Surface speed, chip load, cutter comp, tap drills, and the G28 move that wrecks a setup. Inch and metric on every number.
Machinechat
Ask a machinist.
Feeds and speeds, G-code, tooling, gear cutting, and lubrication — answered with shop judgment, both unit systems, and the caveat still attached. Gear math goes to gearcalculators.com. Gears that need cutting go to Evolvent Design.
The machinist
Ask about a cut, a code, or an oil. Numbers are starting points. Confirm a cut with the tool maker before you load the spindle. While the model is offline, you'll get a waitlist note instead of a generated answer.
What it's for
Tooth proportions, diametral pitch, module, and center distance get a short answer, then a pointer to the calculators that do the real work.
Way oil is not gear oil. A bronze worm wheel often wants a compounded oil, and the nameplate wins over a guess.
Shop references
Feeds and speedsRPM, chip load, and conservative carbide starting bands.
G-code quick referenceFanuc-style motion, comp, cycles, and one crash to avoid.
Tapping drill chartUNC, UNF, and metric at about 75% thread.
Surface finish (Ra)Microinches, micrometers, and the ISO N grades.
Who it's from
Machinechat is Andrew Prestridge's project. He's a gear engineer at Evolvent Design, which cuts custom gears. The paid gear calculators are at gearcalculators.com. The Evolvent Design YouTube channel covers gears, machining, and lubrication, and has about 7,200 subscribers.
Waitlist
The model stays off until the cost caps are in place. Leave an email and you'll hear when the machinist is online.