Member postings for Myles Douglas-Withers

A quick update (I've been away on hols). I followed some advice from above and tried a deeper cut at a faster feed and got a better result. It was still a rough surface but much more even, before you could easily feel ridges in the surface but now it is smoother. I will try the same thing with a larger diameter insert that I have.

I have tried making cuts with both the three jaw and four jaw chucks - again not much difference.

It is a very fine feed rate, one off the slowest I think so I will try speeding it up. I am wearing my glasses and I have done some reading and watched some video about safety so I hope I'm not too great a risk.

I am traversing using the saddle, the top slide I have locked. I have made cuts with the cross slide locked also but it does not make much difference. I set the tool until it would face without leaving a pip and I have also tried it set a fraction low.

Clive, what method should I use to check saddle play? I have DTI and magnetic base but what would I measure against what?

Thanks to all

Myles

Here's a picture of my work so far.

Thanks for all the replies folks. Please bear with me while I work through these and another excellent list of things to try that I got from Tony at the www.lathes.co.uk site : a very helpful chap. I have a wife and teenage daughters so I don't get to spend as much time in the workshop as I would like, that and a host of other projects...

Edited By Myles Douglas-Withers on 21/02/2013 20:25:42

Edited By Myles Douglas-Withers on 21/02/2013 20:39:56

Edited By Myles Douglas-Withers on 21/02/2013 20:40:55

I live just north of Christchurch, New Zealand. I'll try getting some better tooling. Do you think I need to change the holder or could In just get some good inserts?

The last trial cut I did started with a really nice smooth shiny finish... for the first 3mm or so and then it all went to hell for the rest.

If insert tooling is good for taking heavy cuts, what would you recommend for taking fine cuts when getting close to a dimension?

Cheers

Myles

It's a Master 2500, 1970s. I have the manual that comes with the lathe. It's mostly exploded drawings and part numbers but there are some operating and setting-up instructions.

Not really any perceptible shake when it's running, maybe a bit at higher speeds.

Edited By Myles Douglas-Withers on 19/02/2013 03:18:28

Edited By Myles Douglas-Withers on 19/02/2013 03:20:13

Pretty sure the lathe is not in reverse. Anti-clockwise viewed into the chuck and the work advancing down onto the tool.

A friend at work who has done a lot of turning keeps saying that something must be loose. I have taken various measurements, chuck, toolpost etc but I don't really know what a 'good' number is for any of it.

Wow! many thanks for all the replies folks. I'll try and answer a few questions.

1. It is a triangular style carbide tool that came with a 'cheap' set to get me started. I did also try another triangular carbide tool that a chap gave me at work. It had come from a real machine shop and had a much bigger radius but the results were much the same.

2. I'm pretty sure it is 1" free machining mild steel. I bought it from the steel supplier as such.

3. I have tried a spray-on oil that is actually for thread tapping. It is quite thick and actually seemed to make the cut worse.

4. I set the tool height by eye using a centre in the tale stock.

Again, thank-you all for your time

Myles

Hi everyone,

I found your forum looking for answers to questions about a Colchester Master lathe that I recently bought.

I am a lathe novice so I hope you might bear with me if I ask silly questions.

I've read a bit about taking trial cuts to establish the alignment of the lathe but my first problem is that when I take a cut the surface is terrible! A series of grooves and lumps (mild steel).

I have tried all the following without much joy:

1. Different chuck speeds.

2 Different feed rates.

3.Cross slide and top slide locked.

Any pointers for what to try would be very welcome.