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Showing posts with the label Machinist Tips

March 2024 Tip: Twist Drill Grinding

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Knowing whether to use a blunt or acute point is critical when using a twist drill. This may require modifying (grinding) the standard drill point angle to accommodate those needs. Download and use this tip sheet for the best points to use on the most frequently used materials including: thin sheet metal, plastics, wood, soft and medium hard brass, fiber, rubber, aluminum, marble, heat-treated steels, and many more. If you like this post, you might also like my February 2024 tip which discusses drill bit nomenclature and provides a download for easy access to those named parts. Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com today.

February 2024 Tip: Parts of a Drill Bit

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As a machinist, it's important to know the names and location of each part of a drill bit. Because each part has a specific function, and knowing the functions makes them easier and safer to use. I'm providing a basic download to help you better understand drill bit nomenclature. Please contact me if you're unable to download this simple tool . More on drill bits will be available next month. Until then, take care. www.MachinistKalc.com

January 2024 Tip: Table of Trigonometric Functions

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Today's download  is 8 MB, 53 pages long, and provides formulas  for trig functions that every machinist will use most of the time. Find the sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant of angles. Download the file to your phone or print and keep it nearby for these types of jobs.

December 2023 Tip: Formulas to Calculate Right Triangle Sides and Angles

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Every machinist deals with right triangles on a regular basis, so my gift (a.k.a. machinist tip) to you this month is this highly beneficial 2-page PDF document, because it's impossible to remember ever formula. Download and/or print this handy PDF file of formulas to calculate right triangle sides and angles .  Merry Christmas from www. MachinistKalc.com . 

November 2023 Tip: Table of Squares and Square Roots

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Today I'm offering a PDF download of a Table of Squares and Square Roots - a must-have for any machinist. The table provides N 2  and √ for numbers ranging from 1 to 100. Just click on the link above to download and print, and keep it in your wallet or toolbox. If you have the capability of saving PDFs to your smart phone, it may be easier to keep this table at your fingertips. If you aren't able to download PDFs to your device, you can save it to your Google Drive and open it from there on your phone. Thanks for visiting MachinistKalc.com .

September 2023 Tip: Decimal Equivalents of Letter Size Drills

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I hope you enjoy this free chart that covers drill letter sizes from A to Z. Conversions are decimal equivalents as partially shown below. Print out the conversion chart or save to your smart phone so you will have this readily available whenever you need it.  Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com .  

August 2023 Tip: Decimal Equivalents of Number Size Drills

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Decimal Equivalents of Number Size Drills is our August 2023 tip. If you frequently use numbered drills, you'll want to print this PDF and keep it nearby at all times. You'll be able to easily find the decimal sizes for drill numbers 1 through 80. Please contact me if you have any problems downloading the PDF or if you have any questions or recommendations for tips. If you haven't done so already, be sure to sign up for my newsletter at the top of the page so you don't miss any monthly tips or new GrafnCalc program releases.  Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com . 

July 2023 Tip: Calculating Gibs and Dovetails

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Using Common Angles and Standard Pins to Calculate Gibs and Dovetails In this PDF download , you will receive standard pin diameters in fraction and decimal form from 3/64 inch (0.04688) to 2inches (2.000) for 45- and 60-degree angles for E, F, and G. Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com today. These tips are some of the best tools a machinist can have. I also have more Machinist Tips available. 

July 2023 Tip: Causes of Drill Trouble

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Troubleshooting Drill Problems If you’re doing a lot of drilling and you’re running into a few problems, I think you’ll like today’s tip. Some common problems you will run across with drills is the breakdown of outer corners, rough holes, oversize holes, and more. Download this general troubles and causes sheet to keep in your toolbox so you can correct your problem and get back on track quickly. Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com today. I hope you find these tips to be helpful tools .

Revisiting Threads

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Can you imagine a world without threaded  nuts and bolts? When you think about it, almost everything in the world is held together by nuts and bolts - vehicles, homes, bridges, chairs just to name a few. You could say that our lives are literally hanging by a thread.  Of course, threads are used in other materials as well such as pipes. And threads come in different pitches; some are standard and some are metric; some are internal and some are external. And it's a machinist's job to make sure these threads are precise for the jobs they must perform. So, as a veteran machinist with over 40 years of experience, I have posted a few thread tips and created some GrafnCalc83 programs to help you double check your calculations for external pipe threads , internal pipe threads , and for diameter calculation  over three-wires of 60 degree threads. Image courtesy of  Dan Cristian PădureÈ› via Unsplash I'm so glad you visited www.MachinistKalc today. Be sure to sign up for my month

Revisiting Hexagons

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A hexagon, as mentioned in a previous post , is often used in nature due to its amazing strength. One of the earliest hexagonal written thoughts dates back to 36 BC when Roman polymath, Marcus Terentius Varro, reported that the hexagonal shape makes the most efficient use of space and building material. (Source: Wikipedia ) From that point, builders and manufacturers have been busy as bees using the hexagon to build their man made creations.  Image courtesy of   Meggyn Pomerleau With that being said, a machinist often uses two of history's genius hexagon inventions - hex nuts and bolts with hex heads. These handy fasteners allow for an excellent grip without slippage when tightening. As machinists, we also make plenty of hexagons in our career. That's why I decided to revisit my hexagon tips  and GrafNCalc83 programs I created to calculate a  hex angle , hex point 1 , hex point 2 , and  diameter calculation for hex and square. My coworkers and I use these programs on a near-d

April 2022 Tip: Mill and Lathe Formulas

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As with all of the downloads I provide as helpful tools on this site, this Mill and Lathe  Formulas chart  is handy to keep nearby. This chart provides formulas for SFM cutting speed, RPM, FPR, FPT, MRR, converting IPR to IPM and IPM to IPR, and much more as shown in the picture below. It also includes conversion formulas for inches to metric and metric to inches. I'm always happy  email  the chart to you if you're unable to download it.  Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com . And remember to tell your friends about our affordable programs and free downloads. 

March 2022 Tip: Tapping and Threading Formulas

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Today's download is a  Tapping and Threading Formulas chart. You'll get formulas for inch taps as shown in the image below as well as for metric taps, and also two examples of tap drill size calculations for both inch and metric. This  helpful chart is a must have for any machinist. Keep it on your phone or print it to keep in your toolbox. Contact me if you're unable to download the chart; I'll be happy to email it to you. Thanks again for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com . Have a nice day.

March 2022 Tip: Pipe Thread Sizes

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Today's tip is a chart for Pipe Thread Sizes  that you can download free of charge. This chart provides the Tap Thread Size, Approximate Inside Diameter, Approximate Outside Diameter, and Tap Drill Size of the most commonly used standard threaded pipe sizes. Find out more information about charts and other tools you should keep on your phone or in your toolbox for easy accessibility. Contact me if you have any trouble downloading this chart. Thanks for visiting wwwMachinistKalc.com today. 

February 2022 Tip: Metric Taps

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Today, I'm offering a PDF download of a Metric Taps conversion chart. See the sample image below that shows the conversions that are available in this download. If you're unable to download this helpful tool , please contact me . I'll be happy to email the file to you. 

December 2021 Tip: Millimeter to Inch Chart

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The second free chart that I'm offering as a December 2021 tip is a millimeter to inch chart. This is a free download that you can print to carry in your wallet, to place in your toolbox, or to snap a photo of it - or download it - to your phone for a quick reference. The chart ranges from .01 to 25.4 millimeters or .4961 inches to 1 inch. I'm also happy to email the chart to you if you contact me . I have a created a GrafNCalc83 millimeter to inches calculator program if you need to convert larger numbers from millimeter to inches and vice versa. Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com . Millimeter to inch chart

December 2021 Tip: Degree Formulas Chart

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The first December tip for 2021 is a free download for a Degree Formulas chart. The chart shows you the simple equations to convert minutes of a degree as well as minutes and seconds to a decimal. It then shows you the equation to convert decimal degrees to minutes as well as minutes and seconds. If you have problems downloading the file, please contact me , and I will be happy to email the file to you.  You can keep this in the top of your toolbox, in your wallet, or just snap a picture and keep it on your phone for quick reference. This is one of the machinist tools you should keep close at hand. Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com . Degree Formulas Chart  

November 2021 Tip: Decimal Equivalent Chart for Drill And Tap Sizes

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Download this PDF of a Decimal Equivalent Chart  to your iPhone or print it out and put it in your toolbox to be able to quickly find the decimal equivalent of common drill and tap millimeter sizes. Decimal sizes range from .0059 - .0980. Contact me if you prefer that I email this chart to you. This is a highly recommended tool for any machinist to keep nearby. Decimal Equivalent Chart for Drill and Tap Sizes

August 2021 Tip: Internal/External Thread Chart and Thread Calculations

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Download your PDF and Excel copies of this thread data today! The files you are downloading include an Internal/External Thread Chart in Excel format and a Thread Calculations form in PDF format. If you have trouble downloading these files, feel free to contact me , and I will be very happy to email these two files to you. Thanks for visiting www.MachinistKalc.com today. Read more about why we provide these helpful tips each month. 

July 2021 Tip: Coordinate Constants from Center

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Coordinate Constants from Center: These are used for establishing coordinate hole locations from the center location of a bolt circle with equally spaced holes. The holes can be aligned to a reference point on a center-line or equally spaced on both sides of the centerline. To use these values, first, select the required number of holes for the bolt circle and choose the appropriate type of coordinate reference location (either on the centerline or between the holes). Then, multiply the diameter of the bolt circle by the constant values shown in the chart. (Be careful to notice the plus (+) and minus (-) value for each constant). The resulting answers represent the coordinate locations and directions of the holes from the "X" and "Y" center reference points for the specified diameter of the bolt circle. Download the full PDF, which includes coordinate constants from center for 3 to 12 holes. Contact me if you would like for me to email the full PDF to you instead.