Basic Tools

• Machine shops need measurement tools, drafting tables and a planning structure. Basic shop hand-tools include a variety of drills, drivers, socket sets, hammers, fasteners and metal cutting saws. Basic tools for grinding, reaming, broaching and lapping include files, reamers, torches and tap and die sets. Machine shops require a variety of vises and clamps for holding projects in place.
  
  

Metal Lathes

• Metal lathes range in size from miniature bench-top to large industrial lathes. Lathes produce metal parts for the construction of engines, microscopes, telescopes, model vehicles and trains, fire arms and a great deal more. Aluminum, brass, steel and iron are common metals that work well in lathes. Machine shops that specialize in producing sophisticated devices that require extreme accuracy need a variety of computer-operated machines, known as Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines.
  
  

Welders

• The most common method for attaching one piece of metal to another is by welding. Machine shops utilize a variety of welders, such as arc, Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welders. Arc welding combines heat from an electric arc with a consumable electrode to attach metal to metal. Different types of metal require different types of electrodes for a secure weld.
  
  MIG welders require a direct current power source and a positive electrode. Conventional MIG welding machines need constant voltage, while pulsed MIG welders run on periodic pulses of high current.
  
  TIG welding requires a permanent, non-melting electrode made of tungsten. Unlike MIG welders, TIG welders are capable of running with or without filler metal. A power source with alternating current prevents overheating of the electrode.
  
  

Milling Machines

• Vertical and horizontal milling machines hold, rotate and feed metal stock past a rotating tooth cutter, removing areas of the work-piece. The resulting machined surface is flat, angular, curved or a combination of these. In peripheral or slab milling, the cutter axis is parallel with the surface of the work-piece. Face milling requires a cutter with sharp edges on both the periphery and face of the cutter. The cutter axis is perpendicular to the surface of the work-piece. The third milling classification -- end milling -- uses a cutter similar to a face milling cutter. The difference with end milling is the rotation of the cutter, which is vertical to the work-piece.