Subject: FAQ part 2 of 2

From: [email-masked]
Date: 10 Jan 93 23:24:54 MST

This is the FAQ for rec.crafts.metalworking.  It currently is in two
pieces to keep the overall size of each part below the limits imposed
by some news systems.  This is part 2 of 2.

A tiny bit of history:  there exists a group trial.rec.metalworking,
but few sites pick up the "trial" feed.  Also, the trial method of
group creation sort of died of neglect, so this group (rec.crafts.metalworking)
was created to take its place and become an official wide-spread group.

Many thanks to those who have contributed (in no particular order):
Matthew Jones, Bill Brown, Phil OKunewick, Tim Eisele, Steve Gaudio,
Stu Friedberg.  Also, I've been grabbing bits from postings and copying
them into the FAQ, such as book reviews and more addresses, so thanks to
many more!

Generally, units below are United States dollars, degrees Fahrenheit,
and all the other silly backwards units we Americans still use.  Sorry.

The questions answered in part 1:

1.  What are some good books on metalworking?
2.  Who makes good lathes/mills/etc?
3.  Where do I buy a machine?
4.  What are good magazines to subscribe to?
5.  Where can I get raw material for my projects?
6.  Where can I get tools, drill bits, etc.?
7.  What are some of the related professional/hobby associations?
8.  How do I harden/temper metal?
9.  How do I wire up this strange motor?
10. How do I deal with mail-order suppliers?
11. How to sharpen knives, chisels, and other tools?

The question answered in part 2:

12. Names and addresses of publishers and suppliers

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12.  Names and addresses of publishers and suppliers (with special thanks
     to Stu Friedberg).

     Note also that a potential source of manufacturers/suppliers is the
     Thomas Register, found in most public libraries.

   -  Argus Books
      P.O. Box 35 Wolsey House
      Wolsey Road, Hemel Hempstead
      Herts HP2 4SS England
      Telephone: Hemel Hempstead (0442)41221

      Publishers of Model Engineer in England.  Heavy on live-steam model
      trains, mostly machining topics, some interesting plans.

   -  Blue Ridge Machinery and Tools, Inc.
      PO Box 536
      2806 Putnam Avenue
      Hurricane, WV  25516
      800-872-6500, 304-562-3538 in WV, 304-562-5311 (fax)
      Credit cards, COD's up to $200
      M,W,F 9-5 EST, Tu,Th 9-9 EST

      Lathes, milling machines, presses, brakes, from puny to industrial.
      Accessories and parts for popular machines from Myford, South Bend,
      Atlas, Sherline, Emco-Maier, etc.
      Hand tools and books of interest to hobbiests and professionals.
      Woodworking power tools
      Steel, brass, aluminum, tool steel in small quantities.

      110 page catalog

   -  Brownell's
      200 South Front Street
      Montezuma, Iowa, 50171
      (515) 623-5401, (515) 623-3896 (FAX)

      Brownell's is a fine firm that specializes in gunsmithing, though
      a lot of their merchandise is great for general-purpose metalworking.
      Catalog is $3.75, refundable with first order of $35 or more.

   -  Centaur Forge Ltd.
      P.O. Box 340
      117 N. Spring Street
      Burlington, WI  53105
      (414) 763-9175, (414) 763-8350 (FAX)

      Publications concentrate on forging, blacksmithing, though all aspects of
      metalworking are covered.  A good, well-organized collection.
      They also publish a magazine, Anvil (see earlier section).

   -  Cole's Power Models
      P.O. Box 788
      Ventura, CA  93001
      (805) 643-7065

      Castings, books, supplies, accessories.  For trains,
      stationary steam, gasoline engines.  The catalog costs $4.

   -  Darex Corporation
      220 Hersey Street
      Box 277
      Ashland, OR  97520
      (503) 488-2224, (503) 488-2229 (FAX)

      Precision drill and end-mill sharpening equipment.  Some of their
      complete systems are very expensive and intended for large
      production shops (around $2000).  They also sell fixtures for use
      with existing grinders (about $250) and sharpeners for taps, reamers,
      and countersinks.

   -  Enco Manufacturing Co.
      13 stocking locations, main site in Chicago, IL (addresses not handy now)
      800-873-6260 (24 hr orders, automatically routes to closest location)
      800-873-6264 (fax, also auto routes)
      Credit cards, COD's up to $500, discount for pre-pay by check
      $25 minimum order
      Customer service & Chicago showroom M-F 7-midnight CST, Sa 8-4 CST, Su 9-4 CST

      Lathes, milling machines, etc, from small to large NC machines.
      Hand tools, cutting tools, storage cabinets, shop supplies
      Maker (not just distributer) of turret bed lathes

      230 page catalog

   -  Gateway Clocks
      7936 Camberly Drive
      Powell, TN  37849

      I don't know much about this company; it was simply mentioned
      in an HSM article which reviewed the book "Clockmaking & Modelmaking"
      as a supplier of the book.  Perhaps somebody who knows a bit more
      could drop me a note?  j.k.

      The same address is listed for W. R. Smith (author of the above
      book and others) in an ad in HSM (July/Aug 1990, page 10), stating
      that all of Mr. Smith's books, as well as those of John Wilding,
      are available from either author.

   -  Glendo Corporation
      900 Overlander Road
      P.O. Box 1153
      Emporia, KS 66801
      (800) 835-3519, (316) 343-1084, (316) 343-9640 (FAX)

      Their Accu-Finish line of "advanced sharpening equipment"
      includes grinders and fixtures for lathe cutting bits and
      similar tools.  Also, most affordable for the home shop,
      the Grind-R-Table for use with existing grinders.  They often
      run ads in the magazines, or you can call for information.

   -  Harbor Freight Tools
      3491 Mission Oaks Blvd.
      Camarillo, CA  93011-6010
      800 423 2567

      They mostly sell cheap tools.  Usually cheap = inexpensive, sometimes
      cheap = junky.  All (or most all) imported.  They are best for items
      which have a lot of metal in them and for which fine/precision is not
      your main objective.  They have really great buys on anvils, cold chisel
      sets, screwdriver sets, tinsnips, crowbars, ... and free shipping (other
      than a $2.95 handling fee) for orders over $50.
  
   -  Industrial Pipe and Steel Co.
      9936 E. Rush Street
      South El Monte, CA  91733
      800-423-4981, 818-443-9467, 818-579-4602 (fax)
      Credit cards, COD's
      M-F 7:30-4:30 PST, Sa 7:30-1 PST

      Cutting tools, hand tools, air tools, lathes, milling machines, you
      name it.  Shop supplies, tool and die maker supplies, you name it.
      Metal of all sorts, you name it.  New and used press die sets.
      Surplus rounds and plates.  Buy by the foot, buy by the pound.
      Most of their metal stock is not listed in the catalog(s).
      Call and ask what they've got.  Definitely oriented toward professional
      users, not hobbiests.  Full line distributors for most instrument makers,
      Starrett, Mitutoyo, etc.  Quality ranges from ultra-classy, great deals,
      garbage-at-any-price import.

      Small catalog several times a year, 200 page catalog once or
      twice a year, and a 750 page full-line catalog once every five
      years.  They came out with a full-line catalog in 92.  Get one if you can.

   -  J. Malcolm Wild (Clocks)
      12 Norton Green Close
      Sheffield S8 8BP England
      Telephone: 0742 745693

      Supplies and accessories for clockmaking.

   -  Kitts Industrial Tools
      22384 Grand River Avenue
      Detroit, MI  48219
      800-521-6579, 313-538-2585 in MI, 313-538-6499 (fax)
      Credit cards, COD's
      $25 minimum order
      M-Sa 9-5 EST

      Cutting tools, hand tools, air tools, supplies
      Quality ranges from ultra-classy, great deals, garbage-at-any-price import

      150 page catalog

   -  Klockit
      P.O. Box 636
      Lake Geneva, WI  53147
      (800) KLOCKIT    (i.e. (800) 556-2548)

      Books, kits, plans, tools, parts for clocks and watches.

   -  Lindsay Publications Inc.
      P. O. Box 538
      Bradley, IL  60915-0538
      (815) 935-5353

      Lindsay publishes books for the home shop, covering casting, forging,
      machining, and a few plans for building engines and such.  It has been
      reported that their catalog is "a bit bizarre" but the service is
      fast.  Their electrical catalog has cross-over projects that include
      light (pun intended?) metalworking.

   -  Mason & Sullivan Co.
      586 Higgins Crowell Road
      West Yarmouth
      Cape Cod, MA 02673
      (800) 933-3010

      Clock parts.

   -  McMaster-Carr Supply Company
      PO Box 440
      New Brunswick NJ 08903-0440 USA
      908-329-3200 (Sales), 908-329-6666 (Other Departments), 908-329-3772 (FAX)

      Also has stocking sales centers in Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

      Note that they apparently only deal with companies.  Jim Harres reports
      that they refused to send him a catalog.

      Prints an annual 2600+ page catalog.  Very complete supplier with tools,
      screws, shelving, wheels, lamps, heaters, air conditioners, plumbing, 
      electrical supplies, plastics, metals, pumps, containers, motors, gauges,
      paint brushes, hooks, door hardware, pH testers, microscopes, etc.
      Metric and english threads and sizes, too. Small bits of information,
      reference charts and advice are scattered throughout the catalog.

      No minimum order.  Satisfaction Guaranteed, whatever that means.  
      No problem with returns, but they ask that you get specific return
      instructions before shipping anything back.  All prices subject to
      change.  Visa and MasterCard accepted.  Prices are quoted plus actual
      shipping.

      Experience with McMaster-Carr is very good.  They do update
      (read: raise) their prices frequently, so don't believe catalog prices.
      Get a quote before buying.  Expect the catalog to be 10% low.
      Shipments have been prompt, complete, and accurate.  Prices seem 
      high, but they make up for it with "one-stop" shopping.

   -  Metal Buyer's Mart, Ltd. (formerly Metal By Mail)
      N-15 W 22218 Watertown Road,
      Waukesha, WI  53186
      (800) 657-0721

      $2 catalog, which contains decent descriptions of what they sell
      (hardness, machinability, etc.).  Ferrous and nonferrous metals,
      fasteners, and a few nonmetallic materials such as nylon and teflon.

   -  MSC Industrial Supply Co.
      151 Sunnyside Blvd
      Plainview, NY  11803

      Their 92/93 catalog is 1950 pages, and their selection has been
      described as "dumbfounding".

   -  Penn Tool Company
      1776 Springfield Ave
      Maplewood, NJ 07040
      (800) 526-4956

      A very-well-stocked supplier with a very large selection of
      drills, taps, reamers, and other machining tools.  However,
      in some cases their prices seem outrageous, so check around
      first.  On the other hand, they may be the only source for
      that odd-sized spiral-flute reamer you need, or that #00 tap.
      Their catalog is free.

   -  Power Model Supply
      Rt 1 Box 177
      NW Cor Hwy 67 & Lond Rd
      Desoto, MO  63020
      (314) 586-6466

      Similar to Cole's but heavier on the trains.

   -  Reid Tool Supply Company
      2265 Black Creek Road
      Muskegon, MI  49444-2684
      (800) 253-0421, (616) 777-3951, (616) 773-4485 (FAX)

      Prints a 350+ page catalog twice a year.
      Very complete assortment of knobs, screws, clamps, springs, air hoses
      and couplings, drills, mills, taps, machinist's tooling, and books.
      No minimum order, 30-day return with full refund.
      Offers rework and specialty items with special conditions and terms.

   -  S. LaRose, Inc.
      234 Commerce Place, P.O. Box 21208
      Greensboro, NC  27420
      (919) 275-0462

      Watch and clock movements, repair parts, supplies, tools, equipment.

   -  Scanlon American Reprints
      P.O. Box 379
      Modesto, CA  95353
      (209) 667-2907

      Scanlon sells many books on clocks.

   -  Servo Products Company
      433 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Box 90370
      Pasadena, CA  91109
      (818) 796-2460, (818) 796-3845 (FAX)

      Small precision drill presses and milling machines, including a
      whopping expensive CNC mill ($15,000).  Power feeds for mills.
      CNC small lathe, CNC add-on for large mills.

   -  Stock Drive Products
      2101 Jericho Turnpike
      Box 5416
      New Hyde Park, NY  11042-5416
      (516) 328-3300

      These folks make all sorts of gears, drives, bearings, couplings,
      and related stuff.  Small, not hydroelectric-sized.  Ask them for
      their free publication "Handbook of Gears."  They also publish
      "Handbook of Shafts, Bearings & Couplings,"  "Handbook of Timing
      Belts, Chains & Friction Drives," "Handbook of Design Components,"
      "Aluminum Extrusions & Accessories."  They also package the whole
      set (I asked for just the handbook of gears and got all five).

   -  Tee Publishing
      Edwards Centre
      Regent Street
      Hinckley
      Leics. LE100BB England
      0455-637173/616419

      From England, they publish Engineering in Miniature and other magazines.
      Similar to Argus, they have clockmaking books as well.

   -  Travers Tool Company, Inc.
      128-15 26th Avenue
      P.O. Box 1550
      Flushing, NY  11354-0108
      (800) 221-0270, (718) 886-7200, (800) 722-0703 (FAX), (718) 886-7895 (FAX)

      Prints a 500+ page large catalog once per year, and also sales flyers.
      Very complete line of tooling for machinists, including micrometers,
      mills, drills, reamers, broaches, taps, collets, tool posts, lathe tools,
      grinding wheels and stones, files, gages, vices, indicators, 
      precision steel pieces, glops and goos, books, and some power tools.
      $25.00 minimum order.  Visa, MasterCard, American Express accepted.
      Replace, refund, or full credit within 60 days of purchase (buyer's
      choice).  Prices are subject to change without notice.

      Experience with Travers has been good.  They are less
      expensive than McMaster-Carr and other full-price dealers.  They sell 
      premium and no-name lines of many similar tools so that you only buy
      the "quality" that you need.  Their performance on orders was once
      imperfect, but they stand behind their merchandise, so correcting the
      error was easy, fast, and painless.  I have ordered from them many times,
      so "one minor error out of many" is a good grade. 

   -  Village Press
      P.O. Box 1810
      2779 Aero Park Drive
      Traverse City, MI  49685
      (800) 447-7367, (616) 946-3712

      Publishers of Home Shop Machinist, Projects in Metal, and
      Live Steam.  Some back issues available; older ones are
      available as parts of several book series.  See the individual
      entries in the "magazines" question.  They also publish other
      books such as "So You Want to Build a Live Steam Locomotive."

   -  Wholesale Tool  (Stu Friedberg's favorite!)
      PO Box 68
      Warren, MI  48089-0068
      12155 Stephen Drive
      Warren, MI  48089-3962
      800-521-3420,  800-521-3661 (fax), 313-754-9270, 313-754-8652 (fax)

      Broader selection of hand tools, fewer large machines than IP&S.
      Fork lifts.  No bulk metals, but tool steel, shim stock, threaded rod,
      etc.  Vast selection of cutting tools and grinding wheels.  Scattering of
      interesting surplus items.  Definitely oriented toward professional
      users, not hobbiests.  Full line distributors for most instrument makers.

      500 page full line catalog twice a year.  You have to order by 8 digit
      stock number, so copy carefully.  :-)

      6 locations, main site in Warren, MI.  Most items at most locations,
      some items in Michigan only, very few at other locations only.
      Credit cards, COD's with some payment restrictions
      $25 minimum order

      The other locations:

      PO Box 481
      Stoughton, MA 02072-0481
      1234 Washington Street (Route 138)
      Stoughton, MA 02072-3345, 800-343-1008, 617-344-0338, 617-341-0617 (fax)

      PO Box 700
      Brandon, FL  33509-0700
      9212 Adamo Drive
      Tampa, FL  33619-2631
      800-237-4689, 813-623-3099, 813-623-5816 (fax)

      PO Box 470952
      Tulsa, OK  74147-0952
      9909 East 55th Place
      Tulsa, OK  74146-6404
      800-331-4075, 918-627-2240, 918-627-2044 (fax)

      PO Box 240965
      Charlotte, NC  28224-0965
      4200 Barringer Drive
      Charlotte, NC  28217-1512
      800-438-3580, 704-527-4071, 704-523-7960 (fax)

      8100 Pinemont Drive
      Houston, TX  77040-6522
      800-231-4585, 713-895-7777, 713-895-8113 (fax)