Tools, supplies, references, and suppliers the MachinistPost team actually uses and recommends. No fluff.
Quality starts with quality tooling. These are the brands and sources that hold up in real shop use.
Made in the USA. One of the few remaining American HSS drill manufacturers. Consistent geometry, proper M2 steel. Worth every penny over import sets.
View Norseman drill sets →If you need an economical import set, Drill Hog's M7 bits are better than average big-box store quality. Good for general drilling where you'll resharpen frequently.
drillbitcity.com →Cobalt bits, TiAlN coated, and specialty profiles. When you're drilling stainless or hardened steel and need a step up from standard HSS.
regalcuttingtools.com →Largest metalworking and machining supply distributor in the US. Same-day shipping from regional DCs. Good for replacing individual drill bit sizes, end mills, taps.
mscdirect.com →The right fluid for the job doubles bit life and surface finish quality. The wrong fluid — or no fluid — accelerates wear and work hardening.
Sulfurized petroleum-based cutting oil. Works on steel, cast iron, and most metals. Comes in a convenient drip bottle and doesn't gum up. The most-used bottle in the MachinistPost shop.
View Tap Magic fluids →The classic green can. A light corrosion inhibitor and lubricant — wipe it on freshly resharpened or stored HSS drills and tooling to keep flash rust off in a humid shop.
View CRC 3-36 →Heavy-duty formula specifically for stainless steel, titanium, and other work-hardening alloys. Thick viscosity stays on vertical surfaces.
View Relton A-9 →If you're running a coolant-fed machine and want to step up from generic soluble oil, Blaser is the professional standard. Stable emulsion, no rancidity problems, long sump life.
View Blasocut 201 →Mitutoyo is the standard for precision measurement tools. Their digital calipers are the ones you'll find at every serious shop. Buy once, keep forever.
View Mitutoyo 500-196-30 →If you need a secondary set or a "shop abuse" pair, iGaging makes accurate calipers at a fair price. Good for layout and general measurement where you don't want to risk your Mitutoyo.
View iGaging OriginCal →Blue or red dye for marking scribe lines on metal. Standard shop supply. Apply before scribing hole locations — lines are much more visible than bare metal.
View Dykem Steel Blue →Spring-loaded, adjustable strike force. One of the best reasons to buy American tooling — a Starrett punch outlasts a dozen import punches and leaves a consistent, accurate divot.
View Starrett 18C →Quick-drying and leaves no residue — what we reach for to clean calipers and precision tools without gumming up the slide or the digital readout.
View contact cleaner →The most-used reference in any shop that does thread work. Always verify with your specific tap's documentation for critical work.
| Thread Size | Tap Drill | Decimal Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-40 | #43 | .0890" | Common in electronics hardware |
| 6-32 | #36 | .1065" | Common panel mounting screw |
| 8-32 | #29 | .1360" | Very common general fastener |
| 10-24 | #25 | .1495" | Machine screws, panel hardware |
| 10-32 | #21 | .1590" | Finer thread — instruments, precision |
| 1/4-20 | #7 | .2010" | Most common bolt size in shops |
| 1/4-28 | #3 | .2130" | Fine thread — aerospace, precision |
| 5/16-18 | F | .2570" | General structural fastener |
| 3/8-16 | 5/16" | .3125" | Heavy general fastener |
| 1/2-13 | 27/64" | .4219" | Large structural bolt |
| M3×0.5 | 2.5mm | .0984" | Common metric small fastener |
| M4×0.7 | 3.3mm | .1299" | Common metric fastener |
| M5×0.8 | 4.2mm | .1654" | Common metric fastener |
| M6×1.0 | 5.0mm | .1969" | Very common metric bolt |
| M8×1.25 | 6.8mm | .2677" | Heavy metric fastener |
| M10×1.5 | 8.5mm | .3346" | Structural metric fastener |
Broad catalog of maintenance, shop, and industrial supplies. Good for workbenches, storage, shop supplies. Often cheaper than local supply houses on bulk items.
globalindustrial.com →The shop's go-to for next-day delivery on industrial parts and supplies. Premium pricing but unbeatable availability. Use for urgent needs; source elsewhere for ongoing purchases.
grainger.com →For Oklahoma shops, check with regional industrial distributors in OKC and Tulsa for local pickup on cutting tools, abrasives, and shop supplies. Faster than mail order for urgent jobs.
MSC Direct →The best machining Q&A community on the internet. Before buying tooling or making a process decision, search the forum. Decades of real shop experience available for free.
practicalmachinist.com →The best tooling in the world goes dull. Mail us your worn HSS drill bits and we'll sharpen them back to factory geometry.
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