Cleaning the lathe
Lathe Cleaning: A new lathe must be cleaned first from the protective layer of grease and properly lubricated before placed in service.Please take the time to read the operating manual that Optimum Machines provides with OptiD180 (PDF file available at download page). In case that you don’t fully understand the instructions or if you need […]
Tailstock Die Holder
Tailstock Die Holder A Tailstock Die Holder should be among the first projects for the amateur machinist since it’s a very useful tool but also easy to make. By using a hand-held die stock it’s almost impossible to produce a straight thread and dies is something that we use very often on the lathe. So, […]
Building a Steam Engine
This is a single action Open Column Twin Cylinder steam engine and actually the first one I ever attempted to build. The design it’s not mine. This is something that I came across on the internet when I was searching for blueprints and it looked cool to me but also neither too simple nor too […]
Milling on the lathe
milling on the lathe and milling attachment: Is it possible? What are the limitations? Yes milling on the lathe is possible but with a lot of shortcomings and limitations. The most critical is the rigidity. Only by looking the Optimum D180, or any other similar mini lathe you can tell that the capabilities are limited. […]
good work habits on a daily basis
Maintaining the ability to produce high quality parts Machine tool maintenance is the process of maintaining the ability to produce high quality parts and it is an ongoing activity that combines periodic machine adjustments and inspections but also the good work habits on a daily basis. Operate the machine in a safe and responsible manner […]
Leveling the lathe
Leveling the lathe: How important it is to level my lathe? Leveling the lathe is an absolutely necessary procedure no matter what type of lathe you own. Even with the most accurate and well-made machines you will not be able to produce accurate work if it’s not properly leveled. The weight of the lathe or […]