Mental Health
118 Eating Disorders
Stephanie Gillis
Eating Disorders
Introduction to Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders are serious mental health conditions in which relentless eating habits/behaviors hurt an individual’s well-being and disrupt their ability to function with correlating thoughts and emotions. The most common and widely known eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia and body dysmorphia. These conditions have been known to not only negatively affect the suffering individual, but also but a strain on family members and those who have close relationships. Over recent years, the amount of individuals in society with eating disorders has demonstrated a serious incline due to increased public awareness through social media. It’s tremendously important to encourage an individual to seek help for this mental illness as it can unfortunately be fatal in severe cases.
Stigma on Eating Disorders
The progress in recovery of individuals suffering from eating disorders can be adversely affected by public stigma. Public stigma encompasses the view of people within society and their thoughts regarding a given concept of focus. Societies perception on people with eating disorders is primarily negative, and a large percentage views the individuals as being responsible for the disorder they possess. Studies reveal that stigmatized beliefs created anger and fear within the public and created room for the emergence of avoidant behaviors. Avoidant behaviors fuel social distance and can consist of neglecting assistance, care or work. This stigma is detrimental to their recovery process as it further casts these individuals from society. They experience greater disconnection from their peers and have less of a support system with the public looking down on their illness that they are not in control of. An important piece of recovery when dealing with a mental health disorder is having a dependence on others to be there for you during your struggle in which the negative stigma strips from these people. The amount of people suffering from eating disorders within the United States alone is equal to 28.8 million, which includes both men and women.
Men and Stigma
In recent years, both mental health and eating disorders have been gaining more publicity. Men over woman have an even greater tendency to be silenced by their disorder as they fear the public judgement with the idea of a mental health disorder being in direct conflict with the idea of masculinity. Masculinity among men is highly valued and common perception of such is that it is essential for preserving their self identity. Eating disorders interfere with body image, specifically with the concept of body dysmorphia.
Types of Eating Disorders
Body Dysmorphia
Body dysmorphia is the extreme fixation on flaws in ones appearance in which is accompanied by overwhelming negative thoughts. These flaws that individuals obsess over are unnoticeable to those around them. Both men and women of society have been affected by body dysmorphia, and this mental illness is said to affect 1 out of every 50 people. Eating disorders and body dysmorphia go hand in hand where it is common for those who have this immensely negative outlook on their body to resort to an eating disorder as an attempt to combat their dissatisfaction with their self image.
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia is characterized by an overpowering fearfulness of calories and gaining weight overall. Most common practices consist of limiting and restricting certain food groups which can result in an energy deficit. Contrary to portrayal by the social media, people suffering from anorexia do eat. Individuals with anorexia can exhibit paranoid behaviors at the sight of food such as analyzing nutrition labels before consumption and refusing to eat food that they used to love. Physical signs include hair loss, extreme weight loss and malnutrition. Typical treatment routes for anorexia include supervised weight gain in conjunction with talking therapy.
Bulimia
Those who suffer from bulimia experience periods of binge eating where one excessively consumes food within a short time frame. After such, they take extreme measures to combat weight gain such as using laxatives, forcing themselves to vomit or with extreme exercise. Th purging type consist of the self induced vomiting and the laxative use whereas using fasting or methods of rigorous exercise is categorized as the nonpurging type. Those who are bulimic can develop severe dental problems due to stomach acid deteriorating tooth enamel as well as bad breath and a variety of other health issues. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a common course of treatment for this eating disorder in which the goal is to combat negative thoughts and feelings by breaking them into smaller parts. Many individuals who have bulimia also suffer from anorexia nervosa.
Connection to Science, Technology and Society
The idea of eating disorders and public stigma is directly related to the intersection of Science, Technology and Society for multiple reasons. The constant advancements in technology, particularly along the lines of social media, fuel the spread of negative content and opinions on individuals who are suffering from these mental health conditions. On a more positive note, as society gains new information on mental illness through scientific exploration, there will be a better cohesive understanding on eating disorders and hopefully improve public perception as it becomes a more normalized condition. This increase of societal awareness will also enable these individuals to get help and support while healing.
Conclusion
Overall, eating disorders are widely prevalent in society and are becoming more common within households as people become aware of this mental health issue. The most well known types of eating disorders include that of body dysmorphia, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia. Minimal support for those afflicted by eating disorders is massively detrimental to their overall recovery process. Another aspect that further isolates these individuals from society and diminishes the support they receive is negative public perception. Public stigma puts the blame of their condition on themselves plays a large role in silencing those suffering and creating missing voices.
Chapter Questions
- Short Answer: What are common characteristics of anorexia nervosa?
- True or False: Purging type bulimia consists of fasting and excessive exercise.
- Short Answer: Why is it important for those suffering from an eating disorder to have support?
- Multiple choice: How many people in the United States are said to suffer from an eating disorder at least once in their lifetime?
a. 50.3 million
b. 25.7 million
c. 28.8 million
d. 19.4 million
Sources
Zaydlin, M. (2017, March 23). The Stigma Surrounding Men with Eating Disorders. National Eating Disorders Association. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/stigma-surrounding-men-eating-disorders
Dimitropoulos, G., Freeman, V. E., Muskat, S., Domingo, A., & McCallum, L. (2016).  Journal of mental health (Abingdon, England), 25(1), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2015.1101422
Manning, M., & Greenfield, S. (2022). University students’ understanding and opinions of eating disorders: a qualitative study. BMJ open, 12(7), e056391. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056391
Griffiths, S. K. (2021). Investigating the impact of shame and stigma on social support seeking during eating disorder recovery (Order No. 28643826). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.<PHONE_NUMBER>). Retrieved from http://libproxy.clemson.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/investigating-impact-shame-stigma-on-social/docview/2584035926/se-2
Strumia, Renata, et al. Eating Disorder in Males, Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/clemson/detail.action?docID=3021092.
Brelet, L., Flaudias, V., Désert, M., Guillaume, S., Llorca, P. M., & Boirie, Y. (2021). Stigmatization toward People with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder: A Scoping Review. Nutrients, 13(8), 2834. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082834
Cliodhna O’Connor, Niamh McNamara, Lesley O’Hara, Megan McNicholas & Fiona McNicholas (2021) How do people with eating disorders experience the stigma associated with their condition? A mixed-methods systematic review, Journal of Mental Health, 30:4, 454-469, DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2019.1685081
Padierna, A., Quintana, J.M., Arostegui, I. et al. The health-related quality of life in eating disorders. Qual Life Res 9, 667–674 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008973106611


7.5 Long Reports – Recommendation Reports and Feasibility Studies
Long reports, such as Feasibility and Recommendation Reports, are most often the final step in a series of documents, often beginning with a Proposal and perhaps a series of Progress Reports. The reports in this rather loosely defined category are variously called feasibility reports, recommendation reports, evaluation reports, assessment reports, etc. They all do roughly the same thing—provide a careful study of a situation or problem, and often recommend what should be done to improve the situation. There are some subtle differences among these types, and names for them can vary.
Feasibility Reports
A feasibility report studies a situation (for example, a problem or opportunity) and a plan for doing something about it, and then determines whether that plan is “feasible”—whether it is practical in terms of current technology, economics, time frame, social needs and preferences, and so on. The feasibility report answers the question “Should we implement Plan X?” by stating “yes,” “no,” or sometimes a “maybe” or “under certain conditions.” Not only does it indicate whether the idea is feasible, it also provides the data and the reasoning behind that determination; conversely, it might outline the reasons why the idea cannot or should not be implemented, or what obstacles must be overcome before the idea can become feasible. Typical questions addressed in these reports include
- Is it possible? Can this be done within the allotted budget, time frame, legal and regulatory conditions, and technical capabilities?
- Is it financially viable? Even if it falls within our budget, should we do it? Will it have long term benefits that outweigh costs? Is there a less expensive or financially risky way to achieving the same result? How does it compare to the cost of doing nothing about this situation?
- Will it be accepted by the community? Will people be in favor of this idea? Will anyone be opposed to it? How much public support is necessary to make this successful? (What kind of stakeholder consultation might be necessary to determine this?)
Recommendation Reports
A recommendation reports starts from a stated need; it offers a selection of solution options, presents a detailed comparative analysis of the options, and then recommends one, some, or none. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best fit for them. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, 2-3 possible products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are appropriate for the client’s specific needs). The recommendation report answers the question “Which option should we choose?” (or in some cases “Which are the best options?) by recommending Product B, or maybe both Products B and C, or none of the products. These recommendations might arise from questions such as
- What should we do about Problem X?
- What is the best way to provide Function or Service A?
- Should we use Technology X or Technology Y to perform Function Z?
Evaluation Reports
An evaluation report provides a judgment or assessment rather than a yes-no-maybe answer or a recommendation. It provides a studied opinion on the value or worth of something. For example, for over a year the city of Austin had free bus transportation in an attempt to increase ridership and reduce automobile traffic. Did it work? Was it worthwhile?—These are questions an evaluation report would attempt to answer. This type of report compares a thing to a set of requirements (or criteria) and determines how well it meets those requirements. (And of course, this may result in a recommendation: to continue the project, scrap it, change it, or other possibilities.)
As you can see, these distinctions are rather fine, and they overlap somewhat. In real-world writing, these types often combine; you might see elements of the recommendation report combine with the feasibility report, for example.
Test your knowledge.
H5P: What Type of Report?
Drag the type of report (Feasibility, Evaluation, Recommendation) to the end of the scenario.
- Your office has been using a free trial of a new scheduling software, the trial will end soon. The office manager would like to know if it is worthwhile to purchase this software.
- Your office will be moving to a new location downtown where parking will be an issue for the employees. There is a paid parking lot across the street. Would it be possible for the office to purchase parking permits for each employee?
- The office manager has asked you to investigate options for a new photocopier and report back to her.
Typical Contents of Recommendation and Feasibility Reports
Whatever variety of feasibility or recommendation report you write, whatever name people call it—most of the sections and the organization of those sections are roughly the same.
The structural principle fundamental to this type of report is this: you provide not only your recommendation, choice, or judgment, but also the data, analysis, discussion, and the conclusions leading to it. That way, readers can check your findings, your logic, and your conclusions to make sure your methodology was sound and that they can agree with your recommendation. Your goal is to convince the reader to agree with you by using your careful research, detailed analysis, rhetorical style, and documentation.
The general problem-solving approach for a Recommendation Report entails the steps shown in the example below.
Typical Recommendation Report Elements
| 1. Identify the need | What is the “unsatisfactory situation” that needs to be improved? |
| 2. Identify the criteria for responding to the need |
What is the overall goal? What are the specific, measurable objectives any solution should achieve? What constraints must any solution adhere to? |
| 3. Determine the solution options you will examine |
Define the scope of your approach to the problem. Identify the possible courses of action that you will examine in your report. You might include the consequences of simply doing nothing. |
| 4. Study how well each option meets the criteria |
Systematically study each option, and compare how well they meet each of the objectives you have set. Provide a systematic and quantifiable way to compare how well to solution options meet the objectives (weighted objectives chart). |
| 5. Draw conclusions based on your analysis | Based on the research presented in your discussion section, sum up your findings and give a comparative evaluation of how well each of the options meets the criteria and addresses the need. |
| 6. Formulate recommendations based on your conclusion | Indicate which course of action the reader should take to address the problem, based on your analysis of the data presented in the report. |
These steps generally coincide with how you will organize your information. Your report will be divided into several sections that will likely include most or all of the following elements:
- INTRODUCTION: the introduction should clearly indicate the document’s purpose. Your introduction will discuss the “unsatisfactory situation” that has given rise to this report, and the requirements that must be met (the Problem Definition). Your reader may also need some background. Finally, provide an overview of the contents of the report.
- TECHNICAL BACKGROUND: some recommendation or feasibility reports may require technical discussion in order to make the rest of the report meaningful. The dilemma with this kind of information is whether to put it in a section of its own or to fit it into the comparison sections where it is relevant. For example, a discussion of power and speed of tablet computers is going to necessitate some discussion of RAM, megahertz, and processors. Should you put that in a section that compares the tablets according to power and speed? Should you keep the comparison neat and clean, limited strictly to the comparison and the conclusion? Maybe all the technical background can be pitched in its own section—either toward the front of the report or in an appendix.
- REQUIREMENTS AND CRITERIA: a critical part of feasibility and recommendation reports is the discussion of the requirements (objectives and constraints) you’ll use to reach the final decision or recommendation. Here are some examples:
- If you’re trying to recommend a tablet computer for use by employees, your requirements are likely to involve size, cost, hard-disk storage, display quality, durability, and battery function.
- If you’re looking into the feasibility of providing every student at Austin Community College with an ID on the ACC computer network, you’d need define the basic requirements of such a program—what it would be expected to accomplish, problems that it would have to avoid, and so on.
- If you’re evaluating the recent program of free bus transportation in Austin, you’d need to know what was expected of the program and then compare its actual results to those requirements.
Requirements can be defined in several ways:
Numerical Values: many requirements are stated as maximum or minimum numerical values. For example, there may be a cost requirement—the tablet should cost no more than $900.
Yes/no Values: some requirements are simply a yes-no question. Does the tablet come equipped with Bluetooth? Is the car equipped with voice recognition?
Ratings Values: in some cases, key considerations cannot be handled either with numerical values or yes/no values. For example, your organization might want a tablet that has an ease-of-use rating of at least “good” by some nationally accepted ratings group. Or you may have to assign ratings yourself.
The requirements section should also discuss how important the individual requirements are in relation to each other. Picture the typical situation where no one option is best in all categories of comparison. One option is cheaper; another has more functions; one has better ease-of-use ratings; another is known to be more durable. Set up your requirements so that they dictate a “winner” from situation where there is no obvious winner. A “weighted objectives chart” or “Decision Matrix” is often used in these cases.
4. DISCUSSION OF SOLUTION OPTIONS: In certain kinds of feasibility or recommendation reports, you’ll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones your report focuses on. Often, this follows right after the discussion of the requirements. Your basic requirements may well narrow the field down for you. But there may be other considerations that disqualify other options—explain these as well.
Additionally, you may need to provide brief technical descriptions of the options themselves. Don’t get this mixed up with the comparison that comes up in the next section. In this description section, you provide a general discussion of the options so that readers will know something about them. The discussion at this stage is not comparative. It’s just a general orientation to the options. In the tablets example, you might want to give some brief, general specifications on each model about to be compared.
5. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: one of the most important parts of a feasibility or recommendation report is the comparison of the options. Remember that you include this section so that readers can follow the logic of your analysis and come up with different conclusions if they desire. This comparison can be structured using a “block” (whole-to-whole) approach, or an “alternating” (point-by-point) approach.
| Block Approach | Alternating (Point-by-Point) Approach |
|---|---|
|
All the information about Option 1 |
Compare all Options according to Criteria A (cost) |
|
All the information about Option 2 |
Compare all Options according to Criteria B (functionality) |
|
All the information about Option 3 |
Compare all options according to Criteria C (ease of use) |
|
Direct Comparative Analysis of all three options and Summary of Results |
Summary of Results |
You might compare 3 options (1, 2, and 3) using three criteria for comparison (A, B, and C). If you were comparing tablets, you’d likely use the point-by-point approach, having a section that compared all three options based on cost (criteria A), another section that compared them on battery function, and so on. You wouldn’t have a section that discussed everything about option 1, another that discussed everything about option 2, and so on. That would not be effective or efficient, because you still have to make direct comparisons somewhere near the end of your discussion (such as in a weighted objectives chart).
Each of these comparative sections should end with a conclusion that sums up the relative strengths and weaknesses of each option and indicates which option is the best choice in that particular category of comparison. Of course, it won’t always be easy to state a clear winner—you may have to qualify the conclusions in various ways, providing multiple conclusions for different conditions.
If you were writing an evaluation report, you wouldn’t be comparing options. Instead, you’d be comparing the thing being evaluated against the requirements placed upon it, the expectations people had of it. For example, Capital Metro had a program of more than a year of free bus transportation. What was expected of that program? Did the program meet those expectations?
6. SUMMARY TABLE: after the individual comparisons, include a summary table (such as a Weighted Objectives Chart) that summarizes the conclusions from the comparative analysis section. Some readers are more likely to pay attention to details in a table than in paragraphs; however, you still have to write up a clear summary paragraph of your findings.
7. CONCLUSIONS: the conclusions section of a feasibility or recommendation report amalgamates all of the conclusions you have already reached in each of the comparison sections. In this section, you restate the individual conclusions, for example, which model had the best price, which had the best battery function, and so on. You could give a summary of the relative strengths and weakness of each option based on how well they meet the criteria.
This section has to go further. It must untangle all the conflicting conclusions and somehow reach the final conclusion, which is the one that states which is the best choice. Thus, the conclusion section first lists the primary conclusions—the simple, single-category ones. Then it must state secondary conclusions—the ones that balance conflicting primary conclusions. For example, if one tablet is the least inexpensive but has poor battery function, but another is the most expensive but has good battery function, which do you choose and why? The secondary conclusion would state the answer to this dilemma.
8. RECOMMENDATIONS: the final section of feasibility and recommendation reports states the recommendations which flow directly from your conclusions and directly address the problem outlined in the introduction. These may sometimes be repetitive, but remember that some readers may skip right to the recommendation section. Also, there will be some cases where there may be a best choice but you wouldn’t want to recommend it. Early in their history, laptop computers were heavy and unreliable—there may have been one model that was better than the rest, but even it was not worth having. You may want to recommend further research, a pilot project, or a re-design of one of the options discussed.
The recommendation section should outline what further work needs to be done, based solidly on the information presented previously in the report and responding directly to the needs outlined in the beginning. In some cases, you may need to recommend several ranked options based on different possibilities.
Revision Checklist for Feasibility and Recommendation Reports
As you reread and revise your feasibility or recommendation report, ensure that you have included all of the sections and elements described below. Ensure you open each section and read the key content elements for each document section.
- Introductory Sections
- Indicate the situation and the audience.
- Discuss the background of the problem or opportunity – what brought about the need for the report? Give technical background if necessary.
- State requirements – those factors that influence the decision on the choice of options (objectives and constraints)
- Indicate how the field of options was narrowed to the ones being compared (if relevant).
- Provide an overview of the contents.
- Discussion Sections
- Organize the comparative analysis/discussion of the options using the point-by-point or whole-to-whole approach. Choose the structure that best matches your content and purpose.
- At the end of each comparative section, state the best choice in terms that point of comparison.
- Include a summary table, if possible, in which you summarize all the key data in table form.
- Conclusion
- Restate all the key conclusions from the Discussions section.
- State secondary conclusions, and based them on requirements established at the beginning.
- State a final conclusion (about the overall feasibility of the idea or about the overall strengths and weaknesses of each option compared).
- Recommendations
- Make recommendations for future actions; reiterate how these actions will provide the sought-after benefits outlined in the introduction.
- References
- Fully document any sources used in the report.
- Appendices
- Add any additional information that has been referred to, but not included in the body of the report.
Text Attributions
- This chapter was adapted from David Murrey’s “Recommendation and Feasibility Reports” in Online Technical Writing, which is under a CC BY 4.0 International License.


2 Unit 1: Tramming the Head
Objective
After completing this unit, you should be able to:
- Describe how to tram the mill head.
- Explain how to indicate the vise.
- Explain the use of spring collets.
- Describe the difference between climb vs. conventional milling.
- Explain how to use an edge finder.
- Describe how to set the quick change gearbox correctly.
- Describe how to square the stock.
- Describe face milling.
- Describe advanced workholding.
Tools For Tramming
A dial indicator is a precision tool used to measure minute amounts of deflection between two surfaces.
When tramming, a dial indicator attached to the chuck is used to determine the orientation of the mill head to the mill table. The same wrench used to tighten and loosen the quill can be used to adjust the various bolts on the mill head.
Dial indicator used for tramming the head.
Tramming the Mill Head
Tramming ensures that the mill head is perpendicular to the mill table’s X and Y axis. This process ensures that cutting tools and the milling surfaces are perpendicular to the table. Proper tramming also prevents irregular patterns from forming when milling.
A dial indicator attached to the spindle for precise mill head alignment.
A vertical mill’s head is able to tilt from front to back and side to side. Occasionally these adjustments can drift. The mill head should be checked and adjusted periodically, ensuring that the spindle is perpendicular to the table.
- Remove the vice from the milling table.
- Attach a dial indicator to the spindle and offset the dial six inches from the spindle’s axis. Make sure the indicator probe is facing down.
- Raise the mill table so that when it contacts the indicator, the indicator reads between 0.005 inches to 0.010 inches. This reading is called the preload.
- Position the dial indicator so that it is visible, then set the bezel to zero.
- Hand-turn the spindle while watching the indicator.
- If the reading on the dial indicator stays at zero, the spindle is aligned.
- If the reading is not zero, continue tramming the head as shown below.
Tramming Process for the X-Axis
- To tram around the x-axis (the left-to-right direction of the mill bench when facing the front of the mill), loosen the six bolts (three on each side of the mill) using the mill wrench.
Location of the bolts to be loosened to allow the head to rotate about the X-axis.
- After loosening the bolts, re-tighten them by hand plus a ¼ of a turn using the mill wrench.
- The adjustment bolt that moves the mill head up and down around the x-axis is located at the back of the mill.
Adjustment bolt used to position the mill head vertically around the X-axis.
- Two protractors are used to indicate general alignment. The larger protractor on the mill head has a red indicating arrow that should align with the zero marker on the curved protractor on the body of the mill. This only provides a general guide, the dial indicator reading is required for precise alignment.
- Position the dial indicator to the rear of the table. Zero the dial indicator (preloaded at 0.005″ to 0.010″). Be sure to measure on a pristine surface of the mill table. It may be necessary to shift the table to avoid the gaps that are in the table.
Dial indicating around the mill head X-axis.
- With the dial zeroed and the spindle in neutral, rotate the spindle so that the dial indicator is now on the front of the table, ideally a 180 degree turn. Be sure to grab the clamp that is attached to the spindle (to avoid altering the dial’s vertical configuration).
- Note the direction that the dial rotates to determine the direction that the mill head needs to travel. A clockwise movement requires that the mill head will need to be adjusted up, while a counter-clockwise reading requires that the mill head will need to be adjusted downward.
Mill head adjustment about the X-axis.
- The diagram above shows how movement of the adjustment bolt correlates to movement in the mill head. Once confident in the correct direction the adjustment bolt needs to be turned, adjust the mill head so that ½ the difference between the back and front measurements is reached. For example, if the rear reading is zero and the front reading is 0.010″, adjust the mill head so that the dial reads 0.005″ closer to zero.
- After the first adjustment is complete, again zero the dial indicator. It is recommended to zero off the same position to avoid confusion, however, it is not necessary. Continue the adjustment process until the difference between the front and the rear is no greater than 0.002 inches.
- Once satisfied with the readings, begin re-tightening the bolts that were loosened, tightening them evenly in rotation to prevent change in the alignment. Recheck the measurement between the front and the rear to ensure that the mill head did not move significantly from tightening.
Tramming Process for the Y-Axis
- To begin tramming about the y-axis, there are four bolts on the front of the mill that need to be loosened to allow movement of the mill head. The bolts should be loosened, then re-tightened to just beyond hand-tight (about ¼ turn past hand-tight with the appropriate wrench).
Location of the bolts to be loosened to allow the head to rotate about the Y-axis.
- The adjustment bolt to move the mill head left and right about the y-axis is shown in the figure below. By twisting this bolt clockwise and counter-clockwise the mill head will move accordingly.
Adjustment bolt used to position the mill head around the Y-axis.
- The indicating arrow on the protractors for tramming around the y-axis is located on a standalone plate that is in contact with the vertical protractor. This indicating arrow and the zero on the vertical protractor can be used to estimate a starting point for tramming.
Mill head adjustment about the Y-axis.
- The figure above shows how the adjustment bolt for tramming about the y-axis affects the mill head. Use the same process as described for tramming about the x-axis, however, use locations left and right of the mill head as your reference points in contrast to the front and the rear as done previously.
- Once the adjustments are complete, tighten the bolts on the head of the mill and re-check the measurements about the x-axis and the y-axis. It is possible that the tram in either direction may have been altered by the re-tightening of the bolts. Ensure that all measurements are within 0.002 inches. If the measurements are not within tolerance, the tramming process will have to be redone.
Indicating the Vise
- Most workpieces are held in a vice that is clamped to the table.
- It is important to line the vice up with the feed axes on the machine in order to machine features that are aligned with the stock’s edges.
- Fix the vice on the bed by using T-bolts and secure it snugly, while still allowing adjustment to the vice.
- Install a dial indicator in the machine’s spindle with the probe facing away from the operator.
- Bring the spindle down then position the table’s bed until the fixed jaw on the vice is touching the indicator. Continue until the indicator has registered half of a revolution.
- Set the dial indicator’s bezel to zero.
- Run the indicator across the vice’s face with the cross feed.
- The indicator will stay at zero if the vice is squared.
- If the indicator does not stay at zero, realign the vice by lightly tapping with a soft hammer until the indicator reads half of its previous value.
- Repeat the process until the dial indicator shows zero through a complete travel from one side of the vice to the other.
- Fasten the T-bolts securely, while not changing the orientation of the vice. Recheck the alignment of the vice.
Types of Milling Cutters
An assortment of milling cutters.
- Milling cutters that have solid shafts are usually used in vertical mills.
- Milling cutters that have keyed holes are usually used in horizontal mills.
- End mills are used to cut pockets, keyways, and slots.
- Two fluted end mills can be used to plunge into a workpiece like a drill.
- 2 and 3 flutes are generally for aluminum, 4 flutes is better for stainless steel. More flutes are better cutting, but come at a higher price.
- End mills with more than two flutes should not be plunged into the work.
- Fillets can be produced with ball end mills.
- Multiple features like round edges can be made by formed milling cutters.
Methods of retaining an end mill.
Spring Collets
- If a tool needs to be removed, lock the quill at the highest position.
- Next, loosen the drawbar with a wrench while using the brake.
- Make sure that the threads of the draw bar remain engaged in the collet. If they are not engaged, the cutter will fall and potentially be damaged when the collet is released from the spindle.
- To release the collet from the spindle, tap on the end of the draw bar.
- Finally, unscrew the drawbar off of the collet.
- To install a different cutter, place the cutter in a collet that fits the shank.
- Insert the collet into the spindle while making sure that the keyway aligns properly with the key in the spindle.
- Begin threading the draw bar into the collet while holding the cutter with one hand. Afterwards, use a wrench to tighten the drawbar while engaging the brake.
Climb vs. Conventional Milling
It is important to know the difference between conventional and climb milling. Using the wrong procedure may result in broken cutters and scrapped workpieces.
Conventional Milling
- The workpiece is fed against the rotation of the cutter.
- Conventional milling is usually preferred for roughing cuts.
- Conventional milling requires less force than climb milling.
- Does not require a backlash eliminator and tight table gibs.
- Recommended when machining castings and hot-rolled steel.
- Also recommended when there is a hard surface that has resulted from scale or sand.
Shown above: Conventional Milling
Climb Milling
- The workpiece is fed with the rotation of the cutter.
- This method results in a better finish. Chips are not carried into the workpiece, thus not damaging the finish.
- Fixtures cost less. Climb milling forces the workpiece down, so simple holding devices can be utilized.
- The chip thickness tends to get smaller the closer it is to an edge, so there is a less chance of an edge breaking, especially with brittle materials.
- Increases tool life. The tool life can be increased by up to 50% due to chips piling up behind the tool.
- Chips can be removed easier since the chips fall behind the cutter.
- Reduces the power needed by 20%. This is due to the use a of a higher rake angle cutter.
- Not recommended if the workpiece cannot be held securely or if the machine cannot support high forces.
- Cannot be used to machine castings and hot-rolled steel.
- This method may pull the workpiece into the cutter and away from the holding device, resulting in broken cutters and scrapped workpieces.
Shown above: Climb Milling
Setting Spindle Speed
- Spindle speed changes depending on the geometry of the drive train.
- A hand crank can be used to adjust the spindle speed on newer machines.
- To change the speed, the spindle has to be rotating.
- The speed (in RPM) is shown on the dial indicator.
- There are two scales on the dial indicator for the low and high ranges.
- A lever is used to change the machine’s range.
- Occasionally, slight rotation of the spindle is necessary for the gears to mate correctly.
Using an Edge Finder
- The edges of a workpiece must be located before doing mill work that requires great accuracy. An edge finder helps in finding the edges.
- 800-1200 spindle rpm is recommended.
- To use an edge finder, slightly offset the two halves so they wobble as they spin.
- Slowly move the workpiece towards the edge finder.
- The edge finder will center itself, then suddenly lose concentricity.
- The digital readout tells you the position of the spindle.
- The diameter of the edge finder is 0.200″. So adding or subtracting half of that (0.100″) will be the tool center.
- If centering on the top left, add 0.100″ to the X-axis and subtract 0.100″ from the Y-axis. If centering on the top right, subtract 0.100″ from the X-axis and subtract 0.100″ from the Y-axis.
- Part Reference Zero is when the bit is zeroed on the X and X axes.
- A pointed edge finder is a lot easier, but not as precise. Only use a pointed edge finder if precision is not necessary.
Using the Micrometer Dials
- Most manual feeds on a milling machine have micrometer dial indicators.
- If the length of the feed is known, the dial indicator should be set to that number (thousandths of an inch).
- To free the dial indicator, rotate the locking ring counterclockwise. Set the dial and re-tighten.
- Before setting the dial indicator, ensure that the table-driving mechanism backlash is taken up.
- It is common for newer machines to have digital readouts, which are preferable because they directly measure table position. When using a digital readout, backlash concerns are negated.
Squaring Stock
- When making a square corner, vertically orient a completed edge in the vice and clamp it lightly to the part.
- Place machinist’s square against the completed edge and the base of the vice.
- Align the workpiece with the square by tapping it lightly with a rubber mallet.
- Firmly clamp the vice.
- The top edge of the part is ready to be milled.
Face Milling
- It is frequently necessary to mill a flat surface on a large workpiece. This is done best using a facing cutter.
- A cutter that is about an inch wider than the workpiece should be selected in order to finish the facing in one pass.
Shown above: Face milling
Milling Slots
- Square slots can be cut using end mills.
- In one pass, slots can be created to within two one-thousandths of an inch.
- Use an end mill that is smaller than the desired slot for more accuracy.
- Measure the slot and make a second pass to open the slot to the desired dimension.
- The depth of cut should not exceed the cutter diameter.
Advanced Workholding
- Use a v-block to secure round stock in a vice. It can be used both horizontally and vertically.
- Clamping round stock in a v-block usually damages the stock.
- Collet blocks are made to hold round workpieces.
- To mill features at 90 degree increments, use a square collet block.
- To mill features at 60 degree increments, use a hexagonal block.
- It is easiest to set up stock when the features are perpendicular or parallel to the edges of the workpiece. It is more difficult to set up a workpiece when features are not parallel or perpendicular to the edges. Sometimes, an angle plate can be used to mill stock at any desired angle.
- Parts that don’t fit well in a vise can be directly secured to the table with hold-down clamps.
- Use parallels to create a gap between the work and bed.
- Slightly tilt the clamps down into the work.
- Rotary tables can be put on the bed to make circular features.
- Rotary tables allow rotation of the workpiece.
- Use a dial indicator to precisely control the angle of rotation.
- Use a ball for irregularly shaped workpieces. Make sure to only take a small cuts to avoid throwing the workpiece out of the vice.
UNIT TEST
- What tool is used for tramming the head?
- Explain the process for the X-axis tramming.
- Explain the process for the Y-axis tramming.
- What is the purpose of indicating the vise?
- Name three types of milling cutters.
- Explain how a spring collet works.
- What is the difference between conventional and climb milling?
- Describe briefly how a rotary table may be centered with the vertical mill spindle.
- Describe briefly how to set spindle speed on the milling machine.
- What tool is used for milling large workpiece surfaces?


The Prince
Chapter IV: Why the Kingdom of Darius, Conquered by Alexander, Did Not Rebel Against the Successors of Alexander at His Death
Considering the difficulties which men have had to hold to a newly acquired state, some might wonder how, seeing that Alexander the Great became the master of Asia in a few years, and died whilst it was scarcely settled (whence it might appear reasonable that the whole empire would have rebelled), nevertheless his successors maintained themselves, and had to meet no other difficulty than that which arose among themselves from their own ambitions.
I answer that the principalities of which one has record are found to be governed in two different ways; either by a prince, with a body of servants, who assist him to govern the kingdom as ministers by his favour and permission; or by a prince and barons, who hold that dignity by antiquity of blood and not by the grace of the prince. Such barons have states and their own subjects, who recognize them as lords and hold them in natural affection. Those states that are governed by a prince and his servants hold their prince in more consideration, because in all the country there is no one who is recognized as superior to him, and if they yield obedience to another they do it as to a minister and official, and they do not bear him any particular affection.
The examples of these two governments in our time are the Turk and the King of France. The entire monarchy of the Turk is governed by one lord, the others are his servants; and, dividing his kingdom into sanjaks, he sends there different administrators, and shifts and changes them as he chooses. But the King of France is placed in the midst of an ancient body of lords, acknowledged by their own subjects, and beloved by them; they have their own prerogatives, nor can the king take these away except at his peril. Therefore, he who considers both of these states will recognize great difficulties in seizing the state of the Turk, but, once it is conquered, great ease in holding it. The causes of the difficulties in seizing the kingdom of the Turk are that the usurper cannot be called in by the princes of the kingdom, nor can he hope to be assisted in his designs by the revolt of those whom the lord has around him. This arises from the reasons given above; for his ministers, being all slaves and bondmen, can only be corrupted with great difficulty, and one can expect little advantage from them when they have been corrupted, as they cannot carry the people with them, for the reasons assigned. Hence, he who attacks the Turk must bear in mind that he will find him united, and he will have to rely more on his own strength than on the revolt of others; but, if once the Turk has been conquered, and routed in the field in such a way that he cannot replace his armies, there is nothing to fear but the family of this prince, and, this being exterminated, there remains no one to fear, the others having no credit with the people; and as the conqueror did not rely on them before his victory, so he ought not to fear them after it.
The contrary happens in kingdoms governed like that of France, because one can easily enter there by gaining over some baron of the kingdom, for one always finds malcontents and such as desire a change. Such men, for the reasons given, can open the way into the state and render the victory easy; but if you wish to hold it afterwards, you meet with infinite difficulties, both from those who have assisted you and from those you have crushed. Nor is it enough for you to have exterminated the family of the prince, because the lords that remain make themselves the heads of fresh movements against you, and as you are unable either to satisfy or exterminate them, that state is lost whenever time brings the opportunity.
Now if you will consider what was the nature of the government of Darius, you will find it similar to the kingdom of the Turk, and therefore it was only necessary for Alexander, first to overthrow him in the field, and then to take the country from him. After which victory, Darius being killed, the state remained secure to Alexander, for the above reasons. And if his successors had been united they would have enjoyed it securely and at their ease, for there were no tumults raised in the kingdom except those they provoked themselves.
But it is impossible to hold with such tranquillity states constituted like that of France. Hence arose those frequent rebellions against the Romans in Spain, France, and Greece, owing to the many principalities there were in these states, of which, as long as the memory of them endured, the Romans always held an insecure possession; but with the power and long continuance of the empire the memory of them passed away, and the Romans then became secure possessors. And when fighting afterwards amongst themselves, each one was able to attach to himself his own parts of the country, according to the authority he had assumed there; and the family of the former lord being exterminated, none other than the Romans were acknowledged.
When these things are remembered no one will marvel at the ease with which Alexander held the Empire of Asia, or at the difficulties which others have had to keep an acquisition, such as Pyrrhus and many more; this is not occasioned by the little or abundance of ability in the conqueror, but by the want of uniformity in the subject state.


Moodle
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9. Successful Collaborative Partnerships and Empowering Teachers to Share Their Expertise | Presentation
Julee P. Farley
Successful collaborative partnerships of any type require thought and planning. This section explores aspects of planning, guidance for higher education personnel making a first connection with a school district, and contextual details which may aid in improving communication between higher education and PreK-12 educators.
Learning Objectives
Learners should be able to:
- Articulate general features of collaborative partnerships.
- Determine who their potential partner(s) may be.
- Use tips and strategies for connecting with school districts.
- Implement strategies to achieve impact.
- Identify practice steps to empower teachers and administrators to provide feedback.
Assignment
An Orientation to Building Collaborative Partnerships with Schools
Google Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Kn0WV8dk3FCEXe8UrSaGYPN0l0h9whbvujlEssw1JEA/edit?usp=sharing
PowerPoint Slides: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/112264
Slide Deck Transcript
Collaborative higher education/PreK-12 partnerships require planning and evaluation to be successful. Collaborative partnerships require:
- Joint planning between all parties involved
- Meaningful and measurable outcomes for all parties
- An evaluation plan to determine which outcomes were met
- Opportunities for iteration and improvement
Explicitly state who the audience is for the work. The audience could be all kindergarten students, female students in 6th grade, or students who are graduating high school without employment or college plans. The audience could also be earth science teachers, high school counselors who need recertification, or administrators who want to learn about emotional intelligence. Having a specific audience is best so that you can tailor your project to meet the needs of this group. If you try to make your project applicable to too many groups (for example, designing an activity that both an elementary and high school student would enjoy), you may make your project meaningless to both groups.
Once you know who your audience is, that will help you know who to approach for building a partnership. If your project involves earth science, you may approach the science administrator of your school district to start your partnership. In general, approaching administrators is recommended over approaching specific teachers, because administrators can ensure that outreach is spread equitably throughout the school or district. You may also want to suggest involvement of a school librarian or media specialist as part of the project in addition to a teacher or group of teachers. School librarians may be interested in expanding their knowledge about OER as part of their role in supporting classroom teachers.[3]
Once you know who to approach, you should first investigate any existing partnerships with the school or district. Your goal should not be to become an expert in the school district, but rather to know the current events and have a general familiarity with the school. We discuss how to complete this research at length in the assignment in the next chapter “Before You Approach Your School District.”
Discuss mutual goals and benefits with the school district. Make sure that you are both getting some of your needs met and that the project is aligned with your higher level, long-term goals. This may take more than one conversation.
Make sure to communicate and be honest about what you need from the beginning of your relationship. Make sure to be direct and don’t use jargon that is specific to your field. Your goal is to be clearly understood by someone who is likely outside of your field.
As part of this communication, make sure your timeline is clear and that it works for your partner. You should also present and discuss an evaluation plan, describing how the evaluation will help shape your project (formative evaluation) as well as how you will determine if the goals and outcomes were met (summative evaluation).
When working with schools, make sure that you keep their working timelines in mind. For example, many schools require approval by the school board to participate in grant funded projects. These meetings likely happen once a month, so leave time to ensure that you can get all the approvals you need.
Be very clear in what you are asking for and what you need. If you are not sure, start a conversation with the school about what their needs and resources are.
Be mindful of the return on investment, not just for yourself, but for your partner. What is in it for them? What will they get out of participating in this project? Is the project sustainable in some way?
Above all else, respect your potential partner and remember that they are likely experts in their field. Avoid making assumptions and demands; rather, try to create a partnership of equal value and power. Explore any requirements the school may have in place for working with minors (we provide some training in our slide show: Working with Minors). Treat the school/district you approach as an equal and valuable partner.
In order to achieve impact, you must have a strategy. Just as research is conducted thoughtfully and with specific goals in mind, outreach should also be done thoughtfully and with specific goals.
Make your strategy for achieving impact consistent with the technical project tasks. For example, if you are studying novel research methods in geology, make sure that your outreach can be related to your field of research. This alignment will likely make outreach more interesting and easier for you.
Make sure you know what you will be doing for implementation and evaluation. When doing outreach, always plan your activities at a detailed level. Try to estimate, or ask someone familiar with your audience, how much time each task will take and how difficult it will be for your audience. Make sure your outreach can be done in the time allotted but not so quickly that everyone is sitting around doing nothing. You may allow opportunities for students to explore on their own or have a “back-up” activity in case your first activity takes less time than expected. Ensure your task won’t be too challenging and disheartening for your audience or so easy they lose interest.
For evaluation, how will you evaluate your impact? You should evaluate the impact of your outreach from both your perspective and the perspective of your partner. Ensure that your outcomes were met or determine why they were not met.
Examples of outcomes can include both learning outcomes (e.g., what did the students learn from this experience?) and experiential outcomes (e.g., was this activity fun and enjoyable?) as well as interest and career outcomes (e.g., are students more interested in this field?) among others.
Finally, ensure that your activity is appropriate and relevant to your audience. Make sure that this activity aligns with what students are learning in the classroom or with the professional development goals of the district and teachers.
Email is a great way to introduce yourself and your work, but most teachers, school librarians, and administrators will also want to have a phone call, zoom meeting, or in-person talk to learn more about you and your work. Provide opportunities for talking to create a better partnership and to make sure that you and your partner are on the same page. When possible, try to defer to the needs and wants of the potential partner you are approaching. Is parking on campus difficult? Go to their workplace. Do they find responding to emails too time consuming? Give them a call. Try to be flexible and considerate.
Workday hours in a school district likely differ from the typical nine-to-five. Most of the time that teachers have at school is spent with students; teachers lack flexibility for mid-day meetings and may need to schedule meetings before or after school, rather that during the school day. If a teacher asks you to meet them during their planning period, arrive promptly and leave on time. Allow time for checking in to the school, which will often have some security and sign-in measures.
Teachers and administrators are experts in their field. Remember to respect their expertise and ask for their opinions.
When empowering teachers and administrators to provide feedback, the first step is to convey your respect for their expertise. Tell your partner that you value their knowledge and skills and that you would also value their input and feedback on your work. If needed, remind your partner that feedback is a way to ensure alignment of the project with your goals and needs.
Ask for feedback in a professional manner, remembering your partner’s timelines and needs. Make sure that you don’t ask for feedback at the last minute and that you’ve discussed the way to provide feedback with your partner. We provide a model for this discussion in the Rubric for Teacher/Administrator Review and the Template for Inviting Review Teachers and Administrators.
Self-Test Quiz Questions:
- What are the features of a collaborative partnership?
- How much notice do many school districts need to participate in grant funded outreach?
- True or False: School teachers and administrators often work typical nine-to-five jobs.
- Why might you consider involving a school librarian or media specialist in the project?
- Farley, J. (2022). An Orientation to Building Collaborative Partnerships with Schools. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Kn0WV8dk3FCEXe8UrSaGYPN0l0h9whbvujlEssw1JEA/edit?usp=sharing ↵
- Farley, J. (2022). Ch9_Building_Collaborative_Partnerships_with_Schools.pptx. Making Open Educational Resources with and for PreK12. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/112264 ↵
- ISKME. (2019). School Librarians as OER Curators: A Framework to Guide Practice. https://iskme.libguides.com/SL-OER-Curation ↵