On Wed, 9 Feb 2011 18:26:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:
I just got my hands on a sherline 4400 mini-lathe. I know how metal
behaves with a file/saw/hammer- just not with machine tools.
I've been playing with some brass and learned about the drill bit leaving
triangular holes and other non-obvious things. I was able to turn down
some aluminum castings I made, but other than just making random shapes,
I'm somewhat at a loss as to where to get started. There's got to be
defacto books written 1000 years ago I need to grab.
What's suggested around here?
========
Take a look at
http://www.lindsaybks.com/
Lots of reprints of the older books stressing manual
machining and the price is right.
http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/sub/machine.html
For an overview of the manual machining processes I suggest
http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks/milne/index.html
For the Sherline you may also find the following helpful
http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks10/watmak/index.html
While the manual machining techniques describe remain valid
remember these are reprints from long ago, so don't get too
involved looking for specific obsolete parts and materials
like one student that spent several weeks hunting for a
Skinner chuck as described in Milne.
For the slightly more advance manual machinist see
http://mcduffee-associates.us/machin...ning_books.htm
FWIW -- you can shorten the learning cycle and avoid
establishing some dangerous habits [e.g. not wearing safety
glasses] by taking an introductory machining class at your
local vo-tech or community college. If you take one or more
machining classes as a non credit, this generally makes the
enrollment process much easier, i.e. no transcripts, etc.
Good luck on your self education and welcome to the
Machining fraternity. [and be sure to always wear safety
glasses/goggles when running a machine]
-- Unka George (George McDuffee)
...............................
The past is a foreign country;
they do things differently there.
L. P. Hartley (1895-1972), British author.
The Go-Between, Prologue (1953).