Lathe tools

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dbledsoe

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Ok, I have given in to the siren song of the metal lathe. N ow to figure out what to do with it. I have a QC toolpost and I modified the tailstock for a camlock. My big question (today) is - what do you cut with? Are there special cutters for wood vs. resin? I bought some carbide cutters from HF, but they don't work very well. Tips and tricks - that's what I need, and any advice is much needed and appreciated.
 
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The cutter I use is a 1/4 X 1/4 HSS, carbide is fine also. Turn your tool holder about 10* to the right so only the very point does the cutting. Grind all angles on your cutter away from the point. The exact degree dosen't realy matter, as long as they all meet at the point. Again, only the point should touch the stock you are turning. This will work quite well on wood or resin. Keep the cutter advancing at an even speed. You should be able to cut a ribbon off most materials just like a wood lathe, if not your going to fast. Make your last cut a few .000s. I bring my ends down to size with a fine metal file befor sanding. Allow a little extra for finish buildup. I turn all my pens with the metal lathe. Take a look at my photos under plantman. Any other questions, just ask !! Peace Jim S
 
I use carbide for everything including...gasp...metal. I use triangular points from ENCO. When I finally break my last one I will get them from carbide depot.
 
Thanks, folks.
That makes sense. I will do some grinding. The tools I have are 5/16 with carbide tips. They are pretty blunt at this stage. I think you are right about the angles. I think putting them on an angle might help in getting in close to the live center also.

I have them as close as I can measure them to centerline.

I will check out ENCO and Carbide Depot.
 
That HF carbide stuff -pretty much all the Chinese import carbide cutters- usually don't come very sharp.

You need a green grinding wheel to sharpen them, and cutter sharpening/shaping is an acquired skill that needs practice. The HF cutters are cheap enough to practice on, and they cut are OK when sharp (be sure to use the right grade for various metals, wood and resin shouldn't make any difference)

You can check the height setting on your cutter by putting a round bar in the chuck and then using the cutter to hold a piece of thin stock (a feeler gauge or something else accurately thin) against it. If it leans away from you it is too high, if it leans towards you it is too low, and if it holds perfectly perpendicular if is at the right height. (occasionally you may want to set one a tiny bit high or low, but not as a general rule)
 
Jim, when you get time, if you could post a picture of your grind on the tool. I would like to see how you do the top rake and also your vac pickup.:smile: I am using a pretty sharp point that sounds somewhat like yours, but not happy with my results on wood. Haven't tried acrylic on the metal lathe.

Thanks,
Harry

plantman said:
The cutter I use is a 1/4 X 1/4 HSS, carbide is fine also. Turn your tool holder about 10* to the right so only the very point does the cutting. Grind all angles on your cutter away from the point. The exact degree dosen't realy matter, as long as they all meet at the point.
Click to expand...
 
Dave,
My recommendation for anyone just starting with a metal lathe would be purchasing a copy of "How to run a lathe" put out by the South Bend lathe people. Personally, I woud stay away from carbide for pen turning and stick with HSS.

Ben
 
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