Projects In Metal, LLC Free Metalworking Projects, Plans, Tips, and Tricks for the Amateur Machinist

Here’s a nice weekend metalworking project for you, an adjustable tailstock for a 5c collet indexer! I have noticed in several articles that there seems to be a lot of interest in an adjustable tailstock for a 5c Collet Indexer.  Over the years I have accumulated three of these handy gizmos and not a one of them came with a ... Read More »

Russ shows us his handy tap guides that are easy to make and convenient to have! Read More »

Russ shows us how he designed and built a portable coolant system that he uses with multiple machines, including his lathe and mill. Read More »

Recently I was putting together my Christmas list and I asked my friend Barry Young for his opinion on selecting files for the machine shop. I have a set of inexpensive needle files that are adequate for plastics and soft metals, but they haven't held up well when I've used them on steel. I needed to upgrade to a better set of files and I had my eye on a 12 piece set of Nicholson needle file. But before I added them to my Christmas wish-list I wanted his opinion. This article contains his educational reply. Read More »

Every year my wife struggles to think of what to get me for the holidays. So this year I decided to give her a wish-list of tools in various price ranges. That way no matter what gift(s) she put under the tree, we both knew they would be something I would use and enjoy. Then it occurred to me that this list might be helpful for others. So if you want to make things easy on your wife, kids, or anyone else who might be shopping for you this holiday season, email them a link to this post, or print it out and circle your choices, or make a similar list of your own ... Read More »