Introduction

Fitting work is required at various stages of manufacture starting from marking to

assembling and testing the finished goods. Working on components with hand tools and
instruments, mostly on work benches is generally referred to as ‘Fitting work’. The hand
operations in fitting shop include marking, filing, sawing, scraping, drilling, tapping,
grinding, etc., using hand tools or power operated portable tools. Measuring and
inspection of components and maintenance of equipment is also considered as important
work of fitting shop technicians.
Work Holding Tools
Bench Vice
The bench vice is a device commonly used for holding
the work pieces. When the vice handle is turned in a
clockwise direction the moving jaw forces the work
against the fixed jaw. The greater the pressure applied
to the handle, the tighter is the work held. The body
of the vice is made of cast iron. Hardened steel plates
with serrations to ensure better gripping of the work
are fixed on the faces of the two jaws. Vices are
specified by the maximum width that can be held or
the maximum opening between the jaws, varying
from 75 mm to 300 mm.
Hammers
Hammers are named depending on their shape and material and specified by their weight. A
ball peen hammer has a flat face which is used for general work and the ball end particularly
used for rivetting. They weigh from 200 gm to 1.5 kg. The hammer consists of a hardened and
tempered steel head varying in mass from 0.1 kg to about 1 kg, firmly fixed on a tough wooden
handle. The flat striking surface is known as the face, and the opposite end is called the peen.
The most commonly used is the ball-peen, which has a hemispherical end and is used for
rivetting. For use with soft metals such as aluminium or with finished components where the
workpiece could be damaged if struck by an hammer, a range of hammers is available with soft
faces, usually , copper, or tough plastics such as nylon. Always use a hammer which is heavy
enough to deliver the required force but not too heavy to be tiring in use. The small masses, 0.1
kg to 0.2, are used for centre punching. Always ensure that the hammer handle is sound and
that the head is securely fixed
 Flat file It is rectangular in section and tapered for 1/3 length in width and thickness towards
the tip. The faces carry double cut teeth and the edges carry single cut teeth. It is a general
purpose file.

Square file It is square in section and carry double cut teeth on all the four faces. It is tapered
for 1/3 of its length towards the point. Square files are used for filing corners and slots. It is
also used to cut keyways.

Half round file The half round file has one flat and one curved side. The flat side is double cut
and the curved side is single cut. It is not a semicircle but only about 1/3 of circle. This is an
extremely useful double purpose file for flat surfaces and for curved surfaces which are too
large for the round file to be used.

Round file It is tapered for 1/3 length with double cut on large coarse grades. Used for filing out
round, elliptical and curved openings.
knife edge file is a kind of knife-shaped, tapered file used to file V-shaped channels or the
joining point between two acute-angled surfaces. Knife files are generally made of
hardened steel. Knife files range from those with a “rough” cut of teeth, to those with a
“dead” cut of teeth. A rough knife file will have twenty teeth per inch, whereas a dead
knife file will have one hundred or more teeth per inch. Its thin edge is about 10° angle. It
is used for filing small grooves and slots whose angle is less than 60°. It is generally used
in the lock industry for making keys.
Scrappers
These sharp edged tools are used to remove uneven spots on the surfaces. They are of
different shapes.
Flat scraper It is used for removing metal from flat surfaces. The blade must have a slight
curvature at the cutting edge. The corners are rounded to help the user, scrape at the exact
spots.
Half round bearing scraper This is used for scraping curved and cylindrical surface – split
bearings, big bush bearings etc.
Triangular scraper This is used for scraping curved surfaces, holes and bores. Specification is
by length. Example: 200 mm, 300 mm etc
Hacksaw
The hacksaw is used for cutting metal by hand. It consists of a frame which holds a thin
blade, firmly in position. The blade has a number of cutting teeth. The number of teeth per
25 mm of the blade length or teeth per inch (TPI) is selected on the basis of the work
material and thickness being cut. Figure shows two types of hacksaw frames with a blade
fixed. The teeth of the hacksaw blade are staggered, as shown in figure which is known as
“set of teeth”. These make the slots wider than the blade thickness, preventing the blade
from jamming.’
Try-square Try-square is used for checking the squareness of small works, when
extreme accuracy as not required. The size of the try-square is specified by the
length of the blade. Ex: l0 cm, 30 cm etc. 1.3.6
Drilling Machines
Bench Drilling Machine Generally it
is fixed on the work bench and is
suitable for drilling holes with a
diameter up to about 10 mm. It is a
light and high-speed machine and
used for light duty work. It can be
used for drilling holes from 1.5 to 15
mm diameter. It is mounted on a
bench and hence the name, "Bench-
drilling machine". In this, the drill is
fed into the work piece by hand only.
Here, the operator can feel or sense
the travel of the drill. Hence, this
machine is rightly called, "Sensitive
drilling machine". Figure shows a
bench-driling machine. The main
parts of this machine are: Base,
column, portable, spindle head, and
drive mechanism.
Portable Power Drill Portable
power drills are available with
double insulation. The range vary
from 6 mm to 20 mm drill
diameter. It is the most useful of
all kinds of drilling equipment. It is
readily portable and convenient
for use. It can be used for drilling
holes in any position which is not
possible with conventional drilling
machines. This machine consist of
an individual motor drives. The
entire drilling mechanism is
enclosed in a compact case, as
shown in figure. The motor is
generally a universal type and can
be operated both on A.C and D.C
supply. Since the diameter of the
holes to be drilled is small; the
portable electric drill is operated
at high speeds. The capacity of the
portable electric drill is designated
by the maximum diameter of the
hole it can drill in steel.
Drill Bit
A drill bit is a rotary cutting tool that makes holes. The point of the bit contacts the material
you’re drilling into, while the shank — the back end — is clamped in place by the jaws of a
drill chuck.
What Are Drill Bits Used For?
Drill bits are primarily used for creating circular holes in materials from drywall and wood to
metal and masonry. They might create a hole for an anchor or fastener, or a passage to feed
wiring. Bits are available individually in multi- sized sets, commonly called drill indexes.
When selecting a drill bit, consider its physical shape, what it’s made of, and the work
material you’re drilling into .
Following are the types of drill bits:
1. Flat drill
2. Straight fluted drill
3. Twist drill
4. Double fluted drill
5. Multi-fluted drill
6. Centre drill
7. Countersinking drill
8. Counter boring drill
9. Oil hole or tube drill
10. Spirec drill
11. Shell drill
12. Step drill
13. Installer bit
14. Masonry Drill
15. Rivet Drill
16. Auger Drill
17. Tile bits
18. Hammer bit
19. Glass bit
20. Forstner bit
21. Hole saw
22. Plug cutters
Taps and Tap Wrenches
A tap is a hardened steel tool, used for cutting internal threads after drilling a hole.
Hand taps are usually supplied in sets of three for each diameter and thread pitch.
Each set consists of a taper tap, intermediate tap and plug or bottom tap. The
following are the stages involved in tapping operation:
1. Select the correct size tap, with the desired pitch.
2. Select the correct size tap drill, usually indicated on the tap.
3. Drill the hole.
4. Secure the tap in the tap wrench.
5. Insert the first or taper tap in the drilled hole and start turning clockwise, by
applying downward pressure.
6. Check the alignment of the tap with the hole axis (verticality) with a try-square and
correct it if necessary, by applying sidewise pressure while turning the tap.
7. Apply lubricant while tapping.
8. Turn the tap forward about half a turn and then back until chips break loose. Repeat the
process until threading is completed with intermediate and bottom taps.
9. Remove them carefully. If it gets stuck, work it back and forth gently to loosen.
Dies and Die-holders
Dies are cutting tools used for making external threads. Dies are made either solid or split
type. They are fixed in a die holder for holding and adjusting the die gap. They are made
of tool steel or high carbon steel. The following are the stages in producing external
threads:
1. Prepare the work with chamfer at its end.
2. Select the correct size die.
3. Position the die in the die holder. Tighten the set screw so that the die is held firmly in
its place. In case of adjustable die, set the die to cut oversize threads first.
4. Fasten the work firmly in a vice.
5. Place the die over the chamfered end of the work and start cutting threads by turning
it clockwise while applying downward pressure. Apply cutting fluid while threading in
steel.
6. Turn back the die for the chips to break loose. Continue until threading is completed.
Check the threaded work to see if it fits the tapped hole or nut. If the fit is too tight.
adjust the die for a slight, deeper cut and complete the threading again.