Getting Started With A Lathe

BrianT

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Hello all, new here, I have craftsman 109 that I have restored and I am well aware of the limitations of these machines. It is mechanically sound, I feel it is close/good tolerances for for this type of machine. My question is what type of material should I use to make some "practice" cuts to further dial this thing in along with my bit grinding skills. I have been using some cold rolled w/ hss bits but I think my end results could be better. I know these are not the best machines and I would upgrade once I find something, but in the meantime its all I got to learn the lathe a bit better, thanks!
 
Personally I'd go to the scrap yard & find some mild steel. Look for cutoffs or something structural to increase your odds of it bring mild steel.
 
Hi Brian , IMO and others haha cr can be hard to get a decent finish on . A friend of mine a while back told me when he cuts cr he likes to bump up the RPM and get underneath it , meaning take a deep cut . Not something we do with our hobby lathes . That's not to say we can't cut cr we just have to be a little more patient . And if you are trying to part off be really careful . When you say you are going to make practice cuts to get the 109 dialed in , what do you mean are you checking for taper ? Any how if you just want to just practice , especially your bit grinding I would stay away from cr . Alum would be my first choice maybe even Delrin or nylon , brass is cool too but really messy , and can really shoot chips to the eyeballs . Howbout' some pics of you newly restored 109 , I love the way they do those little swirls on the head stock .
 
I'll second MIkey's suggestion, 12L14 is wonderful stuff, you can't turn it fast enough to burn HSS in a 109, At least under an inch diameter. Any aluminum is subject to build up on the tip of the tool, causing distress in the uninitiated. Unfortunately, it not 'throw away cheap.'
 
If this is your first go at it maybe try plastic first? As said above 12L14 for a steel selection is a good one. Don’t try hardware store bolts…Dave
 
Thanks for your suggestions guys, I have some hard plastic that I will try and pick up some 12L14. I did consider bolts, so thanks for the warning Dave. I will get some pictures, this 109 is an older version so it doesnt have the "swirls" on the head stock...Thanks, Brian
 
Here are a couple pictures of the 109. I got it cheap and it was in very poor cosmetic condition, but good mechanically. The motor that came with the lathe was a very old 1/3hp Packard that had some issues, so I used a 1/4hp Dayton which is probably a better match. I have the motor mounts on a pipe held down "U" bolts that allow me to change the speeds and belt adjustment. I use a little of the motor weight to keep the belt tight, seems to be ok so far. It came with all the change gears, 4 jaw chuck, and some bits. I was told this lathe was used in an automotive garage for winding armatures. It was a fun project and came out well, someday I hope to find a lathe a bit more substantial.
IMAG0027.jpg IMAG0028 - Edited.jpg
 
So why not use bolts? Other then the heads being hard I think they turn quite nice. I often use bolts for projects. Other then the heads being hard they are also off centered with the shaft.

I also shorten bolts in my lathe. Screw a couple of nuts in loosely. Mount the bolt in so the two nuts line up with the heads & cut to size. I use a file to taper the edge & then a triangle file ran through the threads a few times to clean everything up.
 
the lathe will perform well on but not limited to delrin, nylon, aluminum, steels 12L14, 1018,& 1024
the steels (other than 12L14) may require some polishing to bring to an acceptable finish.
HSS can be employed to cut all of the materials listed, and many more too
good luck, you'll have hundreds of hours of fun!

onlinemetals
on ebay has some relatively inexpensive materials

your local metal recycler often sells materials

a peeled eye often finds machines or cars as foundations of material reclamation
 
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