Background

This project started as a curiosity about how brake rotors are actually made and what separates a quality rotor from a cheap one. It turned into a hands-on machining project that required learning the basics of a metal lathe and understanding the tolerances that matter for safe, consistent braking.

The Process

Starting from raw stock, the rotor was turned on a lathe to final diameter and thickness, with careful attention to parallelism and surface finish. The vented hat section was drilled and the mounting face was faced flat. Runout was checked with a dial indicator throughout.

What I Learned

Brake rotors look simple but the tolerances are tighter than most people expect. Thickness variation across the rotor face causes pedal pulsation—even a few thousandths of an inch matters. Getting comfortable with the lathe and understanding how cutting speed, feed rate, and tool geometry interact was the real takeaway from this project.

Next Steps

Photos and measurements from the build will be added here. A future version of this project may involve cross-drilling or slotting the rotor surface for improved heat dissipation.