For those of you familiar with CNC-machining, you’ll likely remember it wasn’t long before you came across the term “chatter” in this line of work.

Chatter is a condition that commonly afflicts cutting tools, machines, and workpieces - and it is undesirable, but there are things you can do to prevent it. 

What Is Machine Chatter? 

In the process of…

While machinists are familiar with spot drills and center drills, the same can't always be said of your everyman and husband looking to either do a fix on some part of the house, or assemble or build a piece of furniture.

That said, it's not that difficult to familiarize yourself with some of the tools and technical terms that machinists are familiar with. In this case, it's the difference between spot drills…

Thread milling with solid carbide mills has numerous advantages over conventional thread milling with high-speed steel, and even more over traditional methods using a tap and die. 

Solid carbide thread mills are extremely hard and offer superior resistance to high heat and wear. They also offer thinner tool diameters and so can be run at higher speeds. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using…

Before making a plunge cut, many machinists prep their workpiece through a practice called “spotting” to ensure that the finished hole winds up precisely where it’s supposed to. Spotting also helps improve the quality of the finished workpiece.

But what are spot drills used for and what are the best quality spotters made of?

What Are Spot Drills Used…

Aluminum is soft, ductile, malleable, and pliable, unlike many other metals that can be hard, brittle, and temperamental. That means aluminum should be easy to machine, right?

Well, it’s not quite that simple. Like machining any other material, aluminum possesses unique qualities that must be understood for success.

Here are a few things you need to…