Honestly, I get what you're saying. You know what's you and what's the lathe. You've got enough experience to be able to distinguish.
But, when someone's starting out, they don't have that basis of experience.
Do you not think it would be helpful if they were able to work out if a problem they encountered was caused by a poorly set up machine tool or a perfectly good machine tool that they're using poorly?
If you're learning, it can be pretty frustrating when you don't know the cause of the problems you're facing.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying beginners (like myself) should go out and buy a ton of super expensive metrology kit to try to get their lathe set up so it could hit micron levels of accuracy.
I reckon Rollie's Dad is good enough for us beginners.
No, you're absolutely right, but confidence will only come with time turning handles. You have undertaken a very difficult hobby that will reward you if you put in the time. Plus, the learning curve is near vertical.
Trust me, its you, its me, its the guy across the room, this is why curse words were invented. Even if it is just simply the operator making a bad setup.
If its your very first month or year of running a given machine you have a good reason to have these concerns.
But to my mind, once you perform a process on a machine well, at least once, the machine generally does not change in a short enough timeframe for you to notice. Chipping an insert or losing the edge on a tool bit or endmill will change performance, but these are things that are generally understood and looked at when an issue arises.
Now to relate this to you or others who are just beginning, if you're having a problem, ask yourself "What's the variable" or "What is causing this issue".
Is it the machine?
Could be, but if so this will be shown as a repeatable problem.
Is it the tooling?
Might be, can you uncover something that is not right? A wobbly setup, something not tightened down correctly or as above, a bad cutting edge? A magnifying glass might be needed to uncover a flaw in a cutting edge you might otherwise see as sharp. Dull cutting edges can induce vibration, cause excessive heat (Did your chips change color?), or noise that was not there prior.
Or is it operator induced?
Many times it is, this is why I'm saying just make stuff. Pick something simple and just make it. A tool for the shop, a fidget spinner, mill your name in a piece of aluminum, then work your way up to doing it in steel. But for gods sake
(<<<The Japanese wine) don't jump in with both feet in your first year and try and make a working miniature Ferrari engine.
Keep in mind, you, me, him are the least reliable thing in the equation, and some days are just not good days. Ill have days where I feel superhuman and everything goes my way. Other days I cant seem to do a damn thing right.
On the good days I roll with it. Ill get 4-5 good hours before becoming fatigued and things start to go pear shaped.
Know when to say when.
On days where I'm just not doing well I find something that is productive where I can do less harm. Ill organize, clean, sort, draw up plans.
You have a desire to do this difficult thing we all like to do here, and its important to understand yourself and that some days you just don't have it. If something frustrates you just set it aside and come back to it rested and in a good frame of mind.
You'll get it.
BTW, who is Rollies dad?
)
