Cutting Straight Lines

Here we will look at the simplest action of the tool cutting the metal. A simple straight line.

As the workpiece is moved downwards, the stationary tool, with depth of cut limited by the guide, cuts a straight line, removing a curling chip of metal in a straight line.

The following illustrations show some simple examples of the use of simple straight lines cut on commercial objects.

Straight lines applied to a salt and pepper set in a simple but imaginative way.

Matching the diagonals on all sides required care both in manufacture and engine turning. Although simple to understand as a design, great skill was required to match the lines to look continuous, whichever way the pair of objects were placed side by side.

Lines in two directions - Hobnail - on a cufflink made from square tube with closed ends. The pattern is centred and matches over all edges. Having the blank product the exact correct size is important in this example so that everything divides up exactly.

A skilled engine turner can compensate for inaccuracies in the manufacture of the product, such as with the cufflinks above, which were rarely made exactly right. This has a cost implication in the engine turning price, so it is better to make our job easy if possible!