As someone who has zero experience with lathes or machining in general, this video was fascinating as hell.

When people ask me what I do as a machinist. I answer, "I make round things square and square things round."

Just like I used to do it with my 4-jaw chuck before I retired. Perfectly logical, and a stepping-off point for making more complex solid figures. My lathe was built in 1943 four years before I was born, by Logan, a Kentucky shop that still makes parts for my lathe. My particular lathe was sent to Detroit for manufacturing parts for World War II, and then was used in Houston to refurbish electric motors on ships that came into harbor. Logan was able to give me the history of my particular lathe, which I still own, and which still can cut to one-thousandth of an inch.

I’m not a machinist but have ran a lathe a few times in my day and found this very informative and interesting on how and why things were done in keeping reference points👍👍

Wow. I have no machining knowledge/experience. Vocalizing every single action (or reason for inaction) really makes a educational video better for a lay person. This was beautiful. I would've never thought a cube could be made in a lathe - now it's like "of course!" Thanks for an interesting 20m

Thank you for this. My father was taught to be a machinist in the Navy before WW II, his final test was a cube accurate to ± 0.001 using only a lathe. He had a trade that served him well until he passed in 1993. This gave me some insight.

I loved my time as a toolmaker in the 80's. I was taught by a genius who was born in 1933. A truly great man. I've applied that knowledge since many many times, much more in fact than anything I was taught in school. Thank you Sam. R.I.P.

I remember doing this in high school it was our final exam. A perfect 1 inch cube. Some students got away with being off a few thousands and were graded accordingly but some were held to a higher standard. I got to see mine thrown in the garbage twice for not being perfect. Off by one thousandth, lol. Thankful he pushed me to always give it my best effort.

You were the kid that forced the round thing into the square hole.

If you can find fault in his procedure/technique, then you do not need to watch this video. I learned the basics and that was good enough for me.

19:03 for the 1.5 seconds where you see the finished product

My grandfather was a machinist, later roundhouse foreman for the Santa Fe railroad shops in Los Angeles from 1898-1951. As a young kid, I remember him having the complete alphabet on a shelf in his office that he had machined on the shop lathes from scrap steel. Myself best I have ever done is a couple doorknobs' under his supervision. Great video.

I should have gone to bed some time ago. I suspect I'm not the only one.

Use to be a machinist and never thought of doing this but I found it Fascinating indeed.. I use to do many things one being making or finishing complete brake rotors from a raw casting, thousands of them.

i'm a cnc operator. it would never have occured to me you can actually make a cube on a conventional lathe, we just use a mill and let the computer have fun with it. very nice job there! also i can finally see the benefit of a four independent jaw chuck. thats craftmanship😀

My teacher was amazed when I machined a 1" cube, no-one in the class thought I could do it. A whole afternoon of machining I had copper, brass, steel and aluminium cubes. I was taught to use the lathe by a very enthusiastic amateur who made his own race car parts. It is so good to see machining done the good old way, none of this CNC malarkey and certainly no 3D printing :)

I'm not a machinist but when I do machining I take good round things and turn them into scrap ;)

BTW everyone, it's not a gauge block, its a demo of a concept. Relax.

That was so cool! I'm not a metal worker, but a woodworker. I always say, I make the wood do what it doesn't want to do. That's what you're doing here. But to take a piece of round bar stock, put it into a chuck spinning in a circle and have it come out square is just magical! Thanks. very entertaining.

Great video, from start to finish. I was initially expecting a straightforward machining video (you know the type) but this went into so much more detail, and was very much appreciated by myself. Gotta love that ending, too, "there it is" cut!

Some people might thing the lesson is rudimentary but for people like myself it's advancing my knowledge from the almost zero point and I really appreciate you taking the time to explain it all as many others wont bother.

Artistry. If humans haven't destroyed each other in a couple of centuries, I reckon this lathe instruction will be shown in archaeology classes. I recently had to remove 3 musket guns the old man has had since I was a kid. Mum was scared of the bayonets on them. Dad had them mounted on a wooden gun rack I made him in woodworking class in 1971. On the back, it shows I got 9 1/2 out of 10. Looking at it now, I could have done a bit more sanding. I was entranced at this video. Memories of wood lathing at school.

I have been a lathe turner for ten years and I would never have thought this would be possible, but it's so simple! I actually remember asking my shop teacher if you could turn squares on a lathe and he said it was impossible :D

I just got my dads South Bend lathe that he got from his great uncle in 1972. I can’t wait to learn how to use it!! I’m trying to take in as much info as I can. Thank you very much.

Interesting concept. Thanks for the lesson.

Thanks for an interesting video showing the principle of machining a cube. It was ideal for somebody like me who spent a few weeks at a workshop practice training course over 50 years ago making the obligatory scribing block.

I loved it! This video took me back 40 years to engineering school. All us green would-be engineers had to work through a wide range of machining/construction classes to make sure we didn't go off designing things that couldn't be manufactured. Thanks for taking me back to some great memories.

As a fellow machinist, one thing I love watching is slow motion videos of chips breaking. I've made a few slow-mo videos and they are always satisfying!

Huh, this is the first time I've seen someone turn a cube on a lathe. Never knew that was even possible, but now it makes perfect sense.

Wow! Centering that stock really impressed me. I mean, I'm no turner myself but the smooth confidence and ease with which you just did that, I found quite amazing. I'm sure I'd have been there all day going back and forth. I'm also quite sure that not many people out there realise just how much skill it takes to do that. But to do it with such nonchalance? Outstanding! Sir! You are a master!.

This video took me back to my days at Western Technical and Commercial School in Toronto, Ontario. Starting in grade 9 in 1967 we took Machine Shop for 4 years. We started off making a rock hammer. Later we made a clamp. The education that school gave me in a wide variety of shops including electricity, drafting etc. has provided me with a good basic understanding of a lot of things mechanical. I was also fortunate to have a father and later a father-in-law that both worked with their hands. They both taught me about all sorts of things that further advanced my technical training and skill development. I can still remember a question on my grade 9 Machine Shop test and later the final exam. Give three uses for knurling? I'll leave it up to the KZfaq viewers to provide the answers. My father in law taught me not force it; don't break it. My father taught me to whistle while I work. Today, I whistle while I work and hopefully don't break anything. The education that WTCS provided us was a good one. Thank you Mr. Depietro, Head of the Machine Shop Department, for taking the time to teach us somethings about working with metal lathes. I for one appreciated your efforts. I have never forgot the three uses of knurling ever since.

I've been a machinist for 40 years and I would not have believed it if I had not seen it .enjoyed watching , Thanks

I am by no means blessed with machining skills. Nor will I ever acquire them. But this was fascinating to watch & I thank you for doing it!

Thankx machiningmoments. For those questioning the accuracy I think the concept was to show how the X plane can be used to create flat surfaces beyond simple facing with the versatility of a 4 jaw chuck on a machine that typically is thought of as a radially cutting machine. The block could have been indicated more precise of course but cool demonstration vid. Like turning with a boring head on a mill. When square is needed and looking at all the mills set up and a mill is not available this is thinking outside the blox ;- ) Thanks again.

I could watch and listen to this all day. Been in and around machine shops much of my career and still love the smell of machine oil and the beauty of hand made parts. Great vid- many thanks.

I'm Neither a machinist nor an engineer but am often told that I think like one. Probably why this was fascinating to watch. Thanks for the lesson. ;~)

I was a machinist before I got into computer networking. I really miss making useful parts. Electronics is fine, but creating intricate parts from stock metal is real skill.

way cool. For those who care, it's a simple task to move over to a surface grinder and make it perfect. This tutorial is an example of how to use a lath for milling projects when all you have is a lathe. precision is a mindset. learn to use the tools you have.

As someone who does machining, but is not formally educated in the field, I like that this video demonstrates the "thinking outside the box" err cube approach.

I did my apprenticeship at Colchester lathe company and worked there for 14 years, brought back a few memories. Thanks for sharing.

Love the logic of this. I couldn't imagine how a cube could come out of a lathe.

Yes indeed, a very neat process which can be as accurate as U want it for intents and purposes. Thanks for showing and sharing. Much appreciated. ATB aRM

I was impressed, I admit it. I learned turning and milling as a borstal boy in Wetherby, and although I never followed it up after my release the satisfaction of a well-turned piece remains with me, as well as the noise and smell of the shop...

This guy's a good instructor. One thing I'd recommend, though: Before moving the carriage back in towards the headstock, wait until the chuck stops spinning. And perhaps even more importantly, especially for a beginner, when moving the carriage _away_ from the headstock -- think of the consequences of an "oops, had the silly thing in reverse" disaster.

Awesome video never dreamed this could be done, where there's a will there's a way.

Many years ago, I taught a computer controls class in which one problem was to machine a 1-inch cube on a 3-axis mill. Almost all thought it would be an easy lab, until they tried to do it. ^_^. I really like it when someone clearly explains how to do something that seems impossible at the start. Also, I’ve gained a new appreciation for a 4-jaw chuck. Great video! Thanks.

Excellent. Very interesting. My Father and Grandfather were both turners. My father recently passed on and I now regret not tapping into his knowledge on the lathe. I have inherited his hobby lathe and a complete novice I am. What a wasted opportunity which I'll forever regret. I went into the Print Industry.

Now that is a great video. If i am making sometming from round stock i could put a flat on one or more sides whatever is needed. Thanks, Norman

Everyone's commenting on how it's not perfect....I don't see many tutorials that are more than "I'm gonna show you what to, but you figure out how to do it better." The whole point of teaching isn't to show them exactly how to make it flawlessly, but to give them direction and then let them figure it out. That's how people learn.

Was teached to use a Lathe at school ( never made a cube though ) 34 years ago. Brings back memories thanks :-)

I have been a machinist for 40 years, its nice to be able to fix things by making your own parts with a lathe or milling machine! Especially when it was a poorly engineered part to begin with......

I wondered about the shims when I could use slip on copper soft jaws. Then I read the comments. Now I will have to try the project using the other tricks I know to see if I can do a "real" cube. It should be fun and educational. Thanks for posting this! Process counts as much as precision.

I had no idea that was even possible. Awesome video, thanks for sharing.

For the person just starting out machining on a lathe. This is good practice. One of my first practice/ play projects was an aluminum cube in a cube. Have it laying on a shelf along with a ball peen hammer of brass with aluminum handel. Also made a 1.5 x 1.5 dice. The dice gave layout and mill experience. Making things is how you learn and gain confidence. Making things to precise dimension is where you learn of patience.

Good job the Material is "Leadloy" for demo purposes. I've seen grown men reduced to tears setting a 4 jaw chuck!!

I was worried a cube would be triangular. Thanks for the confirmation there.

My one and only metalworking class had us, in one term, take an ugly chunk of steel and make as perfect a cube as we could make. Some of those finished items started out as 3" x 3" x 2.5" chunks, ended up as 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/2" and they still weren't cubes. This video shows how knowing what your tool can do can make things a lot easier. Thank you for doing this one.

nice tutorial. i was working machine shop for 5 years out of school. At 2 1/2 years in my little firm went into another shop which primarily dealt with steel sheet fabrication......but there was one man and a machine shop there ( with myself, my original boss, he's machines and a couple of workmates soon to be added of course!) and what the man did with the same machines I had been working on for 2 1/2 years was incredible. The work on he's bench was like science fiction to me. For the first 2 weeks we were moving in I used to stop by his bench before start time to view the astounding metal shapes he had made before the day started.....and he would knock he's spectacles down and glower at my impertinence. i would say "I won't touch anything i just want to look" I knew his skills surpassed my previous employer Ted (now foreman for a year before retirement at this new site) who had a similar amount of time in the trade to this new superman I had encountered. My former boss had so far trained me up and I considered him to be an impressive machinist - and he was. After viewing wonderman's work again one morning I said to Ted "I know that guy is in the same game as us, he uses the same machines but.....if there is anyone here who could make a round peg fit in a square hole and leave no gaps it's Vic" Ted smiled (possibly put a hand on my shoulder) and said "thats a good analogy eddie. Vic is what is called a Tool Maker and he is the very top of what our profession can be.....and sadly you may never meet he's like again" He then explained to me how CNC machines were killing the training of such engineers as, rather than a skilled machinist using several machines to make an intricate item from metal, a programmer just had to enter a program into a machine that would do the whole thing. I became friends with Vic over the next 2 1/2 years of my career, though not outside of work socially. At work he used to drop he's spectacles occasionally and look at what I was doing. Every now and then he would pop up beside me with a job and ask "how would you do this ed" and I'd work out and tell me my job MO to him. He was particularly interested in how I trued up by eye using the chuck key and would then machine straight away (even when I had already turned/bored part of the piece) and once pointed to a piece of round that he'd just nipped up in a 3 jaw chuck and went "true that up for me ed", which I did, took me 10 seconds. Instead of machining it he got out a dial caliper to check it and upon ascertaining a result he looked up at me over he's spectacles, maybe with a slight glare, and firmly stated to the whole shop "I don't believe it, he's within 1/2 a thou by eye" He did once tell me that if he could choose an apprentice it would be me. That I understood the machines and the tolerances and had a good feel. Made me proud that did. I left that firm to try another, Kangol power tools. I met the dreaded CNC there and it was a soul destroyer of a thing. I felt my skills would desert me over the passage of time there as I became another boiler suited hulk lent against the side of one of these machines with nothing to do as it ripped through metal. I went back to the previous firm for a while but left after 6 months for personal reasons and never went back into machining. The mental process I honed during my time in the field has probably saved me thousands of pounds over the years. I fix shit when I can. I find ingenius ways of getting a good result without the right machines and tools by putting bits together to make a machine or even making the right tool to do the job. I do miss the lathes, the mills and the smell of the suds still though. ps, can't believe I just wrote my autobiography in engineering.....a bit short maybe?

Interesting some of the pros get their panties in a wad watching this and us rookies find it fascinating and informative.

Very neat process. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent demo of how to use a machine to accomplish something that is not usually it's purpose. The accuracy of the finished article or the knowledge that it could be more easily produced by other means, is not the main concern here, it is the proof of concept.

I, for one, found that a fascinating video. It never occurred to me that you could make a square object with a lathe. Thank you for teaching me something new today!

I liked it .. then I read some of the Perfektionspolizei comments .. and I still liked it .. then I read some of the appreciative comments .. and I liked it even more.. ty for posting! : )

My father was a machinist. Thank you for giving me some insight into what he might have done.

Very pleasant and clear teaching manner, easy to watch and understand. I've learnt a lot!

We had to do the same at school 50 years ago! Nice and strange to see someone still see the value of doing it. :-))

I did this in metal shop when I was in high school. Also made a lot of pipes too. Lol🌿

Making a 0.1 cut on my little Atlas lathe would likely flip my entire house over.

I was a trained fitter& machist ..Toolmaker my apprentice was for five years. Was extremely good training . This training gave me a very good basis for many very interesting employment.

Some friends were out at the brewery last night talking about work. Someone got asked on an interview one time how you'd make a cube with only a lathe. After a few beers this was a hard question. As soon as I saw the setup I went "I'M DUMB!" as I saw exactly how it worked. Beautiful job though! Still watched all 19 minutes just because it was relaxing.

if you're in a small job shop or a home shop, and you don't have an available mill, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Saw the title and just assumed it was this old tony.

Thanks for posting this brilliant video. I am a professional woodworker(carpenter) in the UK. I never signed up for woodwork at school but was to be found in the metalwork shop. We could have done with a bit of your personal supervision in our classes ; how no lad ever lost a finger or a hand or eyesight or worse was pure grace of God ! We had acid baths ( for the cleaning of our copper and brass work) . I remember we had this milling machine that rocked back and forth , it was all too easy to overturn the feed wheel - the next thing you knew the work piece and vice were on the floor! Looking back , maybe the reason I switched from metal to wood in later life had to do with a pschycological dread of disfigurement :) Anyway keep up the good work Mr machining moments

my first day on the job as a machinist i had to take squares, and drill out the middle. imagine my suprise when i found out you could put a square plate in a lather and find a center lol. I love doing this work

This is a good example of "How do I make a square part for my mill when the mill is down waiting for a part?". You just use your lathe. I'm about to do the reverse: I need to make a round part for my lathe to get it running again. Guess I just use my mill.

OK, you mastered the square. If you really want to impress me, make a triangle😉

Great tutorial. I am not a machinist but have done this process in high school way back in 1962. Good thing to let people know why things cost what they do cost.

Wish we’d had a metal shop back in school... looks like fun !!! Really surprised by the hate in the comments, I thoroughly enjoyed this video, perfect cube or not. /me goes back to the grind of running the lights for a touring band and throwing parties for several thousand people a night...

Amazing! Now what about doing a tetrahedron or dodecahedron... 😃

Wow! That thing looks like it could kill you quick if you didn't perform each aspect of the job just so! I couldn't imagine how you would do it beforehand, watching it unfold was very educational. Thanks!

Always found turning very therapeutic. As an Apprentice Turner I had to make a cube in a cube in a cube. Really peeved I couldn't keep it as they mounted it in some gimbles and gave it as an award to some School girl who was doing a one day course.

The strength and precision of the lathe impresses me. The math is impressive too. The finished cube is 1 cubic inch. The beginning stock is 3.1416 in³. Therefore the waste is 2.1416 cu in, or 68.169% of the original stock. If I tried to machine this I would hit at least 100% waste! ... Plus the tools and equipment damage. Tons of respect to this machinist!

Just chucking up the second face by eye isn't going to be very parallel. You need to use stops or parallels before you face the second side to get it parallel to the first.

When's the last time you saw a person making negative comments post their own video to show their way? That's right: never.

As I started to watch this (mind I still have not finished) I figured this is an old lathe and what a great way to learn by old school. Then he said check it with a Vernier Calliper,, then I knew. I have one myself and most machinist I speak to now do not know how to even use one. So this got me even before the 5 min mark, great way to learn!!

I really liked the way you explained each step. It made it much easier to understand what you were doing. Thanks for sharing.

I thought, "Impossibru!" Amazing to see!

10:57 I can’t wrap my brain around how the heck you could do this in a 3 jaw chuck.

I'm surprised there's no coolant on the tool. But when I last did this, it was 47 years ago. What a great teacher! I would love to re-learn machining, it's so satisfying making things that fit and have a great finish.

You are an incredibly straight-forward teacher/demonstrator: thanks!

He’s not making it for use like a set of parallel spacers. Relax people.

For non-machinist , it would have been a nice touch at the end to show you measuring the block showing that it it is (with in tolerances) a square. Maybe my anal trait is talking. Absent that in this video, I found this AMAZING and I have watched a number of "Lathe" videos. No matter how much one knows, there is always something simple to learn. Best wishes.

Absolutely fascinating video! When I saw the title I was a bit puzzled, but then as soon as I saw the piece of metal in the jaws it suddenly clicked before you even started the process.

that's cool, studying as an engineer, it's great always seeing how machinist makes the part! Ty for making this video!

Great video. Just a suggestion: spend a bit more time showing the final product. Thanks.

Very interesting! But I can't cope with this measurement "thou" - sure I know its 1000th of an inch - but using metric is soooo much easier in general and way less risk of miscalculation!

Thanks for the show . I took in High School two years of Machine shop But went into the Automotive Mechanic part . This brought back memories . All good ones . Thanks

I have only just starting out. I got myself a ok machine she is a oldy. Belt run with gears I never knew you could do that. Thankyou for taking the the time to show us. I have now subscribed. Looking forward to learning more from you. Kind regards Andy

Very clever... but CLICK ON LIKE if you felt like putting on your safety eye wear the moment the chuck started spinning with the work piece placed in sideways.

This is that trick that shows you can make anything in a lathe. But you wouldn't want to.