I was given a Metal Lathe., Help me choose projects. Options

[Mark Henry]

I agree with all of the above, start small projects that at not important till you get the feel for it. Lots of on-line resources, it's a bigger learning curve than you think.
Don't forget the damn key in the chuck (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[thieuster]

I agree with all of the above: especially those about safety. Make sure that you wear proper clothing when operating this machine. Loose clothing can be deadly (around your neck) when picked up by the machine. Same goes for long hair, a necklace etc.

A good medium to start with is Teflon/Teflon. Get yourself a few chunks of that stuff and start with that. Teflon is quite soft so it will not affect your cutters too much.

One of the first things I did on a lathe was a knob for my Triumph's gear lever. First a specimen made from teflon, the second one from a alloy billet.

Menno

[barefoot]

Get some Delrin or brass and make some of the rear trunk rollers for the torsion bars.

[bulitt]

And watch those carbide bits. When they shatter they are like shrapnel- Safety glasses at all times! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

Hey Joe! How bout a present or Christmas ornament for the new beh-beh? Congrats BTW Dad!

[cary]

Nice .............. Beautiful Machine
I bought a 1930's belt driven version to check for out of round and cleaning up burrs. Not a clue on how to use it.

[timothy_nd28]

Chrome bezel gauge rings would be cool.

[Series9]

Wow!

Thanks for all the responses.

I'll try to post updates as I figure this thing out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[r_towle]

Make something square....

[veekry9]

A test trinket,tolerances of +/-.003" ,in various alloys.
The nicest one I've seen was on the desk of the pres's office in chromolly,heatreated and ground,+/-0.0005".
Another was in hardened 52100,32 rms,CBN tooling,beautiful homogeneous finish.

[Mueller]

Turners Cube made on a lathe.


http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCTurnersCube.html

[Series9]

Turners Cube made on a lathe.


http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCTurnersCube.html

I read all of that. Pretty cool stuff and certainly good training.

Without the use of a mill, chucking up a square piece in a 3-jaw chuck looks like a challenge.

[Mueller]

Turners Cube made on a lathe.


http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCTurnersCube.html

I read all of that. Pretty cool stuff and certainly good training.

Without the use of a mill, chucking up a square piece in a 3-jaw chuck looks like a challenge.

Invest in a 4 jaw chuck, each jaw is independent so you can dial it within .0005" if you have the tools and patience.

[Series9]

Let's start with the basics.

What's the turning speed for various metals and other media?

How do I set the correct tool height?

[mbseto]

Get a copy of Machinery's Handbook. It's the standard text for speeds and feeds and looks impressive on your bookshelf. If you have a half-price bookstore nearby, they often have a copy.

[ChrisFoley]

Let's start with the basics.

What's the turning speed for various metals and other media?

How do I set the correct tool height?

Speed is dependent on diameter in addition to material. Surface feet per minute (at the tool) is the basis for selecting the correct rpm.
Generally, Aluminum under 1 1/2 inches can be spun at 1000 rpm or faster in most cases. Steel should be below 500 rpm for anything over 3/4 inch.
Carbide tools accept higher rpm than Cobalt steel. Cobalt tools can be run a little faster than High Speed Steel. Ie., they will operate at higher temperatures without ruining the tool.
Rule of thumb with steels, if the chips turn straw or amber color your at the max rpm. If they turn blue, slow the rpm down.
If a high speed steel tool turns color you are going too fast and ruining the cutting edge quickly.

Use a feed rate that gives a good surface appearance without taking too long to reach the other end. That will usually be around .005" per revolution, plus or minus, depending on the specific cut.
Depending on the equipment and the specific tool shape, you can run at cutting depths of .010" to .050". Deeper cuts will lose some accuracy, so best to leave a small cut for the last passes.
The crossfeed dial measures change in diameter, so turn the dial in 50 for a cutting depth of .025".

To lubricate aluminum, add 50% kerosene to your cutting oil.
You want some smoking of your cutting fluid to occur.
That usually indicates a good temperature for cutting.

The tool needs to be very close to the centerline, or just slightly above (< .060") in many cases.

[Mueller]

Let's start with the basics.

What's the turning speed for various metals and other media?

How do I set the correct tool height?

http://blog.cnccookbook.com/2015/02/10/tur...peeds-g-wizard/

^I'm a fan of the GWizard above, I use it for my CNC mill once in a while.

Nothing wrong with the Machinist Handbook as well, but sometimes it is nice to just punch in numbers and get a result to start off with.

I'd learn with the standard dials, but if you really want to get jobs done quicker and with a little bit less chance of messing up I'd recommend a DRO (digital read out)

http://www.dropros.com/
and
http://www.acu-rite.com/index.html


We have been using the Acu-Rites with good results when the shops don't want the extra expensive of the normally used Magnescale DRO units.

[Series9]

Thanks, Chris and Mike.

[ConeDodger]

Turners Cube made on a lathe.


http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCTurnersCube.html

I read all of that. Pretty cool stuff and certainly good training.

Without the use of a mill, chucking up a square piece in a 3-jaw chuck looks like a challenge.

Invest in a 4 jaw chuck, each jaw is independent so you can dial it within .0005" if you have the tools and patience.

Mike,
He should make 5 lug conversion hats for front rotors... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[toolguy]

You can make anything you put your mind to. . .
My Chevy V8, most from scratch.
Crank took 2 weeks, cam 1 week. . both from solid round stock . the
roller rockers were the hardest because I needed 16 identical. .