[Newbie] How To Adjust Tool Height On A Lathe?

you might want to look at other suppliers ie msc.com -- use-enco.com -- mcmaster.com -- granger and others ebay -- shars.com there are many - i would get a larger tool to have a better fit and it will also be more ridged with less vibration. and lots of shims, good luck

Mitch
 
Yeah, but shipping costs are even more ridiculous in Canada, and then there is the complete ripoff of "import charges" by all the couriers [everybody but canadapost/usps]. grainger.com has a canadian division, but the stuff they have is priced significantly higher than their US prices [beyond the exchange rate] while simultaneously having a much poorer selection. same with ebay and amazon in Canada.

I believe the picture is of a 1/2" carbide tipped tool, I might be able to track down some larger ones, but I don't think I need to. I managed to break off the tip [a fairly big chunk, it'll take some time at the grinder to make a new pointy tip] while doing my first attempt at making a thread. But my most recent attempt, with a 3/8" HSS tool bit ground to a 60 degree point worked much better [also switched to a larger, higher quality steel stock, higher spindle speed and made a relief cut to terminate the thread] and the HSS tool bit worked really nicely and held up much better than that first carbide tipped tool or the second one I tried [bought a 3/8" version of that one, a small bit of the tip also broke off that one].
 
My brazed carbide bits come from BB. They cost less than indexable inserts and can be resharpened. Once I realized how much better they cut when ground properly a new bit will see the grinder before it sees the lathe.
 
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The only time the key should be in the chuck is when it's in your hand.

My mini lathe started out with a 4 post and I made it work for a while, too long in retrospect. I finally dropped the money on a QCTP and was angry I didn't do it sooner. It just makes everything so much easier, faster, and much less frustrating. If you can at all afford it, buy a QCTP.
 
And don't be angry that you didn't get the wedge style QCTP. :)
 
I have seen a tool that is a level attached to a 1/4" pin that chucks up or goes into a collet. The level lays atop the tool and then one adjusts the tool to being level. I can't think of the company right now but they are still in business and make other things like this such as a tramming device for mills, etc. The type several folks have made on YouTube may be the best, the Hardinge type. I plan to make one of those when I get home in the Spring.
 
Not to put anybody down but reading this kinda makes me laugh. Hobby machinists sure do like to make mountains out of mole hills.
Things to consider:
1> your tool shank is not precision ground (should be a clue here)
2> center height should be on center or just below(actually just below is the best)
3> in the real world we use flat stock, as in cold rolled steel, makes it easy to adjust
4> you want to see how centered your tool is? pinch your 6" ruler between the tool tip and the bar in the chuck. it will either be straight up and down (on center), leaning back (below center), or leaning towards you (above center).
Easy peasy. Only grooving, cut-off tools get real finicky about being on center.
May all your chips be tan and broken :)
 
dave_r_1 said:
Attached are some pictures of the tool post on my Force International 1440.

From all my reading, both books and on the internet, the height of the cutting edge is pretty critical, it should be pretty much right on the centerline of the lathe.

From what I can tell, there is NO way to adjust the height on this toolpost. I'm considering grinding a shim to put under the tool, but that just gets me in the ballpark and it would be a shim/tool which IMHO would be ridiculous. The blue tool a 1/2" cutter and it is about 1/4" too low.

I understand I can buy a replacement toolpost that has an explicit height adjustment, but given that the height of the cutting tip being critical, to within a fraction of an inch, what is the point of a toolpost like this one? Is it just that this toolpost assumes that I buy only tools that wind up at EXACTLY the right height? Or that it's just shim-city?

I can understand that maybe it would make the lathe a little more expensive to have a large adjustment, like even 1/4", but not that it has NO (at least that I can see) adjustment at all.

How the heck do I adjust the height?

View attachment 122919 View attachment 122920
Click to expand...
I ended up getting a used KDK, but I still have a box of shims that I've collected over the years from those days. They have other uses too.
 
On the subject of tool posts,can issue I am having(hope you guys can help me out here) is it doesn't hold the tool parrelel to the stock. This is very noticeable with cutoff tools. It is a Craftex CT701 from Busy Bee. I'm thinking my only recourse is to A)go to a different tool post, B) a QCTP, or C) re-machine the on it came with. And yes, I am new to lathes and the art of using them......:)
 
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