Material: Steel
Units: (in)

Bill H.  submitted a set of plans for a very nice carriage stop he recently completed for his 8×14 lathe.

Here’s what Bill wrote about his project:

“Here is a simple heavy duty carriage stop for a 8×14 lathe sold by Lathe Master and Harbor Freight. There is extra metal to allow you to modify the design to hold indicators, stops, micrometers, etc.”

-Bill H.

Thanks for your submission Bill!

  noid-CarriageStop.pdf (38.7 KiB, 2,332 hits)
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Material: Aluminum and Brass
Units: (in)

I’ve looked all over for a fun set of plans to use as a beginner milling project. Oddly, it’s been hard to find a suitable project. Luckily I came across a set of highly detailed, step-by-step (seriously, 30 pages) set of plans for a nifty little project by Frank Ford called the “Two Slider“. I’ve seen something similar in the past made from wood called a Smoke Grinder, and I remember feeling a bit autistic as I cranked away mindlessly on the handle of the wooden toy … for several minutes. If nothing else, this project would serve as a nice little conversation piece at your next dinner party.

Frank’s site is full of great projects, tips, and ideas so I encourage you to check it out when you have a chance. Also, I’ve converted his Two Slider instructions to PDF for easy printing (that way you can take a set of plans with you to the mill), but they are no substitute for the original plans. If you decide to tackle this project you really should take a look at the original set of plans on Frank’s site, if for no other reason than the fact that you can click on all the images for a larger view.

Oh, and if you’re still trying to figure out how this project works, here’s a GIF from Frank’s site that illustrates its function.I’ve included the plans below in PDF format. Take note that the numbering on the pages is a bit odd so if you print the plans, make sure to keep them in order and staple them together.

Also, as a new machinist you may not already own a suitable T-Slot Cutter (AKA Woodruff Keyseat Cutter), so I’ve included a few links to some e-bay auctions below to help you find one (you’ll be cutting a slot with a bottom width of just over .600, but the slot itself is only .400. So a 3/8 inch (.375) cutter should work fine – but be sure to double check the plans before you purchase).

If you have a set of plans for one of your first lathe or mill projects, please consider uploading them and sharing them with others who visit this site. Thanks!

  Home_Shop_Tech_-_2_Slider_Complete.pdf (1.4 MiB, 1,864 hits)
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Material: Steel
Units: (in)

After the Spring Center and the Soft Faced Hammer, the next lathe project I tackled was a set of  Screw Jacks. Why? Well, to create my jacks I had to build on my tapping and single point threading skills, both of which needed some work.

The project took several tries because during the threading process I kept setting the cross slide at 29.5 degrees from the centerline of the part, rather than 29.5 degrees from perpendicular to the centerline of the part. My threads kept coming out looking like buttress threads. I was so frustrated!

But once I figured out what I was doing wrong, my project progressed nicely. I don’t have a set of plans available for you to build my own, but I did find a set of plans by James Appleby for making a much simpler version of the ones I made. I’ve attached the plans below. Be sure to visit the Home Metal Shop Club for this project and other great project ideas.

If you’d like a set of plans for my jacks, leave a comment. If there’s enough interest maybe I’ll create a set of plans for them.

  Machinists_Screw_Jack.pdf (331.8 KiB, 5,992 hits)
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