Got a nice finish on 303 stainless

[higgite]

My eyeballs don't seem to be good enough to use the scale trick to reliably get the tool on center. I chuck up a piece of scrap round stock and face it. If it leaves a nub, I know the tool isn't on center and adjust it accordingly. Like John, I'm going to make a height gauge when I get a round tuit.

 

[SG51Buss]

I made a height gauge out of scrap, grub screw for adjustability. Once the bit height was correct for that zero-nub face cut, set the height gauge to match the bit. Slight tweaks over time, and keeping track of the overall length with a caliper, got it perfect.

Even though my lathe is a 6", the height gauge currently measures at 2.992".

Go figure...

 

[Holescreek]

No offense intended, I am wary of jogging a machine to a scale on the part, how do you do it?
I don't trust these CNC machines all that much. (-:
I did the rule thing years ago on manual lathes, it works a charm.

It's simple! I don't run a CNC lathe! I don't get offended over machining stuff, working in a shop for any length of time breaks you of that quickly. :allgood:

 

[Karl_T]

No offense intended, I am wary of jogging a machine to a scale on the part, how do you do it?
I don't trust these CNC machines all that much. (-:
I did the rule thing years ago on manual lathes, it works a charm.

I take it your lathe doesn't have an MPG (handwheel for fine jog) A CNC without this really hurts. Almost as bad as a manual machine without a DRO. Look into adding this to your lathe, you won't be sorry.

Karl

 

[Wreck™Wreck]

I take it your lathe doesn't have an MPG (handwheel for fine jog) A CNC without this really hurts. Almost as bad as a manual machine without a DRO. Look into adding this to your lathe, you won't be sorry.

Karl

I can jog 5 tenths at a time, just enough to chip a sharp insert on occasion )-:

 

[Wreck™Wreck]

Speaking of DRO's, the X axis encoder on the manual lathe that I was running today porked the pooch so to speak, my finish OD was 9.5", the Z axis was fine.
I went back to the dial which no one has used in years and it took some work to free up.

 

[Karl_T]

That's a pretty old DRO, Accurite has had membrane keypads for at least 20 years now.

Bet they will still fix it, if you need. Best customer service of any company I know.

 

[Wreck™Wreck]

That's a pretty old DRO, Accurite has had membrane keypads for at least 20 years now.

Bet they will still fix it, if you need. Best customer service of any company I know.

Thankfully it is the short axis, the Z scale is 100+ inches long on this machine.
It is a Trens lathe made in Eastern Europe, the dials are radius rather then diameter, that will bite me in the butt at some point I'm sure since I move between machines often.