[Shop-talk] Identifying taper and threading attachments on a

[TR3driver at ca.rr.com (Randall)]

> Not necessarily; chasing or "picking up" an existing thread 
> on a lathe 
> with a threading dial is (or at least was) a pretty 
> straightforward task 
> for the average machinist. 

I agree.  And even the threading dial is not strictly necessary.  It doesn't
work anyway, for some small group of threads.  (I forget the rules offhand,
but ISTR you can't use it for Whitworth threads.)  If you don't have one (or
it doesn't work for the thread you're doing), you just never open the half
nuts and run the motor in reverse to move the carriage back to the right.

-- Randall