Turning right to left with lathe..

[Pcmaker]

When you're turning from the tailstock to the chuck, at the end of your cut, are you supposed to back out your cross slide? Seems like when I get to the end of where I'm turning my workpiece and rotate the carriage handwheel to go back to my starting position, the cutting tool leaves grooves on my otherwise smooth surface if I don't back out the cross slide on my lathe.

 

[ttabbal]

I like to back out from the work when making "travel" moves. It avoids exactly that problem.

 

[benmychree]

When roughing, I would not worry over the tool tracing a spiral on the return for the next cut; if you are close to finish size, its another matter.

 

[royesses]

On the mini lathe when making finishing cuts I make about three spring passes. I back out the tool for each one and set it back for each pass. There is a lot of deflection on these small lathes. Also I let the metal cool down before the finish passes so I don't make the part undersized.

Roy

 

[P. Waller]

This is a 100+ year old question, I try not to drag a carbide insert tool backwards through the part, however I do it it often when setting tools.

This is a personal habit left over from the years spent running manual machines, it will not generally damage the part.

 

[Hawkeye]

When I'm backing out for a return pass, I generally turn the crossfeed exactly 1 revolution, so that it lands on the 'same' number, as a reminder of the previous pass. When cranking back in for the next pass, I turn to the same number again, then add the next depth of cut.

 

[Rooster]

Greetings all, i could be wrong, but is that not a sign of cutting a taper due to the bed being twisted out of alignment.

 

[markba633csi]

No, it's a sign of general lack of rigidity in several parts of the lathe structure, including the workpiece itself which can move away from the tool during cutting

 

[mikey]

It is also a sign of deflection. Backing a tool out while in contact with the work piece is not the best practice - dulls the tool and can chip an insert.

 

[aliva]

This has happened me several times. I believe that part of the issue is tool pressure, and a dull insert. I have changed to a new insert and a lighter cut, problem solved. If I'm doing a rough cut I just ignore it. On finished cuts I'll stop and reverse the feed, mind you it's less than .001