9 x 20 3/8 turning tool recommendation

[twocik]

Can someone here recommend a good, fair priced place to buy turning tool/bit sets?

[twocik]

Anyone?

[acondit]

Grizzly sells some preground HSS bits but I think the sets are 5/16".

Alan

[twocik]

Thanks, completely forgot about them. Now all I need is a QCTP, and I'll be setup for my new lathe.

[Runner4404spd]

personally i wouldn't waste my time with HSS bits. go right for the carbide insert ones. KBC tools sells a set that has 4 turning tools and a boring bar, however, i would step up to the 1/2" tools.

[twocik]

What would make the insert bits better than the pre ground bits, well beside they're easier to replace?


I was told that HSS is better for turning all the way around, now I don't believe everything I'm told, but I'm very new to turning.


One more thing guys, can you explain in a simple way how/what the clutch is exactly used for? I've recently upgraded from a mini 7 x 10 lathe and I'm desperately seeking info on this machine ( 9 x 20 ) I'm now trying to learn.

Thanks

chris

[Runner4404spd]

don't have to worry about resharpening them. they will break but they are pretty inexpensive. useing the right carbide tools was by far the best upgrade i did on my 9x20. take a look at steve bedairs site if you haven't seen it yet (www.bedair.org).

[in2steam]

HSS is better for somethings, carbide others, I prefer HSS to carbide esp when doing odd metals(brass and GI esp). If you can grind a good bit on slow machine there is not much you cannot do, with carbide you tend to get limited and the it does not cut well with a light cut say around .001 on steel. I have never been able to get a decent finsih with the 9x20 on 1018 without HSS. HSS is also fairly cheap and can be reused and ground alot compared to indexable and cemented carbide where you need a green wheel to resharpen it.

The clutch on the 9x20 is used to start the lathe without shocking the motor and or part. When cuttting threads this is most important, esp metric as you are not supposed to release the half nut but reverse direction of the motor, so plugging(reversing on the fly) that motor will not do the lathe and motor any good.
chris

[twocik]

Hi everyone, I really appreciate your help, as I'm very new to working on a lathe.


Let me see if I have this right.

1. Pull clutch toward me, before starting the machine.

2. Make sure work piece is fastened and secured. Remove the chuck key and place it out of the way. :0

3. Turn the Carriage, CrossSlide and topSlide/compound into place, without it touching the work piece.

4. Start the lathe by twisting the knob, left or right.

5. Now that the motor is running and I'm about to start turning my work piece, remove the clutch by pushing it forward and then I can carry on with turning my work piece?


Is this the right procedure to start the lathe or am I completely off?





Now lets say I'm ready to engage the feed lever as the machine is on. Should I pull the clutch in every time I make a pass, then release the feed lever after I'm done with that pass, and start over again?


1. Clutch (pull in)

2. Start lathe

3. Clutch (push out)

4. Feed lever

5. Clutch (after first pass, and bringing the carriage back to 0 )

6. Feed lever and so on




I haven't gotten into threading just yet, but that's definitely next.

[in2steam]

Your first part is pretty much correct. You might want to add having the machine set to the proper rpm, checking tailstock clamps and/or carriage lock is secured, and that feeds are disengaged at the intial startup.

On the second part
No not normally, its a matter of taste at that point, there are some work pieces you may not want to damage when moving the tool back across esp when TBC or doing tapers. I normally leave the clutch in, drop the feed or screw feed, then manual bring it back to my start and rengauge the feed. The manaul states that you leave the feed engaged only when doing metric threads, I am not completely sure why I am assuming thats because of imperial feeds. My feeling is that if you are only doing simple operations that you leave the clutch in as its a slight bit on the hazardus side to disengage, at least compared to other lathes I have run. Also I would think that its easier on the belts, I tend to shut the machine off then disengage the clutch, start the motor then engage the clutch, but I am new to the 9x20 not the lathe in general though most others(larger) don't clutch like that.

chris

[in2steam]

To answer your question about were I got my tools from in the other thread, for the lathe I got them from last owner and I suspect he got them from the orignal owner as I work with the last owner and he has access to the same tooling I do( he had none with it that pile). Otherwise I have aquired over the years about 60 pieces of tooling through different purchases and auctions the biggest score being when I purchased my shaper I got a box full of different sizes of cut off tools. I purchase stuff from enco and msc but I have yet to actually buy a piece of tooling per say. I will be soon though I need to get a decent QCTP and the cemented carbide I have has just about had it, most of the HSS I have is getting worn down or is ground to profiles I need to keep. The nice thing about HSS is you can use for all kinds of things and one piece goes a long way. I am thinking about investing in a tool grinder or a green wheel grinder but I am not sure that its a wise investment as of yet. I have 7 grinders and I really don't need another but I would like to sharpen end mills at some point in time.

Chris

[twocik]

Everyone keeps telling me to grind my own tools. It shouldn't be to hard after I get a few tools to look at, but we'll see. Wow I'm really doing it all at once, but this is how I learn (pound it into my brain over and over)!

I just bought more stuff for my CNC mill, Money Money Money it goes so fast... I'm really wanting that QCTP, but need to make some more money before I do so.

Any good learning DVD's or books you can recommend?

Chris