New (to me) lathe and mill, now what are some good projects that will help me learn?

[markba633csi]

The Unimat DB and SL have a little metal pin to reset the position of the headstock after it's been moved- It gets you back very close to perfect.
If you can find them, the vintage E-16 collets and chuck will cost you (a lot) but there may be an aftermarket alternative- I haven't checked lately.
Be aware that you cannot natively do single point threading on those machines. They had an elaborate and expensive accessory system using followers but I do not recommend investing in it. Do as much as you can with taps and dies.
Learn to grind your own HSS tools, it's a valuable skill to have and not difficult.
-Mark

 

[STEMtheMachining]

Also, I strongly recommend learning to grind HSS. You can learn to grind decent cutters in less time than it takes Amazon to deliver a junk "lathe tool kit" and it pays huge dividends in the end. I have probably 20-30 quality insert toolholders and inserts to go with them and I still have (and use) an equal number of HSS tools. Being able to grind HSS with facility means being able to make a custom cutter when you need it, being able to modify a standard cutter, and being able to sharpen any of it. I would think my capabilities greatly diminished if I tried to work without it. (Oh, and HSS is a cutting tool - get brand name blanks. They're only pennies more and the quality difference is striking.)

GsT

This is definitely something I need to do.

Probably a set for both aluminum and steel, since that seems to be the bulk of what I'm going to work with.

But I guess that begs the question: what's "good quality" blanks?

Is Grizzly good? They sell HSS blanks that seem to have gotten good reviews.

Or should I just go buy them from McMaster-Carr?

I have some that the previous owner included with the lathe, but they have mill scale and need some honing to produce a good finish.

And next I'll need to upgrade my grinder from the toy one from HF I currently have.








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[STEMtheMachining]

The Unimat DB and SL have a little metal pin to reset the position of the headstock after it's been moved- It gets you back very close to perfect

This is what I was referring to, thank you. I was actually surprised to see how few hobby machinists there on here with the Unimats. But they are almost 60 years old now.

If you can find them, the vintage E-16 collets and chuck will cost you (a lot) but there may be an aftermarket alternative- I haven't checked lately.

I am painfully aware. I got into a bidding war for a set a few weeks ago and quit when the price exceeded $150 before shipping. I did find an alternative that's an M12×1 collet chuck for 3/8 inch shank cutters. I think for my needs that'll suffice.

;Be aware that you cannot natively do single point threading on those machines. They had an elaborate and expensive accessory system using followers but I do not recommend investing in it. Do as much as you can with taps and dies.

This was my one hold up with the machine, that accessory kit costs more than what I paid for the lathe itself. But I was taught to cut my threads by hand anyways (probably because they didn't want a high school kid single point threading on a $50,000 lathe) so I'm more or less okay with it. If this were anything more than a hobby, I'd be more concerned about it.

Learn to grind your own HSS tools, it's a valuable skill to have and not difficult.
-Mark

Good advice, I just need to get some new blanks.



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[GeneT45]

I'd recommend blanks from Cleveland, or probably anything from McMaster. Rex AAA are good blanks - I don't think they're made anymore, but you see them on eBay occasionally. They have some sort of scale on them - might be what you have. It's immaterial to their use or process - you'll be grinding away the scale at the cutting surfaces and the rest is smooth enough that it doesn't affect clamping or anything.
Since you have blanks already, go ahead and grind them for practice if nothing else. They'll last at least long enough to test your grinding results. Just know that you might get significantly better cutter life with high-quality blanks.
My general use cutters work well (provide a good finish and a decent depth of cut) in steel or aluminum. They suffer a bit in terms of longevity because I grind them a bit sharper than necessary and usually freehand where I don't know the exact angles. I'd recommend just trying to get the basic geometry down first, then you can play with angles and see how that affects finish and wear in multiple materials.
GsT

 

[GeneT45]

Here's a cutter grinding tutorial I wrote as part of a series on another board probably a decade ago. I got some positive feedback on it at the time, see if it helps.

GsT

 

[STEMtheMachining]

Here's a cutter grinding tutorial I wrote as part of a series on another board probably a decade ago. I got some positive feedback on it at the time, see if it helps.

GsT

Thank you, I'll look at it when I get to a computer.



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