I used carbide insert tooling on my Atlas 618 for years and that's an even smaller lathe. I'm not sure where this "you can't use carbide on hobby sized lathes" message comes from
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First Lathe
- Thread starter Andy2112
- Start date
What is wrong with the casters? It's convenient to be able to move this big table around for storage when I need the extra room.
Carbide works well with low power and lighter machines*
Knowing the limits and staying within them.
Demerit in the big lathe (LS 16 X 54) can peel 3/8 wide chip in one pass without breaking a sweat, this on a machine built in the 40's early or pre carbide.
Same tooling in the SB 14.5 maybe 1/8, depending on speed.
In an Atlas, maybe 0.070 and struggling to do it.
HSS can be shaped to be better matched to the material being cut.
With smaller equipment the carbide may not be able to run at optimum conditions due to lack of machine.
HSS generally has a limit less that that of the machine with the smaller bits.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
Knowing the limits and staying within them.
Demerit in the big lathe (LS 16 X 54) can peel 3/8 wide chip in one pass without breaking a sweat, this on a machine built in the 40's early or pre carbide.
Same tooling in the SB 14.5 maybe 1/8, depending on speed.
In an Atlas, maybe 0.070 and struggling to do it.
HSS can be shaped to be better matched to the material being cut.
With smaller equipment the carbide may not be able to run at optimum conditions due to lack of machine.
HSS generally has a limit less that that of the machine with the smaller bits.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
I almost exclusively use carbide tools on my 10F. Never had a problem with them, unless I try to hog off too much in one pass. But that falls under “operator error” as far as I’m concerned.
The only hss tooling I use regularly now is the cut off tool.
I used to grind my own hss blanks and did fine with them. The carbide inserts are more about being able to quickly swap them out when they break or go dull than it is about how they cut.
The only hss tooling I use regularly now is the cut off tool.
I used to grind my own hss blanks and did fine with them. The carbide inserts are more about being able to quickly swap them out when they break or go dull than it is about how they cut.
I think the concern is that when a lathe bench can move around, it is very difficult to keep it properly aligned. You will see many (as in LOTS) of threads and discussions about leveling your lathe. The more precision you want from your work, the more critical this is. I know many things that I do with my lathe are not high precision and also relatively short so within reason, any bed twist is not causing me any problems. full disclosure is that my lathe is on solid feet and I spend time to get aligned (read leveled). Point is that any work you do in aligning the lathe will be marginalized as soon as you move the lathe. How much misalignment you have and how that effects the work you do will vary with your expectations of precision and to some extent luck. Regardless, don't let this keep you from making chips. If you find that you are having problems with tapered cuts and wanting to work to a higher level of precision, you you can re-evaluate. Mostly have fun, make stuff and above all else take pictures and share there here
My main use (at this point) is just to make oddball parts for the cars I work on. I am not a fan of the minimal options for accessory brackets so I thought....why not make my own. I ran large CNC machines and a few manual machines right out of high school so I have a basic and I mean very basic understanding of how things should operate. Putting them into practice is my next struggle. I know I am not going to be holding really tight tolerances ( at this point anyway) but I did cut down and square up a piece of 4 1/2 in OD tubing for an airbag kit I am installing on my 1939 Buick. It is within .020 of that length I determined I needed with my old worn out tape measure so I am extremely happy with my first official lathe part...LOL
Close enough for Gubmint work !
Did you get the lathe ?
I picked the lathe up a few weeks ago. I planned on firing it up sooner but life got in the way a little bit. Now I can start messing around with itClose enough for Gubmint work !
Lots of people on here have their machines on casters. Do it if you need too. Heck, my 10F Atlas is on a cabinet on casters. Multiple more guys have thier lathes mounted to a butcher board on top of a roll around tool box.
It’s not the “ideal” for a lathe, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
You just have to accept that when you move it you loose the leveling and consequently, a loss of accuracy. Truthfully, its not so much about the lathe being level to the outside world as it is about having the ways parallel and level to each other and the headstock/tailstock aligned to the ways. Using a precision level makes the pieces level to the world, but if you make both ways level to the world, they are level with each other. It’s just an easier, convenient way to true up the bed ways to each other.
I’d recommend you find a spot where the lathe can live most of the time and level it there. Put screw down feet on you bench so you can raise it up off the casters so it doesn’t wobble or shift around while using it. Keep the casters and move it when you need to, but remember to re-level it when putting it back or if you keep it in a new location.
You need a machinist level to get it right. A carpenters level doesn’t have the same level of accuracy or sensitivity.
I’d be more concerned about the rigidity in your table/bench. Wood isn’t the best choice as it “breaths” with changing temperatures and humidity. Despite the fact the lathe is cast iron, it will bend, twist and sag if the base its bolted to isn’t rigid. Same as the work stands you used, kinda flimsy for the weight and forces a lathe feeds into it.
The whole thing just looks a little bit too flexi for me. I’d recommned at least grabbing a 3/8-1/2 piece of plate steel and mount the lathe to that, then bolt that to the table. The steel plate will make for a nice rigid base and then the table underneath can warp and twist as it will with minimal effect on the lathe itself.
good luck.
It’s not the “ideal” for a lathe, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
You just have to accept that when you move it you loose the leveling and consequently, a loss of accuracy. Truthfully, its not so much about the lathe being level to the outside world as it is about having the ways parallel and level to each other and the headstock/tailstock aligned to the ways. Using a precision level makes the pieces level to the world, but if you make both ways level to the world, they are level with each other. It’s just an easier, convenient way to true up the bed ways to each other.
I’d recommend you find a spot where the lathe can live most of the time and level it there. Put screw down feet on you bench so you can raise it up off the casters so it doesn’t wobble or shift around while using it. Keep the casters and move it when you need to, but remember to re-level it when putting it back or if you keep it in a new location.
You need a machinist level to get it right. A carpenters level doesn’t have the same level of accuracy or sensitivity.
I’d be more concerned about the rigidity in your table/bench. Wood isn’t the best choice as it “breaths” with changing temperatures and humidity. Despite the fact the lathe is cast iron, it will bend, twist and sag if the base its bolted to isn’t rigid. Same as the work stands you used, kinda flimsy for the weight and forces a lathe feeds into it.
The whole thing just looks a little bit too flexi for me. I’d recommned at least grabbing a 3/8-1/2 piece of plate steel and mount the lathe to that, then bolt that to the table. The steel plate will make for a nice rigid base and then the table underneath can warp and twist as it will with minimal effect on the lathe itself.
good luck.
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I will give it a go like it is and if I see it isn't going to work for my application I will build a heavier table. I do appreciate all the advice. Eventually I will figure out what I want. Currently I'm just happy that I can cut 2 pieces of pipe and get them the same length and square. My band saw can't cut anything of any size very square.