I am self taught and have been using a HAAS mill for several years. I just recently purchased a HAAS lathe to widen our capabilities and make some things we do on the mill more efficient.
My question is, what type of cutoff tool/insert would be best suited for parting off 304 stainless steel tubing, more precisely hypodermic needle tubing. The only thing I am certain of so far is that it will need to be cut pretty close to the spindle to keep it from flexing. But I could really use some advice on the best method and tool to use to accomplish this best.
You will need a free cutting insert with a lead angle in a tough grade for 304 Stainless Steel to get the best finish and tool life. What is the OD of the tubing and wall thickness? I believe hypodermic needle tubing has a .015" wall but thought I'd double check. Also, what is the shank size your Haas lathe takes? This sounds like an application that would be ideal for a Swiss but can send you info on a tool that would be ideal for the application Keith!
The tubing is 13HV which translates to O.D. of .095 and I.D. is .064 with a wall of .0155. The machine is a HAAS CL-1 which is a brand new chucker they are putting out which has a .5 in shank. The turret on it is the same as the HAAS TL-1 uses from the looks of it.
Sounds great Keith! The system I have had the most luck with in thin walled Stainless Steel is Kyocera's TKF designed for Small Diameter and Thin Walled Parts. Here is a link to the holder and inserts:
https://www.toolhit.com/products/tlc16058
*These are the inserts we'd recommend. They are .039" Width x .001" Corner Rad x 16° Lead Angle Cutoff Insert in the PR1535 Megacoat Grade for 304 Stainless Steel. This insert is the best option for Thin Walled Applications. This insert is also available in .020", .028", .049", .059" & .079" Widths if you would prefer a different cutoff width let me know.
Here are speeds/feeds for 304 Stainless Steel:
SFM: 300
IPR: .0006"