If You Were To Start Over

boostin53

boostin53

Registered
Registered
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
293
If you were to start over as a beginner, what lathe tooling would you fill your tool box up with?

I'm new to machining anything and starting to compile a list of stuff to buy. Did some reading across a few different boards and most lists vary a fair amount.

So lets have it, what are (in your opinion) must have items and tools to have? Such as dial indicators, parallels, HSS blanks and so on. Lets see how much money you guys (and gals?) can make me spend.
 
I suppose you would have to start with something to machine. Tooling requirements are driven by what you are going to do, and what equipment you are going to do it on. There are often a few different ways to "get 'er done". Can you share a bit more about what you are hoping to do?
 
This is actually a really good idea of a thread.

If something happened to my shop, a fire, theft, etc. (Okay, stealing a 2000 pound machine....I know....) I would probably start over with either a Taig or a Craftsman 109. never used a Taig, but they are very simple and I've never heard a bad thing about them. The 109 is a very good lathe, if you are very keen on its limits.

And then probably go for a Craigslist drill press and bench grinder, then order some 3/16" toolbit blanks for the lathe. Some drill bits and a drill chuck, files, the basics. Go from there.
 
Edit: I missed this was for a lathe sorry

For a mill in order of most frequently used...

#1 Safety glasses, Mitutoyo electronic caliper, deburring tool, fine file, carbide tipped scribe, Starrett combination square with 12 and 24 inch rules.
#2 Drill bits, R8 shank keyless chuck, end mills, counter sinks, center drills, ER-32 R* shank holder and collets, dial indicator with magnetic base, mill vise with parallels, T-nut clamping set
#3 T-slot stock end stop and vise mounted stock end stops, DRO, metal cutting bandsaw, taps and dies.
#4 V blocks, Mitutoyo mics 0-1 and 1-2 inch, precision level, thread gauge, Starrett spindle square, shoulder bits, electronic depth gauge.
#5 Spindle mounted hole centering gauge with dial indicator.
 
Chipper5783 said:
I suppose you would have to start with something to machine. Tooling requirements are driven by what you are going to do, and what equipment you are going to do it on. There are often a few different ways to "get 'er done". Can you share a bit more about what you are hoping to do?
Click to expand...

This was more aimed toward the "all around" stuff. I own a 9x20 and will be mainly using it to make small parts for my hobbies.

One of them being reloading and bullet swaging. I hope to learn and make myself custom swage dies. Been doing a lot of reading on how to make custom reamers for the profile I want......this is for another thread so I will stop derailing this thread.

So this thread is about the basic, cant live without, would of liked to purchase sooner or must have tools. Feel free to variate and make a wild list! But keep in mind that I will also be using these lists as a starting point for myself. I will just ignore what I already have.
 
The following will not be everything you might ever need, but it will be enough to do most things
Drill bit set ( Number, Letter, Fractions by 1/64 - 1/2)
Center drills, spotting drills (1/4 and 1/2)
Jacobs Super Chuck set up for tailstock taper
Small keyless chuck set up for tailstock taper
Reamers (.125 to .750)
Dial indicators ( 1in travel, last word)
Live center, dead center
Boring bars based on expected size holes
Cutting oil, Way oil, and Spindle oil
4 jaw and 3 jaw chucks
Quick change tool post
Transfer punch set
Magnetic base dial indicator holder (NOGA is best yet)
Calipers (electronic 8in + small spring calipers)
Micrometers (1 in to 4 in)
Small hole gauges
Telescoping gauges
Wiggler
Taps and Dies based on expected sizes (Taper + Bottom)
Center punches, including spring loaded
Machinist Square (s)
Layout Blue

Hope you enjoy your adventures as much as the rest of us ==
 
^^^^^ a list like this is exactly what I was looking for. I have several of those items already, but my mind goes blank when I go to buy stuff. Can anybody else add to this list?
 
How about information tools? Being a very new machinist (9 months old) I have found the following to be really helpful:

Books:
Machine Shop Essentials by Frank Marlow
Machine Shop Know-How by Frank Marlow
Machine Shop Trade Secrets by James Harvey
Several books by Harold Hall

And websites:
This website
Mr Peterson's you tube channel (retired high school shop teacher, so not the most succinct).
Tom's Techniques.
Keith Fenner's BoobToob Channel
Mini-lathe.com
Harold Hall's website

Those are the information tools I can think of right now. As far as I have been able to figure out, the best stuff for me to get has been information.

The best part of machining is being able to put that information to work and actually make what you intended. I think the reason ancient humans liked to make lots and lots of stone axes was it was fun and it did stuff.

Cheers,

Tom
 
The following are lists that I put in the order I usually recommend buying stuff.

Measuring
  1. 6" calipers (I personally recommenced dial over electronic, unless are you are buying high end stuff)
  2. 0"-1" 0.0001" graduated micrometer (might also want to get 1-2" and 2-3" or higher mics right away depending on your projects)
  3. magnetic base
  4. 0-1" 0.001" graduated dial indicator
  5. 0.0001" or 0.0005" graduated dial test indicator
  6. telescoping gauge set
  7. depth micrometer
lathe accessories (depending on what your lathe comes with)
  1. 3 jaw
  2. drill chuck for the tail stock
  3. live center for the tail stock
  4. 4 jaw
  5. face-plate
  6. dead center for the head stock
  7. drive dogs
  8. qctp
  9. steady rest
  10. follow rest
  11. scissor knurling tool
  12. insert tooling (if desired)
general accessories
  1. a bench grinder with the appropriate wheels to grind hss.
  2. some cheap credit card laps for honing
  3. a collection of various hss tool bits from 1/8" to 1/2". (Grinding a 1/2" blank down to make a 1/8" grooving tool is no fun, and they can also be used as parallels.)
  4. center drills
  5. drills 1/16" - 1/2", A-Z, 0-60, 1mm - 13mm (if you do much metric work.)
  6. taps
  7. dies
  8. 1/2" pre-made boring bars
  9. reamers
 
Well my need to buy list is gradually increasing. I'm going to start shopping around and building up wish lists. The wife is allowing me to spend $1k on tooling at the moment. I know I can spend more than that on tooling and supplies, so I want to get the stuff that I dont already have but I will need.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top