What is the best way to learn something? For my money, it's hard to beat the "just do it" method, which may land you in hot water once in a while. So be it.

The following are some basic shop practices for newcomers. The information is also about avoiding blunders. Not all mistakes in a machine shop are of the dimensional type. Blowing chips on the guy next to you is an example of a nondimensional mistake. By learning some of these basics, newcomers will be in a better position to work independently and with other shop personnel.

I find it odd that management spends numerous hours discussing organizational and scheduling issues but manufacturing personnel spend little time discussing technical issues. As a result, engineers and manufacturing professionals make the same mistakes again and again.

The following are suggestions for designers and engineers, who seldom receive feedback from shop personnel. The intention is to help designers and engineers improve the little things that, together, make manufacturing easier and more productive.

Knurled surfaces are commonly seen on cylindrical parts such as handles, knobs and rollers. Knurling is a process that creates a pleasing, easy-to-grip geometric pattern on a part's surface.

When knurling, machinists apply a tool with two freely rotating rollers that deform, or push, the material rather than cut it. Creating a crisp, clean knurl on a lathe is easy if you follow these suggestions.