What to practice on lathe

[Creativechipper]

I still have to try the dice.

Used my power cross feed last night for the 1st time!! WOW, what a smooth finish it left on 1" rnd aluminum face cuts, super smooth. Used a 1/4" carbide tool at about 950rpm, couple drops of mobile one full synthetic..lol
Then tried out tapping a hole with my new center drill kit and a couple old drill bits for about 3/4" length. No problems encountered, smooth going.

Really enjoying operating the lathe each night after work and learning new procedures and cuts. I have tried 4 different cutters so far, all worked well, HSS and carbide tipped indexable tools.
I will have to make a project soon and get some more skills under the belt.

 

[P. Waller]

ok now I see its like a spider, I thought it looked weird, like the back of the lathe vs the business end. So it's for hanging extra stock out the back of the chuck side. Not sure why I would do that but ok.

You do it when the part is long and there is no other way, some day you will have to do work on the ends of a long part, this is one way to do it.

When that time arrives as it surely will you will already know one method of doing so, this will save a good deal of head scratching.

 

[Creativechipper]

Thanks Waller, I know what you saying, someday when the time comes and I have been around a few more lathes than my own it will really click. I like looking at new things and constantly learning. Like that tantric replaceable tip tool, never heard of such a thing. So I googled all kinds of threads/info on it. But not being able to hold something and see it work and have a knowledgeable person walk you through it, takes longer to really understand the benefits and working applications.

Thanks for being patient, I am learning a lot of new stuff lately

 

[P. Waller]

tantric replaceable tip tool

I have been at it for a few decades and haven't the faintest clue what that is (-:

 

[ttabbal]

For cutting fluid on aluminum, try WD40. It works well, better than motor oil likely.

For other metals you might try pipe threading oil from the hardware store. I hear that works well. I've had decent luck with tap magic since I bought a cheap lifetime supply.

 

[Creativechipper]

Here's what I found on the tangent tool....https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/tangential-tool-holder.25107/

Sounds like some people love it and others not so much...Not sure what to think of it at this point. Sounds interesting

 

[MrWhoopee]

So, how are you making a chuck key in a lathe? Start from the right size square stock? It's easy with a mill, or even a milling attachment on the lathe. Just not sure how I would do it with only a lathe and "normal" lathe tools. I'm always interested in learning techniques.

Okay, just spit-balling here:
End mill held in collet. Lacking a collet, make an endmill holder by clamping a piece of round stock in the chuck, drill and ream to fit endmill. Drill and tap for set-screw (hand drill, drill press, or use crotch center to cross drill in lathe). Re-chuck with endmill installed. Concentricity not important.
Clamp stock for chuck key in QCTP tool holder, center up and mill a flat of appropriate depth all the way down one side.
Reposition stock in tool holder with the flat against the bottom, center up and mill a second flat as far back as needed for engagement.
Reposition stock in tool holder with original flat against the back of the slot, center up and mill third flat all the way down.
Reposition stock in tool holder with third flat on bottom of tool holder and mill fourth flat as far back as needed for engagement.

Trying to write this while drawing pictures in the air.
Where threre's a will.....

 

[P. Waller]

Here's what I found on the tangent tool....https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/tangential-tool-holder.25107/

Sounds like some people love it and others not so much...Not sure what to think of it at this point. Sounds interesting

That is better, the words tantric and tangent have wildy different definitions.
I believe what people often call "tangent" tooling is better known as the very old process of skiving.
A form tool cuts at the tangent of the work, often on the bottom, the largest diameters are cut first then the other diameters until the smallest is reached, the tool is not cutting across its entire width which can cause considerable part deflection and chatter if not part breakage.

 

[Creativechipper]

So I have gathered a few metal rnd rods to use. Steel rods in the center out of copier machines, plus the dirty aluminum rod and the 2 aluminum tubes on the rt. Biggest is the 1.25 aluminum rod and largest steel rod about 1/2" diameter.

 

[Creativechipper]

Whoops, wrong word tangent was the word I was meaning originally.

Some very interesting and simple tool design, yet very cool and practical.

What tool design do you use thats versatile and affordable?