Still Confused with Conventional and Climb Milling

I don't believe that the terms climb and conventional apply to a lathe. The cutter on a lathe is stationary so the only way to feed is to rotate the worki into the cutting edge. Rotating in the opposite direction would create a drag situation.

As to when to use climb vs. conventional milling, whether in a mill, a lathe with milling capability, or a drill press, it depends on a number of factors. As previously mentioned, a mill with any significant backlash should be operated with conventional cutting.

If the mill is tight enough so that the cutting forces don't exceed the frictional drag or cause flexing of the mill frame, and the backlash is minimal, climb milling can be used. Climb milling is preferred for modern machining as backlash is usually under .001" so there is no significant pull. It also results in less power required to make the cut, less tool wear, less chance of recutting chips, and a cleaner cut. Even so, on very heavy cuts, conventional cutting would be used because of tool flex.

Hobby class mills isually have a fairly light frame and are subject to flexing under load so climb cutting should be restricted to light cuts. Every machine has different characvteristics and cutter geometry adds another variable. The best way to determine what is best for you is to experiment for yourself.
 
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I don't believe that the terms climb and conventional apply to a lathe.

Milling in a lathe with the tool held in the spindle is no different the milling in a mill with the tool held in the spindle.
One may perform turning operations in a mill by holding the work in the spindle and the tool on the table.
Milling in a lathe
If a live tooled lathe.
 
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Thanks to all for the help however I know in theory the difference between conventional and climb milling but my problem is how to apply the principles of these two techniques when I actually do work on a lathe or mill.

As I mentioned in my post, in conventional milling you feed the stock against the cutter and you do this regardless if you work on a lathe or mill

Nicolas

I am certainly not an expert but I use conventional milling to remove the bulk of the material, leaving about 5 thou or so that is removed at the end by climb milling. It is easier on my mill and yet gives me a much better finish on the cut.
 
Thank you RJ and P.Waller, very informative to me
 
If I understand your question you would be using a milling attachment on the late where the cutter is held in the chuck and the work is advanced by the cross slide. The chuck rotates in a counterclockwise direction on a lathe so ya it seems to me the push pull explanation for a mill would be just the opposite for the lathe. How the cutter would act as far as being pulled into the work or whatever I'll leave up to the experts. I'm pretty much a beginner too so I may be all wet.
 
If I understand your question you would be using a milling attachment on the late where the cutter is held in the chuck and the work is advanced by the cross slide. The chuck rotates in a counterclockwise direction on a lathe so ya it seems to me the push pull explanation for a mill would be just the opposite for the lathe. How the cutter would act as far as being pulled into the work or whatever I'll leave up to the experts. I'm pretty much a beginner too so I may be all wet.
The chuck rotates in the same direction to the work as a mill does. Otherwise you would need to use left hand cutting tools.
 
If I understand your question you would be using a milling attachment on the late where the cutter is held in the chuck and the work is advanced by the cross slide. The chuck rotates in a counterclockwise direction on a lathe so ya it seems to me the push pull explanation for a mill would be just the opposite for the lathe. How the cutter would act as far as being pulled into the work or whatever I'll leave up to the experts. I'm pretty much a beginner too so I may be all wet.

My chuck rotates clockwise
 
If your work is feed into the face of the cutter “opposite spindle rotation”. That’s conventional.
Work feed in direction of spindle rotation that’s climb mill.
Grab yourself a rotary table. You’ll learn real quick which way to go. ;)
 
Not sure which is the right way for conventional milling in the attached pictures which one is for conventional milling?

Picture1 I will pull (X axis travels to my right) the stock towards the cutter
Picture2 I will push (X axis travels to my left) the stock against the cutter

I would say picture2 is conventional milling (stock pushed against the cutter)
Nicolas

Milling V Groove Picture1.JPG

Milling V Groove Picture2.JPG
 
If milling on lathe. Cutter in headstock spinning normal counterclockwise. If wanting to open up a slot cutting with top of cutter you’d want to move the carriage away from you. Conventional
Cutting with bottom of cutter you’d want to be moving carriage toward operator. Conventional

Go opposite and that’s climbing. Think of the teeth on cutter. As spindle spins are the teeth climbing on the work piece or pushing away.
 
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