I finally took the plunge and bought a Boxford lathe but am at a slight loss when it comes to buying tools for it. What lathe tools have Locosters found most usefull on their lathes?

welcome to the lathe club

a parting tool is most use full goes at the back of the cross slide, a carbide tipped (changeable) main tool is very use full as they stay sharp for a long time.
we use oil thinned with parrafin for cutting fluid
there are lots of custom tools for jobs such as turning rounds.. website to follow
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http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Rear_Tool_Post.html

Are the changable carbide tipped tools a standard pattern? I checked out a few and they are quoting different angles - blessed if I know why. Also there seem to be a multiplicity of boring tools is there a reason for so many different sizes or is it just a fad?
Sorry for all the questions!!

You have taken the first step in a very long, complex and potentially dangerous occupation!

If you have little or no experience in using a lathe I very strongly recommend that you get a copy of one of the classic amateur lathe books. This page has a few very basic tips to stop you from coming to harm and/or damaging the lathe. In the very first paragraph he gives references to the two best-known lathe books for amateurs, by Sparey and Bradley. They are both now quite old-fashioned, but either will help you to understand how a lathe works, and how to get the best out of it, including what all the tool shapes are for!

Sorry to get all preachy, but a lathe can do you a lot of harm if you don't understand it.

Immensely useful and rewarding when you do!

cheers,
David

For what you need - use standard high rake (7 degrees effective) TiN coated carbide inserts. Those machines dont have loads of power or speed so keeping the forces down helps with accuracy, surface finish but tool life suffers.

If you like, I could send you a catalogue from work which contains loads of tooling which you can chose from - then you could call me if you're struggling with how to use it.

U2U me your details and I'll post you one up.

Steve

It depends what condition the lathe is in. If its in good nick/new and all the slideways are tight you will have no trouble using carbide tools. If its old and knackered, use HSS tools and go steady on cutting harder materials.

Carbide tooling, by its nature, requires much higher cutting forces than HSS tooling. But will retain its cuttig edge for far longer at higher work speeds.

Basically you need a couple of left and right hand tools and a selection of parting tools (get as thin as you can, as the forces get horrendous and the small home lathes just cant take it). For fancy stuff buy a load of HSS blanks and grind whatever shape you want in the end. Oh, a small boring bar wouldnt go a-miss either.

Indexable tips are best, unless you have access to a lapper to re-grind the brazed carbide ones. However the tools themselves can be quite expensive, but the tips usually work out about £2 each, and you get a minimum of 2 cutting edges for that. Carbide/ceramic tools dont like intermittent cutting either, they break very easily.

Bear in mind there are different grades of carbide for different materials too.

I can only echo David Jenkins comments. There are a lot of very good books available on turning. The old ITB apprentice books are good, have a look on ebay, you never know.

As for the dangers: a bit of swarf in the eye hurts, and if its non-ferrous is a pain to remove. Always wear goggles as a lathe is extremely good at throwing large chunks of swarf across the workshop (i had a huge, tangled lump hit me in the face today, all covered in coolant, lovely! ). Never, ever leave the chuck key in the chuck, they really hurt when they hit you in the chest. Make sure what you are turning is gripped well (preferable the full length of the jaws. Dont try and get clever until you have done some simple jobs. Do not pull swarf off a rotating job or attempt to remove it from around the tool with the lathe running. Its razor sharp, and ragged too for that extra pain factor when it rips into your flesh. If you are tempted to use some emery paper to polish up a job, do not wrap it around your hand. Lay it flat on your palm and bring it up to the bottom of the job. The if the paper grabs it will just pull off your hand. I know a few people who have lost fingers by having emery wrapped around their hand. If you want to use a file to take of the sharp edges, mind the chuck jaws, they bruise fingers nicely, and if you are really unlucky break some off. If you are turning a long, thin job, support it with a centre. Its not fun trying to find the stop switch with a bit of bar climbing out of the lathe towards you. And its even more annoying when you have spent a couple of hours on the job (ooo err), and then prang it.

Final tip, always check the tool post clears both the job, and the chuck in all positions before you start. Dont work too close to the chuck until you are comfortable and happy with the machine and with your skills. I regularly work within 2 or 3mm of the lathe chuck. But it makes an awful mess of the machine if you prang it, so I dont do it unless unavoidable.

David

Take a look at this web site:
chronos.ltd.uk
They sell a good range of tools for your size of lathe.
The make called Glanze have replacable inserts. I have one of this type for general work, costs about £16 for the holder.
Right Hand Turning & Facing Tool
Ref: SCL1...
A 12mm square holder should be about right for your lathe.
In case you don't know a RH tool is one with the tip positioned for traversing from the tailstock towards the chuck and is the most useful type.
A boring bar is also useful and I often use mine for external cutting also.

HTH
Mal

quote:

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Originally posted by macspeedy
welcome to the lathe club

a parting tool is most use full goes at the back of the cross slide, a carbide tipped (changeable) main tool is very use full as they stay sharp for a long time.
we use oil thinned with parrafin for cutting fluid
there are lots of custom tools for jobs such as turning rounds.. website to follow

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untill you have some experience with your new toy, i would advise sticking with hss tooling
tipped tools can soon get expensive and there are far too many to choose from for different applications

dave

In no particular order

1-Decent dial gauge and magnetic base
2-Centre drills
3-indexable boring bars (small & large)
4- Digital verniers
5- 0-25mm micrometer
6- TCT parting off tool
7- Milling table and vertical slide

If i used it more i'd invest in a dickson type toolpost, for speedy tool changes and height setting
Autojumbles are good for cheap indexable tooling & inserts.

Have fun, couldn't do without mine now.

Al.



Originally posted by v8kid
I finally took the plunge and bought a Boxford lathe but am at a slight loss when it comes to buying tools for it. What lathe tools have Locosters found most usefull on their lathes?

quote:

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If you want to use a file to take of the sharp edges, mind the chuck jaws,

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All these tips (including mine) stress the dangers involved with a lathe.

The biggest and best tip I can suggest is - switch on your brain before switching on the lathe! If you use your head then you should have no problems.

Apparently, the machine tool that causes the most accidents in workshops is not one of the fancy things - it's the pillar drill. It looks such a simple thing that people don't think what they're doing and end up hurt by spinning workpieces, flying swarf, etc.

So, think what you're doing, and take your time. You'll soon pick it up.

David

Have a look at this site:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.models.engineering/topics?gvc=2

You will find more information and sound advice on lathe tooling than you can shake a stick at. A search on HSS, Carbide and Indexable tools will give you hours of reading. They are also a friendly bunch and have always answered my questions however basic.

Most people end up using a mixture of HSS and carbide tipped tools these days. HSS is excellent as it can be sharpened and ground to any shape with a basic bench grinder. Carbide (the changeable tipped version) is also extremely usefull but when you first start can be chipped very easily.

Amongst a few lathes I have a Boxford and find it a first class machine. Take care using it though as it can certainly bite.

Regards

Keith

Try Chapter 7 on this page. It's an extract from an American military machining manual so the terminology is slightly different, but it's all excellent stuff.

A few pages into that chapter you'll find some very useful drawings of lathe tool shapes.

HTH,
David

And ALWAYS, ALWAYS make sure you have taken the chuck key out before you start the lathe!
That may sound obvious, but I nearly got killed as an apprentice, by the guy on the lathe in front of me not doing just that.

Quite a few people put a spring on the end of the chuck key, so you have to push to locate it in the hole. Let go, and the key falls on your foot!

My pillar drill chuck key has this built-in - there's a spring-loaded button in the centre, so you just can't leave it in the chuck.

Thanks for all the advice chaps its all now as clear as mud! No honestly it has become cleared and the links are great.