I made this simple chuck support to help make changing chucks on my lathe & crank grinder much easier. Made from PVC pipe, a farm gate post bolt (or all-thread rod), and hardware, this adjustable chuck support lets the chuck slide off and on the spindle with ease.…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Joshua, TX
The only way to make money in your shop is to be able to do the job quickly and efficiently. This means having the right good equipment and tooling. But when you get caught needing a special tool and there's no time to wait, just…
Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Shop Menahga, MN
The diameter of a diesel engine oil filter was larger than my biggest filter wrench, so I made this strap wrench from an old spark plug socket, worn-out poly-V serpentine belt, and a short length of PVC 1/2" schedule 40 pipe. I used an angle grinder…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply Joshua, TX
For lathes without a DRO, a 2" travel dial indicator to measure carriage travel is handy. I quickly made this simple compact indicator mount clamp from two pieces of scrap aluminum. To eliminate the need for a wrench to tighten or loosen it when re-positioning, I used a…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Joshua, TX
On my surfacer, I use a simple popular universal magnetic base with a dial indicator to tram my work piece or index fixture. This dials the actual head in dead-on and works great for machines without an indicator rail. It also allows you to tram blocks and see…
Ron Flood Cedar Machine North Branch, MN
Using 1-2-3 blocks to fixture manifolds or heads on a Bridgeport Mill may sometimes require joining a pair of 1-2-3 Blocks. While some 1-2-3 Blocks have a few threaded holes, these thread holes don't always line up where needed. These simple to make "connector pins" slide into…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Cleburne, TX
This trick got me through a job that I didn't have the correct tooling for. I don't have a keyway rod hone mandrel in 1.375" so I cut a piece of 1/4" key stock in half to keep the shoes and stone on my mandrel from catching and…
Jake Sampson Sampson Racing Engines Inver Grove Heights, MN
Whether you own a shop or work in a shop, take care of your investment in measuring tools. If you've ever damaged one you know what I mean. I always set them on shop rags in an old valve box while using them. They stay cleaner and don't…
Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Menahga, MN
If you end up chasing threads or tapping on a machine and don’t want to make a mess blowing them out, here’s a quick tip. Drill a hole in your vacuum cleaner nozzle and feed your blow gun nozzle through it. Now suck the chips up as…
Ron Flood Cedar Machine North Branch, MN
Most Co-Ax indicators have a 3/8" or 1/2" diameter stem. Instead of wasting time closing the lathe chuck to hold the indicator and then more time opening it back up to hold a larger diameter work piece, make a simple stepped adapter with a precision reamed hole to…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Joshua, TX