is usually enough.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Peter from Holland]

When your pipe thread is good and the teflon thread tape is too slippery to hold on, put a few dings in the thread with a hammer, wrench, another thread or whatever is handy. This will catch the tape and hold it so you can wind it on. Great will brass all-thread.

I scratch it over a sawblade
Peter

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

If you’re making a gasket to go between two bolted pipe flanges avoid the temptation to cut the OD of the gasket round right away. Leave a corner on the gasket material. It will help you orientate the gasket bolt holes between the flanges. Especially if the gasket is slippery with sealing compound. Cut the corner off with a sharp knife when you’re happy that the flanges are bolted up correctly.

Regards Tyrone.