Index of Some of Our Most Popular Tips and Tricks

As we continue to create and add TIPS to this Making Chips blog ... it also becomes quite a bit more difficult to review, search and find the information contained here. And there's a lot of good stuff buried in here. So every once in a while we like to take a post and create sort of an INDEX or review of some of our most popular tips. Kind of a way to give you another opportunity to check them out in case you missed them in the first go-around.

Below is a short list of the Tips that have gotten the most reviews over the past year or so ... enjoy.

Move That Vise !!
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html
A short article on why your placement of your vise on your machine table can be so critical.

A Homemade Bar Puller for Your CNC Lathe
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-homemade-bar-puller-for-your-cnc-lathe.html
This tip always gets tons of visitors ... simple yet effective idea for creating a bar puller for your CNC lathe.

The How's and Why's of Sub-Programming
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-hows-and-whys-of-sub-programming.html
Our short training article on the effective uses of sub-programming.

Cutter Compensation ... A Programmers Best Friend
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013/03/cutter-compensation-programmers-best.html
Tips tricks and info on programming cutter compensation.

Your Way Lube System ... Friend or Foe?
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html
Information everyone should know about your CNC's automatic way lube system.

Macro Programming Series ... Part #1
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013/07/fanuc-macro-programming-series-part-1.html
This is Part #1 of our 10 part series on Fanuc Macro B programming ... check it out. It has gotten some great review.

Machine Warm-Up Routine ... Why? When? How?
http://kipware.blogspot.com/2013/12/machine-warm-up-routine-why-when-how.html
Some great tips and info on keeping your machine running smooth and accurate.

Of course Making Chips contain tons of other articles ... but the above have been the most popular over the past months. We invite you to use the SEARCH bar in the right toolbar and search for things that you are interested in ... perhaps we have a Tip that can lend some insight. If not ... please check back again. We add new Tips and Tricks about every two weeks.

Until Next Time ... Happy Chip Making !!

Drill Point Calculations Made Simple

Hanging out on the shop floor we see a lot of programmers / operators "struggling" with finding the correct dimension for either countersinking or drilling through a workpiece. So we thought it a good time to put some simple formulas out there to remind our fellow machinists / programmers how the calcs are done and what factors effect those calculations.

What factors effect the calculations? There are basically two  :

• Diameter of the drill
• Angle of the drill point

Once those values are known ... you can easily calculate the length of the drill point using one of the choices below :

The Complicated ... But Accurate Method :

1. Find the radius of the drill
2. Take the angle of the drill point and divide that by 2 ... a normal twist drill angle is 118 degrees.
3. The final formula is drill radius / Tan(angle from step #2)

Obviously this method will work and provide an accurate answer for any angle drill and countersink.

The "Rule of Thumb" Method for STANDARD drills :

Here is the common "rule of thumb" method for standard 118 degree drills. Obviously if you are dealing with countersinks or non-standard tip drills ... you need Method #1 above. But for a down-and-dirty calculation for standard drills ... just multiply the drill diameter by .300 ... inch or metric, doesn't matter.

Here's where that formula came from ... it assumes the standard drill point angle of 118 degrees :

1. 118 degrees / 2 = 59
2. 90 -59 = 31 ( using the angle opposite that of the one above )
3. The tangent of 31 is .6009 / 2 = .3004 ... or rounded of to .3

Hope this helps the next time you are calculating the depth of a counterbore ( in which case method #1 should be employed ) or how to deep to drill through a workpiece ( where the rule of thumb method should do just fine ).

If you're looking for a software application that gives formulas like this as a handy reference ... check our our KipwareTB® - Machine Shop Toolbox Software ... just click the link below.

Until Next Time ... Happy Chip Making !!