Help Operating a Lathe

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Augus7us

Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
694
Hey All,

A good friend reached out to me a told me a family member passed away and they had a small lathe and wanted to know if I would be interested. Of course I'm always interested in new tools and he gave it to me for a song.

In all honesty he helped me unload it in my shop and we ended up bsing until late at night and I left before I could plug it in or look it over. So all I know is based on the manual he gave me its a craftsman and from the looks its probably from the 50's and I think it has a 2' bed. I've never used a lathe and my ADD has me wanting to play hooky from work and head out to the shop tomorrow.

So I'm hoping you guys have some links/books/videos covering the basics; operation, safety, mounting crap in the chuck and so on that you could point me to. I won't be able to make it back to my shop until next weekend most likely so I'd like to get started learning some stuff in the mean time. Thanks!

-Clint
 
Lol Thanks Wil. I was familiar with the first three but I will check out those videos. I see mrpete in the link and I'm pretty sure I've seen some of his stuff in the past.

on the tooling I was fortunate that my buddy threw in everything he had including the awesome custom stand with drawers (he was a woodworker by trade). I've got three or four chucks, dozens of cutters, drill chuck for the tailstock and a whole host of gizmos and doo dads that I saw when we pulled the drawers out to transport it. As I type this I am kicking myself in the ass for not grabbing the manual and drawers to bring home and itemize and clean up for next weeks lathe party session :D

Keep the info flowing guys, I'm going to need all the help I can get I'm sure!

-Clint
 
this guy gives the best instructions for lathe set-ups that i've seen on youtube. this particular vid is, i believe, critical to understand for anyone starting out.
 
A quick change tool post is awesome. Sounds like you might have an atlas/craftsman 9x20. Is the carriage feed manual or can it be auto fed for cutting threads?
 
If it does cut threads, learn the difference between the half nut lever and the feed lever before you turn it on to avoid any catastrophes. :eek:
 
I agree with Kuraki, and if you can, find the manual for the lathe, as it will not only give you more details on the various parts and pieces (and their operation) but it will likely specify some necessary service, maintenance, and adjustments.
Here's a 12" sears/craftsman lathe manual. Not sure if it's the same one you have:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/16331.pdf

VintageMachinery.org is a really good resource.

As for general lathe operation, Southbend does have some really good materials. Also, check out AGI's video series with Darrel Holland on running a lathe. He uses a 9" south bend IIRC, but many of the principles are the same for any lathe.

If you don't already have one, get yourself a good machinist level and level the lathe bed as best you can. If you want to machine parts accurately (especially over the length of the bed), this is vital, assuming there aren't other issues like significant wear in the ways or spindle. The Starrett 98 levels are probably the standard. You can find them used for less than $100.

Everybody seems to want to gravitate toward carbide insert tooling these days, and while it is convenient, it's not always the best choice; if your spindle speed is on the lower end of the spectrum, or your lathe isn't solid enough, it'll give you more headaches than anything. Learn how to sharpen HSS tool bits, and you'll be miles ahead.

"This Old Tony" on YouTube has some really good vids on insert tooling and sharpening bits.

Other than that, just get some aluminum round bar and/or some mild steel and just start playing around. Start off with LIGHT and SLOW passes, and get to know the feel of the machine. Start with something simple like facing or cutting a chamfer. It gets pretty intuitive once you get a few of the basics down.
 
Thanks for all the info gents, lots to get me started.

Kevin Powers said:
A quick change tool post is awesome. Sounds like you might have an atlas/craftsman 9x20. Is the carriage feed manual or can it be auto fed for cutting threads?
Click to expand...

I think you are right Kevin, it didn't quite look 2' to me but I figured I was tired. The manuals have both craftsman and atlas on them as well. Not sure if it has a quick change or not but I'll probably look into one.

12345678910 said:
South Bend book

How to Run a Lathe
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Thanks Count the book will be here in two days!

mike-E said:
this guy gives the best instructions for lathe set-ups that i've seen on youtube. this particular vid is, i believe, critical to understand for anyone starting out.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike, I'll check it out. If you are interested in swapping lathe tips for some beer and pizza my shop is in Reynoldsburg, I'd be happy to have you out and talk knives and turn something.

knife to a gunfight said:
I agree with Kuraki, and if you can, find the manual for the lathe, as it will not only give you more details on the various parts and pieces (and their operation) but it will likely specify some necessary service, maintenance, and adjustments.
Click to expand...

Thanks Drew, I actually have all the original manuals but I was in such a hurry to get out of the shop I forgot to grab it so I could read it this week. I may try to sneak out before this weekend and grab it and some other stuff to look over and see what all I got. In addition to the chucks and cutters there was also a pile of gears. And it does cut threads. I'm not exactly sure how to do it but I know my buddy said his FiL did it and would engage the threaded rod by handing a bag of shot on a threaded clamp that would move the tool post.

I did have the forethought to snap a quick photo before I ran out of the shop. Let me know what you guys think.

-Clint

IMG_0803 by Clint, on Flickr
 
I would search some of the machining boards about common upgrades. I just got a new to me enco 9x20 and there's a million different things people do to these to make them better. A lot of upgrades that involve the lathe help you learn how to use the thing as well. A quick change tool post was high on my list for the repeatability to get the tool on center with tool changes.
I can also say that I've had good experience buying from littlemachineshop. Stay away from Chinese tooling. I've already learned that. The carbide stuff all over eBay is junk. While you're waiting on stuff I would take some things apart and give it a good cleaning and lube.
 
Kevin Powers said:
Stay away from Chinese tooling. I've already learned that. The carbide stuff all over eBay is junk. While you're waiting on stuff I would take some things apart and give it a good cleaning and lube.
Click to expand...

I agree with this to an extent... Quality carbide will just about always outperform the cheap stuff, but it can add up quick. If you're just farting around or learning, you may not want to drop several hundred dollars on USA made inserts and tooling right away, especially if your lathe may not even hold the specs to benefit from it. As mentioned before, HSS (or cobalt/hybrid blended tool bits) may be a better option for most cutting anyway, though tool bit geometry and proper sharpening is its own learning curve.

Now, as for other tooling and instruments in general, the import stuff seems to have increased moderately in quality over the years, and much of it is a great value for the dollar, especially for home hobbyists. Grizzly, Shars, Enco, Interstate, etc... all seem to be really decent for MOST things, and come in at a fraction of the price of the "professional grade" brands. If you're not trying to hold tolerances +/- .0002 or so, the import stuff will get the job done fine. Just be sure to check reviews on Amazon and the like, as some tools/tooling is more of a gamble than others depending on what exactly it is.

All that said, if you keep an eye out on the used market (eBay, craigslist, local auctions and fleamarkets, etc..) you can find used or N.O.S. tools and tooling for very reasonable prices as well, sometimes for the same price or cheaper than their imported counterparts. Just have to keep a sharp eye out.
 
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