Your Home Lathe Tooling

[rake60]

The recent thread on HSS tool grinding has set me to thinking about my
own home shop lathe tooling.

I can grind a tool from HSS that I'd put up against any others.
Do I use them as my primary tools? No....

I own a full set of carbide insert tools.

First choice for the lathe? Not really...

My first choice is the brazed carbide bit tool at the top of this picture.

Yes there are a few HSS tools below them, but when it come to the
bull work the brazed bits are what I depend on.

Now you can tell me about a tool that will take 1/8" depth of cut on a
9 X 20 lathe, and I will be sure to file that information in an appropriate place.
(The east river is running high tonight, so it shouldn't have any lasting environmental impact.)

But seriously, What tooling do YOU actually use at home in your lathe?

Rick

 

[Brass_Machine]

I have a set of TCMM insert tools that I use

Image from LMS (where I bought them from)

However, I have a box of HSS blanks and a grinder for whenever I need to make a tool. Grinding tools was the first thing we learned in my Machine Shop class. We spent an entire night on them.

Eric

 

[PolskiFran]

My usual lathe tooling is a set of insert holders (like you have pictured). Most of my work is usually done in drill rod or O1. I like the ability to just change the insert if it goes south. I do have an assortment of tools at the ready for my QC tool post. Two sizes of HHS ground to a 90 deg. point for chamfering. Three widths of HSS parting (cutoff) tools. One 60 deg. HSS for threading. One short solid carbide boring tool. One sharp corner RH brazed carbide turning and two extra holders for the odd cutters. It is nice to be able to just grab the tool you want without having to constantly recenter, readjust, etc.

BTW all of these tool holders did not come about overnight, I have been picking some up here and there over a period of years. I did start with a lantern tool post with tool holders and a small turret tool block.

At the headstock end I have one 3-jaw chuck, two 4 jaw chucks (5" & 8"), 3AT collet set (.015" to .500"), two face plates and a few #3 morse taper fixtures.

At the tailstock live and dead centers. Having a few extra jacobs type chucks (1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" capy.) also comes in handy too.

Frank

 

[BobWarfield]

Well ya knew I'd have to get in on this one, LOL!

Most used work horses are the Micro100 CCMT holders. I run them with CCGT inserts (as discussed on the other thread) unless I have a really nasty interrupted cut, in which case I'll run them with regular CCMT's.

I have some brazed carbide tools I bought, but they've never been used in the lathe. They go in my fly cutters. I'll have to give them a try on the lathe.

The most finicky tooling to get good results from has been boring bars and parting off tools.

I have found all the cheap import boring bars, including the CCMT bars that came in the turning sets, to be poor. I invested in solid carbide Circle boring bars with inserts for the lathe and they're fabulous: minimal chatter and clean cuts. I'm still looking for bars I like for my boring head.

On the parting off front, I have two tools that I like really well. First is an Aloris #71 QCTP carbide insert tool:

It's a workhorse, and will take anything I throw at it. If it squeals, it just means it wants to be fed harder. Took me a long time to get used to that on my small lathe--feeding harder often gets rid of chatter, but especially when parting off.

I also have a (surprise!) little HSS tool I like for parting small stuff. There's a seller on eBay ("samsws") that has these neat little parting off blades:

He makes 'em on his surface grinder and they work very well.

The other things that makes all the difference in the world is I've got a variable speed DC motor on the lathe.

Cheers,

BW

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

I used hand-ground HSS tooling for the 1st couple years and then bought a cheap Enco 3/8" insert tool set with TCMM (I think) inserts. I dropped the HSS almost completely and used the inserted tooling for everything with very good results. I'm lusting after some "real" insert tooling like Bob W has but the budget won't allow for it yet.

I finished a tangential HSS toolholder for the QCTP (John Moran/Gadgetbuilder design) last weekend and am just beginning to use it. The results so far are very promising and it was a fun project. Here's some pics:

 

[jpaul]

For lathe work I use HSS cutters almost exclusively. At present I don't have an adequate method of sharpening carbide tools. Aside from a dozen lathe cutters pre-mounted for Quick Change, I have a collection of small (.188" diameter) Form Cutters that I ground for a specific tasks. These cutters are not mounted since they are seldom used.

I came across hundreds of surplus 10-32 taps. No I didn't buy them all but I bought fifty or more at $4/lb. Over time I have used the shank of one of these taps to make a speciality cutter. To mount the tool I made several tool holders, featured by George H. Thomas

 

[Bernd]

Hey DICKEYBIRD,

The way that tool is held, looks simular to the advert in HSM and Machisnist Workshop. The call it the "Diamond Toolholder". Bay-Com Enterprises sells it. Their version is for the lantern style tool post holder. Is there a link to the Gagetbuilder?

jpaul,

Great idea using 10-32 tap bodies for cutters. Were does one get the surplus from"

Bernd

 

[rake60]

Here's the link to gadgetbuilder.com

A LOT of good information there!

Rick

 

[Bernd]

Thanks Rick. Looks realy interesting.

Bernd

 

[Don Huseman]

part up side down
I have a lathe that has a chuck that will not unscrew when you run the lathe counter clock wise and I turned the parting tool upside down and part that way. It jams every now and then and knocks to tool up . When you part in the normal manner when the tool jams it has a tendency to break the tool. The cutting oil seems to wick in the grove and oil the tool. I have a kdk holder and I just mount the parting tool upside down.
Does any body else part this way or am I different.

 

[chuck foster]

i use a rear mounted tool post on my 9" south bend with the parting tool mounted upside down.
it will cut just about anything you through at it, square,hex and round. nothing seams to jam or chatter.
it is the best way that i have ever tried.


chuck

 

[snowman]

Two months ago, I used strictly carbide.

A month ago, I decided to learn to grind my own bits.

I used a carbide bit today because that's what was in the Aloris...

Now I use pretty much strictly HSS.

I've got a CRAPLOAD of random custom ground endmills that I will NEVER use. Yesterday I ground one down to become a boring bar. I also have a bunch of taps that I've been grinding up, and I'm always digging through machinists boxes at surplus stores and pawnshops.

I did however get screwed. Took quite a while and ground out a bit yesterday. Touched it to the workpiece...yep, beautifully ground piece of keystock.

 

[Powder keg]

I did however get screwed. Took quite a while and ground out a bit yesterday. Touched it to the workpiece...yep, beautifully ground piece of keystock.

At school, They had some neat surface grinders. I thought it was fun to grind up a nice looking bit out of mild steel and leave it on a bench somewhere. There was always someone to pick it up and try to cut with it. Someone donated 2" re-bar to the school. It didn't work too good to take the bumps off of that

Wes

 

[wareagle]

At school, They had some neat surface grinders. I thought it was fun to grind up a nice looking bit out of mild steel and leave it on a bench somewhere. There was always someone to pick it up and try to cut with it.

OT here..... PK, That reminded me of when we would take our buddy's coil wires off their car/truck, and replace it with vacuum line, along with the boots. It was always on the "super mechanic's" ride, and it would piss 'em off when they realized what happened! Good times!!

Okay, back OT For lathe tooling, I use the insert tooling about 75% of the time, the remainder is HSS. Nothing special in my box. In my experience (not that there's years of it), the HSS seems to give me a better finish than the insert tooling. It may be the inserts, operator error, or just dumb luck, but that is a trend I have noticed.

I did get one of those groove cutters from Enco that takes the inserts, and it is nice. One of my next tooling builds will be a scissor knurler.

 

[DickDastardly40]

part up side down
I have a lathe that has a chuck that will not unscrew when you run the lathe counter clock wise and I turned the parting tool upside down and part that way. It jams every now and then and knocks to tool up . When you part in the normal manner when the tool jams it has a tendency to break the tool. The cutting oil seems to wick in the grove and oil the tool. I have a kdk holder and I just mount the parting tool upside down.
Does any body else part this way or am I different.

Don,

Some of the older lathes (sorry can't remember your particular set up) have an optional rear tool post, in which you mount tools upside down and continue to run the lathe forwards and bring the tool forwards to the work. This works very well for parting as the chips fall away and don't get stuck in the 'throat' of the cut. When I have mine fitted I use a parting tool or chamfer tool in it.

Al

 

[S_J_H]

Now you can tell me about a tool that will take 1/8" depth of cut on a
9 X 20 lathe, and I will be sure to file that information in an appropriate place.

Well this is a pic of my old 9x20 taking at least a .125" cut in some 6061 using a Glanze ccmt insert tool under power feed. That was the norm for me on that lathe when roughing larger stock. .1" in leaded steel.

Steve

 

[Bogstandard]

Steve,

I use the same tips as you do on almost all my tipped tooling, and I have to agree with you fully. That wide angle face can really wack the stuff off. When they get worn on the faces, just use the tips in the tooling that uses the shallower angles.

John

 

[Stan]

I do most of my work with 6061 aluminum and O1 drill rod. Working with a flat belt Logan lathe I use HSS almost exclusively. I find carbide takes too much power which is not readily available with the flat belt drive. When I need a steel flywheel, a friend working at a steel supplier cuts it out of mild steel plate with a plasma cutter. I have to use carbide tools in the heat affected zone to rough it to OD and then go back to HSS for all the rest of the work. The problem when using carbide on this job is that it doesn't like interupted cuts and I don't have enough power to take off enough in the first cuts.

If I was in a production shop I would be using carbide, But I would be using a gear head lathe with lots of horsepower and lots of spindle speed. Any time the flat belt slips on my Logan, it totals a carbide cutter, but does no harm to a HSS cutter. I can take .001 cuts on O1 with HSS that I find impossible with carbide cutters.

BTW: I have an Aloris tool post with motley collection of tool holders, Aloris, import and shop made. I use mostly 3/8" cutters but may go as small as 3/16" threading bits to get right up to a corner.

 

[Seanol]

I use the grizzly version of the glanze tooling that Bob showed. After I went through all the inserts (they did not last long) I started grinding HSS and haven't looked back. While I love the finish and the ability to remove alot of metal, the HSS lasts longer in my still learning hands. I do have one problem with HSS. How to get the chips to break? On a-1 drill rod I get a very stringy chip.
I also use GTN parting inserts as well as standard t shaped parting blades. I use a little top rake and I have had very few problems. I do have a 13x40 Takang lathe so it is fairly stout.

Sean

 

[BobWarfield]

Steve, thank you for visually making a point I've had great difficulty conveying. With no intended disrespect to your 9x20 lathe, your photo immediately dispells some myths that one hears constantly around indexable lathe tooling:

1. I can't run my machine fast enough to take advantage of it.

2. My little hobby machine won't do carbide.

3. I don't have enough horsepower for carbide.

The other two chestnuts I hear often but do not have a problem with in my shop are:

4. You can't do interrupted cuts with carbide. Oddly so many people will use brazed carbide on a flycutter which spends it's life interrupted cutting.

5. You can't get a good surface finish with carbide.

Bog, your tip is excellent, and one I only recently figured out myself (sorry guys, I am slow!). The diamond CCMT/CCGT shape has 2 narrow points and 2 wide points. The tooling sets from Glanz and Micro100 have holders that use both. If you break or chip a point, there are 3 others that are usable in one or the other of your tools. It just means they last a lot longer than people would think.

Now lest ye think I am purely a carbide bigot, I am playing around with HSS grinding too. So far, I am not impressed if I have a carbide tool that does the same chore. However, there are many instances where there is no carbide available. Wes is doing a form tool for the columns on the team build. I love form tools and they're an HSS-only gig. No carbide inserts there! There are also specialty cutters for which good carbide isn't necessarily available. For example you can do a better job on a fly cutter or a boring head if you take a little care. Lastly, for tiny grooves and cutoff, I have an HSS parting blade I like that is smaller than my Aloris part off tool. No doubt I will someday have an indexable grooving tool, but this little guy is handy for small work and snap ring grooves.

Cheers!

BW