What sort of stuff to get with a 10x30 lathe?

Creativechipper

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Hello Everyone, new member here. I have been reading for about a month and finally jumping in!!

I am looking to make some steel and aluminum flashlights eventually.

What sort of tooling should I be on the look out for, as I only have a 1/4" carbide turning tool plus a SCLCR lathe boring internal bar holder with carbide tips.

I am thinking about making a machinist hammer as a 1st project.

I have a spare room inside my house, is it ok to set up inside vs a garage?

Please let me know any advice, ideas, etc as I am completely new to machining.

Thanks for any help you can provide, I need it..lol
 
Welcome to H-M. I’ll offer this, if you have the option of setting up shop in a controlled environment such as a spare room instead of the garage, go for it. Less rust to deal with on your tools.
 
I have the same lathe! Good choice, I am very fond of mine.

First, if you can set it up inside, do it. My shop is in the garage and it gets really hot and humid in the summer. That means I am always fighting rust and some days its just too hot to work. But know that these machines are messy so if there is carpet, it will probably be ruined and you will probably fling oil onto the walls.

For stuff to get:
1. If you didnt get the QCTP (is it standard now?), get it.
2. Get some extra holders. You can get by with what comes with it, but it is nice having more because you will rack up tooling.
3. Carbide insert threading tool. I didnt get one until recently, and I wish I did it years ago. I got an insert and holder for $15 or something and not only does it cut nicer threads than my ground HSS tools, it threads up to a shoulder by default, it threads harder materials with ease, and no more dealing with chipped tips halfway through a threading operation.
4. Dial indicator and holder are very helpful for a lot of things.
5. Carbide insert grooving tool. I got one of these pretty inexpensively and it is much more rigid than a parting blade in the included holder. I still use both since my grooving tool only parts 1" or smaller, but the grooving tool is definetely the tool of choice if I can swing it.
6. I recently got a SCLCR1212 holder + 10 inserts for $13. It does turning and facing and takes CCMT or CCGT inserts so it can be used easily for steel or aluminum. It has replaced my triangle inserts as my main turning and facing tool.

I think that is where I would start. Not necessarily in any particular order, but those are what I use regularly with good results on my 1030. You already have a boring bar, so you should be pretty well covered for all the major lathe operations (Turning, facing, boring, threading, parting).
 
Congrats and welcome!

Your projects will drive what tooling you need. For example, if you bore deep holes, you'll probably want a solid carbide boring bar instead of steel for less deflection. Really good suggestions above. Personally, the QCTP is #1.

Some basic set up gauges are nice. I have center gauges (think the slang term is fish tail) for setting my threading tool square to the work. Also use telescoping gauges for measuring the inside diameter. A set of thread wires for measuring the pitch diameter of your threads. A set of thread pitch gauges too.

I jump back and forth between micrometers and dial calipers for checking diameters. Mic's are more accurate. A 2" travel indicator on a magnetic base is nice for longitudinal accuracy. Also an indicator to check run out when setting up a 4-jaw chuck. I use a wiggler to adjust work to center on the 4-jaw (to set a center-punched hole on center).

Enjoy and don't be shy asking questions. We're here to help you spend your money!

Bruce
 
Hmmmm.... Set it up in your house ? That would not be my choice for many reasons , one is you need a garage door to your shop . You also need the garage's concrete slab floor , setting up the lathe on a wood house floor will create problems for the lathe . Down the line you will want to add a mill and drill press and a bench grinder and a compressor . For all that stuff you will need a breaker panel inside the garage . You being up in Sacto area get some awesome heat in the summer time , I would insulate and drywall and some type of A/C . Good luck .
 
Hmmmm.... Set it up in your house ? That would not be my choice for many reasons , one is you need a garage door to your shop . You also need the garage's concrete slab floor , setting up the lathe on a wood house floor will create problems for the lathe . Down the line you will want to add a mill and drill press and a bench grinder and a compressor . For all that stuff you will need a breaker panel inside the garage . You being up in Sacto area get some awesome heat in the summer time , I would insulate and drywall and some type of A/C . Good luck .
Perhaps those would be issues with larger machines, but with a 1030, I don't see it being a problem.

Most house floors should easily be able to handle the 500 lbs (high estimate) of the machine, especially if placed near a load bearing wall. It would be worthwhile to double check where you plan to place it, but I wouldn't say a garage concrete slab is a must.

These machines will easily fit through a standard doorway, the garage door isn't needed. It might need a few strong guys to carry it, but fitting it wouldn't be an issue.

As for extra tools, again, not necessarily an issue. A standard 20 amp line can run these small lathes, small mills, and drill presses, etc. Just not all at the same time. I used a single circuit for all my machines and air compressor without any trouble, so long as I only run them individually.

Those are all certainly valid concerns to look into, and absolutely problems with larger machines, but I think putting a 1030 inside is doable.
 
Alright, lots of good ideas here, I knew joining the forum would help.

So I do have the QCTP feature on the lathe.

I am looking at dial calipers by anytime tools 6"/sae plus metric dial reading.
I will keep a look out for the carbide tipped grooving tool.

Is there a certain size range of useful tools for 10x30 lathe. I recall hearing some tools wont fit in the tool holder?

Thanks for all the tips!!
 
Alright, lots of good ideas here, I knew joining the forum would help.

So I do have the QCTP feature on the lathe.

I am looking at dial calipers by anytime tools 6"/sae plus metric dial reading.
I will keep a look out for the carbide tipped grooving tool.

Is there a certain size range of useful tools for 10x30 lathe. I recall hearing some tools wont fit in the tool holder?

Thanks for all the tips!!
The tool holders are for 1/2" tools, but there is also a larger one available for something like $3 more that will hold 5/8" tools. You can get away with probably 1/4 to 1/2" tools with the standard holders. When you go smaller than that, it might run out of room before you get to center and need to shim the tool.
 
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