Lathe Training/Instruction

Ken T2 said:
There used to be version of Technology of Machine Tools that was a photo setup guide to doing specific things with machine tools.I had copy when I went thru machinist school in the early 80's.It might be possible to find a copy from Abe books.
One bit of advise on running a lathe:if you have long hair tie up.We had a picture by the time clock with a man's hair wrapped around lead screw of a lathe.
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Yup!

Each time this subject has come up, I have suggested getting an older copy of both ToMT and MH.

Not worth the bucks to buy the latest version, unless you actually need it. To make money with. Or to pass the course.

As one of the fellows pointed out on at least one of the metalworking forums, "Scalped my machinery" used to be a column in the annual reports. I sorta hope that folks don't actually need to be told stuff like that. Hope springs eternal!

Cheers
Trev
 
I bought a light belt-driven lathe and used the belt as a safety clutch. I learned adequate fear of spinny things by wrapping my little finger around a half inch drill as a teenager.

One thing I would state is most forum information revolves around big modern production machines, and for some reason there's a lot of attitude...the thought that a person needs a 12x50 1.5 inch bore to turn a 1/4 20 screw. Between Youtube, common sense, and practice, it's very learnable. Remembering that legions of erstwhile housewives basically manufactured the military in WW2.
 
BCIT - MACH 0105 lathe operations Jan 09 - Feb 15 Tue/Thu 19:00 - 22:00

Course Details
Provides a basic understanding and practical experience of engine lathe operations. Training is hands-on and theoretical work is kept to a minimum. Safety glasses and footwear with steel toes required.
 
ESnel said:
BCIT - MACH 0105 lathe operations Jan 09 - Feb 15 Tue/Thu 19:00 - 22:00

Course Details
Provides a basic understanding and practical experience of engine lathe operations. Training is hands-on and theoretical work is kept to a minimum. Safety glasses and footwear with steel toes required.
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now you tell me about safety toes ,the live center fell on my big toe a couple of days ago while I was wearing my sandles and still sore
 
Dogfish858 said:
One thing I would state is most forum information revolves around big modern production machines, and for some reason there's a lot of attitude...the thought that a person needs a 12x50 1.5 inch bore to turn a 1/4 20 screw. Between Youtube, common sense, and practice, it's very learnable. Remembering that legions of erstwhile housewives basically manufactured the military in WW2.
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I quite agree, lots of good parts can be made on small lathes, even bench top models as long as the lathe is of reasonable quality. Generally the finish quality suffers with lighter units, but that just means you need to do more polishing. I have a 13 x 24 with a 1.5" through bore, but also a bench top model which still sees work.
 
Most barrel work is pretty easy. What really made it special at one time was that the guys doing it were inventing methods to do very simple things to a very high standard. They kept the tricks of the trade to themselves. But that is pretty much a thing of the past, there are many videos out there today that give you all you need to do barrel work on home projects. The bigger problem I find is tight access to tools and barrels at a reasonable price.

I had a hard time getting started because I could never find a reasonable machine at Busy Bee, which is about a mile from me. They sold lots of machines but they were not at the time in any kind of rational sequence I could detect. If they had one thing, the next one up or down in size would be totally different in operating processes and capacities. They don't seem to have a clue what the small shop guy wants.

In the end I decided on the South Bend range as having the best instruction; machines at a price; parts; videos, etc... I started looking on auction sites, and found good machines for as little as 200 dollars. I settled on a 9" long bed, and a 9 inch toolroom machine. Then I got a shot at an excellent heavy 10. I realize the machines are dinosaurs but they still turn out the parts at a home shop rate. I don't know what happens when all the old guys die, will anyone want this stuff? At the moment though you can use a lathe like this for several years and get back out for more than you paid, for the cost of a coat of paint.

I do think that you need to get a machine as soon as possible and just have at it. You will need to discover what kind of cuts work in your machine. Seeing what some other guy does on his set-up is only part of the story.

For threading I would look at a machine that has a threading dial, that can be one tiny money pit on a South Bend if it doesn't come with it. Or at least find a source for one. Also, change gears or a gear box are both fine for small scale work. Often guys who opted for the external gears didn't use the machine as much. Guys who bought the toolroom version had it in use every day. So it can be upside down world, where the cheaper machines are actually now the better ones. Also, stuff that is super expensive, like accessories, or tool room grade gear, doesn't get hardly any more money on the auction sites than stuff that isn't. You are looking 500-900 to get a good machine right away. With better contacts and more time you will get offers for totally awesome gear for as little as 200. I got offered a really great lathe and a two headed mill from a guy who owned a restoration shop, one was something the US army used, the other was some german mill similar to a Deckel. Either for 200. I had all my machines and no more space at the time...

Any time you see an oldie you wish you knew more about: http://lathes.co.uk/
 
Everyone should have a lathe if they can swing the room and minimal cost. Just the other day I had some parts you can't buy that I wanted for a special bowstring jig. Ran them off in an hour, and bingo. It is so refreshing to have an idea, and go direct to it; some trash, and make it into the thing you want. Living behind the great wall of Canada, particularly with guns, all kinds of legal stuff is hard to come by, the lathe will bail me out all the time.
 
The biggest secret to threading tenons and attaching them to receivers is PATIENCE. Once you master PATIENCE and don't cut corners you can do just about anything on even very small lathes, as long as the pieces you want to work FIT into the Lathe.

Sloppy work shows up pretty quickly and unless all the fairies are sprinkling pixie dust on the finished product that has been manufactured in a haphazard manner then look forward to shotgun groups.

Concentricity is the name of the game everything needs to be concentric to the axis of the bore and receiver. Once that's established the rest can be figured out.
 
Spent a lot of time on Kijiji looking for an affordable lathe. Ontario seems to have no shortage, probably because of the province's industrial back ground, lot harder to find one in Alberta.

Grizz
 
trevj said:
Yup!

Each time this subject has come up, I have suggested getting an older copy of both ToMT and MH.

Not worth the bucks to buy the latest version, unless you actually need it. To make money with. Or to pass the course.

As one of the fellows pointed out on at least one of the metalworking forums, "Scalped my machinery" used to be a column in the annual reports. I sorta hope that folks don't actually need to be told stuff like that. Hope springs eternal!

Cheers
Trev
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Took this advice, definitely the way to go. shipping cost more than the book. :)

Grizz
 
I was in KMS Tools a couple days ago, and saw that they stock a copy of How To Run A Lathe, for those among the enthused, who prefer a physical copy to read. About 20 Canadian Pesos.

Glad it worked out for you Grizz! ToMT is a great reference how to book.
 
People learn in different ways. Some learn best by watching. Some do better if they read instructions. Still others do better if the subject is explained verbally. The thing is, until one gets a bit of a handle on it, everything is likely to be a mystery. For myself, someone can show me something all they want but I will retain the information better if I read it and that is largely how I learned gunsmithing and machine tool use; that and trial and error. When I worked as a machinist, I trained a few apprentices and it was interesting how differently different people learned.
 
Chargerguy said:
Just picked up a copy today at KMS.
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That one was a disappointment, antique reprint from the South Bend company. Handy if you'r going to run your lathe and all the other machines in your shop off a counter shaft. :rolleyes: Might be different if you own one of those flat belt driven antiques. Gotta wonder why they did that ? Cost of electric motors ?

Grizz
 
Grizzly Adams said:
That one was a disappointment, antique reprint from the South Bend company. Handy if you'r going to run your lathe and all the other machines in your shop off a counter shaft. :rolleyes: Might be different if you own one of those flat belt driven antiques. Gotta wonder why they did that ? Cost of electric motors ?

Grizz
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Strangely, if you think that how the lathe is powered has anything to do with it's use, I would say that you are pretty much dead wrong.

Electric motors suitable for use in shops like the ones they meant these machine tools to be used in, were not all that common, and neither was electricity, for that matter.

ANY suitable power source, water power, steam, a gasoline motor, etc., would be used to turn a line shaft, and one line shaft system would run the whole building's machinery.

Not too many line shaft machine shops left operating, but the basics of operating a lathe have not changed.
 
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