Beginner tool set, live center etc.

[Headrc]

Ok ...I am sure this has been covered here but my searching did not find a thread. The question is ...what are the recommendations here for some beginners tool sets and a couple of necessary accessories. Little Machine Shop? Harbor Freight? Grizzly etc. ?? This question is pertaining to getting a beginning tool set for turning, parting and boring ...and then a live center, dead center and morse taper chuck. I have purchased an Atlas 9 inch lathe that is in very good condition but with no tooling or centers. It has both a lamp post tool post as well as a DIY compound toolpost holder that seems well made. So now I need to get started with some kind of tooling etc. and don't want to overpay but also do not want to buy something that is just junk. I have look at all the options and read reviews and have mixed feelings on all that I see except for the really expensive products that I am hesitant to buy unless I could buy second hand at a good price. Are the cheaper offerings really that bad and not serviceable? Is the mid priced items that much better? Being a hobbyist at best right now, I have made purchases of Harbor Freight etc. before that for my purposes work because they do not get used often but of course I see their shortcomings if they were to be used a lot. But I am totally new to metal lathe work so this may not be the case here. Specifically, is the Little Machine Shop worth the premium you pay over something like Harbor Freight? Or is it the similar but gets a premium because LMS is focused on metal working? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[David S]

Welcome.
Can you let us know exactly what came with your lathe? Did it include a chuck? If not and if you are tight on money I would start with a 4 jaw independent chuck.

My first lathe was an Atlas 618 that I got over 40 years ago and started with the 4 jaw and also got a jacobs screw on and those are all I have ever used, prior to getting some collets.

It would also help to know what type of work you will be starting to do.

David

 

[Headrc]

Hi Dave ..thanks for the response. Yes the lathe has a 6 inch three jaw chuck that works as it should . And of course the 9 inch Atlas has longitudinal power feed. Candidly, I do not really know what kind of work I will be doing but for instance I have a couple of small hubs for some dc drill motors that I would like to see if I could make instead of buy. But I could see more of these types of things happening if I can become somewhat proficient on this effort ...including making some accessories for the lathe itself.

 

[David S]

Well the next thing would be is to get a tail stock chuck. I don't think you will have to spend a lot of money for one that fits the tailstock taper. Again the size depends on the type of work you will mostly be doing. If you get one larger than 1/2" it may not close down on smaller diameter bits. Until you know what else you may be doing a dead center for the tail stock will be ok.

Perhaps a picture of your compound tool post holder would be helpful as well. I have purchased things from LMS and have been happy as well as cutters and collets from Chinese companies and so far have been happy.

David

 

[Headrc]

Ok ...I will get a picture of the lathe and tool holder up here. Have you had any experience with the Harbor Freight stuff? Did you buy or use that LMS tool sharpening training set they sell? Compared to other offerings it seems a litte pricey ...but if it is truly sharpened correctly maybe it is worth it. Thanks Richard

 

[macardoso]

I just tooled up a slightly larger 12x36 lathe. After a few months of using it, here are my thoughts.

Used all the time:
-Swiss Type test indication (0.0005") and flexible mag base. This is a must have. You don't need to spend a fortune.
-1/2" keyless drill chuck and MT arbor to match tailstock. Don't buy bigger than 1/2" right now.
-Quick change tool post (CDCO tool makes a cheap but nice one)
-4 jaw chuck. Must have for any accurate work where you must pick up existing features or requires back work.
-Basic OD turning tools and a few boring bars (I use indexable carbide, but most will point you to HSS, you decide)
-Measuring tools, get some calipers, telescoping bore gages, micrometers as big as you expect to turn (0-3" to start maybe?), and the test indicator stated above. Your work is only as good as you can measure. You don't need super name brand stuff, but I would recommend buying new, or at least buying standards to check your used instruments.

Used only a little:
-Dead center
-Live center

Haven't used and probably might never need:
-Faceplate
-Headstock center
-turning dogs

I love Shars tool company (out of Illinois). They import all their stuff, but it seems to be better quality than most imports (plus they will replace anything which doesn't meet your quality standards). They're pretty inexpensive too.

 

[Headrc]

Thanks, I will look at the Shars site. What about indexed tooling compared to regular ....any thoughts on that folks?

 

[mikey]

The question is ...what are the recommendations here for some beginners tool sets and a couple of necessary accessories. This question is pertaining to getting a beginning tool set for turning, parting and boring ...and then a live center, dead center and morse taper chuck.

Richard, welcome to HM!

It sounds like you're starting from scratch other than a 3 jaw chuck. You are hopefully going to get a lot of input but I wanted to share some thoughts.

• This hobby is like a big magnet - sorta sucks you in, you know? Many of us start out thinking we just want to try metal working and are not sure if its for us ... before you know it, years have passed and you have a lathe, mill, drill press, bandsaw and, well, you get the idea. I raise this because the probability of you staying in the hobby is pretty high so if you do buy tools, try to buy stuff that will work well and last for some time. That sorta leaves Harbor Freight out for most things. The quickest way to throw money away is to buy cheap tools, at least in my experience.
• I would highly recommend you buy a quick change tool post. They are faster to use, more rigid than a lantern tool post and will simplify tool grinding.
• Figure out what the tailstock taper is and buy a decent drill chuck. I personally prefer keyless chucks and Albrechts in particular. However, you don't need to go that deep. A decent keyless chuck is the Rohm Supra that can be had for about $100.00 on ebay new, or less for a used one. Buy an arbor with a MT to fit your tailstock and a JT to fit the chuck and you're good to go. If you prefer them, keyed chucks abound on ebay. Do your homework before buying one. I prefer Rohm or US-made Jacobs keyed chucks.
• I would make a dead center for your lathe.
• I would suggest a live center instead of a dead center for the tailstock. A good budget brand of live center is Skoda; decent performance for a fair price. It does not pay to buy a cheap live center, trust me.
• You lathe is not a paragon of rigidity, power or speed. Hence, I suggest you go with HSS tooling instead of carbide. I know most new guys prefer inserted carbide but you will get the most performance from your lathe with HSS. The only caveat is that you have to learn how to grind those tools but we here on the forum can help you with that. I looked at the LMS learning tool set and I would not buy them myself; not that they're bad but there are easier ways to learn this stuff. If you can't wait and want to use the lathe now then consider HSS inserted tools from AR Warner. They won't outperform a good HSS tool but they will cut better for you than carbide.
• Parting is a big question mark. I've seen many posts about problems parting on an Atlas lathe and not having first hand experience with this lathe, I cannot advise you. My experience is that a P-type parting tool will give you the best shot at it and I would start with a P1 or P2 blade and see how it goes.
• Boring is another big question mark. There is far more to boring than just slapping any old bar in a holder and going at it. It is potentially one of the most expensive operations there is on a lathe, mostly because mistakes when choosing and using bars costs money. I'm going to suggest something that may sound stupid but I would buy one of those cheap Chinese sets with the 9 brazed carbide tipped bars for like $10.00. They are not quality tools by any means but will let you try your hand at it for not much money and they actually do cut fairly well on a lathe. Later, when you are more used to running a lathe, learn about choosing and using good bars so you can make an informed decision.

You are going to need a decent dial indicator, dial caliper and possibly a micrometer at some point. Lots to buy but before you do, ask.

Take your time, learn to use the lathe. Your 3 jaw will get most of the work done while you learn. Later, when you need accuracy, learn to use a 4 jaw chuck.

I highly recommend you start off with 6061-T6 aluminum and 12L14 steel as materials. They, and your lathe, will teach you a great deal about how metal likes to be cut.

Welcome to the forum, Richard. Lots of good guys here and help is a question away.

 

[Firstram]

What is the tail stock taper? I have an import 1/2" keyed chuck you can have if you need it.

 

[macardoso]

Thanks, I will look at the Shars site. What about indexed tooling compared to regular ....any thoughts on that folks?

I personally find the the low cost indexable tools to be a good investment. I do know how to grind HSS tools to do the job, but it is very nice to be able to pop in an insert which is suitable for your material and just cut.

Here is an example. I use 1/2" tools on my lathe and use a CCMT (80* diamond) style insert for most of my OD turning work. I can buy a HSS bit and grind it to spec for a few dollars, but I also need a bench grinder, wheel, and most importantly time to prep a very cheap HSS tool. It will cut for a good long while and then I will resharpen it. The surface finish isn't amazing without some decent edge prep. When I want to cut aluminum, I might grind a second tool with a sharper rake to cut a bit better. Now instead, I buy a $20-30 tool one time and throw a $5 insert on it. The insert is already pressed or ground to the right angles and cuts perfectly out of the box. Since it is carbide, it will last a long time, probably until you crash it if you aren't cutting really hard. But more importantly, you just pop on an insert and you're good to go. You can switch inserts to match materials. For me I care less about the cost and more about maximizing the cutting time I have for the hour or two after work (I'm a long way from retiring).

Many will tell you you can never run the carbide hard enough (and they're right), but it still works beautifully. You don't need the $40 a piece inserts, you can find everything you need for under 5 dollars. A hobbyist might never hit the breakeven point on the carbide investment (purely money speaking), but when I consider my limited time, I find I much prefer inserts.

PS: if you like HSS for the slower cutting speed, but like the ease of use of insert tooling, there are a few companies which make HSS inserts to fit an indexable tool holder. Right around the cost of the cheaper carbide inserts ($5 for the CCMT 32.51 discussed above).