I am still a newb with machining parts and well I need to know how to remove like say .020" of material off a piece of stock that is .375" thick. Do I touch the bit to the surface and then move it off to the side and then turn it on and start moving the Z-axis dial little by little as I make small passes to remove the material until I get the .020" worth of turning on the dial? What is getting me is the fact that I cannot figure out that if the cutting piece is suppose to touch the part so that you will have a your "zero" reference point to know how much material you removed.
I would also like to know of some textbooks that could help. The ones I have do not take the baby steps for me like "The Home Machinist Handbook" and the "Table Top Machining" which plunge you straight in without taking baby steps. I need the small baby steps since I cannot learn very fast.