Safety & Measurement
🦺 Machine Shop Safety
Eye protection, chip control, no loose clothing, tool guards, emergency stops, coolant handling, and safe work habits.
⚙️ Machining Fundamentals
Understand mills, lathes, cutters, workholding, cutting forces, chips, materials, tolerances, and shop workflow.
📏 Precision Metrology
Use calipers, micrometers, dial indicators, test indicators, gauge blocks, edge finders, and inspection habits.
📐 Speeds & Feeds
Calculate RPM, SFM, chip load, feed rate, tool engagement, cutter diameter, material factors, and tool life.
Manual Machining
🏭 Manual Mill Basics
Vertical mill anatomy, table movement, quill, vise setup, end mills, drilling, slotting, squaring, and safe operation.
🧭 Mill Setup & Tramming
Indicate the vise, square stock, locate edges, tram the head, set stops, and plan a repeatable milling operation.
🌀 Manual Lathe Basics
Facing, turning, parting, tailstock support, chucking, tool height, carriage feed, cross slide, and compound slide.
🔩 Threading on a Lathe
Tool geometry, threading dials, pitch, compound angle, test cuts, fit checking, and safe manual threading practice.
CNC Foundations
💻 G-Code Basics
Learn G00, G01, G02, G03, M03, spindle speed, feed, work coordinates, tool changes, and program structure.
🧠 G & M Codes
Decode common CNC commands and understand how machine controllers interpret motion, coolant, spindle, and tool commands.
🎯 Work Coordinates
Set WCS, locate X/Y/Z zero, use edge finders or probes, verify offsets, and avoid coordinate mistakes.
🛠️ CNC Milling
Load tools, set offsets, simulate paths, secure stock, run first articles, inspect parts, and correct errors.
CAD/CAM & Advanced CNC
🧾 CAM to G-Code
Move from CAD geometry to CAM operations, toolpaths, post processors, setup sheets, simulation, and machine code.
⚡ Toolpaths & Optimization
Compare adaptive clearing, facing, contouring, drilling, pocketing, stepovers, stepdowns, chip evacuation, and cycle time.
📜 CNC Programming Path
A deeper G-code tutorial path for writing, reading, debugging, and improving CNC programs.
🔩 Advanced Machining
Explore complex setups, fixturing, production methods, toolholding, repeatability, inspection, and process control.