Manual Mill & Lathe Calculators and Setup Guides

Not every part runs on a CNC. Many shops still do a lot of work on a manual mill, an engine lathe and a bandsaw, and every CNC machinist still sets up parts by hand. This hub collects the tools and guides for that kind of work.

On the mill, the bolt circle calculator gives X and Y coordinates for every hole, and the incremental tool gives the move from one hole to the next for a DRO or handwheel. The dividing head calculator works out crank turns and hole circles for the number of divisions you need.

On the lathe, plan the depth of each pass when single-point threading, set the compound for a taper, predict surface finish from nose radius and feed, and size O-ring grooves. The collet torque tool helps you tighten ER collet nuts correctly, which keeps runout low and stops tools from slipping.

Before cutting, size the raw stock with allowance for cleanup and facing, convert units, find feeds and speeds, and pick the right blade and speed for the bandsaw.

The guides cover setup skills that save time every day: edge finders, 1-2-3 blocks, collets, workholding beyond the vise, indexing without a fourth axis, internal threading and getting long stringy chips under control on the lathe.

Check every setup with an indicator before you trust it, and keep your hands clear of the chuck and the cutter.