I picked up a few machines.

In that situation, shims are a necessity. It's not that it's a bad idea, just that it can be time consuming to set up. In a typical operation, you'll use one tool to true up the end, another to do the turning, a third to chamfer the ends making them purdy, and a fourth to part off the completed piece. That's a lot of screwing around with bits and shims. With a QCTP and enough holders, you have all your common cutting bits already set up and adjusted. Changing bits is as easy as flipping a lever, picking off the last tool and holder, then dropping on the next one.
 
Alright you guys are awesome and the info given is much appreciated. It looks like a quick change tool post will be the first item I need to gather.

My lathe is a 10" lathe if I'm reading it properly. So what is a decent brand quick change and what size should I buy? I see several options out there. Pickup one that 10" is in the middle of the area covered or 10" at the highest end or 10" at the lowest end of range?

All of my bits should be 1/2" bits since the machine is designed for 1/2" bits?
 
Alright you guys are awesome and the info given is much appreciated. It looks like a quick change tool post will be the first item I need to gather.

My lathe is a 10" lathe if I'm reading it properly. So what is a decent brand quick change and what size should I buy? I see several options out there. Pickup one that 10" is in the middle of the area covered or 10" at the highest end or 10" at the lowest end of range?

All of my bits should be 1/2" bits since the machine is designed for 1/2" bits?
Geerbangr,
The easiest way to start in my opinion is:
- Buy a reasonable set of preground hss tools (as mentioned before in this thread)
- search for a set of shims to get each tool on centre with your current toolpost. Every reasonably flat piece of metal stock is acceptable, sheet metal, snips of soda can, etc.
- keep the shims with the tool. If you want to use the tool you can simply put it in the toolholder with its appropriate shims.
- locate a pdf of "how to run a lathe" on the internet and read it (a real paper one may be a more comfortable option if you can find one)
This book by south bend is a widely adviced "beginners guide to turning"
- find yourself some scrap metal and make "paper weights". Start using your lathe, it is the best way to find out what you need to know and need to have. The only other tools you really need to start is a bench grinder (and maybe a lapping stone) to sharpen your cutters and a few measuring tools (set of calipers and a good scale)
- read on this and other forums, ask questions if you can't find the info you are looking for.
Look on YouTube, there are some great channels for beginners: that lazy machinist, toms techniques, mrpete222 to name a few. Once you get the hang of it, you will find a lot more channels with good metalworking info on YouTube. It is quite an active community!
Learn!

I am sure in time you will add a lot more to this list, but at least you will know what you want and need most.
Maybe you start grinding your own tool blanks (in my opinion a good skill to have), or maybe you decide to join the people who use carbide inserts tooling.
I see a good quick change toolpost in your future, but read around on the different forums about them. You will spend quite some money before you have a set with a good number of toolholders, so you might as well be sure you buy the one you want.
Also I know a calliper is not the proper measuring tool for precision work. In time you will need at least one accurate micrometer (number depending on the size of your work), but you don't need one to get started. Look around, good brand ones in good condition can be found used for reasonable prices.

Start making chips and have fun, that is probably the best thing you can do to get started!

I hope this will help some,
Peter
 
by the way, there are several different revisions of the Southbend book "How to run a lathe" here:

the 3rd edition: http://hobby-machinist.com/resources/sb-how-to-run-a-lathe-3rd-ed-pdf.2890/
the 15th edition: http://hobby-machinist.com/resources/sb-how-to-run-a-lathe-15th-ed-pdf.2891/
the 27th edition: http://hobby-machinist.com/resources/sb-how-to-run-a-lathe-1966-27th-edition-56-pdf.2909/

I have not opened them all to look for differences or find one that is scanned clearly...I'll leave that to you.

-brino
 
Your lathe doesn't have the quick change gear box for cutting threads. But the pile of gears will make it cut most threads you might need. There may be a gear use diagram on the end door of the head stock. Start watching lots of YouTube , Mr pete2 , Keith Rucker, Abom ,lots of others . Mr Pete , Tubalcain is an x shop teacher. You would do well to start with his videos.
Welcome to the site , help is here if you ask.
 
Interesting lathe I'd like to know more about it- not often you see a leadscrew with a crank handle on the end, mainly an English feature I think.
Mark S.
ps looks like chips will accumulate down in the bed under the chuck, you'll need to vacuum under there with a crevice tool on your shop vac
 
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My vacuum cleaner is my best friend in my shop, lol. I'm going to pick up a quick change tool post and a fistful of pre ground bits and start making chips once I get back home. Meanwhile reading up and watching YouTube videos on lathe operation.

Can you guys suggest a decent quick change tool post for me?
 
My vacuum cleaner is my best friend in my shop, lol. I'm going to pick up a quick change tool post and a fistful of pre ground bits...
Can you guys suggest a decent quick change tool post for me?

The Aloris QCTP clones are very popular (CDCO and eBay and other suppliers have 'em). AXA or BXA series would suit your lathe size,
and those are standardized, easy to get extra holders in future. Some measurement of the toolpost tee slot will
be required, you have to build or order a suitable tee nut with the new toolpost.

Two dovetail-tensioning schemes are wedge and piston; I've used and enjoyed wedge-type.

There's another QCTP design that has adherents, known as Multifix <http://www.createtool.com/article.asp?id=41>.

A lot of Youtube videos of lathe work show the quickchange features in use.

No one else has said it, so I'll suggest getting some 1/4" HSS blanks; the grinding time to shape or sharpen one is much less than
that for a larger chunk o'steel, and as a hobbyist you don't need to produce lots of swarf quick. It'll be good to get in lots of
tip-grinding practice when learning.
 
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Welcome aboard! I am a newbie myself. 1 thing that I originally ignored when setting up my bench top lathe was mounting it solidly to the work table. As the parts I wish to make increase in size, so does the vibration. Now that I do have it securely fastened, I'm thinking on how to add a rollcage to further stiffen it.
 
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