Learning to lathe [things]

[PhotonFanatic]

Tonight only offered a few minutes of play time, but what fun it was!

Received my long-awaited new knurling tool from Zeus, along with a couple of deformation knurlers.

Here are two shots of the same pattern, which are raised pyramids, similar to the previous pattern done with a cutting knurler. The difference here is that this is done only by plunging the tool into the workpiece and you can not traverse your workpiece axially.

[PhotonFanatic]

Tonight's play time was very limited, but a lot of fun.

My new Zeus knurler showed up finally and I got a chance to make a trial piece:




This is the same raised pyramid pattern as I have posted previously, the difference is that this is obtained by plunging the tool into the piece, one can not traverse axially along the workpiece. So your width is limited to the width of the knurler. But this is so much easier to do than the cut knurling.

[cmacclel]

Tonight's play time was very limited, but a lot of fun.

My new Zeus knurler showed up finally and I got a chance to make a trial piece:




This is the same raised pyramid pattern as I have posted previously, the difference is that this is obtained by plunging the tool into the piece, one can not traverse axially along the workpiece. So your width is limited to the width of the knurler. But this is so much easier to do than the cut knurling.

Looks good Fred whats the cost of this Knurling tool?

Mac

[will]

just out of curiosity - what kind of tool are you using to turn down the piece? It almost looks threaded.
I put a slight radius on the tool I use for turning, this gives a much smoother finish.

[PhotonFanatic]

Mac,

The toolholder is $180 and the knurling wheel was $120. A bit expensive, no, but it is German made, so that's worth it, no doubt.


will,

That's the lazy man's way of feeding the tool--I was too lazy to change the gears, or crank it by hand.

I can make a very smooth finish, when I want to.

[65535]

Best finish is really time consuming and work, on a side not sandpaper works wonders for lazy ness.

[will]

My lathe is the same way - got to change gears - not to tough to do - just takes time..

[PhotonFanatic]

[kenster]

Very cool Fred! You have deffinately been doing some learning and you are learning well! I have some catching up do do for sure!

How long did the Zues knurling tool take to get after you ordered it?

Ken

[PhotonFanatic]

Very cool Fred! You have definitely been doing some learning and you are learning well! I have some catching up do do for sure!

How long did the Zues knurling tool take to get after you ordered it?

Ken

Ken,

Took about two months, but I think the distributor screwed up the order a bit.

When does your baby arrive?

[kenster]

Ken,

Took about two months, but I think the distributor screwed up the order a bit.

When does your baby arrive?

Should be the end of this week! I`m ready to have some FUN! Ooops! That`s for after playing with my new machines!

Where did you order from? Looks like it does a great job so I may as well put in an order!

Ken

[PhotonFanatic]

Should be the end of this week! I`m ready to have some FUN! Ooops! That`s for after playing with my new machines!

Where did you order from? Looks like it does a great job so I may as well put in an order!

Ken

So what did you finally order?

And don't blame me if this link ends up lightening your wallet.

[kenster]

Fred, I took a quick look at the link and I believe I will be hanging out there for a while tomorrow! Thanks for helping to empty my wallet. Wait a minute?!?
Sorry. no Wabeco this time but next one????? I just went ahead and ordered the LatheMaster 8 x 14 with a bunch of extras thier site. Headed over to Micro Mark for a Mini Milling Machine and a bunch of extras there. I still am going to hit The Little Machine Shop for a DRO and a bunch of other extras there.

Dang it all! It`s getting late and I deffinately 1,000% need a beer now! Too bad I`m broke now! I`ll charge it! I`m outa here!!!!!

Ken

[tino_ale]

Cool Kenster!!
Please share your first contact with the machine, impressions, thoughts, first work... Can't wait to hear about this LM 8x14!

I just went ahead and ordered the LatheMaster 8 x 14 with a bunch of extras thier site.Ken

[PhotonFanatic]

Introducing a lesson learned that actually resulted in a finished light, although it's not a flashlight!


Here it is, the Luce de Notte!

Standing on its face:



On its side:



The eagle-eyed have already figured out that it is a night light, utilizing a Tritium vial. The domed end will glow faintly when the light is placed on your nightstand/table. Pick it up and head to the bathroom and you'll be using this end:




So what did I learn? Mainly how to cut the dome using a new radius tool. Very cool tool.

Also learned a bit how to deal with plastic; at first my tools were just cutting grooves, into the plastic. Thanks to MirageMan, I learned that I needed a tool with a bit more radius to it.

I do plan to build these and sell them. I'll start a sales thread once I get some machining time in.

[Norm]

That's cool Fred I'd buy one.
Norm

[jch79]

Wow! Awesome!

[wquiles]

Very nice Fred!

Do you have photos of the actual tool you used?

Will

[gadget_lover]

Yeah, what Will said!

Really nice work.


Did you use one of the LMS rdius cutting tools? Was it difficult to master?

Daniel

[PEU]

Luz de Noche !!

Now I have to make one for myself (and prolly for wifey )

Thanks for sharing


Pablo

[PhotonFanatic]

Today I learned how to break another tool.

This time it was a face grooving tool, and an expensive one at that. Was being very gentle on the infeed and SPM, but it still broke making this groove:



Also got a chance to play with the lathe as mill today--by doing a knock-off the ARC split ring solution. This involved using a 1/2" three-flute endmill for the cuts into the body to make what will become the split-ring hole; plus the use of the corner rounding endmill also. As you can see there was a bit of chatter on the corner rounding. May need to play with the speed, infeed there a bit:



Think I'll go buy some cheap face grooving tools and pratice some more.

[bombelman]

[gadget_lover]

Face grooving tool. Is that like a boring bar with a narrow lip?

Daniel

[Griz]

Hang in there Fred, you're doing real good for just starting out.
As for busted tooling...get used to it. You'll break less tooling as you gain experience. It's just part of the learning process.
Keep posting pictures, I'm having fun watching your progress.

[kenster]

Fred, I am sorry to hear you broke a tool but ...... just buy another one!

Seriously, this "Learning to Lathe" thread of yours has turned out to be fantastic so please keep the posts coming. If you have more to offer on the chatter experienced while corner rounding.......


Ken

[will]

Chatter is generally caused by something not being held tight enough. Could be the tool too far out from the tool holder, the work sticking out too far from the chuck, those are easy to fix.

Next would be the slides being too loose. the chuck having too much play. Could even be the bearing in the head assembly of the lathe.

Easiest to check - slow down the cutting speed.

A radius tool takes off a lot material, that puts a lot of stress on the whole setup
******
A face groove tool is reasonably easy to grind, The left side of the tool should have a radius smaller than the radius of the groove you are going to cut. The front should have a regular clearance ground in. The right side can be straight. Or you can buy one.

I bought a few tool steel blanks, I grind most of my own tools. I don't work anything tougher than aluminum, so I don't need carbide.

[PEU]

In my experience with my minilathe, chatter occurs for the following reasons:

Long tools
Tool supported at a longer than desired distance from the tool holder
Unsharp tools
Not properly tightened tool post
Chuck Speed

And there is one I can't solve: minilathe rigidity, this is due to lack of mass (weight)
Some works just need to be made on bigger machines.


Pablo

[PhotonFanatic]

Thanks, will and PEU, for the suggestions. The set-up I was using was a four-jaw chuck mounted on and indexing head. In fact the workpiece was extended a fair bit from the chuck jaws, not to mention that the chuck was extended from the indexing head, so I think that will hit the nail on the head.

The tool was wicked sharp, so that wasn't part of the problem, nor was it sticking out from its collet in the headstock. I did have to rotate the workpiece by hand, and perhaps I just need to go slower, as well as figure out how to get it into the chuck further.

While I know, theoretically, how to grind a face grooving tool, I really didn't want to make one for such a tight, small groove, so I bought one instead. I may just give making one myself a shot, however.

Kenster: Yeah, buying a new tool is pretty much a commonplace occurence around here.

[TranquillityBase]

Hang in there Fred, you're doing real good for just starting out.
As for busted tooling...get used to it. You'll break less tooling as you gain experience. It's just part of the learning process.
Keep posting pictures, I'm having fun watching your progress.

Ditto...

Full profile cuts are very chatter prone...You could try flipping the tool upside down and cutting from the opposite side.

TB

[Anglepoise]

Without seeing photos, its a bit of guess work.
But face grooving should not give too many problems.
One thing to watch for is the diameter of the groove must match the tooling.
You buy the insert and it usually tells you that it will work on a certain size of groove.

Now in the case of the photo above, it looks like the face groove is close to 3/8th inch diameter. Now the tool to cut that would have a curve ground into the tool to closely match the final groove. If the sides of the tool were straight......instant breakage.