Machine Shop Guide
Welcome to machineshoptools.net the online resource for machine shop tools with information, tips, and products to buy.
Mostly Used Machine Shop Tools
Machine shop tools are either manually or automatically driven. You need them to repair or construct a part of your car or vehicle. A list of machine shop tools that are mostly used is as follows:
- Broaching machine is a toothed machine that is used in making holes and splines. It is also used in finishing flat surfaces. You have surface broaches that cut flat surfaces, and internal broaches that cut large diameter holes or other irregularly shaped surfaces.
- Drill press or bench drills consist of a base, a pillar, a table, a spindle, and a drill head. They are driven by motors to be bolted on a surface.
- Gear shaper is a cutting tool for internal or external gears.
- Hobbing machine is used for making gears, splines or sprockets. Modern hobbing equipment is automated and they can produce small to large gear sizes.
- Hone is a machine shop tool used to make precision bores. They are usually used to finish the surfaces of a cylinder.
- Lathe tools are tools that spin a block of material so that it can be cut, deformed, or drilled in various ways. It is used in metals, woods and even glass.
- Screw machines are specialized for production of small parts, and not merely for screwing.
- Milling machines are used for shaping and cutting metals and other solid materials.
- Shapers are tools used for shaping metals and other surfaces as well.
- Saw is a tool with a hard blade used to cut through softer materials.
- Planers are tools similar to shapers. They are used to create accurate flat surfaces.
- Grinding machine is a power-driven tool used for grinding.
Machine shop tools bought from Shop Tools, Inc., United Tool Supply Ltd., and CNC Machine Shop are said to be recommendable according to customers. Industrial supplies, metal working tools, cutting tools, power tools, and other shop supplies are available in these manufacturing companies. You can always ask for further information from the companies mentioned, or read about consumer reviews for other manufacturing companies.
Tips in Buying and Caring for Machine Shop Tools
A lot of people owning machine shops probably know this already, but there are several factors to consider when buying for machine shop tools. Caring for them is also significant so as to prolong the life of your tools. Several tips and guidelines in buying tools for machine shop are found in this article.
- When buying brand new and pre-owned machine shop tools, you should consider your application for its use. Normally, used tools are sold over and over for the purpose of cutting metals.
- You should also take note of the tool’s rigidity, which is actually a very important factor to consider. How durable a tool is and how much it can withstand working with metals, wood and other surfaces.
- Consider the price of the tool as well. Some pre-owned machines cost several times more than their original price because they are already tested to stand through time. However, do not be misled by pre-owned products, as some sellers might just be selling these tools because they failed to work for them.
- Buy from a reputable dealer rather than at an auction. As already mentioned, there can be scheming sellers out there. You do not want to spend money on junk. So it’s best for you to buy from dealers because even though they sell pre-owned items, they make sure they function well.
- Check the availability of your machine tool, and whether it can be easily upgraded.
- With regards to cutting tools, be very careful in cutting through metals. They can easily break while cutting metal pieces. It is best for you to clamp down the metal piece while cutting to prevent it from spinning in case the cutting tool or drill breaks.
- In using drills, aim it straight into whatever you want to drill.
- Start drilling on a flat surface. Never tap or drill through a metal at a certain angle on the bottom of the piece because it can break the tool.
- Clean your saw as often as you can. They can get clogged with miniature debris as you use it, so cleaning and lubricating it makes your sawing easy. Also keep it sharpened.
- Check the bar oils, spark plugs and the motor of your machine shop supply. Some tools are power driven, and so you must take care of their motors and gas stores.
This is a short video onbuying a lathe, this is the first of a series of videos which you can find on youtube about lathes and how to use them.
