Subject: FAQ part 1 of 2

From: [email-masked]
Date: 10 Jan 93 23:24:37 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 1 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 being 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 being answered in part 2:

12. Names and addresses of publishers and suppliers

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

1.  What are some good books on metalworking?

   - How to Run a Lathe
     South Bend Lathe
     400 W. Sample Street
     South Bend, IN 46623

     This book is available from South Bend distributors,
     such as Blue Ridge, and/or Lindsay.

   - Machine-Tool Work, by William P Turner and Halsey F Owen.
     1932 and 1945 (hence no ISBN number).  Some libraries may still have
     a copy, though you're probably out of luck for a purchase.

     Moderately good text, very good diagrams and pictures, especially
     of huge special-purpose machines like railroad wheel grinders.
     Suffers a bit from age, and seems intended for large industrial
     shops, but a good read if you find it.

   - Machine Shop Theory and Practice, by Albert M Wagener and Harlan R Arthur.
     1941 (hence no ISBN number).  Some libraries may still have a copy,
     though you're probably out of luck for a purchase.

     Fairly good text, more specific techniques than the Turner/Owen book.
     Suffers a bit from age, but still a nice instructional book.

   - Lathe Operations, by Richard R. Kibbe.
     1985, ISBN 0-471-89023-5.
     Adapted from materials originally prepared by the Engineering Industry
     Training Board of Great Britain.  Also in the same series: Milling
     Machine Operations, and Grinding Machine Operations.

     A step-by-step text with about 2 photos and lots of simple but
     usually-clear drawings.  Shows how to do most any common lathe
     operation (and a few uncommon ones) in as few words as possible.

     Check page 90 for what seems to be a man with two right hands.

   - The Making of Tools, by Alexander G Weygers
     Prentice Hall Press, 1973, ISBN 0-671-60924-6
     A modern book about doing things the old way.  How the artist/craftsperson
     can design, make, sharpen and temper tools.  May be available from
     Centaur Forge.

   - Machinery's Handbook
     A standard reference book for machinists, available from most
     distributors of machines or tools.

   - Clockmaking & Modelmaking; tools and techniques
     by W.R. Smith

     Mr. Smith has published other books on clockmaking, but this one
     covers more than just clocks, and is thus of interest to more than
     just clock-makers.  This is a collection of articles from the
     British Horological Journal, Timecraft, Model Engineer, and
     Horological Times.  The articles have been updated and expanded
     for inclusion in this 112-page coil-bound book.

     For a complete review, see HSM Jan/Feb 1992, page 14.

     Available from Gateway Clocks (see names/addresses section),
     $27 post-paid within USA (overseas buyers add $5 for postage).

1b.  How about video tapes?  (OK, so I'm too lazy to re-number
     everything right now!)

  -  New Life Video Productions
     P.O. Box 175
     Traverse City, MI  49685

     Several tapes with Rudy Kouhoupt, frequent author in HSM and
     other magazines.  Titles such as "Fundamentals of Machine Lathe
     Operation," "How to Cut Spur Gears," "How to Cut Threads" and
     others.  Price varies from tape to tape.  Production qualities
     seem poor (based on viewing the first title), such as poor
     and inconsistent audio, including a radio playing in the background.
     But you can safely ignore this and concentrate on what Rudy is
     trying to show you.  Seems reasonably priced for the material
     covered.

  -  Baily Craftsman Supply
     P.O. Box 276, Dept HSM
     Fulton, MO  65251

     One tape so far, "Greensand Casting Techniques" from David Gingery's
     workshop.  HSM seemed to like it.

2.  Who makes good lathes/mills/etc?

    Who makes good cars?  This is almost purely a personal preference,
    though in general the imported machines (Grizzly, Jet, Enco) seem
    to rate lower than US-built machines (South Bend, Bridgeport).  However,
    the imports are usually MUCH less expensive, offsetting some of the
    quality issues for home shops.  It has also been reported that South
    Bend has been going "downhill" lately.

    There is some indication that Grizzly equipment is slightly better
    than other "Taiwanese" machines.

    Unimats are sometimes considered "toys" rather than real machines,
    though they may do just what you want if you don't push them hard.
    The Unimat PC may be a nice small CNC lathe; any experiences?

    Sherline, Taig, and Servo make "miniature" machines of unreported
    quality.

3.  Where do I buy a machine?

    Check out the Yellow Pages, the ads in the magazines, and catalogs
    from the "names and addresses" section elsewhere in this FAQ.
    For example:

      Blue Ridge Machinery and Tools, Inc
      Alley Supply Company
      Enco
      Grizzly

4.  What are good magazines to subscribe to?

    - The Home Shop Machinist (HSM), "dedicated to precision metalworking"
      Published 6/year by Village Press (see addresses section), $24.50/year.
      Note that many back issues are not available, though most of the
      projects are available in the "Projects" book series.  Mostly
      techniques, no steam, some gasoline engine projects, many tooling
      projects.  Probably the best of the US magazines.  Some projects
      will span several issues.

    - Projects In Metal (PIM).
      Published 6 times per year by Village Press, $19.
      Only projects, no advertisements!  Each project is complete in one
      issue.  A "weak sister" to HSM, apparently started in part to handle
      overflow projects from HSM.  Earlier back-issues have been combined
      into a new book series called "Metalworking".

    - Live Steam Magazine.
      Published 6 times per year by Village Press, $31.
      Mostly trains, some techniques, some stationary engines, lots of
      history and club information.

    - Model Engineer's Workshop
      Published bimonthly by Argus
      Described as the British version of HSM, and similar to the
      tool-oriented writing in Model Engineer.  U.S. subscription rate
      is $38.  More "packed" than HSM, and features the uniquely
      English way of doing machining (e.g., spending hours to
      make a cutter to make the cutter for gear cutting, when many of
      us in the US would just order the gear cutter and be done with it).

    - Modeltec.  "Machinist Projects of Beauty and Usefulness"
      Published by George R. Broad, 12 per year.
      P.O. Box 1226
      St. Cloud, MN 56302
      Phone: (612) 654-0815
      $31 per year ($38 in U.S. funds if outside U.S)
      Similar to Live Steam but not restricted to trains.

    - Strictly IC
      (IC stands for Internal Combustion)
      Published 6 times per year
      $24.25 (+$2.00 US foreign, WA residents add $2.00 sales tax)
      Robert A. Washburn, editor
      24920 43rd Avenue S.
      Kent, WA  98032

      Concentrates on construction of miniature internal combustion engines,
      and has a few classified ads, usually for engine castings.

    - Model Engineer
      Published biweekly, about $80/year
      Argus Specialist Publications Ltd.

      The king of model machining magazines it has been around for about
      100 years.  Varied construction articles, lots on trains.  Some
      projects can take years to complete!  Extensive back-issues are
      available from Tee (q.v.),

    - Engineering in Miniature
      Published monthly, about $30/year.
      Tee Publishing

      Similar to Model Engineer, more steam traction engines.
      Has an extensive collection of back issues of this and other
      model magazines.

    - Clockmaker
      Published 6 times per year, around $30/year
      Tee Publishing
      Discusses how to build mechanical clocks, with many projects spanning
      several issues.  Big names like John Wilding write in this magazine.
      Classified ads for clockmaking supplies.

    - Workshop Masters (still around?)

    - Horn and Whistle

    - Traction Engine Magazine

    - The Anvil's Ring
      This is the publication of ABANA (see below, associations)
      published 6 times a year; cost is $24 per year, or you get
      it as part of the $35 dues for joining ABANA.

    - Anvil
      Published monthly, about $30 per year
      See Centaur Forge, elsewhere.

5.  Where can I get raw material for my projects?

    The Yellow Pages are often a good place to start.  Also,
    the advertisements in magazines like Home Shop Machinist.

    Another way is to go find your nearest junk yard and/or metal recycling
    business and scrounge around.  Make friends with a machinist at the
    nearest mining operation and ask for their throwaway "scraps".  Order
    from a supply company (see ads in the magazines, and/or the "names
    and addresses" section elsewhere in this FAQ).

    Sometimes you can discover a creative re-use.  For example, buy a few
    old aluminum automotive pistons, perhaps from your junk yard or a
    garage that rebuilds engines.  Cut off the top and clean it up on your
    lathe.  Now you have a nice round blank to start some project with.
    Similar discoveries should be posted to the newsgroup!

    Some of the magazines have ads for small "garage" shops that produce
    specialized castings.

6.  Where can I get tools, drill bits, etc.?

    Many of the places that sell equipment also sell tools
    but there are also outlets that only sell accessories such as
    lathe bits, drills, taps, and so on.  Scan the "names and
    addresses" section elsewhere in this FAQ.

7.  What are some of the related professional/hobby associations?

    ABANA - Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America
    PO Box 1181
    Nashville, Indiana 47448
    (812) 988-6919
    Dues are $35 per year, which also includes their publication
    "The Anvil's Ring" (see earlier, magazines)

8.  How do I harden/temper metal?

    This is a *huge* subject, and depends on the metal, and intended use.
    Most of the time, this question is asked regarding steel, so we'll
    give a brief description of that, based on an article in Home Shop
    Machinist (Sept/Oct 1991, "Heat Treating Basics" by Steve Acker).

[Also thanks to Steve Gaudio (?) for his post of 18-Sep-1992,
 and clarification by Tim Eisele]

    Iron will, at common temperatures, organize itself into an atomic
    structure that is called "body centered cubic."  This consists of
    overlapping cubes with an atom at each corner, and one more in the
    center of the cube.  But above roughly 1400 degrees F there is a
    change in structure to "face centered cubic" and the central atoms
    migrate to the faces of the cubes.  This latter form is not magnetic.

    Steel is basically iron with some carbon mixed in though modern
    alloys have various other metals and substances as well.  When
    steel is heated to the critical temperature (about 1400 degrees F),
    the iron will change to face centered, and the carbon atoms will
    migrate into the central position formerly occupied by an iron atom.
    This form of red-hot steel is called austentite.  Since it is not
    magnetic, a magnet may be used to determine when the critical
    temperature has been reached (though the magnetism may be lost
    before the transition, so this is only approximate).  Complete
    migration of the carbon atoms may take a minute or two.

    If you let this cool slowly, the iron atoms migrate back into the cube
    and force the carbon back out, resulting in soft steel called pearlite.
    If the sample was formerly hard, this softening process is called
    annealing.

    If you cool (quench) the sample suddenly by immersing it in oil or
    water, the carbon atoms are trapped, and the result is a very hard,
    brittle steel.  Too brittle for most uses.  The structure is now a
    body centered tetragonal form called martensite.

    So, the next step is to heat it back up, to between 200 and 800
    degrees F or so, depending on the desired end hardness.  This allows
    some of the hardness to relieved and is called tempering.  The
    amount of tempering that is desirable depends on the final use.
    Cutting tools are very hard, knife blades less so because they
    must flex under use rather than break.  Tempering is a trade-off
    between hardness and flexibility.

    Accurately measuring the tempering temperature is important.  A
    nice, expensive thermostatically-controlled oven is great.  Or,
    some special compounds can be applied that melt or change color at
    the right temp, such as Tempilstik and Tempilaq.  If the steel is
    clean to start with, then you may notice that it goes through
    certain color changes as it heats up, with understandably vague
    descriptions such as "light straw" indicating about 440 degrees F,
    and purple=520.  These colors are not incandescence colors, but
    are viewed in normal room light.  The colors are due to types of
    surface oxidation that are temperature dependent.

    When quenching, it is often very important to avoid stirring a
    part because this will cool one side much more quickly than
    the other, and might cause warping.  For knife blades, as an
    example, move it strictly up and down during the quench.

    Case hardening is a bit trickier, and involves heating the object in
    some sort of agent that promotes hardening at the surface.  Liquid
    cyanide works well but should be out of the question for the home
    machinist.  Luckily there are substitutes available from suppliers,
    one being called Kasenit, for example.  Note that hardness is
    often measured using a "Rockwell C" scale, with 63 being very hard
    and 35 being fairly soft.

    A type of steel called "drill rod" is especially useful for home/hobby
    use.  As its name implies, it is the type of steel used for drills,
    and is available is round or square form (square drills?).  Drill
    rod is also very useful around the shop because it is usually made
    to very accurate dimensions.  Some types of drill rod are formulated
    for hardening via heating then quenching in oil, while others are
    quenched in water.  The difference is that water will cool more quickly
    because it's a good conductor (though it may also form a steam "jacket"
    that moderates this effect), while oil will cool more slowly.  Since
    rapid cooling may warp a part, this could make a difference in the
    final product.

    There is also an "air hardening" steel, though it seems to be
    quite a bit more expensive than other steels.

    It has been reported, by way of example, that you can make springs
    out of hacksaw blades by annealing, bending, hardening, then tempering
    by heating to a "metallic blue" and quenching in oil.  I suspect lots
    of experimenting may be in order before you get things just right.
    Remember the steel must be clean (no paint etc.) to see the colors.

    Quenching in oil may be a fire hazard.  Take proper precautions, such
    as removing flammable materials from the area, wear proper clothing,
    and have an extinguisher handy.  Even quenching in water presents
    the risk of scalding from steam or splattered water.

    As one newsgroup reader pointed out, not only are there a gerbillion
    alloys, but zillions of treatments to choose from, and this is just
    for steels.  Other metals, like brass, can be hardened by "working"
    the metal, by bending, hammering, peening, etc.  Brass is usually
    annealed with a quench, which is the opposite of steel.

    It's best to carefully research your particular project first,
    especially if it's something that is valuable.

    A recent book, "Simplified Tool Steel Heat Treatment and Selection
    Guide" by Bill Bryson, may be of some help.  Anyone read it yet?
    $31.95 from Bill Bryson, Dept. HSM, RR 1, Box 4243, Union, NH 03887.

    Power Model Supply recently (December 1992) listed two small heat
    treating ovens in an HSM ad.   2000 degrees F, 4x4x4 inch $330,
    6x6x6 $435.  Write them for more info or see the ad.

9.  How do I wire up this strange motor?

    (with thanks to Bill Brown)

    The following describes how to deal with an AC/DC "universal" motor
    that has 4 unmarked wires coming out.  Be sure you don't have some
    other motor, such as a 3-phase unit.

    Other motors are covered in an FAQ for the newsgroup rec.woodworking.
    The FAQ postings for rec.woodworking are normally posted around the
    first of each month, and possible also posted to the newsgroup
    news.answers.  I can't say how long *your* news system will choose
    to keep these around!

    The universal motor is called that because it can run on AC or DC.
    Older units might have been designed this way because very early
    power distribution had not settled on AC or DC, or with 50 or 60
    cycles.  Thus, such a motor could be used universally, in all locations
    provided the voltage was within reason.  This still may be a concern
    with some on-site jobs feeding power tools from DC sources such as
    portable welding rigs.  Another nice thing about these motors is
    that they are easily reversible.  They are also easily speed-controlled,
    such as in hand drills, whereas induction motors prefer to run at or
    near synchronous speed.

    The first task is to determine which two wires go to the armature,
    and which go to the field winding.  If you can't tell by examining
    where the wires go (or the nameplate), get an ohmmeter and connect
    it to the wires until you find two that show some continuity.  Rotate
    the shaft slowly by hand and note if the resistance changes as you
    turn it.  If it does, you probably have the armature, and the
    fluctuations are due to the brushes making and breaking contact with
    the commutator.  The other winding (field coil) should show a steady
    resistance.

    Presuming you want the ability to reverse the motor, find a switch
    that can handle the rated current, in the double-pole-double-throw
    configuration with a center-off position.  The suggested hook-up is
    (as usual, a bad ASCII graphic):

                                 +-------------------+
     1                           |                   |
     2 ----------FIELD-------o<--O   o               A
     0  white                 \     /                R
                                \ /                  M
     V                           X                   A
     O                          / \                  T
     L  black                  /   \                 U
     T ----------------------o<--O   o               E
     S                           |                   |
                                 +-------------------+

     NOTE: no connection at "X";
           Include a green-wire frame ground if at all possible

    Avoid reversing the motor while it is moving in the "other" direction
    as this could severely stress the switch and motor (particularly
    the brushes).  Move the switch to the center (off) position, and
    continue on to the other direction after the motor has stopped.

    Please, always be careful when dealing with electricity.  If you
    don't feel comfortable and safe doing such a hook-up, find someone
    who can do it for you, or at least who can check what you're doing.

10.  How do I deal with mail-order suppliers?
     The following suggestions were offered by Stu Friedberg --

     Get the catalogs and know what you want.  There are often many
     sizes, models, and sources of an "X", so you need to know which
     particular X when you write and especially when you call to place
     an order.  Even the smallest industrial supply houses deal in tens
     of thousands of items, which means even very knowledgeable order-takers
     can't always give you the information you need over the phone.
     Reserve queries about details for stuff that you couldn't figure
     out for yourself.

     Many of the order takers are very helpful and knowledgeable.  At
     *SOME* sources the order takers can actually go look in the stock
     bins, take a micrometer to measure a shaft diameter, etc.  I have
     had people at three different companies do something like this for
     me.  However, some companies have computerized centralized order
     taking at a location completely separate from their stocking
     locations, so don't *assume* people can tell you anything that's
     not written in the catalog.  I've had one company tell me to just
     order a set of change gears and return them if I couldn't use them.
     This wasn't crazy, the order taker simply had no relevant information
     available.

     Get the catalogs and shop around.  Very often there are *big*
     differences in price between identical items, and even more often
     one source will have a unique or slightly different item at an
     excellent price compared to the "standard" item.  There are lots
     of reasons for this.  I have seen 2 to 1 price ratios on things
     like shim stock (from the same manufacturer) and "can't twist"
     clamps (from different manufactures but of equal quality).
     Occasionally, you will find 10 to 1 price ratios on things like
     boxes of hose clamps.  Great deals if you look around.  If you can,
     examine a tool at a local store (where the prices may be higher)
     to see what the quality is like, before placing the order by mail
     or telephone.

     You can also learn a great deal by perusing the catalogs, both
     about tools in general, and about specific details of specific
     tools.  There's seldom enough room in a catalog to print all the
     manufacturer's data, but different sources will select different
     stuff to print.  I have many times used one company's catalog to
     select the precise thing I wanted, then bought it from another
     company because the price was better.

     Most suppliers ship quickly if they have a credit card authorization.
     If they don't ship within two working days on a routine basis, shop
     somewhere else in the future.  One full working day is quite common.

     I have had only one bad incident in the 4 or 5 years I've been
     buying industrial stuff by telephone, and came through with no
     losses.  A supply company (which entered bankruptcy proceedings
     just a little while ago, by the way) charged my credit card for
     the full amount of my order, didn't ship for a month, and was
     completely clueless as to when they would ship my order.  That is
     intolerable, and protection against abuse like that is one good
     reason to use a credit card rather than sending a check.  You don't
     need to sue to get your money back if the merchant doesn't come
     through.  (If it's not obvious, I got my money back and started to
     throw out that company's catalogs as they arrived.)

     Some industrial suppliers don't do back orders because it slows
     things down.  The stock pickers send what's in stock and mark out
     of stock items on the invoice.  This may be a little different from
     retail mail order sources you've dealt with in the past.  Contact
     them about what's in stock and when it's expected to be available.

     Be prepared to return an item.  Having to return an item because
     it was misshipped, defective, or of unsatisfactory quality is *NOT*
     an indictment of the supplier.  If you do enough shopping for
     industrial supplies, you will find that you have to do a partial
     return maybe 1 time in 5.  Don't get mad; don't get upset.  It's
     routine.  Industrial supply and consumer retail have different
     expectations about quality control.

     When you return an item, follow instructions.  Many, but not all,
     suppliers require you to contact them for a "return authorization"
     number, which you must write on the outside of the package.  You
     should include a copy of the invoice in the package.  This is *NOT*
     an opportunity for the supplier to screw you over.  This is a
     routine matter, and most of them just ask you to note on the invoice
     what was wrong and if you want credit, a refund, an exchange for
     something else, or whatever.

11.  How to sharpen knives, chisels, and other tools?
     This is actually a tricky subject, and beyond the scope of this FAQ.
     However, an excellent book on sharpening knives and similar tools is:

        The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening, by John Juranitch.
        1985 by Warner Books, ISBN 0-446-38002-4, $12.50

     This book can often be found in the larger knife stores, such as
     frequently found in USA malls (e.g. Cutlery World).  It is a bit
     biased in that John also sells sharpening equipment, but the techniques
     are fundamental and can be used with competitor's equipment such as
     Lansky's.

     Sharpening drill bits has never seemed easy.  If you have lots of
     money, Darex makes drill and mill sharpeners, and Glendo's Accu-
     Finish line addresses simpler cutting bits (and they even re-sell
     some Darex tools in conjunction with their grinders).

     Some of the magazines will print articles from time to time on
     sharpening, and/or building sharpening equipment.