Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Shop calculators and references

Well, you've got more than I have. The only things I could add are:
Equivalents to  BA (British Association) in U.S. screw sizes and metric and because I work with imperial, metric and BA sizes, the latter for clockmaking. Just about all the clockmaking manuals (mainly from great Britain) use BA screws. The BA series would have the same info that the metric or imperial charts would have.
 
Actually I have all my data in plastic covered sheets in a 3 ring notebook. The original information is in MS Word documents.
 
I'm forever using a calculator to convert from metric to inch: I have a Cowells metric lathe and a Sherline (Sears) lathe that I just converted to CNC. A fairly recent addition is a caliper that reads metric, decimal inch and also fractional inch.
 
The data is endless. I'm looking for a 35 degree diamond lathe insert plus holder because I'm working through the manuals for LazyTurn and Mach3 Turn and that size looks very convenient for small work. I just learned that every carbide insert has a designation like VBMT. There's surely a chart of these.
 
I'd like a chart describing the different aluminum, steel and brass grades (like brass 353 and 360).
 
The tap charts should include a number of tapping size drills and the percent depth of engagement.


________________________________
From: timgoldstein <timg@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:53 PM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Shop calculators and references



 

Working on a project that has me wondering what are the most useful calculators and references when you are working in the shop?

I have a Machinery Handbook, but it is not a shop reference. Too hard to find what I want and usually way more details than I need in the shop.

The most useful things to me are:
Drill chart listing number, letter, fractional, metric with their decimal equivalent.
Tap chart with drill sizes for both cut and roll taps.
Drill point calculator for various common point angles.
Trig calculator that solves right triangles.

One thing I also use but less frequently is a calculator that figures the dimension over or between pins to measure dovetails.

So what other references or calculators do you find yourself using on a regular basis in your shop?

Tim Goldstein
A2Z Corp
3955 S Mariposa St
Englewood CO 80110
P 720 833-9300

www.a2zcorp.us/store




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