General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Part of CTE's October cover story, this video sidebar follows tool grinder Jim Clark as he employs the ANCA CNC toolgrinding machine at Hamill Manufacturing to create custom geometry onan endmill for a military application.

Dr. Jeffrey Badger, the host of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's Grinding Doc Video Series, fields a question from a shop that hasn't had any luck with ceramic abrasive. Watch the 2nd episode of the video series now.

An array of milling tools is available, including endmills, facemills and plain mills. Typical milling applications include facing, filleting or edge cutting, profiling, slotting, pocketing and blind slotting.

You can find out that times are tough by reading the newspaper but it really hits home when your company downsizes you. That was recently the case for me and about 30 others at the company I worked for.

Machinist's Corner September 2009 column

The debut episode of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's Grinding Doc Video Series fields a question from a shop wondering about the relationship between coolant velocity versus the flowrate. Dr. Jeffrey Badger, the host of the video series, takes a look at the coolant issue.

In addition to handling prototype and production machining, R.E.F. Precision Products LLC, Deer Park, N.Y., provides engineering and productivity consulting services.

Sanding titanium parts can consume major finishing time because burrs, heat, and surface requirements are hard to balance. This guide reviews practical sanding priorities for titanium work.

Talking Shop August 2009 column

Dear Doc: I grind small parts with intricate geometries. I'd like to get a handle on what kind of Ra values I'm generating and if the grinding process changes I'm making are improving or worsening the surface finish. I was told to purchase a profilometer. Is this the best route to go?

As an owner or manager of a machining business, you have your hands full dealing with matters from the front office to the shop and everything in-between. Even so, nonproduction issues seem to be an increasing burden.

When finishing parts, shops may want to hit them with their best shot. Shot peening can produce longer part life.