# Tool Geometries For Lathe & Mill Explained - Great Video Tutorial



## Rich V (Apr 22, 2016)

This is a very clear and informative video on tool geometries used for lathes and mills. Focus is on indexable tooling but the principles also apply to HSS tooling.


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## RegisG (Apr 22, 2016)

Outstanding, even for us smaller machine guys.  Reading chips at about 13-15 minute area has really helped my understanding of cutters.

Thank you,
Regis


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## Bob Korves (Apr 22, 2016)

Good, informative video.  Unfortunately, it can also give a novice viewer the idea that you need a PHD in cutter design and racks with thousands of tooling and insert choices.  Bear in mind that all those choices are there to optimize manufacturing machining, and have little place in the home shop beyond understanding their principles to help get the best out of what you have.  For us, if we need a special shape of tool, we can grind it from HSS.  We can also standardize on one or a few insert and holders sizes and shapes that are versatile for our needs.  There is a mountain of things to learn about all this, but the basics can help us choose wisely for our home shops.  We can even use the tooling that has been superseded in industry, and is now available used and cheap.  Just be very careful not to get tooling that requires too much power or rigidity for our smaller machines.  A 8" negative rake face mill is not a good choice for a bench top mill, and a 1" shank insertable holder is going to be difficult to fit and power on your 9" lathe.  Do some study before buying your tooling and make sure you understand what it is you are buying and how it will work for your needs.  Also make sure you can still get useful inserts for any tooling you are contemplating.  Some are very expensive or obsolete.


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## LucknowKen (Apr 24, 2016)

Great video Thanx. Found this yesterday but when i went to re-watch it i could not remember the title.


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## Tozguy (Apr 24, 2016)

Bob Korves said:


> Good, informative video.  Unfortunately, it can also give a novice viewer the idea that you need a PHD in cutter design and racks with thousands of tooling and insert choices.  Bear in mind that all those choices are there to optimize manufacturing machining, and have little place in the home shop beyond understanding their principles to help get the best out of what you have.  For us, if we need a special shape of tool, we can grind it from HSS.  We can also standardize on one or a few insert and holders sizes and shapes that are versatile for our needs.



Just to add that inserts can be ground too. I have been able to reclaim some chipped inserts by grinding to a different shape.


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## Doubleeboy (Apr 24, 2016)

This post should be required watching for anyone starting out.  Maybe the Mods could make this a sticky


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## malmac (Oct 21, 2016)

I am just such a new person to machining and the video is terrific - the inclusion of diagrams articulate the exact meaning of terms that are often heard but rarely fully appreciated by my good self.
My current dilemma is working out what inserts and tool holders to purchase because my new lathe (which will arrive soon) uses 25mm tool holders - so all new tooling is in the firing line -
but which tool holders?
Which tips?
Which brand?
Can I get tool holders which will allow me to experiment with more than one TC tip design, in terms of chip breaking design, roughing Vs finishing and the list of questions roll on.

There is much to learn and sorting out a priority for what comes before what is also quite a task. It is needlessly expensive to just buy tooling on a whim and then find it is rarely if ever used.
So getting to terms with this is taking quite a bit of my time at present.

Thanks for sharing.

Mal


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## Wreck™Wreck (Oct 21, 2016)

Do you mean 25 MM square shank tools or fixed diameter round tools? Please explain.

Most manufacturers of insert tooling have inserts for specific materials/cutting conditions and applications, roughing or finishing, OD/ID grooving, face grooving, internal undercutting, threading, parting, boring, profiling and form turning.

 A lathe that will hold 25MM tools is a large machine for a hobbyist, I often run a 600MM/850MM through the gap swing X  2540MM between centers lathe, the tool post will hold a maximum 31MM tool. One may always use a smaller shank tool with appropriate bushings or spacers or mill the shank of a larger tool.





Good Luck


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## malmac (Oct 21, 2016)

yes I mean 25mmx25mm shank tooling.

The lathe I have ordered is only 625mm between centres - smaller to fit in my workshop than a longer bed.

I understand the swing (in the gap) on the new lathe will be around 23 inches/ 585mm - so fairly large for a hobby machinist.
Swing over the bed 400mm and over the cross slide 246mm - but at present these are quoted figures not measured - so we will see.

I hear what you are saying about the different tips and tools available - yes.
However sorting through the options when you consider brands and tool holder shapes and sizes are just over whelming to start with.

For instance with brands - Walter (one supplier I could use) or maybe Kyocera or Seco or something else????
Then if we take just straight turning and facing as a pair.
What is a good tool holder (which would need to come in right and left variations) that is well enough optioned to that I could fit a range of TC inserts
for roughing (stainless, mild steel, cast iron and aluminium)?
Then I would want tips for finishing the above materials as well. Admittedly I could grind tools for aluminium but the others I feel I get more consistent results from carbide tips.
So the holder might be a 85 degree diamond so I can turn and face in the one quick change tool.
But maybe that is not the best starting point. I do accept quite readily that there are many tooling options and no tool will do everything - BUT what to start with as a good compromise.
I am probably more inclined to look at flexibility of a tool rather than a one tool, one job approach - most of my tasks are one offs so there is a lot of head scratching to work out a way of using what I have to get to what I want to do.

So that just deals with straight turning and facing - there is boring and parting just to mention two obvious others.

I downloaded some of the links you have posted and it re-enforces just how little I know. Thank you.

Mal


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## Tony Wells (Oct 21, 2016)

The majority of my turning is done with a 80° diamond insert, a CNMG-43x. If you get the holder with a negative 5°lead, you can use it for turning and facing without changing anything. Inserts are available in a wide variety of grades and coatings and are relatively inexpensive. For roughing, a larger nose radius is generally more desirable than for finishing, so a -432 I use for roughing and a -431 for finishing. If I have a profile that will not allow the use of that 80° insert, I stay with a diamond, but use a 55° diamond, a DNMG-432 or 1, depending on roughing or finishing.

I'd go with one of the majors like Sandvik or Kennametal on the holder. Parts do wear out, and the bigger companies will support their product a long time. On a common insert like those I described, you can choose from any number of manufacturers. And shop for deals.

For boring, I still stick with a 80° diamond when possible. Larger bars can use the same inserts as the OD holders many times. The changes in rake, etc are in the pocket and or the seat that comes with the bar. Smaller bars are available that hold a diamond insert also, just not the very common 432.

Parting and grooving are a different family group, and I have my personal preferences, but I'll let someone else chime in on those.


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## malmac (Oct 22, 2016)

Tony

Thank you for the specific recommendations. Sometimes it is hard to get a recommendation and a reason why explanation.

So if I can interpret the code - CNMG
C = 80 degree diamond shape and D = 55 degree diamond
N = 0 clearance angle (what is the benefit of zero relief angle? Is this related to the chip breaker being on both sides?)
M = tolerance of production specs - (is this a very common, therefore read more cost effective standard to accept?)
G = Hole in tip and a chip breaker on either side - so you can turn it upside down?
43 = so the 4 relates to the inscribed circle size for a diamond shaped tip of 12mm? and the 3 describes thickness (4.76mm for ANSI code or 3.18mm if the code is an ISO code).
x = the variable which defines the radius of the nose of the tip???? So a number smaller than 2 means a radius of less than 1mm and numbers larger than 2 a radius larger than 1mm

So a tool designed to hold a C shaped tip is only ever able to hold a 80 degree diamond shaped tip - no exceptions?????

So one of the things I don't get yet is clearance angle. I see that they seem to range from 0 degrees to 30 degrees. What determines which one you choose?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.


Mal


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## Tony Wells (Oct 22, 2016)

In a nutshell, you got it. The other angles are built into the holder, for the most part. The insert, if you look closely, can be had with a totally flat top and bottom. No chipbreaker, no nothing. Limited use. There can be and for most materials should be a chipbreaker molded or pressed into the top. These 80° inserts provide 4 cutting edges, also. If you wanted to use the 100° "corner" there are toolholders as well as face mills that will use those. Of course, being over 90°, you cannot face/turn or mill to a square shoulder, but they have their uses, definitely. The clearance angle you refer to is basically the "tilt" of the insert in the holder. This is done two ways. One is simply the angle the insert pocket is machined in the holder. The other is the choice of seat that is under the insert. Not all holders use seats, but some do. You do have to consider the clearance angle of the holder when choosing the insert, because the rake angle can be changed (for better or worse) by that seat angle. My choice is a neutral seat and a slight negative holder. If then, I really need a positive rake, I can get that on the insert. I don't think I have ever needed to, however.

Yes, a holder for a C profile will only work with that style, and whatever size it is made for. Since you said you could hold a 25mm holder, I recommended a common insert seen in that size. IMO, for OD work you won't need anything smaller, since you can get small corner radii, and even though you can get a larger insert, there's little point unless you plan on doing a lot of roughing and even though you have a healthy sized machine, you would never get the max performance from anything larger.


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## uncle harry (Oct 22, 2016)

Bob Korves said:


> Good, informative video.  Unfortunately, it can also give a novice viewer the idea that you need a PHD in cutter design and racks with thousands of tooling and insert choices.  Bear in mind that all those choices are there to optimize manufacturing machining, and have little place in the home shop beyond understanding their principles to help get the best out of what you have.  For us, if we need a special shape of tool, we can grind it from HSS.  We can also standardize on one or a few insert and holders sizes and shapes that are versatile for our needs.  There is a mountain of things to learn about all this, but the basics can help us choose wisely for our home shops.  We can even use the tooling that has been superseded in industry, and is now available used and cheap.  Just be very careful not to get tooling that requires too much power or rigidity for our smaller machines.  A 8" negative rake face mill is not a good choice for a bench top mill, and a 1" shank insertable holder is going to be difficult to fit and power on your 9" lathe.  Do some study before buying your tooling and make sure you understand what it is you are buying and how it will work for your needs.  Also make sure you can still get useful inserts for any tooling you are contemplating.  Some are very expensive or obsolete.



A clear and concise response to the video with respect to hobby machinists.  The effects of rake angles and power requirements can be  helpful as well as nose radius. 
Thanks Bob.


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## malmac (Oct 22, 2016)

Thank you Tony - As much as I would like to avoid duplication in my tooling and would prefer versatile tooling which gives me options I don't even know at the moment I will want later - I can see I will just have to jump in the deep end and splash around - that means I keep learning and will inevitably end up finding out later I could have made more efficient decisions if I had known more.

and this is just the lathe - the milling machine is another beast all together.

I have made up a sheet in Excel for inserts and another for boring bar tools which explain all the language - that is helping me get an overview of the system
It will work out OK


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## malmac (Oct 22, 2016)

The video is good at explaining the basic meanings of the inserts and tool design parameters. The diagrams are especially informative.
What I have yet to find is an informative commentary on which tools to choose and why they are a good choice. We probably don't need a thousand tools - fine.

However should I choose a triangular shaped insert or a 80 degree diamond insert (and tooling to suit) as my general go to combination?
Do I need both and if so which one is the best to start out with?

When and why should I choose a negative rake or one of the other options in the positive rake options. I got advice from one tool supplier to go with a negative rake in a toolholder which is also negative rake.
Is this because, if I am listening right, a negative rake is more robust than a positive rake (stronger tip geometry) and therefore more forgiving - or am I missing something?
I am a sort of a "middle of the road sort of guy" - so I guess I would have chosen a 5 to 7 degree positive rake - not negative but not aggressive like 30 degrees - what would be the downside of such a decision?

And the questions are endless and suppliers just don't have the time to put up with my questions.

So advice on a good source of commentary on the whys and why nots of tool selection would be appreciated.


Regards


Mal


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## Bob Korves (Oct 22, 2016)

A lot of the choices made by pros are so they can get a good finish along with good chip generation.  They look for tight curled chips that break into very short shards, and then fall into the chip pan instead of their hair, shirt, or face.  If you have to stand in front of a machine all day, every working day, then those factors become more and more important.  There are lots of tools that will remove metal satisfactorily, but many are not pleasant to use on specific jobs for various reasons.  Chip generation is only one factor.  Getting into tight places is another, keeping heat out of the work is another, insert life is another yet, etc., etc.  There are lots of factors, and it takes experience to even learn about the issues, much less all the ideal solutions for myriad situations.  Make friends with a good job shop machinist with tons of experience in a wide range of work, and buy him his favorite beverage on a regular basis while you talk...


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## malmac (Oct 23, 2016)

Bob, I think you have made a very good point/points. I know a few folk who may qualify, but they don't want to talk work (even with plenty of Beveridge) - I will have to keep looking and hanging out with Uncle Google while I wait.


Mal


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## Tozguy (Oct 23, 2016)

Mal,

The triangular inserts seemed to be the place to start for me. After studying up on cutting tools I concluded that my best strategy was to investigate what was needed for a specific job. 
Eventually you get tooled up for the jobs that you actually do. 

It was also easier to get free advice on a particular problem or job than to get a dissertation on the virtues of different tools designs.

As Bob mentioned there is a myriad of considerations and even a seasoned job shop operator might need to consult with a tool supplier on occasion.

It became clear to me that buying tools is an on going thing and like with everything else it takes a bit of experience of our own to see what we need more clearly. 

This place provided some useful knowledge: http://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-gb/pages/default.aspx

It was also interesting to spot what tools were being used in instructional videos (the professional ones). For example:  http://www.thatlazymachinist.com/my-shop-videos.html


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## malmac (Oct 23, 2016)

Nice to hear from Canada, thanks for your comment.

I keep hearing the long timers bashing on (no disrespect intended) about HSS and sharpening your own tools. While I have done a very small amount of HSS tools ground by my own fair hands, I will admit the knowledge that went into the process was miniscule - I have always used it as a last resort to build specific form tools and always for aluminium, plastics and brass, not steel or stainless.

So today I am heading off to my local tool supplier and I am going to grab some HSS and get my old head into low gear and start learning to grind, measure and test some cutting angles - so I can better understand what works and why.

That does not mean I will abandon inserts and holders - however I am going to enter into that Aladdin's cave of jewels with a more circumspect eye and a credit card limit set.

Now I will just pop over and check out those links you supplied - lots to learn, better get on with it.

Cheers from Downunder

Mal


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## talvare (Oct 24, 2016)

malmac said:


> Nice to hear from Canada, thanks for your comment.
> 
> I keep hearing the long timers bashing on (no disrespect intended) about HSS and sharpening your own tools. While I have done a very small amount of HSS tools ground by my own fair hands, I will admit the knowledge that went into the process was miniscule - I have always used it as a last resort to build specific form tools and always for aluminium, plastics and brass, not steel or stainless.
> 
> ...



Mal,

Like you, I am definitely an amateur hobbyist, so I am in a continuous learning mode. I've gone through the same dilemma as you are with selecting appropriate carbide insert tooling. After about five years of off-and-on experience, I'm not sure I would even go with insert tooling if I were starting over again, with the one exception being threading. In my experience I have found that the carbide works well when using high rates of speed and feed. I typically have a difficult time getting a nice finish with carbide and always seem to revert back to HSS for a nice finish. I was just doing a little project yesterday machining some 4130 and used carbide for the roughing operations and then went to HSS to finish. I think for hobby machining, HSS will perform well at a much lower cost. You may want to work with HSS for a while before you decide whether to invest in the carbide insert tooling. Just my opinion and it's probably worth exactly what you paid for it.

Ted


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## malmac (Oct 24, 2016)

Hi Ted

Thanks for your comments. When I got my first lathe, a smallish one (38mm spindle) - I did little homework, I just thought I could turn up some spacers and bushes and aligning tools for working on my old bikes.
The lathe had 12mm tooling, so not too expensive and I just drifted into insert tooling. So I made stuff and had a lot of fun with the machine - it did so much work I had to replace several bearings which had worn out (all be it, they were probably cheap Chinese bearings) - but eventually I got frustrated with a machine that had no threading dial, had manual change gears - so power feeding largely got ignored - and other things.

So now I am starting again with a new lathe (arriving soon I am told - we will see) -
I ducked over to my local supplier and picked up some HSS (8% cobalt) blanks and I have a small engineers protractor for the angles.

Now for some rough grinding while I wait for my replacement white stone grinding wheel. This time around I will put my nose to the metaphorical grindstone and be a lot more particular about, ground angles on the tooling, feed rates and of course the final arbitrator - chip formation, surface finish and accuracy.

Cheers


Mal


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## Tony Wells (Oct 24, 2016)

One thing to keep in mind, Mal, is that _most_ reference works that show and tell about how to grind HSS are pretty dated. That simply means that the machinery they used when those were written was old, heavy, and slow. And steels were a pretty narrow chemistry and heat treatment. Which boils down to this: What they do show and tell may or may not give you the optimum results. It's a combination of equipment and material that will dictate how the tool really must be ground. Just use those guides for what they are, guides. With the materials you may run across in a scrapyard, for instance, you may or may not know exactly what it is, nor how it will cut on your particular machine. Especially since you are also breaking in a new machine, you will have to learn it as well. No doubt you will have adjustments to make on the machine; expect to adjust your grinding techniques as you go along. Don't be afraid to try something a little different. Might be wrong, might be right....but you will have learned something if you are paying attention.


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## malmac (Oct 24, 2016)

Thanks Tony

What a great position to be in at the bottom of the mountain - any thing I learn will be up. I will certainly experiment - however I acknowledge that millions of hours of practical machining have helped to develop the guides, so I guess I will start there and then tweak based on the results I get. My wife has taunted me saying, "you won't be game to use the new lathe" - that first cut will be an interesting moment.
Luckily the lathe will be installed by a tech from the supplier, so I won't be going solo straight up.

The machine is one where the engine runs 100% of the time and uses a clutch to engage the drive and a clutch/brake to stop the spindle - like driving I guess. Where as what I had before was just a switch - turn spindle on / turn spindle off.

It also has chuck guards, coolant and a 1,001 gears and knobs - I expect it to keep me busy for quite awhile learning how to use it.

Mal


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## Wreck™Wreck (Oct 24, 2016)

A trigon insert (WNMG) holder is an excellent roughing tool, it will turn and face. Also used in boring bars therefore 2 tools using a single insert. http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnp...wid=F8XL49ij&gclid=CISz2-vA9M8CFYFehgodY-4DKw

CNMG 80° inserts are good finishing tools that also face and turn and are available for boring bars, also 1 insert for 2 tools. http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnp...wid=F8XL49ij&gclid=CPOm-c7A9M8CFY5ahgodSkwO4Q

For work that requires very low cutting forces such as thin walled parts or deep bores 3 or more X the diameter in steel a positive rake triangular insert with the smallest available nose radius works well.

When turning close to a center a DCMT 55° is the only choice for the most part, these will turn very close to the center.

Choose wisely


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## Tony Wells (Oct 24, 2016)

"V" series (35°) diamond will get you closer yet, so between the two, C series and V series, you generally won't need the "D" series, although the smaller the angle, the more delicate the insert.


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## malmac (Oct 25, 2016)

Tony


These are the difficulties I also face - one choice or two spread choices like you suggest (which has merit I must add).

I am going to grind some tools and get a feeling for the new lathe and make some decisions when I understand what metal the beast will carve off - therefore this will influence the tooling choices I make. The old lathe was never happy pulling much over 600rpm, the new lathe should be good for three times that speed - so I think I need to wait and experiment before splashing the cash on expensive insert tool holders.

The machinery supplier phoned this morning to say our new lathe is pre delivered and ready for transportation to our workshop next week. So let the games begin.

Mal


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## Tony Wells (Oct 25, 2016)

What lathe are you getting. I'm sorry if you posted on it and I can't remember. I try to read all the posts made, so some of then tend to fall through the cracks developing quickly in the gray matter.

If you're game to try triangular insert tooling, I might be able to round up enough stuff to get you started at least. I dislike it myself. I don't know what all I might have, exactly, because it's not front and center in my tooling. If you'd like, I can look and see what I have. Surely a couple of turning tools and perhaps a boring bar or two as well. Can't promise any inserts, but wouldn't be surprised at all if I have some. And then whether they fit the holders I can't say for sure. It's just that I have acquired some over the years in lots I have come across and just set aside. I have preferences, and they ain't it. I know some people love them, but I have never really been satisfied with them. About the only thing I might have used them on in any great amount would be some heavy duty roughing of some driveshaft forgings the oilfield uses in their mud motors. And that only because I only worked there and had to use what I was given. No say in it. 

That's another thing I wanted to mention. earlier it was recommended that you talk with some seasoned job shop guys. You can learn a lot from some of them, if they let you, but insert choice is rarely totally theirs. They may get to pick from whatever the shop has on hand, but they don't usually get to do the tool purchasing. That's not how they make the company money. They make chips. Sometimes the supervisors do the buying, in NC/CNC shops sometimes the programmers do it....it varies, but my point is that the actual machinists and operators usually have no idea what's really available on the market and may not be the best source of information on what to buy, being that you are starting from scratch. Like the job I mentioned where I used the triangle inserts....if you had asked me at the time, I probably would have said "Here, this is working". But it wasn't my favorite. But then, until I started buying tooling, I really had no idea what was out there (and it's always changing) and never got to work with the factory reps when they came, and never was consulted about how well what I was using actually performed.


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## Rich V (Oct 25, 2016)

Hi Mal
I'm glad the video helped, I found it informative as well.
Picking the "correct" insert/tool holder is daunting for us amateurs. After some searching I decided to go with an inexpensive 'starter set' to get some first hand experience and see what works for me. I purchased this set from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Indexable-Ca...urning+Lathe+Tool+Set+SCLCL+SDJCR+SWGCR+SDNCN


It has a nice selection of the 'popular' tool styles and the holders are of surprisingly good quality. The inserts that come with the holders are OK but I suggest you get some brand name replacements after you decide what tool type you like. 

At some point you need to jump in and test the water, this set was a good one for me and I'm happy with these styles. I purchased a bunch of quality inserts and will be using these as my main cutting tools.
Best of luck and enjoy the hobby.
Rich


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## malmac (Oct 25, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> What lathe are you getting. I'm sorry if you posted on it and I can't remember. I try to read all the posts made, so some of then tend to fall through the cracks developing quickly in the gray matter.
> 
> If you're game to try triangular insert tooling, I might be able to round up enough stuff to get you started at least. I dislike it myself. I don't know what all I might have, exactly, because it's not front and center in my tooling. If you'd like, I can look and see what I have. Surely a couple of turning tools and perhaps a boring bar or two as well. Can't promise any inserts, but wouldn't be surprised at all if I have some. And then whether they fit the holders I can't say for sure. It's just that I have acquired some over the years in lots I have come across and just set aside. I have preferences, and they ain't it. I know some people love them, but I have never really been satisfied with them. About the only thing I might have used them on in any great amount would be some heavy duty roughing of some driveshaft forgings the oilfield uses in their mud motors. And that only because I only worked there and had to use what I was given. No say in it.
> 
> That's another thing I wanted to mention. earlier it was recommended that you talk with some seasoned job shop guys. You can learn a lot from some of them, if they let you, but insert choice is rarely totally theirs. They may get to pick from whatever the shop has on hand, but they don't usually get to do the tool purchasing. That's not how they make the company money. They make chips. Sometimes the supervisors do the buying, in NC/CNC shops sometimes the programmers do it....it varies, but my point is that the actual machinists and operators usually have no idea what's really available on the market and may not be the best source of information on what to buy, being that you are starting from scratch. Like the job I mentioned where I used the triangle inserts....if you had asked me at the time, I probably would have said "Here, this is working". But it wasn't my favorite. But then, until I started buying tooling, I really had no idea what was out there (and it's always changing) and never got to work with the factory reps when they came, and never was consulted about how well what I was using actually performed.


 
Hi Tony from Down Under

Bit of a way from Texas - though funnily we have a town called Texas about 100 miles South of where we live. So a very generous  offer but I am happy to have the conversation -

The machine I am buying is a Colchester 2000 in the short bed version 625mm between centres. It is a manual engine lathe though I could have bought a variable speed lathe - to be honest all I could see in years to come some problem with electrics - this way all it should need is a new electric motor - and hopefully not for a long time.

Reason for picking this lathe - was I wanted a nice quality lathe with a 50+mm spindle bore, a footprint that would fit in our home workshop (over here we tend to just call it a shed) - good threading capability and a nice slow low speed (this one has 25 rpm minimum speed / 2000 rpm max), also this one has a 7.5hp 3 phase motor (so reasonable grunt), also fitted with DRO and a bunch of other specs.

While I am a newbe in one sense, I see that as a relative term - I have fiddled with my previous lathe on and off over the last 7 years - but I made stuff which was not accurate really and I just muddled through - now I want to go back to basics and improve my metal work.




Here is an example of a special bearing puller I manufactured using my old lathe and my milling machine. As you can see it looks like it was made using a stone axe - it works real good but it is rough and ugly.

The funny thing is I used triangular insert tooling to do most of my turning on the old lathe and was not aware there might have been better options. Because the old toolpost height was 12mm and the new lathe has a 25mm toolpost - I am retooling -

We can afford to buy some nice tooling, but I don't want to have a whole cupboard full of stuff that doesn't get any use because I have moved on to something that is way better.

So I am going to run the new lathe (next Tuesday he arrives) and then see how it works - but experience tells me - that experience comes from using stuff, so I will have to make a decision and get somethings to try - and then dig in deeper to get my tooling requirements sorted out more permanently.

Sorry to rabbit on so long.

Thanks to one and all their advice and opinions - keep them coming, as my wife says, "you have big ears."


Mal
Australia


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## malmac (Oct 25, 2016)

Rich V said:


> Hi Mal
> I'm glad the video helped, I found it informative as well.
> Picking the "correct" insert/tool holder is daunting for us amateurs. After some searching I decided to go with an inexpensive 'starter set' to get some first hand experience and see what works for me. I purchased this set from Amazon
> https://www.amazon.com/Indexable-Carbide-Turning-Lathe-SCLCL/dp/B00OI8GAP4/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1477401764&sr=1-1&keywords=7+Pc+5/8''+Indexable+Carbide+Turning+Lathe+Tool+Set+SCLCL+SDJCR+SWGCR+SDNCN
> ...


 
Hey Rich

Thanks for the tip - certainly something to think about.

Regards   Mal


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## Jimsehr (Oct 31, 2016)

I think Rich has the best advice for starting out with the set from Amazon. And the size will work fine on your lathe. Just be sure to shim tools true centerline. I have no trouble hand grinding carbide or Hss tools. If you look at my avatar I hand ground the tools to form the balls inside the cube. The Amazon set also comes with the threading inserts and cutoff tool inserts. I'm an old guy that has been grinding tools for over 60 years.
Jimsehr


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## malmac (Oct 31, 2016)

Hi Jim


Thanks for the advice - what I am doing is a combination - I have secured some HSS and am working on the grinding end - also have ordered some insert tools - so I have benchmark to compare and also experiment with (in terms of depth of cut, feed rate and angle of approach. The new lathe is scheduled for delivery tomorrow morning - so then let the games begin.


Mal


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