Tooling and Feedscrew Clutch

Which tools should i purchase, If I am just getting started using my first lathe? I have a myford ml10, and it came with a very basic cutter. I don’t even know where to start. I have a few items left to gather before I begin my” journey”. One of those items is the actual tooling used for the lathe. 

Also I keep hearing about a feedscrew clutch which is optional for the ml10. What exactly does this accessory accomplish?

Edited By Jeremy Smith 2 on 20/02/2020 04:00:15

Hi Jeremy,

The ML10 leadscrew clutch is demonstrated in this video:

You can get a manual for the ML10 here.

Thor

Edited By Thor on 20/02/2020 05:33:01

Jeremy, I see you have posted on here before, but presumably haven't got a straight answer!

There is a lot of useful information on the Lathes UK website including how it works, etc. but seriously, you need to find somebody local to you who can assist you.

Jeremy, the feed screw clutch is a worthwhile upgrade. Also is the calibrated dial for the end of the lead screw.

You can use this for setting zero for longitudinal cuts. I put that dial to '0' and then move the top slide to touch the work with the tool.( I am still working on a method of having that dial resettable/ moveable. I might have to buy another dial first to do it.)

Another is the cross slide bearing mod. reduces baclash but you would need a spare cross slide brkt. as you cannot use the lathe if you get to mod. the one off the lathe. The one of a vertical slide is the same. I have not found the vertical slide a lot of use having a milling machine to hand.

A set of collets on an M2 holder , make your own draw bar. Segmented drive belts will save you a lot of heartache if you need new belts as you do not need to dismantle the main spindle of the lathe.

Tooling, best buy HSS tooling, some already ground to shape. Tipped tooling, the lathe does not run fast enough to warrant expensive tipped tools. Spend that money on a grindstone. Tipped tooling needs 150% faster speed to cut well.

Lubrication, if a new ball bearing spindle then grease it but if it has oil pots then oil.

Jeremy

What I think you want to get started is a basic set of turning tools with 3/8" square shanks. These usually come in sets of 5. There will be right and left hand knife tools, a right hand round nose tool, a parting tool and a boring tool. If you can get them in HSS that will be best, though carbide tipped would do. None of this will be ideal but it will get you going.

On the late itself you will need a chuck, either 3 or 4 jaw. If you can't run to both, the 4 jaw is more versatile. Plus a tailstock drill chuck, and a tailstock centre. That will be enough to begin with.

Don't try to modify the lathe until you know how to use it.

If you wish to work on the cross slide bearing hanger the swing the top slide round to run true for facing and lock the cross slide. It’s a bit of a fiddle to get everything in the right place but it worked for me.

Mike

All good advice.so far.

If you join a local M E club, you should be able to find at least one member who is prepared to give you some one to one training. Whereabouts are you located?

(You will pick up some of their bad habits and prejudices as well. Here come mine! )

If possible fit a four way toolpost. It will avoid a lot of time and frustration shimming a tool to set on centre height each time that you change tools. You will find yourself needing at least: a knife tool for turning / facing and a tool for boring, (after you have drilled a hole almost to size ), and a Parting tool.

You can get away without a parting tool if you hacksaw to just over length, and then face to the required length, although this may mean several "cut and measure" attempts until reaching the required dimension.

If concentricity is important, mark the job so that the work goes back under the same chuck jaw each time. Three jaw chucks do not hold work absolutely concentric.

For absolute concentricity, you need a four jaw independant chuck, and a "clock" of some type, with a suitable base.

Riding another hobby horse, my preference is to use a Tangential Turning tool for most turning and facing. With a centre height gauge of some sort, setting the tool on centre height is a doddle. And the toolbit needs only one face to be ground for sharpening! You can make, or take a more expensive route and buy, one.

A fellow club member will probably help you make one. At least two designs have been published in MEW over the years.

It is important that the tool is set on centre height. Only then will it will cut properly, and leave no "pip" when facing the end of a bar..

Hope that this is of help,

Howard

Jeremy

Since no-one has answered your specific question about the benefits of the lead screw clutch I thought I'd chip in.

The handle on the saddle which moves the saddle along the bed is quite highly geared. It's fine for making coarse movements of the saddle, but not very good if you want to manually fine-feed the saddle to make delicate cuts. The solution is to engage the half-nuts, and move the saddle using the handle on the end of the lead screw. The fly in the ointment is that if the change wheels have been set up to provide self-feed or cut screw threads, the lead screw will be constantly rotating. Even if you disengage the gearing, which is inconvenient, then depending on how you do it, it may still be difficult to turn the handle because you may be trying to drive part of he gear train backwards. With the lead screw clutch you can instantly disengage the lead screw from the change wheels and overcome the problem.

HTH

Mike

try this useful reference as a starter,

The Amateur's Lathe

by LH Sparey

usually available on amazon as either the modern paperback reprint with grainy blotchy photos at a modest price s/h or as a better hardback version from the 40's-50's for £8 to £12 depending on vendor and condition - hardback well worth it.

Helped me when getting started, succinct, well written, and dryly amusing at the same time and is still my goto book for quick reference (other tomes are available, of course).

If you are tempted to hacksaw it off whilst in the chuck have a piece of board on the lathe bed so you don't end up damaging the bed. I had to use hacksaw for many years on my ML7

+1 for tangential tooling

Thanks Duncan, for the reminder,

Forgot to include the caveat about not damaging the bed. Obviously the chuck should not be rotating whilst you are sawing..

In any case, a chuck board should be used when changing chucks. Preferably with packing blocks so that the chuck does not drop.

Howard