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

[Series9]

I'd have kept the sharp edges....

In the same way as those dog collars that gives the dog a small electric shock so it knows when its done wrong.... :-)

What? That's it?

You're not going to chastise me for major lathe safety violations?

You know: "kindergarten with a loaded gun"...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)

[Darren C]

You just know I wouldn't be able to resist a photo like that... ;-)

Wrong on so many levels....

[Series9]

You just know I wouldn't be able to resist a photo like that... ;-)

Wrong on so many levels....

There you go. Now I feel better.....oh, that's probably because I fixed my ring.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Darren C]

"Turning" to the dark side you are… (see what I did there) ;-)

Travelling through a hypermill lathe ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a starter tool set or bounce too close to the chuck, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?

Much to learn you still have…my old padawan. … This is just the beginning!

Use the Course…............A lathe course.

[Series9]

Use the Course…............A lathe course.

There is no course. The closest one I can find is in Houston (Dagobah System), and that's like you flying to Berlin to go to class.

I'm desperately needed elsewhere, so I have to do it on my own, just like Luke.

Who says the British don't have a sense of humor? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Well...me, mostly.

[Series9]

"Darkside Turning" is now the name of S9's machine shop department.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)




Who wants a T-shirt?

[nathansnathan]

I remember this time they had me turning these pistons - J&E pistons is right accross te street from HUntington Beach Machining where I worked. The boss man set up the 1st one as we were using the toolroom lathe for whatever reason, had a 3 jaw universal chuck instead of a collet setup. He does the math, and I'm like, "are you sure?" People like to run aluminum really fast and take these big cuts... apparently these were some special alloy. First one I try to run, BAM! tear a jaw right off the chuck, the piston blank hitting the guard, the lathe jumped off the ground. You learn certain things with an experience like that - keep your hand on the emergency shut off, don't mess around with how you chuck stuff up. Chucking the taper of another chuck is retarded (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[Darren C]

“Darkside Turning” good name!

I’ll have the first T shirt ;-)

Will it have your face on it, like when Vader takes his helmet off to show your lathe scars?

As for British “sense of humor”, I think you’ll find its spelt “Humour”, we invented the language..

That's what you call….”The Empire (British Empire) Strikes Back” :-) :-) :-)

[Series9]

“Darkside Turning” good name!

I’ll have the first T shirt ;-)

Will it have your face on it, like when Vader takes his helmet off to show your lathe scars?

As for British “sense of humor”, I think you’ll find its spelt “Humour”, we invented the language..

That's what you call….”The Empire (British Empire) Strikes Back” :-) :-) :-)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

Darren, you and I are now officially friends.

[Series9]

Chucking the taper of another chuck is retarded (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

But I needed a small chuck and there's no other way to mount it. And, it's only retarded to you because you have followed the instruction of an old machinist from when you were trained.

I don't have anyone to tell me no, so I have to use my own logic and common sense. Placing that small chuck in the lathe makes perfect sense to me. How is it different than chucking any other piece of metal?


If there's a defense, the small chuck's shaft is not tapered. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Only the end close to the chuck had a taper. I was able to set it up so it rotated with a .002" runout.

It might be a silly thing to do, but give me a real reason it's dangerous.

"Because I said so" and "Because it isn't done that way" are not acceptable answers.

[Darren C]

Darren, you and I are now officially friends.

Ditto !

[nathansnathan]

Somehow it looked like the 1st chuck was clamping on a taper and you were using a live center in the tailstock to hold it concentric. -I see now that's not the case. If it was, well yeah that would be really unsafe.

3 and 4 jaw chucks aren't nearly as secure as a true collet system, 3 jaw especially - and to run 2 doubles the risk. I've pulled some plastic parts right out of a 3 jaw, like deforming the part. No gaurds on these old school lathes, one becomes wary. You need to develop a healthy respect for the lathe whatever size. Here's the Bridgeport EZ path I crashed. It was never the same after that. I can say, "picture it leaping off the ground" but there's no substitute for actually crashing a lathe to instill the fear that is required to run one with the proper mindset.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/img.machinio.com-11782-1456260002.1.jpeg)

[Series9]

keep your hand on the emergency shut off,

I never keep my hand on that switch. To do so would mean that my head is in line with the chuck.

Yeah, I'm not doing that. If something flings off, it might make a hole in the wall, but my head will not be a target.

They should put the switch at the tailstock end...

[Series9]

Somehow it looked like the 1st chuck was clamping on a taper and you were using a live center in the tailstock to hold it concentric. -I see now that's not the case. If it was, well yeah that would be really unsafe.

3 and 4 jaw chucks aren't nearly as secure as a true collet system, 3 jaw especially - and to run 2 doubles the risk. I've pulled some plastic parts right out of a 3 jaw, like deforming the part. No gaurds on these old school lathes, one becomes wary. You need to develop a healthy respect for the lathe whatever size. Here's the Bridgeport EZ path I crashed. It was never the same after that. I can say, "picture it leaping off the ground" but there's no substitute for actually crashing a lathe to instill the fear that is required to run one with the proper mindset.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/img.machinio.com-11782-1456260002.1.jpeg)

It's a wedding ring. I was using the live center to push it up against the (assumed) square jaws of the small chuck in order to create enough friction for the ring to continue spinning when I started cutting.

And, WOW, you saw that lathe hop around?!!

I hope to never see that.

[nathansnathan]

It's a wedding ring. I was using the live center to push it up against the (assumed) square jaws of the small chuck in order to create enough friction for the ring to continue spinning when I started cutting.

And, WOW, you saw that lathe hop around?!!

I hope to never see that.

Boss man used to say, "Things go south real quick". Words to live by as a machinist. I wouldn't chuck anything like that ever again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) You're lucky it didn't get mangled, seriously. It's kind of hard to turn something like that without a collet system, but i'd chuck it in the lathe and use a stop to make it sit flat against the chuck. A dial test indicator, like I said before, is handy to check that it's actually running true. 3 jaw is finicky though, too much feed, you mangle the part. I haven't turned much Titanium, seems tough.

Lathe hopped once. It hadn't hit the ground before I hit the cutoff switch - I guess that's another better thing about a cnc lathe, when you do the hard cuts nothing else to do but cover the switch.

I remember turning some sensors from big ass stainless hex stock. Was running like 5 lathes, but when this one got to that operation, I'd cover the cutoff through the whole operation - ridiculous cost when things do go south, taking out inserts, tool holders, chuck jaws, stuff gives you nightmares. In production, you watch your offsets, if they start moving, can be a false edge, things can go wrong real quick, check your tool for burn. With 1 time setups, every cut is one to be wary of.

[Series9]

I wouldn't chuck anything like that ever again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I wish I could tell you that will never happen again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) And, the ring wasn't chucked. It was "friction confined" (my new proprietary term).

[Series9]

Darkside Turning's first T-shirts will be called the 10-finger edition. I will put an impression of my hands on each sleeve.

Don't be left holding the bag when the 9-finger edition comes out. Get yours now.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


If you pre-order your 9-finger shirt, I guarantee the first three will be stained with my actual blood. I'm sure they will sell well in the UK.

[Series9]

“Darkside Turning” good name!

I’ll have the first T shirt ;-)

Will it have your face on it, like when Vader takes his helmet off to show your lathe scars?

As for British “sense of humor”, I think you’ll find its spelt “Humour”, we invented the language..

That's what you call….”The Empire (British Empire) Strikes Back” :-) :-) :-)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

Darren, you and I are now officially friends.

Here you go:

[veekry9]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif)

[veekry9]

You're a ginger too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
What a fluke,no relation to Sith,I'm guessing.
Looks like that fla sun is a little harsh on that northern complexion.
That was too easy,a kind of rip,lacking originality.
How bout Serious9 Turning,a subsidiary of Series9.
That way serious people will flock to your door rather than to the flimflam flybynight con artist shop,down the street.

Find an old retired machinist to teach you how to first-
1. grind cutter edges
2. set up a cutter in the toolpost at correct height and angles. . that's a 4 way toolpost and requires shimming cutters to correct height
3. show you the correct chuck rpm speed and correct cutter feed speed. The tendency is to turn too fast.
4. after all those, start on PVC or wood. . .
5 remember no matter how fast you think your reactions, hands and fingers are,
the chuck is always faster and a lot stronger.

It's not rocket science but it's easy to hurt yourself badly. . You might want to start
by positioning the machine and leveling the bed. Then make sure the headstock is parallel and perpendicular to the bed and center of tailstock. Determine the off center runout of the chuck. .Those Chinese chucks are usually spec'ed at .003 off center as the normal limit when new . If not set up properly, no matter what you do, your finished project will have taper and be out of square and off center.

Some good experienced advice,then,'secure' the machine to the floor.
An unbalanced load may tip the machine over.
A mod we did with the Hardinge toolroom turret lathes was 'pan' them.
A sheetmetal steel pan braked and welded watertight,large enough for the machine's footprint,3-4" dp.
The pan should not intrude into the operators footspace,the pan's floor sloped to the back,the rear of the pan's lip sloped.
A giant pool of swarf and sour coolant on the floor is thus avoided.
When he says level and square,he means dead level perfect,not merely carpenter.
Sit it down on 3 points,2 at the headstock end,to minimize twist.
Shim to interference all around for good stability and drill for anchors into the concrete.
You'll need an accurate level in your toolbox eventually,for serious work.

http://www.penntoolco.com/mitutoyo-digital...o-360-pro-3600/
950-318 Mitutoyo Pro 3600 Digital Protractor Level $385.00

A laser level can get it close,a laser transit will do better.
http://www.exactmachineservice.com/cnc-laser-alignment/
They may know someone in fla.
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