Parting is such sweet sorrow

[brewdexta]

So your happy working on your lathe, all the swarf is falling away from your work and so is any lubricant suds etc. Sounds great until your parting off some small bit and it goes the same way heading off into a heap of swarf and oil.

Any tips on keeping the bits you want seperated from the bits you don't?

 

[FranV8]

Other than keeping the swarf tray as empty as possible, not really!

I have to say, parting on my lathe scares me a lot, so I'll mostly chicken out, cut it off on the bandsaw and then reverse the piece in the chuck and face off.

Bit of a cheat really aren't I? I'd be useless in production...

 

[madkayaker]

I some times use a dustpan to catch the bit in

 

[Shox Dr]

I hear you. Lost a woodruff key off the cross slide a couple of days ago. Took me ages to find it.

 

[brewdexta]

Cheers guys, at least its not just me and I'm not missing a trick. The swarf tray on my chipmaster is low down around the back and a bit of a pig to get to when the metal screen is in place, and if your tinkering with the suds pump like I am then it can end up in the coolant reservoir.

Just made a dozen 5/8" alloy washers so ended up stuffing the sward/coolant gaps in the bed with a rag to stop 'em dropping down the back. i think I will rig a up a parts catcher that is easy to remove but lets suds through, I have some stainless perforated steel left over from another job

Cheers
Andy

 

[brightspark]

parting in the lathe

i hear that some people part off the quick way using a hacksaw while the machines running .i dont recomend it but its fast

 

[Shox Dr]

i hear that some people part off the quick way using a hacksaw while the machines running .i dont recomend it but its fast

Be careful when cutting ali

 

[brightspark]

Be careful when cutting ali

yes i have heard it nips up

 

[Shox Dr]

Plenty of cutting fluid is the key,as the blade clogs up

 

[brewdexta]

Plenty of cutting fluid is the key,as the blade clogs up

Still fixing my suds, I'm on manual at the moment - squirty bottle with cutting oil. New pump on its way. I have some oil for suds but I bought a gallon of thin cutting oil so may use that instead of suds. I don't do anything really heavyweight and avoids the problems with mouldy suds and rusty beds.

 

[mart13]

If your parting off something with a hole in like a washer put a smaller drill in the tailstock and push it into the hole so it is nearly touching the end.(You can use a pencil by hand if your brave)
Part off normally and as the part separates it falls onto the drill, not the swarf tray.
For parts without holes try a tea strainer....
Have fun
Mart

 

[brewdexta]

genius - like it

 

[normspanners]

If its ferrous hold a magnet on a stick close to it, just as its due to cut through and click ya got it

 

[hareng]

Hold the cutting off part if big enough or just put your hand under and catch it.

Done it all roads until present lathe mostly a hack saw jobby stationary or spinning, makes no odds and dont clog up bit slow though.

Could try some LH parting off tips leaves a finished product on cut off bit. Struggled for years using neutral tips having to face off, debur and chamfer.

 

[Pete.]

I used to be scared of parting off until I made some parting blades from a TCT sawblade. Now I just power it on through with the cross-feed.

 

[julianthegypsy]

As above, if it has a hole, poke a scewdriver through it, it will spin off onto the driver very nicely!

 

[brightspark]

i use hss blades as well as the home made tct saw ones

 

[chris-law]

i use hss blades as well as the home made tct saw ones

Now that's a great idea

 

[brewdexta]

That's a great idea, wished I'd seen this earlier - I got an indexable parting blade with holder and 4 tips and it wasn't cheap - and its not industrial quality, defo hobby.

 

[Pete.]

They do work really well, but for best results you should cut them from the biggest blade you can find as the smaller ones are a bit thin. If it's a wood cutting sawblade you should reduce the tooth overhang and cutting rake or it will pull the tooth of the seat in a heavy cut.

I have a large rage sawblade here I'm going to try. It's 'worn out' for it's normal use but that won't matter as I'll give the trrth a lick on a diamond wheel to bring the edge back.