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Hi Brad

Congratlations on the purchase, you will enjoy it. As mentioned above, HSS will be the way to go for you, and will make a better finish on aluminium than you will achieve with tungsten carbide. The 6" rule is also helpful, you can even use it to check centre height by standing it vertically and then pushing the tool up against it gently. If the ruler is then vertical, you are on centre height.

Although I am a Plastics Engineer, I have used a lathe fairly often over the last 20 years. I dont have one at home yet, but once the workshop is set up, I will get one.

Regards
Graham
 
To get the best finish on aluminum, you need a large nose radius and copious lube...

Take the time now to make a jig to help you center your tool height to the center of the spindle axis. I never did, and to this day I wish I would just take the time to make one.

You'll also want a drill chuck for your tail stock, and a live center if you want to turn long stuff. The dead center will burn up if you don't have enough grease or you try turning with it too fast (over about 300rpm has been the melting/galling point for when I've done it). I'm somewhat surprised they even included it - the only place I'd use one is in the headstock with a faceplate and dog. I have used them for offset (taper) turning with a boring head in the tail stock, but I wouldn't do that again if I could avoid it.
 
Can we try 2 cycle oil for cutting lube and see how that discussion runs ?
sub cats for, internal or external application, (Maybe chain oil for ext, less sling off!)
Tapping and drilling, reaming or boring and the biggie ... single point threading.
carbon buildup on the chip breaker or clamp screw hole.
Scoring of the ways....

sorry fellows, should be sleeping and feeling a bit goofy from it.

in truth, really would like to see how it does for threading alum.
 
Should be fine for threading aluminium. CRC/WD40 will help for surface finish. For thread cutting I hope the lowest gear is really low, as the best way with that machine is to not disengage the leadscrew.

I used to bore blow moulds using a faceplate, with an angle plate bolted to it, so was able to accurately set the centre of the tooling. We used to send out some blowmoulds for boring externally, and they always came back off centre. The ones I did were always on the money.

Graham
 
Moly D is the best thread cutting lube I've ever used. Bacon grease works good too (smells yummy is a bonus!), as does WD40 and Kerosene on aluminum specifically (I wouldn't use them on steel).

Sulphurized lubes will stain aluminum and some others will too (I forget if it's ammonia or some other chemical they use) - not really a concern for pistons and cylinder quench bands, but something to be aware of if doing other jobs.

Bar oil would be a bad metal cutting lubricant. You don't want it holding chips to the work.
 
nothing like that old "machinist cologne" dark brown, sulfered cutting oil.
get an acid brush for a stringer to snag (fun drilling &tapping on the radial drill, dance lesson for free)
and your choice of Vienna sausage, peanuts, soup or cut off soda can to hold it.

Then there would be that miraculous water based, anti freeze looking stuff
that some salesman would talk the "office" into trying...
after a couple of days of it in the spray-mister, the paint is bubbling off the the column of mill,
couple of DRO's are intermittent and your fingernails are burning.
Yeah, we all balked at that one.
 
I use WD40 for lube for aluminum works well, and is cheap and easy to get. I've also found that all this talk about aluminum finish, I can achieve the best results with HSS, however I've also found that pistons and cylinders machine differently then your regular run of the mill aluminum stock.

For centering tools I have one of these.

2.jpg


you can also just leave your live center in the tail stock and use that point as a height gauge.
 
Jim Timber said:
To get the best finish on aluminum, you need a large nose radius and copious lube...
Click to expand...

The CCGT inserts like this CCGT 32.52 with a large radius nose work really well without lube and at fairly high MRR. The large upturned rake likes to be slightly above the part center line and it will leave a nice finish. Also there is no need for having another insert for roughing as I normally take .06-.08" on aluminum roughing cuts at high feed rates with these inserts and I haven't burned or chipped one yet. They leave a great finish on mild steel and cast as well.
 
The first thing you are going to need before tooling etc is a couple strong friends to help you set the machine in place. I would also pay for the lift gate delivery. YMMV

I had to go to the UPS terminal because I was too cheap to pay for the liftgate. The only issue is that they have no ramp or forklift to help you load stuff at the terminal here. Had to back up to the load dock for an 18 wheeler and slide it down 3' on a sheet of plywood with some 2X4's under that for support, sketchy at best. I will save you the story of how I got it into the shop and on the bench by myself:dizzy:


Once you get it set a cheap natural bristle paint brush has been a big help to me for wiping away chips on the work, bits, etc. If you don't have a grinder you will need one, Sears normally has some pretty good sales going. You will also need some serious degreaser. The cosmoline on these things is a real pita.

You will forget at some point but make it a habit to ALWAYS check that the chuck wrench has been removed from the chuck before mashing the green button. :msp_scared:
 
Jim Timber said:
... Bacon grease works good too (smells yummy is a bonus!), as does WD40 and Kerosene on aluminum specifically (I wouldn't use them on steel).

Sulphurized lubes will stain aluminum and some others will too (I forget if it's ammonia or some other chemical they use) - not really a concern for pistons and cylinder quench bands, but something to be aware of if doing other jobs.

.....
Click to expand...

Now i'm glad to see that you will be getting the machining bug...

We use lard at the shop on jobs where coolant would be too messy but you still can't run it dry. If you don't get carried away it doesn't smell too bad. Often makes me think "pig roast!"
 
Last edited:
CWME said:
The first thing you are going to need before tooling etc is a couple strong friends to help you set the machine in place.
Click to expand...

What time will you be here? I'll see if I can get a couple more friends to drop by. Maybe, Matt from AU...Nikko from Europe....:biggin:

One of my buds here has a care package going together for me!
Scales
Centers
Drill chuck
Lathe tools
Indicators
:clap:
 
blsnelling said:
What time will you be here? I'll see if I can get a couple more friends to drop by. Maybe, Matt from AU...Nikko from Europe....:biggin:

One of my buds here has a care package going together for me!
Scales
Centers
Drill chuck
Lathe tools
Indicators
:clap:
Click to expand...

Be worth the trip if you massaged my MS460 a little in trade :laugh:
 
blsnelling said:
Help me decide on a QCTP. I don't really know the difference, but understand that a wedge type is better than a piston type.

Tools4cheap LLC Online Machine Shop Tooling Store: Quick Change Tool Post Sets - Wedge Type,Quick Change Tool Posts and Holders

CDCO Machinery Corp. - Item # 29461. Piston or wedge?
Click to expand...

The wedge is better for repeating work when you are dropping in different tools and you don't want to have to touch off or zero again. You can drop the tool holder in and the tool will be withing a few 0.001" of where it was last. With the piston style it won't be as close. Some say the wedge is more sturdy but in the AXA (100) size you won't be having an issue with that. Also the cheap import wedge toolposts can be a bit loose and poorly machined inside, they seem to do better on the piston style.

I have a wedge style toolpost and in 2 years I've only needed it's drop in accuracy once when I was making multiple of the same part that had a loose enough tolerance that I could get away with switching tools without touching off again.
 
Last edited:
Here's what mine looks like, but in much better condition. Load four tools and with the flip of that handle, they switch positions.

South_Bend_Tool_Turret.jpg
 

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