Any smal lathe owners using indexable tooling ?

[Ray C]

Gotcha... Those "L" (leaded) metals look absolutely sexy with HSS! When you want to cut deeper, a pointy tip with a good "digging-in" leading angle will help you. For smoothness and shallow cuts, the rounded edge of a radius bit is your friend. Gotta watch for chatter though so bit protrusion must be kept to an absolute minimum. Have you ever tried following up with fine steel wool? You could also use a toolpost grinder with a muslin wheel and buffing compound.

See, that's the problem. My little 350W motor and steel, 6-7 thou can be my hogging cut. I usually stay with 12L14 and 1144 alloys. They behave better. "A man has just gotta know his limitations...."

 

[oldgascar]

Thanks to all for the info . This gives me much to base my purchases on . I think I will find a grinder to try my hand at grinding hss and cleaning up carbide inserts also.

All the info is very much appreciated.

Bob

 

[David Kirtley]

Gotcha... Those "L" (leaded) metals look absolutely sexy with HSS! When you want to cut deeper, a pointy tip with a good "digging-in" leading angle will help you. For smoothness and shallow cuts, the rounded edge of a radius bit is your friend. Gotta watch for chatter though so bit protrusion must be kept to an absolute minimum. Have you ever tried following up with fine steel wool? You could also use a toolpost grinder with a muslin wheel and buffing compound.

Actually, I am finally set up to do some good cutting. Just made a better 4-way TP for it and switched to wedge QCTP. Only thing I am not happy with is I will need to make another parting tool holder. I got the Aloris 0xA type (cheap chinese clone) but the angled parting tool is fine for smaller stuff but when I am parting larger pieces, I prefer to inch out the parting tool 0.5 at a time so I don't start out with so much overhang.

Sometimes I use a HSS bit with a high angle at the end to take a shearing cut.

No steel wool yet. Just sandpaper and compound applied with paper towel. My toolpost grinder is a Proxxon rotary tool. Love it.

 

[Ray C]

Sounds good!

And by the way, HSS is probably better if you're doing very fine/precision or artistic work. All this yakking I'm doing about carbide is more oriented toward the fabrication kind of work I tend to do. I have no business talking about fine/detailed work because I still hold my crayons with a closed fist and ain't too good at staying in the lines. I do steel, aluminum, 316 stainless and a little brass -mostly boat/yacht parts and I've figured-out which carbide and feeds/speed works good for those kinds of things which are not fine/detailed parts.

Ray

Actually, I am finally set up to do some good cutting. Just made a better 4-way TP for it and switched to wedge QCTP. Only thing I am not happy with is I will need to make another parting tool holder. I got the Aloris 0xA type (cheap chinese clone) but the angled parting tool is fine for smaller stuff but when I am parting larger pieces, I prefer to inch out the parting tool 0.5 at a time so I don't start out with so much overhang.

Sometimes I use a HSS bit with a high angle at the end to take a shearing cut.

No steel wool yet. Just sandpaper and compound applied with paper towel. My toolpost grinder is a Proxxon rotary tool. Love it.

 

[kdupuis]

I recieved some sandvik inserts from a machinist friend and find they work excellent on my 12x36 but I can't remember the exact nomenclature right now. I use 3/8 and 1/2" tooling.

 

[oldgascar]

I recieved some sandvik inserts from a machinist friend and find they work excellent on my 12x36 but I can't remember the exact nomenclature right now. I use 3/8 and 1/2" tooling.

If you can look up the info on the inserts , I would appreciate it.

Bob

 

[Building Something]

[QU OTE=Ray C;96720]Good words here from Steve about safe chips. Hope you don't mind Steve but I'll give an explanation about what "6s" are for those who don't know. 6-7 thou is nothing and most cuts are in the 15-30 range. With lighter cuts, the chip breaker groove sometimes doesn't do it's job and you get stringers (long strings of spring swarf). Even with heavier cuts, if the bit is not positioned just right, you could end up with a stringer coming out at you faster than you can get away because the RPMs are 2-3 times faster than HSS. Even little skinny stringers can cut you or pull your finger in and the heavier ones have been known to sever arteries, cut tendons etc. Never touch any kind of swarf from a running machine -even the skinny stringers. Reposition the bit so you get pig-tails (2-3 loops about 1/4" long) or little pieces shaped like a "6". -And keep e'm off the top of your hand because the the shearing action heats them to a (very colorful) blue. Which makes nice pigtail and 6-shaped red blisters.[/QUOTE]


Thanks for this level of "best practice". Still just a swarf the obvious stuff is all new. For instance just bought a lathe and learned the best practice of hand engaging the gear head. Absolutely critical, totally new. This swarf will be making chip with a Emco 10" shortly.

 

[Ray C]

I think I'll try these HSS inserts... Just found-out I have a job coming that requires turning a bunch of 8mm rods down a couple thou on the ends. Won't be easy to do with small diameter and carbide.


Ray

I second that set of Shars 1/2" and the secret is they will use the Warner HSS inserts http://lmscnc.com/3696. This one of those things that Shars does make well. I do use some carbide for harder materials or cast iron but don't like the speeds needed to get that mirror finish the same as HSS on 1018 ect. Also these are very easy to sharpen without even removing the tool from the lathe. Just take the insert out of the tool. I use a small knife honing stone and a drop of oil turn the insert upside down and move it in a circular motion on the stone with your finger. In about a minute or less it will be razor sharp again. No need to sharpen the sides. No need to change anything for set up as there are no angle changes.