Finally getting my G0602 setup!

[mike44]

Grind HSS with a radius like the one you have. I can't tell if the front relief is correct. I use 8/10 ° on all metals. Diamond file or stone the radius.
Set the carriage travel to the slowest and change the chuck speed to one higher pulley . You can use faster carriage travel til you are near the dimension. Last two passes I would use the slowest carriage travel.

 

[mikey]

I was suspect of the bearings as well, but let me see if I can explain what I did better. The first time I use the indicator I mounted the mag base on the carriage so when I pushed on the spindle i think it slightly lifted the headstock casting away from main frame casting (way casting). Because when I put the dial indicators mag base on top of the headstock and push the spindle it doesn’t move. The headstock is aligned so I think I just have to tighten the headstock down, but correct me if I have it wrong. I wasn’t trying to see the level ness of the lathe but to cancel out another variable to narrow down the movement to just the bearings, I hope that makes sense.

Okay, I think I understand why you think the headstock may be loose. Luckily, it will be simple to tighten the headstock bolts down and re-test it. Let us know, okay?

I get what your saying about the tool shape, I would rather not worry about that right now so I swapped it out for a carbide tool with some 17-4 SS . I got a better surface finish but it’s seems like there are still some issues (can’t get a smooth finish without rubbing it messing up), I’ll try to get a good picture later of it. But I have a video of turning that as well as trying to part. I’m still having some bad troubles with parting and it constantly stalls the machine out when trying to cut (tool will get caught into work and instantly stop the machine), do I have a problem or is my lathe just too small for the operation?
Lathe was at 560 rpms, and I used a mgmn 3mm wise carbide parting tool & a ccmt insert for the turning show below.

First, 17-4 is usually semi-hardened (in various grades of hardness) and is typically turned in industrial lathes so if you're looking for a challenge then you picked a great material. Looks like you took a decent depth of cut and got a fairly good finish, though. Thing with SS is that it work hardens readily and if you tried to part on stuff that is even a little bit work hardened then having trouble is not surprising. A big rigid lathe would walk right through that stuff but a small 10" lathe, maybe not so much.

Is there a reason for turning this material? I should think that for someone new to the lathe, 12L14 mild steel or 6061-T6 aluminum would be a better material to learn on. Both materials give good finishes and are very forgiving because they are easy to cut, while also being hard enough to be cut and measured accurately. If I could advise you on the best learning materials for new lathe owners, these two would be it.

With all due respect, I suggest you consider learning to grind and use HSS on your lathe. Carbide is okay but you just don't have the rigidity, power or speed to really use it optimally. On the other hand, I do know that many G0602 guys use carbide so consider my opinion just another opinion.

 

[gun410]

Thanks for the clarification, I thought I noticed harden sections but I didn’t put the two together. The surface finish was good(pretty sure it’s annealed) but I still got a slight noise with the fingernail test. I’m still working on the lathe. However I also started working on building an atv pulled brush mower that I might post about on the forum, but I went to the steel yard and picked up some 5/8” thick pieces of steel that I’m planning on cutting to fit the bottom of the lathe’s casting’s 2 feet and using that to level the lathe because I notice a slight twist in the bed. And I know I gotta hone in my hss steel grinding skills haha but I thought carbide was better for turning 17-4?

 

[mikey]

Carbide probably is better but you may not have the lathe for it.