Newbie and turning metal

[Richard.]

Yeah as said above grease a dead centre and dry for live. Don't put too much pressure when applying your live centre into the centre hole. Just enough so it doesn't slip and lock your tail stock. If your live centre has an oil port like mine do give it a drop after ever use to keep the bearings nicely lubed up. Once they get play in them they are useless.

 

[Richard.]

When I got my lathe I jumped straight in to thread cutting. Almost everything I've cut on it for my jobs have involved a thread or two (external and internal) if you've got the wheels it will be very worth while having a go. I learned more about my lathe cutting threads than any other operation I've done. I made a few gear knobs a short while ago for a company selling boy racer toys and they were not a seller really but it was fun doing and learning lots of different operations with the lathe.

 

[Richard.]

From the second picture I can't help but think you could do with some sort of changewheel storage solution

Fancy making me a box

 

[slim_boy_fat]

From the second picture I can't help but think you could do with some sort of changewheel storage solution

He's got one....it's horizontal.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@spencer 427 As an aside, you pics are among the best we see posted on the forum [imho].

 

[Seadog]

That looks like a live centre

Of course it is, daft s*d

 

[Hood]

I crank things up with a live centre on the manual and on the CNC it is much more as it is hydraulic

 

[addjunkie]

When using a center, before you start cutting metal, bring the sadle along to make sure you have enough stick out to perform all the machining youre going to need at the center end of the job.

Nothing more annoying than being half way though a part then the sadle hits the tail stock when you try to get in to cut a thread so something.

 

[God mode restorations]

When using a center, before you start cutting metal, bring the sadle along to make sure you have enough stick out to perform all the machining youre going to need at the center end of the job.

Nothing more annoying than being half way though a part then the sadle hits the tail stock when you try to get in to cut a thread so something.

Yes. That is something I did today ....

 

[God mode restorations]

@spencer 427 As an aside, you pics are among the best we see posted on the forum [imho].

Thanks slim . I do me best.

 

[God mode restorations]

When I got my lathe I jumped straight in to thread cutting. Almost everything I've cut on it for my jobs have involved a thread or two (external and internal) if you've got the wheels it will be very worth while having a go. I learned more about my lathe cutting threads than any other operation I've done. I made a few gear knobs a short while ago for a company selling boy racer toys and they were not a seller really but it was fun doing and learning lots of different operations with the lathe.

Fantastic work there Richard. Very clean and awesome finish.

 

[God mode restorations]

Well.. the center drills work fine. The center all works fine.. my steel off cuts are a load of crud. Not one of em is straight. I did a couple of trial runs but getting harmonics coming from somewhere. Everything was true in the chuck ect. So i putting it down to naff steels.
Will get some new stock soon and some insert tooling.

 

[Richard.]

Fantastic work there Richard. Very clean and awesome finish.

Don’t compare my finish to yours mate and think I’m any better. The material I show there is aluminium and with a sharp high rake tool a beautiful finish is always guaranteed.

 

[Hood]

Don’t compare my finish to yours mate and think I’m any better. The material I show there is aluminium and with a sharp high rake tool a beautiful finish is always guaranteed.

Not always, don't sell yourself short

 

[God mode restorations]

Don’t compare my finish to yours mate and think I’m any better. The material I show there is aluminium and with a sharp high rake tool a beautiful finish is always guaranteed.

Yes. But still nice work thoe mate.

 

[Richard.]

Fantastic work there Richard. Very clean and awesome finish.

Here’s a pair a shafts I made that screwed into idle wheels on a machine. These were made from a nice quality steel.

 

[dab4318]

Here’s a pair a shafts I made that screwed into idle wheels on a machine. These were made from a nice quality steel.

Awesome finish Richard!

And the Ali on the earlier posts. A finish that good isn’t always guaranteed so well done!

 

[Hood]

Here’s a pair a shafts I made that screwed into idle wheels on a machine. These were made from a nice quality steel.

I love turning alloyed steel almost as much as I do 316. The finish you can achieve is amazing, then again you can sometimes screw it up as well

 

[Richard.]

Trust me, it's very possible to get a very bad finish on alu whatever tool you chuck at it

I’ve been quite lucky then really as I can’t say I’ve worked hard to achieve that finish on the Alu.
I just spin it up quickly with a sharp tool and take a decent cut.
If there is any art form to it then I’m afraid gents I’ve fluked it.

 

[dab4318]

Here’s a pair a shafts I made that screwed into idle wheels on a machine. These were made from a nice quality steel.

Apologies if I’ve missed it somewhere but what lathe do you have?