Post edited 5:05 PM – May 11, 2010 by Tyler

First, let me say that this list will never be complete. Second, if you asked 10 machinists to put together a list like this, you'd get back 10 different lists. Because of this, my list will be contested by many readers, of that I'm sure. If you think I've omitted something, please post a comment. I'm sure this list will continue to grow long after I've posted this – but that's the beauty of the internet.

Keep in mind, this list is intended for the beginner. Someone who has just purchased a shiny new lathe or mill and has no idea what tools they need to buy to go along with it.

I'll try to list the most important items in each category first. In some cases I'll provide links to further explanation on some items (like which brands to look for, which size, etc).

Safety Equipment:

• Eye Protection
• Ear Protection
• Steel Toe (or thick leather) shoes with a hard sole (to prevent chips from poking through).
• No Gloves, Jewelery (rings, necklaces, watches, etc), Long Hair, Long Sleeves – nothing that could get caught in moving machinery.
  • If you have long hair, get a hat to tuck it under. "Pony Tails" can still get caught.

Hand Tools:

• Calculator (any cheap scientific that has Sin, Cos, and Tan functions)
• Screwdrivers (#2 Phillips, 4″ Flat)
• Pliers
  • Needle Nose
  • Diagonal Cutting Pliers
  • Channel Lock Pliers
• Hex Keys (metric and fractional sizes)
• Files
  • #2 Smooth Cut Mill Bastard
  • Jewelers Files
  • File Card
• Scribe (carbide tipped)
• Deburring Tools (Noga or Vargus brands are good)
• "Fishtail" (for setting up threading operations)
• Thread Pitch Gage (for measuring threads)

Measuring Equipment

• 6″ Scale (5R or 16R with 100th's)
• 6″ Caliper (vernier, dial, or digital – buy a cheap Harbor Freight one, if you need better accuracy you should be using a micrometer anyway).
• 1″ Micrometer (vernier – Etalon, Starrett, Browne and Sharp, and Mititoyu are all good brands – buy a good quality used micrometer off of ebay).
• Magnetic ("Mag") Base (Noga is a good brand)
• Test Indicator (Interapid, Browne and Sharp, or Mititoyu brand)
• Travel Dial Indicator (1″ – buy a cheap one in case you destroy it. Harbor Freight is fine).

Lathe Tool Bits:

• High Speed Steel (HSS) blanks that can be ground to any shape (you'll need a bench grinder if you plan on grinding your own tools).
• Indexable Inserts
• Carbide Tipped
• Boring Bar

Mill Tool Bits:

• End Mills (assorted sizes to fit your needs)
  • 2 flutes (for soft metals like aluminum)
  • 4 flutes (for harder metals like steel)

Tool Boxes:

• Kobalt/Craftsman (this is the minimum quality tool box you could choose. You'll soon find that the drawers on these mechanic-style tool boxes are far too large for your small tools. Avoid cheap brands like Husky or Harbor Freight).
• Kennedy (better quality, smaller drawers which is ideal for all the small tools you'll acquire).
• Gerstner (best quality, but expensive. If you plan on making this a lifelong hobby or profession, consider a good quality wooden tool chest that will help protect your tools from rust).

Read the original blog post

I agree, clogged files can be a real bastard (pun intended). For those of you who don't know, this is a file card:

Don, do you ever chalk your files to keep them from clogging? I haven't tried this approach myself, so I'm wondering if it works well with all types of metal or if it's better for softer metals like aluminum or brass.

I'm jealous of the steal you got on a Gerstner, you lucky dog!

It's gotta be chalkboard chalk, I can't imagine using chalk line chalk – what a mess that would be! But I'll ask my buddy Barry just to make sure.

I'm glad you're enjoying the community, and I know what you mean about ego-free. I'm usually pretty nervious about asking a question on CNC Zone or other larger forums because sometimes the responses are from people trying to prove how smart they are rather than people trying to help the new guy. That's never fun at all.

Huh, I did forget to list a parting tool. Good catch. I'm sure I've missed several other things too – this list will continue to grow.

I spoke to my friend Barry and he said that any chalk will do. Chalkboard chalk, sidewalk chalk, and in a pinch even drywall will work. I guess the purpose is twofold. To keep moisture out of the file and to lubricate the bottom of the gullets. I would think that chalk would attract moisture, but I guess not.

On the other end of the spectrum Barry mentioned storing your files in oil when not in use. I've seen that before. A guy had a couple of 18" long pieces of PVC with a cap on one end filled with oil and attached to his bench near his lathe. The PVC was just large enough in diameter to allow the file to fit inside, but not the handle. When he needed the file he simply pulled it out of the PVC oil bath and used it. Messy, but I guess an effective way to protect your file and keep it clean.