A Machine Shop Companion for the Manual Vertical Milling Machine: Helpful Information for Starting with Precision Metalworking

The goal of this book is to increase the odds that your next project on the vertical milling machine will be successful, safe, and efficient.

You may have taken a safety and basic operation class, or read through the operating manual for your mill, but you may still have questions, still have some anxiety about turning the mill on. This book is for you.

In this book we discuss the critical things to get right on the milling machine:
● workholding
● cutters
● toolholding
● spindle speed
● cutting depth
● feed rate

We include a "pre-flight" checklist so before you even turn on the mill, the odds are already in your favor.

There are no good surprises in the machine shop. We can reduce the number of surprises dramatically by a consistent approach to setting up and using the milling machine. Soon, we hope you count the mill as a trusted tool that enables you to produce precision parts, as it has for countless machinists, professional and amateur alike.

"Fortunately, there are books out there aimed specifically at the home machinist and A Machine Shop Companion for the Manual Vertical Milling Machine is one of the best I've seen. The book doesn't attempt to cover it all but instead focuses on the kinds of questions a newcomer will need answered before turning on the mill" -- George Bulliss, editor of Home Shop Machinist magazine, in a review in the July/August 2025 issue.