F
freebullet
Guest
Hmm, interesting ideas. Now when the mini mill get there you can just go ahead & make any kind of qd attachment you want for them.
Broke my parting tool
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Ok, consider the source, (not a real machinist and did NOT stay in a Holiday Inn Express
last night) but I have learned a bit about parting tools, and broken at least my share.
First thing I found out is you need ALL parts of the setup to be as stiff as you can possibly make them.
Things I do.
Set parting tool as short as I possibly can in toolholder. Tip flex is a square function of overhang, so
even a 25% shortening reduces flex by more than 40%. Cut overhang in half, four times as stiff.
Lock carriage on the ways so it is as solid as possible. I didn't know about carriage lock at first,
so don't be insulted, but do you know where yours is, and did you use it?
Really carefully set the tool height. Fail high if anything. Just a hair low, or even correct center
with some flex in cutter.....bam, broken tool, damaged part, often. Just a hair high seems
to work OK, although it leaves a little tit on the end.
With my new lathe, things are a bit stiffer, I went up one size on tool holder and it has all helped
quite a bit. I would put parting off as the most fraught operation for this amateur still, but I am
WAY better at it than I was.
Bill
last night) but I have learned a bit about parting tools, and broken at least my share.
First thing I found out is you need ALL parts of the setup to be as stiff as you can possibly make them.
Things I do.
Set parting tool as short as I possibly can in toolholder. Tip flex is a square function of overhang, so
even a 25% shortening reduces flex by more than 40%. Cut overhang in half, four times as stiff.
Lock carriage on the ways so it is as solid as possible. I didn't know about carriage lock at first,
so don't be insulted, but do you know where yours is, and did you use it?
Really carefully set the tool height. Fail high if anything. Just a hair low, or even correct center
with some flex in cutter.....bam, broken tool, damaged part, often. Just a hair high seems
to work OK, although it leaves a little tit on the end.
With my new lathe, things are a bit stiffer, I went up one size on tool holder and it has all helped
quite a bit. I would put parting off as the most fraught operation for this amateur still, but I am
WAY better at it than I was.
Bill
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Hey, Jeff!
So you got the old girl up and running! Good. Glad to hear it.
Are you having some fun? Sounds like it. Yes, just doing a couple of simple things
and having it work is really satisfying when you start out. After a while you get
this urge to make something! Then it gets fun, but then you have to make a sketch
and -gulp- make the metal look like the sketch and meet dimensions. That is the
next challenge. Can't tell you how many times I ruined a part by blissfully passing right
thru the desired dimension.... damn, start over.
It gets a lot easier and starts being fun. Just be careful, these machines don't care
one whit what they chew up, steel or your arm.
Bill
So you got the old girl up and running! Good. Glad to hear it.
Are you having some fun? Sounds like it. Yes, just doing a couple of simple things
and having it work is really satisfying when you start out. After a while you get
this urge to make something! Then it gets fun, but then you have to make a sketch
and -gulp- make the metal look like the sketch and meet dimensions. That is the
next challenge. Can't tell you how many times I ruined a part by blissfully passing right
thru the desired dimension.... damn, start over.
It gets a lot easier and starts being fun. Just be careful, these machines don't care
one whit what they chew up, steel or your arm.
Bill