Unsure what to do

[gus]

Maybe your first step should be to buy some 1/4" blanks, a small bench grinder with good quality wheels and watch the mrpete222 videos on sharpening. No matter which lathe you choose, 1/4" tools will fit and you are going to need to learn sharpening early on.

Make sure you get a pair of safety goggles, too.

Good advice on HSS,grinding and safety.Will watch mrpete222 to brush up my hss grinding.

It is true at lower speeds HSS gives a better cut.

 

[dave-in-england]

Carbide tools are not really suitable for use on aluminium unless you are roughing down through the hard skin of large rough sand castings.

High speed steel tools ground with a razor sharp edge and a smooth radius for chip flow, and a tiny radius at the end will give a much better finish cut on alloys, when using cutting oil / soluble oil.

So, for aluminium work, buy one carbide tool for roughing work, and the rest of your tools can be HSS.

 

[albertorc19]

You can also consider spending a few bucks on "Model Engineer's Hanbook" by Tubal Cain. This little book has a lot of useful information about cutting speeds, the geometry of cutting tools, dies and taps, etc. The "Workshop practice series" published by SI Model Books is a great source of information at a reasonable price.
Be sure to use your googles when sharpening your HSS tools. When learning to sharpen HSS tools I first used cheap scraps of square steel before sharpening actual HSS blanks. Don't forget that the tool you're about to sharp can get very hot and burn your fingers, never touch the tip of a sharp tool until after you have cooled it with water. Work safely and enjoy!

 

[rake60]

Personally, I use carbide on aluminum.

I slapped together a quick demonstration.
The rough cut is .060" depth of cut, followed by a finish cut .005" deep.
I am not cutting for a size here, just hacking away at a piece of scrap aluminum to show how I do it.

The spindle speed is 600 RPM and the diameter is roughly .375".
That works out to a surface speed of about 60 Surface Feet per Minute.
That is horribly slow for aluminum, but it works for me.
The feed rate is .004" per revolution.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tFw6WLLLZM[/ame]

This is a closer photo of the finish I get from a carbide insert with a .015" nose radius and chip breaker.
It was not polished or shined up in any way.

With sharp tips, highest reasonable speeds and low feeds carbide works quite well on aluminum.

Rick

 

[Mainer]

HSS is fine. I've found I pretty much don't need carbide, at all, except occasionally when turning a casting and the tool hits a hard spot.
You will discover that HSS is HARD and takes a long time to grind. I use 1/4" square bits. Grinding those isn't too bad, but I think I would find grinding 1/2" to be quite a chore.

 

[gus]

Found time to make DIY Quick Change Tool Post but you need a vertical mill and dove tail cutter. Plans came from a UK magazine.
Some hand fitting required to mate tool holders to post. Made 6 holders for the popular cutters.
Tool height easily set. So no hassle looking for shims.

Don't mind paying for a QCTP but the freight cost will kill me as I live in faraway Singapore.

See fotos. Lathe is "Sakai" Japan. Paid too much for quality but served
me well for last 8 years. Same for the Japanese Vertical Mill.

 

[Tin Falcon]

there is a lot learn and a lot of information available for downloads on the internet. I listed several out copyright and public domain books in my gsme thread.

Army machine tool TC 9-524
Navy repairmans manual
south bend how to run a lathe
Indusrial press Machineries handbook should give you a good start.
I feel this has turned into a carbide HSS debate.
Tool choice geometry and care is likely one of the most importandt details to learn the cutter does the work the better prep on the cutter the better the results.
there are lots of options to choose.
If you have about 120 $ to spare in your budget warner tools in Latrabe PA sells realy nice tools with HSS inserts.
And i think someon already mentioned a QCTP you can get import sets for around a100 $ and additional holders for about 10$ each. they save lots of time and frustration.
tin

 

[gus]

Thanks Tin.
Just went into mrpete222.Lots of tips that I never ever seen or thought.
Did watch Tubal grinding HSS bits to compare notes with tricks taught/learnt from my uncles.
Drill bit web thinning was one. Always wondered why the old hands drill m.s. plates so easy. They were so secretive and actually kept their drill bits away from our eyes till Gus "monkey see,monkey do." Hardening and tempering of carbon steel chisels was another till my best friend taught me for a beer. Till today,all my chisels are DIY.China was so backward because selfish masters. Ancient scientist and inventors were never rewarded.

Tin,How was upgraded from junior member to senior member so fast. I am honoured.

 

[RonGinger]

Not to be nosy, but why dont you tell us what you intend to get for the $3000. Have you picked out a set of parts, or is this a package deal someone is selling used?

You havent mentioned scale, but if you are just planning to make model engines a $3000 lathe sounds excessive

 

[Tin Falcon]

Make sure you get a pair of safety goggles, too.

yes and goggles or face shiield to go over them. Always use double eye protection when grinding. If you have not already done so read the safety rules in the safety sub fora.
Tin

 

[gus]

Not to be nosy, but why dont you tell us what you intend to get for the $3000. Have you picked out a set of parts, or is this a package deal someone is selling used?

You havent mentioned scale, but if you are just planning to make model engines a $3000 lathe sounds excessive

$3000 is big money. Are you planning to buy lathe and mill and all the tools and cutters.
Recently I helped an old friend in Kentucky buy a LMS HiTorque 7x12 Lathe with Tooling Package plus delivery and paid US$939. Lathe arrived in good condition but had too much rust preventive gunk to cleaned off.
My friend was a beginner who did some trade school course in turning.
He is turning out small parts for his friends to repair some machines.

 

[Whitehorse]

Sorry guys about the lack of clarity in my original post. You have all been very helpful, and I have finally worked out exactly what I need.
Regarding the $3000, it was the overall cost of everything, not just the lathe. Part of that includes things such as grinders and benches, the lathe itself is only around $1800, and hopefully should last me a very long time. My lathe selection was on the recommendation of a friend, with many years experience.
Once again, thank you, you have all been extremely helpful.

 

[Tin Falcon]

so what lathe are you getting if it is not to personal a question?

My south bend lathe is 75 years young . As much as folks complain about the cheap Chinese machines IMHO any machine tool cared for and used in a hobby environment will last a long time.
Tin

 

[Whitehorse]

Sorry I left it out in my last post.
It is the AL320G.
https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L141

 

[gus]

Sorry I left it out in my last post.
It is the AL320G.
https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L141

Looks like a good buy. Lathe capacity is more than sufficient for hobby machinist.Gus paid S$2500 for Sakai Japan Watch Maker Lathe.