Tools, Equipment, and Shop Practice
What this domain tests
Questions on tool and machine use are practical: correct selection, pre-use inspection, guarding, and setup values. Expect grinding wheel safety, press brake and ironworker limits, and drill press practice.
Hand and layout tools
Combination square, dividers, trammel points, hermaphrodite calipers, centre and prick punches, transfer punches, and magnetic levels do the layout work; calipers and micrometers verify it. A vernier caliper commonly resolves 0.02 mm and a metric micrometer 0.01 mm. Treat measuring tools as calibration items: no dropped mics, no forcing the thimble.
Abrasives
- Match the wheel's maximum rated speed to the grinder's no-load RPM: if the wheel rating is lower, do not mount it.
- Ring-test bonded wheels before mounting; a clear ring is good, a dull thud means reject.
- Keep the guard on; the guard opening should be no more than a quarter of the wheel.
- On a pedestal grinder, set the tool rest within about 3 mm of the wheel and the tongue guard within about 6 mm.
- Never grind on the side of a cut-off wheel; side load causes burst failures. Wear a face shield over safety glasses.
Machines
- Ironworker: one piece at a time, hold-downs engaged, punch and die clearance roughly 5-10 percent of thickness, never reach into the throat.
- Press brake: point-of-operation guarding or light curtains, verify tonnage against die opening and material thickness, do not run a narrow die beyond its rating.
- Shear: squaring arm and backgauge set, hold-down working, hands outside the cut line.
- Drill press: clamp the work or use a vise, remove the chuck key before starting, no gloves near rotating tools.
- Band saw: correct blade pitch, tension, and coolant; lock out before changing blades.
Worked example
A 230 mm grinder spindle turns at 8500 RPM. A wheel in the rack is marked 6600 RPM maximum. The wheel rating must be at least the spindle's no-load speed, so 6600 is below 8500 and the wheel cannot be used. Correct action: find a wheel rated 8500 RPM or higher, ring-test it, check the blotter and flanges, then mount it.
Traps
- Removing a guard for clearance.
- Using a larger wheel for longer life without checking the speed rating.
- Leaving the chuck key in the drill.
- Ignoring die opening when estimating press brake tonnage.
- Assuming a cracked wheel will sound obviously bad after mounting.