Starting lathe training

[papa-roe]

After a couple of delays due to MLK holiday and snow days, we finally attended our first class in lathe operations this morning. (01/18/2018) I am attending Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock, AR and this is a one semester class. I was also signed up for a milling class but only two people signed up so it got cancelled. Basically, all we did today is take attendance and the instructor showed us the two parts we will be making this semester. Looks like a widget with turned steps and a machining jack. He said that if we finish the jack early enough in the semester, he may have us make another one with left hand threads. He claims that left handed threads are easier. I took a peek into the shop after he dismissed us and we will be working with Sharp 1440V (5 of them) and a Clausing Colchester I did not see the model number. I have a Clausing 6913 at home which will be having it's 50th birthday in April. It was built in April of 1967. I will try to take pictures and share what I learn as we go along. I am also taking a welding class in the evenings. So excited to start making chips and sparks this year.

 

[Dhector]

Very nice! Take lots of notes! I may need to bribe some from you Post pics of the progress! I'll try to get you those pics of the gears we talked about so you can get that issue solved and play at home too!

 

[papa-roe]

Yes, I would love to play at home. Worst case scenario, I will have to use the hand wheel on my cross slide rather than the automatic feed. That is probably a good thing. Walk before I run sort of thing.

 

[Dhector]

I will try to get it apart this week. I assume yours is back together already? If you had pics I could be more sure of what to photograph. I still know the numbers you sent me and will see what I can find. I just need to find the time to finish my bushing(which is close) and then get it apart. I'll send you pics of the dro I got on it last night also. It works and I like its function so far.

 

[Dave Paine]

I am interested in your future updates.

I recently needed to make a left hand thread. Normal forward rotation of the lathe. All that was needed was to start at the left, which was my shoulder and feed to the right and off the end of the part. As your instructor said, this was easy.

Making a right hand thread would have also been normal forward rotation, but starting from the end of the part and feeding to the left, normally ending in a groove to allow room for the tool.

 

[T Bredehoft]

Easier to learn Left Hand, stop isn't critical. Once you've gotten onto right hand, it's not hard, just worrysome. If you start with an undercut, there are no worries.

 

[benmychree]

I am surprised that they would teach only lathe work in the semester; when I went to high school, the two semester course taught the use of virtually all the machines in the shop, with three required projects, a hammer, a screwdriver and a paper punch, all of which were machined all over and required most of the machines in the shop to be used to accomplish the task; I got an A grade, and went on to the Jr. College class (same shop and teacher) it was a vocational class and was three periods long; I got three A's, first and only time I made the honor roll! From there I went directly into apprenticeship for 4 years; no they did not give grades, no honor roll -----
Ten year after starting apprenticeship, I opened my own business, did it for about 35 years, then sold the business and retired.
I do not see why a left hand thread is any easier or more difficult than right hand, provided that a undercut is provided for runout; the only thing that takes some getting used to with RH threads is pulling the tool out at the last fraction of a second if a relief undercut is not provided, which to my experience is most of the time; that, we learned in high school ---

 

[papa-roe]

I am surprised that they would teach only lathe work in the semester; when I went to high school, the two semester course taught the use of virtually all the machines in the shop, with three required projects, a hammer, a screwdriver and a paper punch, all of which were machined all over and required most of the machines in the shop to be used to accomplish the task; I got an A grade, and went on to the Jr. College class (same shop and teacher) it was a vocational class and was three periods long; I got three A's, first and only time I made the honor roll! From there I went directly into apprenticeship for 4 years; no they did not give grades, no honor roll -----
Ten year after starting apprenticeship, I opened my own business, did it for about 35 years, then sold the business and retired.
I do not see why a left hand thread is any easier or more difficult than right hand, provided that a undercut is provided for runout; the only thing that takes some getting used to with RH threads is pulling the tool out at the last fraction of a second if a relief undercut is not provided, which to my experience is most of the time; that, we learned in high school ---

They offer Machining I, which is milling operations, Machining II which is lathe operations, Machining III which is designed to combine the lathe and mill advanced operations as well as shapers, surface grinders and other machines in the shop. Machining I and II can be taken simultaneously but most of the folks in this class took it last semester. I started last semester in the milling class but I had to drop it because of scheduling. Of course there are core courses in technical math and technical communications, print reading and sketching and manufacturing processes. Courses in CNC, CAD/CAM as well but it is required to get the basic manual machining skills under your belt first. I don't see why LH threading would be easier or harder either. Maybe he is trying assure us that it is no big deal. I just finished a degree program in Collision Repair but I am an older student so apprenticeships and entry level opportunities are hard to find. I get free tuition because of my age, so I am content take full advantage while I can. And it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble.

 

[middle.road]

Thankfully they are offering them.

 

[papa-roe]

We had an actual class today. The instructor went over the parts of the lathe and difference and similarities between each of the lathes in the shop. When I came back for my welding class tonight, I saw the lights on and I took a few pictures of the machines. Mills, lathes and surface grinders. There were more machines but I had to get to my class. Thursday's class we are supposed to team up and practice setups and adjusting 4 jaw chucks.