Machinist here. Couple things to note. Take your watch off, you don't want anything that could ever get caught on any of these cutting tools. 2 or 3 flute tools are great in aluminum but you may need to up your spindle speed to get better finishes, lisen to the machine and you'll find what it likes. Bridgeports prefer to conventional cut vs climb cut. Carbide tooling is amazing but those older J-Head bridgeports often don't have enough spindle speed to push the tooling as much as it needs to be to get the benefits of it. That cutoff tool is pretty long, you really don't want it excessively long for the radius of your material and run the cutoff tool at about 1/4 of your regular turning speed as well as making sure it is perpendicular to the axis of the material. As far as the knurling goes you really need good alignment on center as well as across the wheel for good lines as well as a consistent feedrate across the part. I don't know if your machine has power feed, it looks like it might, but if it does I would recommend learning how to use it. You can use the tailstock center in the lathe, or the spindle in the bridgeport with your part clamped, to help keep the tap wrench straight as well and tap it before parting it off. Buy a springloaded tap center and some chuck style tap wrenches. Just some tips and thanks for making content that exposes to people to machining equipment, we need more machinists!

For the knurling tool: use cutting oil. Lots of it. And tap your holes while the part is mounted in the lathe, using a tap-follower.

I can't quite see well enough to be certain, but most 3-jaw chucks have reversible jaws. You should be able to just wind them out the whole way and turn them around. Then they won't be sticking out and you can work closer to the chuck with more rigidly supported material. Just make sure you put the jaws back in the same slots. They're usually numbered.

Welcome to the fun zone :) It might put your mind at ease to know that the table saw, chop saw, JOINTER, etc will maul you much more easily than a mill or lathe. Or maybe that will do the opposite.. Pro tip: A drawbar hammer will make life on the mill WAY better. On one side is a socket for tightening and loosening the draw bar, and the other side is a little brass hammer for tapping the collets free.

Love this episode. Tackling our fears is what makes us grow :)

I always appreciate when someone is up front about what they don't know. Thanks for making it a little less scary to start things that seem challenging.

I've done machining before so here's my quick tips to add to the pile: -Get some cutting fluid so that your drill/milling bits last longer. You can put that bad boy on everything every time you drill a hole, tap, etc. It'll save you a lot of broken bits and... odors... -Since you don't have a DRO (Digital Readout) system on the lathe, you can use the measurements on the different nobs to move the tool in/out/side-to-side. I'm guessing they are probably in thousandths of an inch. Although watch out if there is some "slack" in the nobs because it can through off your measurements by quite a bit. -Speaking of the DRO, using the X and Y can give you the ability to center your drill/milling bit if you use a part of your material as a starting point (ex: use one of the corners as X=0, Y=0). So for projects that require complex cuts or precise positioning, you'll be thankful to that DRO. There is actually the Edge Finder tool that can help you center the edge of your material with the center of your mill collet center (just need to do the math after that to include the radius of your drill/milling bit when you'll move to make a hole/cut) -If you have one, I recommend using a ratchet wrench to loosen the collet nut above the milling machine. Just makes it a little bit easier and less awkward to do. :) -You can't really sharpen milling bits but I suggest you learn how to sharpen your drilling bits. From personal experience, a properly sharpened bit will cut ten times better and it'll actually make a hole that is more precise. -There are a lot of different handle configurations for different types of lathes, so I recommend you look up online for your lathe which handle does what. Funny thing is that you can lower the speed so it can be less scary for you. :) -Knurling can be done at a much lower speed so it won't try to rip off material. -There are a lot of people that added safety systems to their lathes, so here's a few: -An emergency stop button on the front side so that it is more accessible than your ON/OFF switch you have right now. -A circular plexiglass cover that can be flipped onto the chuck so you have less chance of accidently hitting it while you work. -One of my favorites is a long orange foot pedal that goes all the way across the foot of the lathe which can be another emergency stop. If you ever get caught in the lathe or something bad happens. It's the fastest, safest and most efficient emergency stop I can suggest. There is probably a whole lot more I could say but that would take a full Word document, so I'll just say that you should always try to learn more online or with a machinist in person because the milling/lathe/band-saw combo can and will step up your project game exponentially the more you learn how to use each equipment. I personally can't stop loving machining with those tools once I learned about the infinite possibilities they bring. All-in-all, great project! Keep up the good work.

Appreciate your effort. A few basic machining errors that made your product short of perfect: Oil on the knurling, shorten the position of the parting blade for more rigidity and before drilling use a center drill to guide the drilling bit. You can do your threading while still in the late to make it very straight. Others already mentioned getting the right jaws on the lathe chuck. Keep on it!

I can tell this was a very vulnerable video for you to make and I am so appreciative for it. It takes a lot of courage to do a video like this, truthfully. I'm never really scared of hurting myself but I am scared of failing or not getting the results I want. But sometimes you just have to jump in, go slow, and hope it turns out for the best. Again I really appreciated this, this is something many makers don't talk about (as I'm sure most are afraid to use at least one tool) so it was nice you shed some light on it. Thank you Bob.

I watched you when I was younger and it inspired me to actually take up engineering and also wood work so thanks!

Great video. These machines can be used to create amazing things, but never forget that they are bloodthirsty monsters that will rip your arm off the moment you get too comfortable. Never lose the fear.

Way to go, Bob! This Old Tony would be so proud! Getting past one’s fear is admirable, even when that fear is rational and reasonable “I don’t know what I don’t know”. I’ve never machined, but I’m a devoted follower.

Definitely want to slow down for knurling. Also, reduce your "stick-out"-- the distance the piece sticks out of the chuck. If that isn't possible, use a center (in the tail stock) to support the outer end of the workpiece.

The jaws in your lathe chuck are reversed, the "tall" part should be in int middle for holding bar stock like that. Someone had it setup for holding large internal diameter stock. If you change them back you won't have the jaws of death trying to rip your knuckles off, and you won't have the stock sticking out as far, which is giving you some of your finish issues.

An apprentice machinist( so not the most experienced but still), I would recommend centre drilling before going in with drill, it will help centre drill (unironically) that could be why it was wonky when you screwed it on, cos the drill wondered when drilling. Also it wouldn't hurt to use some kind of coolant and tapping fluid, it'll help the life of your tool and help prevent the tap from snapping when tapping

I actually love the fact you did this. Mostly because I see others use these machines and have no fears of messing up or hurting themselves on them. Meanwhile I’m afraid of starting a project thinking it will fail or I’ll hurt myself. I’m learning how to use a bandsaw.

I've been putting off setting up the 4th axis on my cnc with the exact same kind of anxiety you felt for the lathe. I think it's time I have a "WWBD" (What Would Bob Do?) moment and give it a go! Thanks for sharing and facing your fears on this one! 🙂

This is exactly why I love Bob's videos. We're ALL learning.

I'm sure this was a difficult video to make. It's not easy to admit when you are scared of machines you own. Hopefully the commentary of pros will provide you some additional guidance and give you a little more comfort in using these behemoths! Thanks for sharing!

You should have another set of jaws for the lathe. These ones are for holding on to "big stuff", the other ones are for holding on to small parts. Stille a little scary, but far less so. The other jaws allow you to work closer to them, which has other advantages.

I appreciate your candor regarding your apprehension. A can-do attitude is great, but having humility to admit you don't know something and want to be safe is greater.

You got this Bob. Btw even the pros say Knurling sucks. Here are some you tubes that show some how to use: Fireball tools, My Mechanics Insights, Tested with Adam Savage, and some lathe work is Click Spring1 and 2. Hope it helps.

Hey man I’ve been a subscriber for a long time and love all your content, I’m a machinist and have been for the past five years, most lathes have reversible jaws, you should be able to unwind the jaws all the way out and flip them around and rewind them back in to use the opposite side, you’ll have more contact and then you won’t have the jaws swing around exposed. They should be numbered so make sure you put them back in their respective slots. Also for drilling a hole you should definitely flatten the face before and it will give you a better surface to drill into that way your drill does not walk and you should pre-drill also to prevent the drill from walking. Keep it man! Machining isn’t always easy and there is lots to learn but it is an amazing trade that allows you to creat awesome products!

Crazy to think that I’m more terrified of a table saw than a Mill or Lathe. I’ll hope on either with no hesitation and make parts. But I’ll avoid using a table saw much as possible.

Chris here, from Nashville. The guy who sold you the lathe and the mill... I have waited 2 years for this! Congrats! You did amazing!!! Brave dive in. This is how all of us hobbyists do it... try, fail, try again!!!! Keep it up, friend!

Those levers on the lathe that you are unsure of typically control the auto feed functions, speed (gearing) of the lathe, the brake to slow the chuck after gears are disengaged, and the direction of rotation on some machines.

Loved this! Currently getting my machining certification at a technical college, loved to see what I’ve learned be put to use like this project

I appreciate the honesty about how you feel here and your willingness to show that vulnerability. I've discovered I feel this way about a lot of power tools like table saws and angle grinders. Thanks you for choosing to show this part. It makes me feel better as person that similarly wants to create things but is also afraid.

Heard you describing this on the Making It podcast. Everyone should listen to the podcast if they don't already.

Two tips for the lathe: 1. face the piece and spot drill before using your drill. That will make sure your hole is centered. 2. Use minimal stickout. Especially with knurling, just to avoid deflection. Really cool video

The reason your knob was wobbly when you put the screw through it was probably because the drill bit was off center. A center drill will help start the hole and keep the drill bit straight. A few quick vocabulary terms you were struggling with were parallels, for the metal pieces you put at the bottom of your vices, and inserts are what the cutting tools are called on the lathe. One more tip, when it comes to collets, all you have to worry about is that the shank ,or the solid metal part of a drill bit or endmill, is the same size as the collet you're choosing. The video was great, its amazing to see someone learn to use big manual machines like this and I love all the support in the comments. Keep up the great work.

Non machinist here. I put a variable speed motor on my first lathe. Makes things a lot more controlled. I did quite a few projects with PVC which cuts like butter and if you make a mistake (turning a control the wrong direction) it might pop out of the machine but it won't break cutters and machine parts. Adding some marks to remind which way things move when turned certain directions is very helpful until familiarity is developed. Watch lots of utube videos to get experience without risk :)

It's great to see a maker share that they've had insecurities approaching some machinery or operations. Especially if you work in your shop alone, this can really hold you back and make you hard on yourself.

As a machinist, CNC programmer, toolmaker, and design engineer...you are doing well. Get the machinist handbook for speeds, feeds, chip loads, endmills, lathe bits, etc. Invest in some indicators. I like Starrett and Mitutoyo but for a hobbyist, Fowler or a generic brand will work. Power tapping in soft materials is your friend. Keep at it man. I started off as a hobbyist and now design and build tooling with +-.0002" tolerance for for products almost every person on the planet has somewhere close to them. Keep at it!

Hey Bob I like to make stuff too, as a machinist. I have already seen a bunch of good advice one the comments, so here is a couple I haven’t seen yet. All of the levers are going to be what controls your feed rates. When you start playing with them eventually you will see the long screw that is below your bed engage and start to turn. Then on your tool carriage there a couple of levers to make your tool move either left to right (z) or front to back (x). All of the numbers on left side panel will determine how fast the feed is in thousandths per revolution, somewhere between .003 and .007 is probably your happy place. As far as keeping everything safe from running into chuck, you can buy or next project idea make a stop the can be used as a safety and for machining. For instance if you need to turn a shoulder you can set your stop and tun to the same spot every time so you can make multiple passes. Thank you for what you do. I love how you showed in this video that it is good to have a health respect and fear for something you don’t fully understand, but was able to push through.

I appreciate a video like this where you're coming to something as a novice and admitting that you're afraid of screwing up. We all start at that same level and it's refreshing to see. That said, when you approached the lathe and admitted you don't know what a lot of the extra levers and so forth do I was reminded of Norm Abrams' safety message at the start of each episode of New Yankee Workshop: "Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools." I know that's a used tool and probably didn't come with an original manual but when it comes to using a tool safely, the *first* thing you do should be to RTFM, even if you have to search for a scan online. Thanks for making cool and interesting videos!

A few things to note: Milling: - use climbing for better surface finish (shallow cuts only) and conventional for the rest of your cutting - higher speeds are also good for surface finish I believe Lathe: - the noises are chatter, something is moving or things are not perfectly square. Lots of causes so you’ll have to look into those on a case by case - should give a slight chamfer to all edges unless you want a perfect corner, including drilled holes Tapping: - don’t need to back out every quarter turn and it’s not so much for chip evacuation, it’s to break chips I’m not a machinist but I did learn from one so others may have better explanations/tips

As someone that got their shirt caught on and wrapped into the drive screw on a lathe I can confirm that they are in fact very dangerous, luckily it was going a a slower speed and didn't have time to pull my face into the chuck before I got it shut off, which is the reason I highly recommend using a shop apron and not having any jewelry on to keep that from happening.

Well to answer your call, I've been listening/watching this video just now while washing, cleaning and curing my first resin print, which was a daunting task for years that I just tackled!

It's very cool to see someone I've looked up to for years in the maker space be so transparent about their fears, hesitations, and uncertainty with a new area of tool/machine use. It kinda reminds me/us that we, too, can overcome those doubts and anxieties and push forward, albeit safely. Thanks again, Bob and crew!

I’ve done 3d printing since 2017. Last Christmas I purchased a Resin printer that had me scared to death. I’ve seen the how to videos and feel confident I can do it but it’s intimidating to say the least. But this video has me saying, “if Bob can over come his fears, we’ll I probably can also.” Thanks for the video Bob and Crew.

You should do a collab with one of the many machinist youtubers on this platform. You will learn so much from letting someone experienced use your machine. Also gives you the opportunity to ask as many questions as you want.

Hey Bob, this lathe has some many suspicious things, from motor noises to jaws configuration. I suggest you look for tutorials and courses about machining, and especially doing restoration/maintenance to both machines

Hey, Bob. You need to get a dial indicator with a magnetic base. You’ll be able to get stock level in your vise on the mill, and centred in the chuck of the lathe. Clamp the base to the machine, & tap your stock with a mallet until it gets close to level, or centred. On the mill, move the axes along the length / width of the stock to check, and on the lathe rotate by hand. Couple of thou is good enough. Jaws are reversed on your lathe to hold large diameter stock, or tubes from the inside. 1st operation on a lathe is usually facing off the end of the round stock. If you’re going to be boring a hole in it, you need a centring bit, which will give you a tiny chamfer to help lead in a drill bit, or a boring bar if you need to make a very large hole / thread in round stock. Keep your tools as short as possible in the toolpost to minimise chatter. Use a cutting fluid like Rocol when drilling, or threading. Most of those levers at the headstock are there for cutting threads. They can autofeed the toolpost at the correct rate to put a certain pitch per revolution. Possibly, using a certain pitch, autofeeding the knurling tool you used would have given you a better finish. There should should be a feature on the lathe that you can set so you can’t feed the toolpost into the chuck. When parting off the part, you could bring the tailstock up, with a live centre to barely hold the end of the offcut, which would keep your parting more parallel. Wear latex gloves when handling metals, or if your skin is exposed to the swarf. Cutting fluids & impurities in the metals can cause severe psoriasis. Invest $10 in a ‘Zeus Book’. Don’t download it, get the laminated original. It’ll tell you speed & feed rates, thread drilling diameters, pitches of threads, tons of useful machining info. All the best.

I love all the "were you scared just now?" questions. They give a lot of perspective

That lathe looks to be spinning a bit fast for that brass, also, for knurling you want to go nice and slow, and it does take a good bit of force, plus lots of oil, and you’ll be much better off, also, parting tools want to run slow, Squeal= too damn fast!

Thank you for showing the complete way you would approach things. Invaluable.

It was wild seeing the apprehension in your face when talking yourself up to use those two shop tools! Glad you overcame your fears and did the project! 👍

I've been sort of afraid of getting into 3d printing for a while now. I've known about it for years, and have some basic 3d modeling skills, but the setup and calibration and patient trial and error that getting good prints requires scared me off of trying it. I got my first printer a week ago and honestly it feels like we're past those growing pains and modern printers are pretty much ready to go out of the box. I've had great results with really minimal effort, and figuring out things like leveling and slicer profiles turned out easier than I thought. So, this video wasn''t what helped me overcome my apprehension, but I definitely had the same feeling Bob described at the end of the video - of getting past that initial barrier. Now comes the next phase, when you start seeing opportunities to apply machining (or 3d printing in my case) everywhere!

Not a machinist, but since Bob talked a lot about order of operations, here's how I think I would have approached the knob: (using the outside-grip jaws is assumed but mentioned since it's been mentioned a lot in the comments) face off the end (as is tradition) skim off the OD center drill bring in the tail stock for support knurl (slower and with lube) drill to tapping size counter sink tap chamfer the face (to separate us from the animals) begin the part-off (with less tool stick out) chamfer the back side in the parting groove complete the part off This comes from learning from Adam and Quinn.

Thank you Bob. I hope to see new projects like this. You a great maker, always learning.

5:48 Machinist here. Quick tip: Use a rag to grip the cutter when youre putting it in the collet. Its much safer for your fingers. With oily hands its easy to slip and cut your fingers really badly.

Man I hard-core understand the fear of not knowing if it's wrong, cause you don't know what you don't know. It'd be really cool to see a video of you going into a machine shop and doing something (even just the safety basics or whatever) with people that live and breath it.

One thing I've learned when it comes to picking up new skills is the importance of having an application. Like you pointed out, you could have purchased one of those stops for under $30, but because you had the tools and the materials to make one, you learned how to use them because you had a specific application for the end product.

I'm on the other side of the spectrum: never realized how scary either would be. Watching hours of My Mechanics gave me the wrong idea that this was easy and simple. Thank you for giving us perspective.

"I don't know what I don't know." Smart man! I love that you admit a reluctance to use the machines because you don't have a full a familiarity / comfort level on the mill and lathe. May I suggest KZfaq videos as a source for gathering info on what you don't know? It's what the rest of us do Bob (grin). I love this.

Awesome job! I had that fear with the router prior to being use to it. I grew up with a table saw so that was always natural but a router scared me for the longest time. A little bit of apprehension and respect will keep you safe with tools you are not use to. Thanks for the great content!

Many of us have fears about some tool we dont quite understand, this really gave me memories about how I started to face my fears and create somethings I would not able to doit without that tools. And because of that and beacuse of very honest people like you, this is my favorite channel. Thanks!

As always, it's interesting to watch and listen. But I want to congratulate you, a lathe and a milling machine are wonderful things. The Main thing is to observe Safety Precautions. With their help, you can create a lot of interesting and useful things. I dream of such machines. Good luck!

Not to be sappy or anything, but I appreciate your candid comments on concern/fear. Some people might try and look macho on camera but your vulnerability will help lots of people feel normal and build courage to work with these awesome tools!

Thank you so much for sharing your vulnerability. Especially as someone who is so knowledgeable and normally self-assured, it's good to see that you can push past fears too.

A lot of the comments are referring to practices for better machining processes. If you're looking to make things less scary all I can say is reduce your stick out. When something is sticking out too much, such as your material or cutting tool, it allows for more vibration and deflection. This is what you were feeling when you were referring to the feedback on your lathe. Measure your tool lengths and material stick outs prior to operations. Whatever your final operation requires plus a little extra. A rule of thumb I was taught is avoid sticking something out longer than 4 times longer than its width. makes things much less intimidating.

Bob, thanks for being vulnerable and letting us see the fear. It really helps to hear other people admit their fears. It seems like at every milestone in a project I have to overcome a general fear of failing. Starting the design in fusion "what if I waste a ton of time and it doesn't work", buying material "what if I chose the wrong stuff, or don't buy enough, etc", and on and on until it is done. I find myself stopping at each milestone for a long time because if I am not working, I am not messing it up.

Great video Bob. Glad to see you trying your hand at machining. Regarding parting and your parting tool. Parting can be quite challenging if/when you don't follow 2 basic rules. First, you should adjust the blade length to be a short as you can relative to the piece your parting. Just a bit longer than half the diameter of the workpiece assuming you have enough clearance. Second, the blade must be absolutely perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the spindle Don't eyeball it. A fairly easy way to ensure this is to face the end of the workpiece (when possible), extend your cross slide over until the tool post is roughly centered on the workpiece. Loosen the bolt on the tool post. Move the carriage toward the workpiece and let the side of the tool holder press against the faced end of the workpiece then tighten the tool post bolt. I'll tell you from experience, i've broken several parting tools and each time it was because of one or both of these rules I hadn't followed. Whoops, one more vital thing. When you adjust the blade length, you'll always need to raise or lower the tool holder to accommodate the blade height since it comes out at an angle. Also be sure the cutting edge is right on the midline of the work piece as well. Thanks for all the great content!!

I recently decided to push through my hesitation to learn wood turning, and it has been so rewarding. Thanks Bob for talking about your fears and how you pushed through them!

Machinist here, just wanted to say it was cool to see it from this perspective again 10 years after I went through it myself.

It's awesome to watch you trying to use & learn this amazing machines. I myself recently learnt to operate a milling machine, I was too scared at the beginning but within a day or two I get very comfortable. I do experience the binding situation on milling machine but came to realise that using lubricant and cutting oil always helps. About lathe I have been operating lathe since 6 yrs now (not my professional work just for diy stuff) and I have the same fear of my tool or tool post hitting the spinning part (chuck) but luckily no causalities happened. The lathe might need a full service because a lathe machine can be silent. Keep using lubrication too keep the tool and job cool & increase the tool life and always use cutting oil while knurling for better result. It's always a good practice to wear half sleeve & never wear any bracelet or watch while operating spin machines. Safety goggles is must as bur flys everywhere. A lathe operation should always start by facing of the job to square the job with the chuck & then hold the job from both side to better stability and rigidity. As brass is soft material still you hold the material too long and your cutting force is far from the chuck which can produce vibrations. And might be the issue for the offset hole. You should have tapped the job on lathe itself by locking the chucks and squaring you tap wrench to the job by supporting the tap wrench by tail stock. Again congratulations for overcoming your fear of operating this machines. I hope you find this comment usefull.

Hobby wood worker here: I'm literally watching this video to buy myself time before tackling my flux wire welder that I will be using for the second time in my life. Thumbs up for exposing your fear of using certain machines :)

Great Stuff Bob! as you get used to your machines and learn what you can do you will certainly gain more confidence. if I were to give any advice I would say research order of operations for machining. for instance for your knob 1. drill center hole 2. Tap threads with the tail stock on the lathe. 3. hold the end of your work with a tail stock live center. 4. Knurl your part. 5. cut to length with parting tool. You didn't do anything wrong your end result is working part. but learning the order of operations is the key to working effectively with these tools. Good work Keep it up!

Drills for holes, milling cutters for shaping. lay material in the milling vise as flat as possible when facing ends....less depth of cut means less strain on the tool. Carbide cutters don't like side loading and high speed steel will flex a little creating a bevelled cut if the depth of engagement between tool and work is too great. Lathe chuck jaws should have longest edge to the middle unless material is more than go through the spindle to get best contact with material. Three jaw self centering chucks usually come with two sets of jaws, an inner and an outer set, but when changing them put them in the correct numbered slot starting with number one jaw.

This video has inspired me to spend the rest of my morning looking up KZfaq videos about the airbrush I've been too overwhelmed to try!

Being "afraid" can be positive. People get hurt when they're too comfortable/ not careful with heavy machinery. A healthy amount of respect for the danger and take your time and you'll do fine. Keep up the good work.

Nice effort. Those levers are your speeds and feeds, critical for good machining. Cut your thread in the lathe before you part off to ensure a square thread. Obv6by hand turning the chuck and the centre. Your sticking out jaws on the chuck are because they are in backwards to grip larger diameters of stock. Unscrew them completely and turn them around to grip on the bits furthest fwd. The knurling tool is best run slowly with a medium feed rate. Hope this helps

I respect that you are trying to figure it out on your own and not just call Jimmy and ask a billion questions 😂. It's crazy how easy he makes this kind of stuff look even if he might struggle with it. I dig your explanation style and appreciate the details.

Just the visual at 1:43 makes this video worth watching to me. I’ve been trying to figure out T-track (without actually having any) and this makes it super clear.

When I worked in tool and die business, I was instructed to drill hole, chamfer hole ( with chamfer bit), then tap. Chamfer hole helped start tap easier. Just have to respect those tools.

Bob, I consider myself a garage machinist. Meaning, I bought the tools and just started to learn by doing and watching a few videos. I have hundreds of hours on my wood lathe, but I have limited time on a metal lathe because I don't own one yet. However, I have learned to do a lot on a metal lathe on other's. The operations you used were mostly right, except a bit out of order. Always face your round stock off first. Start with that clean face parallel to the jaws. It was good you turned it round, but I think you needed to take a little more off. When tapping a hole that needs to be perfectly perpendicular, chuck the piece in the lathe using a vise with parallels, then get a point guide for your drill chuck that will stick in the top side of the tap wrench. Use the quill to keep the tap wrench perpendicular and also put slight pressure as you tap. Works out much better this way. Good on you learning these tools! You'll get much better with time. Also, choke up on that cutoff tool. Expose just enough to get The job done and you can avoid chatter. Speeds and feeds is everything when it comes to metal machining. Definitely do some reading up on that. It matters a lot with whatever metal material you're working with. Aluminum is much more forgiving, but you can definitely get plenty of chatter out of it if the tool is not set up correctly or you're using the wrong speed.

I guess the feeling (which I super-viscerally felt on your behalf) is the same feeling I feel when approaching a lot of tools you use with ease. You’ll get there!

As a woodworker, I was never around milling machines or metal lathes. I found myself in a position to repair a high end rifle barrel that others said could not be repaired. A good friend who I had recently reconnected with had both machines. I researched, and researched and began to think like a machinist, my friend supplied the machining knowledge and experience, without which I couldn't have done it. We did it. A machinist like the commenter below, Kameron Stevenson, would undoubtedly have saved me from making an error that nearly made the naysayers correct. You don't beat a guy at what he does for a living, you learn from him. Powered woodworking tools are every bit as dangerous as the metal working tools, each can be intimidating. Machinists work with complex steels and aluminum alloys that we woodworkers have no clue about. Find a machinist mentor. The old schools guys, I'm betting, will gladly share their decades of knowledge and experience. Continue the legacy.

Machining is awesome, and so are you for trying something kind of outside your comfort zone and expanding your skillset. You are right to be very cautious around machine tools, especially the lathe. A lathe shouldn't "scare" you, but you definitely need to give it the respect it deserves, because it can hurt and even kill you if you make some serious safety mistakes. I liken it to using a firearm: know the rules for how to use it safely and respect it at all times. Some lathe pointers for your knob: Knurling: Knurling is kind of a black magic. There are lots of charts and special dimensions and things to get really professional looking knurling. And... most of the time I just ignore those things and do exactly what you did and just go for it. When knurling, you need to use a lot of tool pressure. That is, you have to press the tool into the work surprisingly hard. The little wheels don't really "cut" the material. They push it into a different shape. So you need ot apply enough force to get them to do that. It also generates a lot of heat, so you want to use a lot of oil or lubricant or coolant. You'll keep the part cool and also usually get better looking knurling. I've found that it helps to start the knurling tool in the middle of the workpiece and go away from the head, and let the tool slide off the end of the part. You can also try using your live center to hold the workpiece on both ends to keep it from flexing. Again, you need a LOT of pressure to get good knurling, so your part will want to bend away from the tool. Holding it with a live center will keep it straight in the machine. Parting tools: I usually run a parting blade as SLOWLY as possible. You were probably getting a lot of chatter and vibration because you were going too fast. When you use a parting blade, the whole face of the blade is in contact with the part. This is a lot different from a regular turning tool, where a little pinpoint is the only part of the cutter that is in contact with the part. It generates a LOT more heat, and has a lot more drag and friction, so you need to go a lot slower to keep the machine from vibrating. Also, when you set up a parting blade in a tool holder, you want the blade to stick out as little as possible from the tool holder. The longer the blade, the more it can wobble and vibrate, and the scarier it gets. Choke up on the parting blade as much as possible. If your part is only 1" in diameter, you only need 0.5" of parting blade sticking out, etc. Tapping circular parts: Pro Tip: With the lathe power TURNED OFF, put your tap in the tap handle and put the whole thing up against the hole you drilled in the part. Next, bring your live center (or better yet a spring-center) up from the tailstock and hold the tap/tap handle with the center. This will ensure the tap is perfectly parallel with the hole you just drilled. MANUALLY start turning the head of the lathe and the tap handle against one another and this will get your tap started correctly. I usually tap the complete thread this way. Safety Tip: Move your power switch for the lathe to the front of the machine. It is a BIG SAFETY NONO to have the power switch dangling over the big spinny dangerous part of the machine. You don't see the on/off switch for your table saw on the other side of the machine, right? You should NEVER have to reach over the spinning head of the machine to reach any controls, ESPECIALLY the power switch. LOVE the video. Keep it up!

One thing that will be very good to know is what speed (RPM), cut depth, and feed rate is best for each material and tool. A deeper cut or harder feed will make things machine better in more situations than you’d think!

I am also afraid of machining, hah! Felt similar about welding a couple years back though, but now I feel safe and somewhat confident with my MIG at least. Its channels like yours Diresta, Make Something, and so on that really help build the confidence along with hands on time with various tools. Thank you for that! Good luck on your machining journey! I have access to a Bridgeport a local maker space I'm hoping to take a class on one of these days...

Was totally expecting some collab where you bring in someone to teach you, and thus the viewers as well.

I took a metal machine shop class back when I was getting my drafting degree and it was my favorite class. Of course I had an instructor to guide me but it was a blast using the milling machine and the metal lathe.

Bob, your videos give me joy. ”i don't know, what I don't know”

to get the hole centred on the round bar, before using the drill bit on the lathe saddle, use a centre bit it's essentially just a 2 sided drill but with a much shorter length to start the hole offm

I had the same when I just got my (little) CNC router. At first I was a bit apprehensive about using it, but through reading a lot about it and just using it on some projects, I got a lot more comfortable with it. Being more comfortable using a tool also greatly helps you see its use in projects.

Here is my experence. flip the jaws for better material holding, use tailstock support. turn at a lower RPM. USE A LOT OF OIL, and dont lock the tool in the post. i do this for a living ad this is how i get perfect knurls every time. keep practicing and youll get it.

Some hints: When parting 1) don’t have your cutoff tool extending out of the tool holder any farther than needed to cut halfway through the stock; 2) parting needed to be done as close to the chuck as possible where there’s more rigidity; 3) locate the top of your parting tool on the spindle centerline or slightly below; 4) part off at a low speed with plenty of lube; 5) for thicker cuts, it often helps to cut in a little way, then back out and move the parting tool several thousandths to one side and cut in past the first cut, then back out and cut deeper on the first location etc. I puts less load on the lathe that way if you’re short on power! Another tip would be threading on the lathe using a tap follower (make your own). This will guarantee that your tap will go through the bore straight, as opposed to angled, which is common on hand tapping! In closing, a couple years ago I was parting off 6 or 8” from the chuck when, in a split second, the work climbed the parting tool because of the lack of rigidity, the parting tool exploded into shrapnel, and the gears in the headstock self destructed. And keep in mind this was on a mini lathe with much less power than yours! Cheers! Oh, and reverse those jaws!

Greatings Bob and Josh. I am a Toolmaker student that (before going to a practical college) didn't even know how to use an angle grinder. Now I am completely comfortable with most things from bench grinders to running a lathe on higher rpm's. If you need any advice and/or help. I would be happy to widen your knowledge of making stuff. Stay awesome

One thing about taking measurements with the digital calipers, at 3:24, it looks like you're taking the measurement of the depth of the slot. On the opposite end of the caliper, there's that metal rod that sticks out when you're taking a measurement, that's actually a depth gauge. You lay the wide end on the outer lip of the slot, and open the calipers so the rod makes contact with the other side of the slot.

Cool video. I am also in the early stages of learning how to use a big ol’ Bridgeport and giant metal lathe, which is truly a terrifying machine. Here’s some of what have learned. A great channel to learn about this stuff is blondiehacks, she makes this stuff easy to understand and has a great sense of nerd humor. About the lathe: First, the jaws on on the chuck are reversible, just open the chuck until the jaws come out, then flip them around and put them back in with the tall sides towards the center of the spindle. Much less scary and slightly less dangerous. And there were two things that you needed to help get rid of the scary noises, cutting oil and tail support. Now order of operation: 1) Chuck up your work piece. 2) Face the end of the work. This should always be your first cut, using cutting oil to lubricate the cut. 3) Center drill the work, use cutting oil. 4) Add tail support by placing the live/dead center into the center into the center drill hole by moving the tailstock up to the work piece and locking it in the ways. 5) Knurl using plenty of cutting oil. You need a fair amount of tool pressure, which is why you need the tail support from the live/dead center. 6) Remove the live/dead center from the work and install the Jacob’s chuck in the tailstock and chuck up your drill (7/32 for 1/4-24 or 5/32 for 1/4-20). 7) Drill your hole using the center drilled hole as your starting point, and be sure to use plenty of cutting oil. 8) Tap the hole by placing the tap in the hole and supporting the back of the tap handle with the face of the Jacob’s chuck in the tailstock. Be sure to slowly advance the Jacob’s chuck as the tap sinks into the work piece. Also, use plenty of cutting oil. SIDE NOTE: The reason I’m writing this is because I recently made some knurled jam nuts that wobbled just like your knob does and it wasn’t the hole that was off kilter, it was that I tapped them in a vise with no tool support, exactly the same as you did and got the exact same results. I re-made them, tapping them in the lathe and they came out perfectly. 9) Chamfer and part off the final piece. Although you can chamfer at just about any stage of the job, parting it off should be the second to last thing you do. The last thing you should do is 10) Use some dish detergent to wash off all of that cutting oil from the finished piece and your hands.

Thanks Bob and team for the authentic feelings of hesitation on this project. I have felt this way on a number of projects that I have tried from you and others on you tube. When I first got my Cnc I was really scared of it. It took a long time to get comfortable with it. 3D printing was something else I was hesitant about with fire hazards. I think the project that really had me was when I tried to build an arcade cabinet. Using Cnc, 3D printing, and programming and soldering electronics was all very stressful. It’s nice to see a virtual mentor go through something similar.

Recommended to add some oil while using taps. And for the knowledge, there are three types of taps for making a single screw hole. In this case, it is fine because it is just brass. But when tapping on hard materials using 3 taps is better than one.

Cool part! brass is kinda grabby with the tooling so that's why you heard that chatter. since you are a bit scared of the machine you have the part stuck out very far without any tail support. most times people will drill a hole and use the tail stock to add rigidity and avoid chatter. blondie hacks has a whole series on lathe and mill basics that you might want to watch. her projects are pretty neat too and might help you with the fixturing problems later on.

Oh man, the lathe is such a nice tool to have. You can spend some time in a machine shop class to really open up the possibilities. Having to grind cutting tools out of HSS and a grinder was definitely a nice experience. Also, haven’t read the comments but I think you can remove/replace the steps on the holder. Can’t wait to see more videos with these machines

I Like To Make Stuff is probably my favorite channel on KZfaq. I really like the variety of cool projects you guys do. Like Others I appreciate Bob being vunerable and showing what it was like to learn a new skill. I just do a little bit of amature wood working and learing that has been a process. I've felt like I take too long when approaching a new situation I haven't come up against before because you see everyone on youtube just whip it out like they have done it a million times. I'm sure in a lot of cases they have. But, it was cool to see someone show the same kind of aprehension I feel with an unfamiliar project. It makes me want to try new things and streach my ability more. I also liked that the knob didn't turn out perfectly but you still used it, because sometimes it's good enough and you can do better next time.

Many others have given you good advice, but here are some I have not seen yet. When machining you should always be concerned about rigidity, both of the machine, the tool, the work holding and the workpiece it self. As a rule of thumb you don't want your tool, or your workpiece to stick out more than 3-5x it's thickness if you can help it. You can get away with more if you need to, you just need to be more careful with your cuts. That said, you were ridiculously careful with your cuts, which is what you were going for, so mission accomplished! Brass and aluminium is very forgiving, so you can get away with a lot. For reference, in that brass piece, I would expect you could have taken maybe 5-10mm of the diameter in one cut no problem. I suggest you find your self a speeds and feeds calculator, to get you in the ball park, and don't be afraid to take big cuts and feed fast. Take a piece of scrap, and turn it all into chips by taking gradually heavier cuts, until you run into problems. You must do this for every new material, as they all behave differently. It's good to know this, because your tools will last longer if you use few and heavy cuts, rather than lots of light cuts. With regards to the noises, you kind of just have to experience it to recognize it. But the sound from the Parting tool, was simply due to you cutting into the knurling. In general a bright sh sound is what you expect out of a lathe. If you start hearing dark rumbling sounds when you cut, the tool is probably dull, or you are running the the lathe in reverse (don't ask me how I know ;p). If you get screaming sounds, kind of like dragging a chair or table along the floor, just brighter in pitch, that's usually accompanied with a really ugly finish. This is called chatter, and caused by the tool bouncing, avoid this at all cost, it's bad for everything. Changing the depth of cut and/or speed and/or feed can help with this. Also make sure everything is as rigid as possible. A comment on threading. Make sure never to use a cheap or dull tap in steel. That is guaranteed to end in tears. Expensive taps are much cheaper in the long run. Use liberal amounts of cutting fluid/paste when cutting threads. And the backing off every quarter turn, in brass it is not necessary, as the chips break on their own. In softer steels and aluminium, I usually go one full turn before backing off, sometimes more. The reason is that the chips are not so strong in those materials. The stronger the chip, the more important it is to break it often, so that it does not cause too much resistance. You will develop a feel for this when you have tapped enough holes.

I'd like to see you do more machining and getting used to that tools, good luck bob on facing your fear

The jaws on the lathe chuck are backwards, the tallest part of the jaws should be inwards when holding stock that can fit within the inside of the chuck. That is why you're having the issue of being scared of the mass you can't see while it is spinning. Also for knurling, you'll get better results with the tailstock engaged in the work piece to help take some of the sideways load.