Publisher's Synopsis
Investing in a new metalworking lathe is a big step for any shop (especially home shops), where there's usually no one around to help. Once the lathe is up and running, you should theoretically be able to make the special items you previously did without (or paid through the nose for), such as shafts, plain, tapered or threaded discs, bearings, and so on. But if you are new to this, you'll want to know a lot more than you can learn from the salesman or the manual. Does the lathe really match your needs, and if so, how much?
The work talks about cutting oils, cutting speeds and easier-to-machine materials, and it cautions against buying sets of anything, vs. buying the one accessory you'll truly need. Finally, there are chapters on building a tailstock drill press, a special toolpost for easy screw cutting, and a precision grinder for lathe tools that can be made from oddments of material in a couple of days or less.
Features
- Differentiates between the truly essential features (screw-cutting) and the nice-to-have (power feeding), spindle speed selection from a gearbox (typical) or continuously variable (more convenient).
- Offers advice on screw-cutting US and metric threads, and handling the machinist's most trouble-prone actions, such as knurling and parting off.
- Provides a workpiece tutorial that demonstrates many of the commonplace lathe routines-ideal for first-time users.
