Posted: 1/19/2016 11:09:20 AM EDT
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Hi Guys....
Ya, I know. The correct answer is "buy a $125,000 CNC lathe with all the latest goodies". Not happening... I did find a screaming deal on a new, in the box Grizzly G0602 10x22" bench top lathe. Usually about $1400 with shipping. I picked it up locally, new in the crate and cosmo and wrap, for like $700.00. I know there is bigger and better, but this is the tool I have. The lathe specs I want to play with it. Did a college machine course about seven years ago, and got to use the lathe, mill, CNC mill and some other toys. Made a decent bench vise out of the class. I cannot remember all the various tooling I used. So I'm trying to come up with a list of basic tooling I'll need. I'm thinking indexable cutters, thread tool, boring bars, center drill, countersink, knurling tool, dial indicator and live center. What other obvious little fiddly bits and pieces am I missing? I have no particular specific projects in mind right now. Probably just turn perfectly good steel and aluminum into waste and chips until I refresh my memory and get back into it. Make make some knurled thumb screws, maybe cut a few bushings for a different tool I have, nothing too extreme right now. Just start slow, refresh the memory, and be able to 'think" in logical manual machine steps so I can eventually plan and machine projects. I just don't want to have to stop after three minutes of the lathe working, and wait seven days for the next tool I forgot to come in. Second question: A milling machine is eventually on the horizon. While CNC is nice, I'm not congress and I have to live within a budget. So, a $1000 manual mill is it. Is a lathe milling attachment for $300 or so an actual useable functional tool (half assed replacement for a mill) or is it merely $300 pissed away when you finally learn you still need a real mill? Remember guys, I'm not making a living on this. It's playing around making crap for the joy of making crap. Cranking out a zillion widgets with minimized machine time and maximum efficiency is great in the real world shop, but its not in the cards for my basement man cave. Suggestions??? Fro |
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Like everything in life, it comes down to budget. I could spend another $700 on tooling in the blink of an eye. My suggestion? Watch Craigslist for used tooling. Also, indexable tooling performs best at CNC speeds and feeds. Not to say that you can't use it and that it won't work. But I recommend some HSS bits to get started. ETA: Save up for a real mill |
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If you want to do as much as you can for as little money as possible I would likely skip indexable tooling entirely and buy HSS blanks and some brazed carbide blanks and just grind and sharpen them yourself. You'll need a green wheel for your bench grinder for the carbide.
Indexable tooling will be a fairly large investment, even buying cheap stuff, that is really geared towards increasing efficiency more than capability. Your machine is a lightweight. You'll want positive rake cutting tools that are free cutting, and you'll want to take relatively light cuts versus neutral or negative rake tooling that create much higher tool pressures. With HSS or brazed tools you'll be in control of that. |
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I think HSS tools and a bench grinder would be better than indexable tooling for now...
I bought a bunch of indexable shit when I first got my lathe and destroyed countless cutters and then waited on more to come...just to wreck them too. Really with a small lathe like that you won't be seeing the SFM that make carbide stuff shine. HSS is cheap and you can undo about any mistake with a few minutes on the grinder. You can grind your own threading tools (ID too). I'd just do that to get started. A boring bar is a good investment, I like the ones that take 1/8 or 3/16 square tools. A good cut-off tool and holder. |
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I've got the same one.. First thing I did was ditch the tool holder. It was a bigger PITA to get the tools lined up properly. I modified a rocker to fit in the slot, and that's what I use. Indexable cutters are nice, but not necessary for this application. If you have a bench grinder you can pretty much make any tool you need with HSS or carbide tools. If you want to make threads, dont forget a cutting guage http://media5.rsdelivers.cataloguesolutions.com/LargeProductImages/R6830709-01.jpg I also use a chuck for the tailstock quite a bit. I cannot remember offhand which MT size it was, ( MT3 I think, but look it up in the book ) |
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1 more vote for HSS blanks and make your own cutters. You will find it is a lot cheaper to sharpen tools than it is to change inserts. you will also be able to cut custom profiles on your tools for what ever job you are doing.
HSS blanks, a parting tool+ holder, a drill chuck, center drills, a GOOD set of drills, live center, dead center, set of files with handles, a few different sized dogs, knurling tool. If you want to put money into a good piece of machine specific tooling get a 4 jaw chuck. Get a 1" indicator with a mag base to check your travel, a test indicator to check your alignment, machinist square, 0-1" or 0-25mm outside mic, good set of calipers. (http://www.grizzly.com/products/4-pc-Measuring-Tool-Set/G9788) if you dont want to drop a lot of money on measuring tools to start. That will get you by for what you are doing. Start small with a set of drills and a few tool blanks, figure out something to make, and have the lathe pay for itself and the rest of your tooling, machining is way to expensive and way to easy to make money to buy your own tools, make the customer do that. Also, you can make your own boring bars and a lot of other tooling/stops. |
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Quoted: If you want to do as much as you can for as little money as possible I would likely skip indexable tooling entirely and buy HSS blanks and some brazed carbide blanks and just grind and sharpen them yourself. You'll need a green wheel for your bench grinder for the carbide. Indexable tooling will be a fairly large investment, even buying cheap stuff, that is really geared towards increasing efficiency more than capability. Your machine is a lightweight. You'll want positive rake cutting tools that are free cutting, and you'll want to take relatively light cuts versus neutral or negative rake tooling that create much higher tool pressures. With HSS or brazed tools you'll be in control of that. |
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HSS works for a huge number of small jobs.
On aluminum it has real advantages. Even in production we preferred HSS for aluminum tooling. There are a very few grades with enough intrinsic carbide to be an issue. By the time you are done the tooling will have cost at least as much as the lathe. An Aloris type wedge tool post is worth every penny. The wedge style is better than the piston style. |
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Quoted: If it hasn't been mentioned, you need a quick change tool post YESTERDAY.  Fun little personal story on that too. Back maybe 12?ish years ago I decided that I needed to branch out in my career. I went kinda backwards and cut my teeth in the button masher world. Had enough skills to be dangerous so I went looking for an "old school" job shop. First interview I scored was at a pretty small shop, family run, good mix of manual goodies, and a raw dirt floor even  So, good portion of the way through the walkabout before the sit down portion, old crusty shop foreman guides me to the extension that house most of the roundwork toys...... First thing I noticed was there wasn't a quick change in sight, not even a broken one in the shame corner I politely ask ol' crusty if all their quick change tool posts are being repaired, or.......? In true foreman style he informed me "nope, don't use em, never will...... cause that new shit is for faggots, and we don't hire faggots"  Shook his hand right there and thanked him for his time and told him "I'll just see my faggot self out, enjoy the Stone Age old man" Old bastard called me about 15mins later and offered me the job, at my requested pay (aim high kids) and could I start tomorrow? I politely declined  |
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Quoted: By the time you are done the tooling will have cost at least as much as the lathe. You let me use the "proper" tools on a pretty crap machine, usually I'll at least turn out something useable Cause sometimes good enough is plenty good |
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Quoted:
1 more vote for HSS blanks and make your own cutters. You will find it is a lot cheaper to sharpen tools than it is to change inserts. you will also be able to cut custom profiles on your tools for what ever job you are doing. HSS blanks, a parting tool+ holder, a drill chuck, center drills, a GOOD set of drills, live center, dead center, set of files with handles, a few different sized dogs, knurling tool. If you want to put money into a good piece of machine specific tooling get a 4 jaw chuck. Get a 1" indicator with a mag base to check your travel, a test indicator to check your alignment, machinist square, 0-1" or 0-25mm outside mic, good set of calipers. (http://www.grizzly.com/products/4-pc-Measuring-Tool-Set/G9788) if you dont want to drop a lot of money on measuring tools to start. That will get you by for what you are doing. Start small with a set of drills and a few tool blanks, figure out something to make, and have the lathe pay for itself and the rest of your tooling, machining is way to expensive and way to easy to make money to buy your own tools, make the customer do that. Also, you can make your own boring bars and a lot of other tooling/stops. This. Get some decent measuring tools, get to turning with HSS, when you stumble across a great deal on indexable stuff pick it up and put it to use then. Skip the lathe milling attachment for now, keep looking for a used knee mill from an industrial source that is going out of business. |
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Should have come with all of this mess
Standard Equipment: •5" 3-Jaw chuck with two sets of jaws •6-1/2" 4-Jaw chuck with reversible jaws •8" Faceplate •Steady rest with 1/4"–2" capacity •Follow rest with 1/4"–2" capacity •MT #3 dead center •4-Way tool post •Chip tray and backsplash •Hardened & ground V-way bed •Oil-bath gearbox •Toolbox with service tools First thing I would do is add a Quick Change Tool Post. probably a B series on this size machine. A Selection of Tool adapters for that tool post. Then Boring Bars, Your Choice Insert or Brazed Carbide, either will be sufficient A Small Selection of HSS U Grind it tools. Insert Threading Tools Inside and Outside. This model also lends itself well to CNC Adaptation... I have a 12x36 the "G4003G" Gunsmith model. I have used insert and brazed tooling a lot, the brazed or HSS bits will let you hone your ability to properly grind a tool... Foremost though is to ENJOY yourself. |