Some Useful Lathe Tools

[ome]

? quick change tool post and holders
? cutoff tool and holder
? knurling tool
? lathe cutting tools, including inside and outside threading. HSS and maybe indexable carbide
? follower rest
? steady rest
? live center
? lathe faceplate
? collets
? 4-jaw independent chuck
? boring bar for lathe
? carriage stops and carriage dial indicator holder for lathe
? tailstock drill chuck with taper adapter
? lathe dog, dead center for lathe spindle and faceplate or driving plate
? milling attachment for lathe
? center drills
? assorted files and wet/dry sandpaper
? horizontal bandsaw for cutting stock, bimetal blades.
? bench grinder for grinding lathe bits. Wheels, incl. a diamond wheel if you want to sharpen carbide. Grinding wheel dresser.
? lathe tool blanks, for grinding
? belt/disk sander
? Swing arm magnifying lamp, mounted over lathe/mill
? way lube/spindle lube
? safety shield with mag base
? center punch
? scribes
? reamers
? stub length drill bits
? countersink bits
? metal, plastic to cut (OnlineMetals, SpeedyMetals, etc).
? A shop vacuum

Some sources: Shars, Travers Tool, Enco, MSC, Grizzly Ind., Tools4cheap, CDCO, Little Machine Shop, Ebay, Machine Shop Discount Club, Reid Tool Supply, Anytimetools.

Please feel free to add to this list!

,Best,

Nelson

Hi Nelson,
Thanks for the list, which I hope is ok to add a few machines to this great list.

? A small surface grinder( even though I got it a week ago, I love this little machine)
? A Hepa filtered vacuum specific to removing toxic metals from grinding carbide, has a bag to empty when full.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[samthedog]

Swarf hook, color matched touch-up paint and small brush to touch up dings and scratches, diamond hone to touch up bits, cutting oil and small brush, first aid kit, rough use caliper and nice caliper / micrometer.

Paul.

 

[hdskip]

I make small boring bars from broken end mills.
Gary

 

[NodakGary]

Was a tool-shaping/sharpening grinder mentioned. Don't forget a couple small containers of water for cooling the cutters as you sharpen them. And for cooling the operator on those hot days. And for cooling the chunk of steel wool that starts to smoke and glimmer in the welding end of the shop after it reminds you it didn't like being there. Don't ask me how I know.
NodakGary
Ready for Spring. How about you?

 

[Joe0121]

Not forgetting...The Bloody Big Hammer!!!!

Not only will it make all things "Fit" better!

But you can hurl it through the window and feel much better about life! :thumbsup:

In the states we call those BFH

Or Big F***** Hammer. A very useful tool in the auto repair industry.

 

[Xiansheng]

Re the list at the start of this thread, is there a list of URLs or whatever that provides access to information about these items?

 

[Doubleeboy]

Double stick tape, hold thin parts to faceplate for turning, or similarly use for milling thin parts on mill. Caution, do not put tape over 100% of part or you will spend a long time removing part. Acetone will help weaken the tape if you over do it.

 

[Rex Walters]

Kinda obvious, but a digital caliper is amazingly handy, especially when turning to size. Zero the caliper, adjust to the diameter you want, re-zero, then measure the diameter of your part while it's in the chuck or collet. Now you know exactly how much to take off. Despite their cheap price and "very near" reputation, I've found them surprisingly accurate. Use a micrometer if you need tenths accuracy, but calipers are usually accurate enough for the work I do (the mic always gives the same reading, except when I don't use the mic ;-).

Also, if you have a small lathe like mine with a cross-slide dial that reads radial dimensions rather than "direct reading" diameters, consider making larger dials and marking them to read diameters directly. It's amazing how much mental friction the constant halving/doubling of dimensions causes -- so glad I made this improvement to my lathe.

Now I'm off to hunt around outside (far outside) my shop window for my, uh, "collection" of broken taps....

 

[rrdstarr]

A ball turning tool blueprint would be very helpful!

Thanks!
Rick

In the states we call those BFH

Or Big F***** Hammer. A very useful tool in the auto repair industry.

? quick change tool post and holders
? cutoff tool and holder
? knurling tool
? lathe cutting tools, including inside and outside threading. HSS and maybe indexable carbide
? follower rest
? steady rest
? live center
? lathe faceplate
? collets
? 4-jaw independent chuck
? boring bar for lathe
? carriage stops and carriage dial indicator holder for lathe
? tailstock drill chuck with taper adapter
? lathe dog, dead center for lathe spindle and faceplate or driving plate
? milling attachment for lathe
? center drills
? assorted files and wet/dry sandpaper
? horizontal bandsaw for cutting stock, bimetal blades.
? bench grinder for grinding lathe bits. Wheels, incl. a diamond wheel if you want to sharpen carbide. Grinding wheel dresser.
? lathe tool blanks, for grinding
? belt/disk sander
? Swing arm magnifying lamp, mounted over lathe/mill
? way lube/spindle lube
? safety shield with mag base
? center punch
? scribes
? reamers
? stub length drill bits
? countersink bits
? metal, plastic to cut (OnlineMetals, SpeedyMetals, etc).
? A shop vacuum

Some sources: Shars, Travers Tool, Enco, MSC, Grizzly Ind., Tools4cheap, CDCO, Little Machine Shop, Ebay, Machine Shop Discount Club, Reid Tool Supply, Anytimetools.

Please feel free to add to this list!

Best,

Nelson

 

[hvontres]

Kinda obvious, but a digital caliper is amazingly handy, especially when turning to size. Zero the caliper, adjust to the diameter you want, re-zero, then measure the diameter of your part while it's in the chuck or collet. Now you know exactly how much to take off. Despite their cheap price and "very near" reputation, I've found them surprisingly accurate. Use a micrometer if you need tenths accuracy, but calipers are usually accurate enough for the work I do (the mic always gives the same reading, except when I don't use the mic ;-).

Also, if you have a small lathe like mine with a cross-slide dial that reads radial dimensions rather than "direct reading" diameters, consider making larger dials and marking them to read diameters directly. It's amazing how much mental friction the constant halving/doubling of dimensions causes -- so glad I made this improvement to my lathe.

Now I'm off to hunt around outside (far outside) my shop window for my, uh, "collection" of broken taps....

And if you are lucky enough to own a digital mic or two, you can use the same trick down to the tenths. This is also an easy way to do metric work on on inch lathe or inch work on a metric lathe.