Text Size 
Print 
Print
Machine Shop
Machine Shop Serving the Natural Science Departments
Major equipment
- Nardini lathe - for turning metal or plastic objects up to 14" in diameter or 36" long with a precision of 0.0005"
- Microcut vertical mill - for cutting metal or plastic objects up to 50" long, 18" tall and 24" wide with a precision of 0.0005"
Minor equipment
- Sheet metal brake - for cutting and bending sheet metal up to 0.040" thick
- Hydraulic press - for squashing things
- Horizontal band saw - for heavy duty cutting in metal
- Vertical band saw - for light duty cutting in wood and soft metal
- Drill press - for drilling holes in wood, metal or plastic
- Belt/disk sander - for shaping wood, metal or plastic
- Millermatic 180 welder - for MIG (GMAW) welding metal up to ½" thick
- Propane/Oxygen torch - for brazing, soldering, and glassblowing
- 50 Amp arc welder - for welding metal up to ¼" thick, brazing and silver soldering
Small tools
- Bench grinder - primarily for sharpening lathe tools
- Buffing wheel, belt sander, circular saw, power drill, saber saw, rivet gun, vacuum cleaner, bench vise, tap and die sets, measuring tools
- If you find that tools are missing or broken, let the shop supervisor know.
- If you are not 100% certain that you know how to use a tool, let the machine shop supervisor help you figure it out.
- Clean up after yourself.
- Connect the shop-vac to the band saw or belt/disk sander before you use them, especially if you are working with wood.
- The scrap bins are on the floor near the bandsaw and on the bottom shelf next to the lathe; take what you need, return what you don't.
- Students may not work in the shop alone.
Internet Resources
There are many useful Internet resources for machinists, glassblowers, and welders. Click here for a few to get you started.
Training
Machine Shop Supervisor: Keith Rider
Chemistry 467 -- Scientific Instrumentation Design and Construction is a one credit elective course that covers all of the equipment and techniques available in the machine shop.
The US Army used to publish a machine tool training textbook. Below is a copy in the form of PDF documents.
- Disclaimer (PDF)
- Contents (PDF)
- Preface (PDF)
- Chapter 1 - Introduction to the Machine Shop (PDF)
- Chapter 2 - Properties, Identification, and Heat Treatment of Metals (PDF)
- Chapter 3 - Portable Machine Tools (PDF)
- Chapter 4 - Drilling Machines (PDF)
- Chapter 5 - Grinding Machines (PDF)
- Chapter 6 - Sawing Machines (PDF)
- Chapter 7 - Lathes (PDF)
- Chapter 8 - Milling Operations (PDF)
- Chapter 9 - Milling-Grinding-Drilling and Slotting Attachment (Versa-Mil) (PDF)
- Appendix A - Tables (PDF)
- Appendix B - Weights and Measures (PDF)
- Appendix C - Formulas (PDF)
- Glossary (PDF)
- References (PDF)
- Index (PDF)
You might also find this cutting speed nomogram (PDF) useful.
