Lathe Noob With Some Questions On First Cuts

Pinresto said:
Is the ridgid cutting oil the same stuff they use for threading pipe?
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That's correct, you can find it in the plumbing dept. of most home improvement, or hardware stores.
JR49
 
Pinresto said:
I have an x2 mini mill I use fairly often. I figured machinist jacks would be fairly easy to make and a good way to learn. I'm not quite ready to make them. I need to actually cut a thread first,lol.
Do you think here in panama they use the same numbering system for their metals? Do they call 12l14 , 12l14? Might be a dumb question as I'm sure they do. Is it a world wide standard?
That shines edge on my tool came from honing it. It felt fairly sharp but not perfect so I've still got some improvemets to make.
Any suggestions on useful beginners tools?
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I don't really know if it is a worldwide standard but it probably is. 12L14 contains lead, hence the L in the designation. It cuts really easily and is a good material to learn on. Here in the US its cheap, too. Best to call the supplier to see if they have it - they will know. Another one is 1215, which is the unleaded version of 12L14.

If the edge has a shine, whether from grinding or honing, the edge is not sharp. You need to fix that.

The first project I usually recommend is an accurate tool height gauge. Look at the many designs and pick the one you fancy. I favor the ones that are precisely cut to center height, not the ones that use a screw. This will teach you to measure and machine accurately and will come into use daily as you hone your tool grinding skills.

Back when I started all of this, I decided that I needed to learn all the basic lathe operations - turning, facing, boring, drilling, screw cutting, etc. As I learned them I found I needed devices or tools to make things easier or more accurate and those went on the list. If a project required a skill I didn't have then I focused on gaining that skill and then made the project. As time went along my list grew faster than my skills. I'm still working on that list but I'm gaining on it.

My point is that the project is not the goal; obtaining the skills is the goal and building skill takes time. Take the time.

You're doing great, Tony. I would spend some time learning about grinding good tools. That, too, is a skill and it will serve you the rest of your life. It isn't so much the grinding part that matters; its understanding what the geometry does so you can make the tool do what you want it to do. Many hobby guys don't want to bother with this and go with carbide, which is fine, but on a smaller lathe like yours a good HSS tool that is ground to meet your specific needs will extend the performance envelope of the lathe far more than you can believe right now. Carbide will never do this.
 
mikey said:
Carbide will never do this.
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Now this is misinformation, while I realize that many use machines that were designed with HSS tooling in mind and manufacturers gave little thought to future tooling options.
Making a claim that modern carbide tooling will never work is simply wrong. A more honest conversation would reveal the fact that modern tooling that works well is entirely too expensive for hobbyists, there are no tool manufacturers that want to make tools for the "wait until you can get it cheaper on Ebay crowd"

One of the reasons that it is difficult if not impossible too find good US made machines is that the American manufactures saw the writing on the wall 40 years ago when all of the small shops began to disappear. No one in a modern machine shop uses a manual Bridgeport knee mill or a manual small lathe. There is nothing left for hobbyists to buy used. Other Companies have filled that niche.
 
Wreck™Wreck said:
Now this is misinformation, while I realize that many use machines that were designed with HSS tooling in mind and manufacturers gave little thought to future tooling options.
Making a claim that modern carbide tooling will never work is simply wrong. A more honest conversation would reveal the fact that modern tooling that works well is entirely too expensive for hobbyists, there are no tool manufacturers that want to make tools for the "wait until you can get it cheaper on Ebay crowd"

One of the reasons that it is difficult if not impossible too find good US made machines is that the American manufactures saw the writing on the wall 40 years ago when all of the small shops began to disappear. No one in a modern machine shop uses a manual Bridgeport knee mill or a manual small lathe. There is nothing left for hobbyists to buy used. Other Companies have filled that niche.
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I never "claimed" that carbide will "never" work. I said that a purpose ground HSS tool can be made to improve the performance of the smaller lathe that he now owns and that it can be customized to better suit his needs. I know of no carbide tool that allows customization to the degree that HSS allows, which was my point. I am not a pro like you but even I know that modern carbide tooling used on modern industrial machines works well. However, that is not the case here. We have a beginner hobby guy with a lathe that couldn't even take a decent cut. We were able to sort out that it was his tool and fortunately we were able to help him grind it in a way that allowed him to make acceptable cuts. At least he can now learn to use his lathe.

You seem to be taking issue with something I never said, taken in a context that I never implied. All I really did was help this guy. I see nothing wrong with any of that so, for my part, this ends here.
 
Well said, no disrespect intended just looking at the other side of the coin, I try to help anyone that I can with whatever skills and experience that I have gained over the years of trial and error, mostly error however. I only do something wrong once or twice. After the second cockup I stop and give serious thought to how I bungled the first two parts.
Running a machine tool is a learning experience every day, after 1 year or 30 years.
 
Thank you! You know, when I read your response in post #2 of this thread, I thought "Wow, this guy probably just whipped that response out off the top of his head! That is a working pro talking.". You may not realize it but I actually do know that you try to help us; I've seen it many times before. As for my defensive response, I ask your forgiveness.

You have my respect, WreckWreck.

Mike
 
John Hasler said:
Why?
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Yes why ? I have a SB9A 16 speed (1949) bench unit. I've never slipped the belts using linked V-belting. I'm using the red Fenner Drives brand. The links will theoretically conform more readily to smaller Dia. pulleys as well.
 
Just an update on my progress for any other beginner reading this. I've beed grinding lots of tools the last week and it's getting much better. Even so I was still limited on my DOC. I decided to try my serpentine belt to see if it made a difference and it did. A huge difference. Like night and day. I can easily take a .050" cut now. Maybe the green HF link belts are not as good as the others(no surprise there). I bought two lots of used HSS lathe tooling on ebay so I've got lots to play with. Paid about $40 shipped for 50-55 used name brand tool blanks. It doesn't get any cheaper than that.
Thanks again for everyone's help. I've made a couple bushings I needed so far and they came out perfect.
 
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