Lathe... what do I do with it?

[babzog]

Last weekend, I helped my brother close up his shop (forced out by greedy landlord). Sad day but he's actually looking forward to not wrenching for a living.

So, we moved a bunch of things to his garage and bunch more to mine. One of those moved to mine was a metal lathe, a Craftex B2227L. It's made in China but seems very solid. Some poking around the net seems to confirm that people like them.

I downloaded the manual from Busy Bee Tools but, like most China manuals, it's full of parts drawings and short on "how to setup and use the machine" content. It came with the gearing for SAE threading installed and also came with gears for metric threading (at least, I'm assuming it's the SAE gears that are installed). Also came with some other attachments for the tailstock - a drill chuck and some of those pointy things I presume you use for tubing?

So, I have a metal lathe and no idea really on how to use the darn thing. I was fiddling with the knobs and whatnot the other day. There's a selection for engaging power to the lead screw for threading, but the carriage seems to move verrrrry slowly in relation to the chuck speed. Maybe that's normal.. I don't know, but it doesn't really look right, esp when I look at some youtube videos on lathe threading - the carriage seems to be moving more than this one.

So, looking for any information and advice (in true Metal Lathes For Dummies fashion). Can I bribe anyone with pizza and beer into spending a couple of hours to show me how to operate the thing?

 

[ZRX61]

http://www.essortment.com/home/powertoolsuse_slzc.htm

 

[gordsgarage]

Hi babzog, I've got the same lathe. For what I paid for it I am very happy with it. There is lots of information out there on how to run a lathe.

Answering your specific question in regards to the speed of the carriage...the speed is dependant on the gearing. When you purchase the Craftex B2227L new it comes with all the gearing to be able to change the carriage speed. The gearing is required when you are cutting threads, in other words, the carriage speed moves at the required speed in relation to the spindle speed. The gears need to be changed depending on the thread pitch. The manual is very vague about this. Busy Bee has all the attachments for that lathe.

Hope this helps a bit

Gord

 

[buildyourown]

There isn't enough server space on this forum to type out everything you need to know to run a lathe well. They can do just about anything and are very versatile.
As for the feed: There is a feed mode and a thread mode. The thread mode will be in tpi (threads per inch) and will be very fast. Switch a lever and the carriage will be driven off of the feed gears and will be in ipm (inches per revolution) and will be slow. ie, .004" per revolution. So for every 100 rpm, the carriage will move .400"
Threading is an advanced skill and I wouldn't attempt it until you have a strong base.
Have fun!

 

[MattT]

Looks like it's a machine that uses the same screw, and engagement lever, for threading and power feed. Chances are it's set up for power feeding rather than threading which is why the carriage is moving slowly.

If you can't find a local machinist that likes beer and pizza see if your local community college offers any machining classes. That'll also introduce to a bunch of other machine tools and tooling and measuring instruments you are gonna need

 

[David Ferguson]

I learned to use a manual lathe by taking an evening machining course at the local community college -- went on to learn CNC and CAD/CAM programming. Now, I'm happily making chips in my shop.

If you like learning from books, try something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1569903409/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Yojinbo]

If books aren't your thing:
http://smartflix.com/store/category/115/Metalworking

Warning: you can't keep SmartFlix DVD for a long time like you can Netflix!

 

[larry_g]

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/

The above group is geared toward you and is a good source. There is also a yahoo group that is centered around these lathes. Search yahoo groups for lathe. I did a search and 11 pages of lathe groups showed up. Don't get to hung up on finding a group just for your lathe as some groups such as the south bend one will have a lot more activity and answer a lot of questions on basic lathe use. Most of all be carefull. These thing can maim and kill. They can also lead to hours of good times and good friends.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Bolster]

Ditto the advice to take a course at your local JC. Given that JCs run off the tax dollar, they are a HUGE bargain in terms of education. If you ever wondered why your taxes are so high, they're subsidizing golden government worker pensions, people trying to substitute sun/wind/bicycles for oil, big banks and investment firms, and people smart enough to take advantage of the ridiculously cheap tuition at the local JC.

If you don't fit in the first 3 categories, you have a shot at getting something back from Uncle Sam in the fourth.

All the deals in the HOT DEALS thread combined won't give you the return of what a course at a JC will.

 

[babzog]

Looks like it's a machine that uses the same screw, and engagement lever, for threading and power feed. Chances are it's set up for power feeding rather than threading which is why the carriage is moving slowly.

If you can't find a local machinist that likes beer and pizza see if your local community college offers any machining classes. That'll also introduce to a bunch of other machine tools and tooling and measuring instruments you are gonna need

I figured that was the case (powered lead screw serving two functions). So, if the extra set of gears are metric and the SAE gears are installed, how would I go about making whatever adjustments are required for threading?

The local colleges don't offer machining classes at night - not enough enrollment. Too bad, since the Cornwall campus of St Lawrence College appears to have a very nicely equipped shop.

One of the first projects I have in mind is to replace the tip on the hydraulic press I got from my brother. The threads are shot to hell so I figured it would be a good first project.

 

[GrantCee]

One of the ways that South Bend made a name for themselves back in the early 20th century was to distribute a book called "How To Run A Lathe" in every shop class in America.

It was a very readable explanation about what a lathe was, what it did, and how to use it. While of course it featured SB equipment, the concepts are just as applicable today as they were back then. There is no better introduction to lathe work that I've ever found.

The book is being reprinted by Lindsay Books:
http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks/lathebk/index.html

 

[dr_clyde]

X2 on How To Run A Lathe. Great book. My dad gave me his copy.

 

[babzog]

I ordered one of those (How To Run A Lathe) today.

Until that arrives, I kinda want to "jump right in", but I also want to remain alive for the time being. Figured out a good and simple first project (setting aside the one I mentioned above). I need to make a weight barrel for my tractor and in order to make attach points for the 3pth, I need to turn down some bar stock I've got laying around. How do I go about setting up and accomplishing this? What tools will I need (measurement, etc)?

 

[drmarkr]

Man....I'd wait until you've got someone to walk you through this before getting underway. That's my advice. Tool setup, proper chucking, safe material support, chuck speed, the list goes on.

Patience for the book, at least.... if not some hands on instruction. (I was a machinist before I decided to go to college)

 

[MattT]

I ordered one of those (How To Run A Lathe) today.

How do I go about setting up and accomplishing this? What tools will I need (measurement, etc)?

I'd advise getting an electronic caliper for now. That and HSS bits, a bench grinder, and a small soft arkansaw stone if you don't already have them. Wait for the book to learn how to set the lathe up.

 

[ZRX61]

X2 on How To Run A Lathe. Great book. My dad gave me his copy.

I found a '37 issue to go with my '37 SB & then found a '40's version.

 

[hofferwood]

Some good info here
http://www.americanmachinetools.com/how_to_use_a_lathe.htm

Chuck

 

[DocsMachine]

Okay, as much of a fan of machine tools as I am, I have to recommend NOT just "jumping in". It's entirely too easy for a novice to break something, whether it's a bone in your finger or a gear in the headstock.

Add my vote for "How to Run a Lathe". It's an excellent book- I'd been a professional machinist for fifteen years before I ran across a copy, and it still taught me a thing or two.

I very strongly suggest waiting 'til the book comes in, then reading at least everything through Chapter 7, two or three times. Your import lathe will be somewhat different from the Southbends shown in the book, so you'll need to familiarize yourself with those differences. All the general parts are there- feed engagement, threading lever, chuck, compound, etc.- it'll just be a slightly different layout than the book shows.

Then, buy yourself six or eight feet of 3/4" aluminum round bar. If you don't have a chop saw or a Sawzall, have the metals supplier chop it for you into 6" or 8" pieces. This is your practice material- aluminum is soft and reasonably forgiving for speeds and feeds.

Then- after reading the book again- try a couple of practice cuts. Get a feel for the machine, get used to the controls. Start out just making chips. It's fun.

After a while, and you're getting used to the controls, then start shooting for specific sizes- see if you can turn the diameter to a specific finished OD, learn to use your measuring tools (calipers, micrometer, etc.)

Before you realize it, you'll be a machinist!

Doc.

 

[babzog]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I'm still waiting for the book and have been a good boy - haven't mucked around with the machine. Well, I've turned it on, played with the controls a bit and figured out where the change gears go for threading, opened up the top to have a look inside (and found out it needs oil and a new gasket - the old one had expanded about 10% or so - took me a while to get it aligned enough to get the lid back on). I still have little understanding of the threading chart on the front of the machine (will post a pic later). Will need to order a gasket from busybee but I'm wondering, what's the proper oil to use in the gearbox?

 

[transplant_wi]

Lindsay Books sells reproductions of classic machinist's books, including several South Bend manuals. They sell books on all kinds of other tinkerer's stuff too. I have bought from them several times without problems, and their print catalog makes entertaining reading. This link takes you to the machinist books.

http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/sub/machine.html

 

[kc-steve]

I would love to get my hands on something like that. I haven't used one since high school 40-years ago. But I would try and learn. I bet you can find plenty of "How To ..." books that could help in a general sense of usage.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[lilredex]

That SB book "How to Run a Lathe" is still very current today, read it cover to cover. First saw it in 1963 while at S.A.I.T.

Some other sites worth mentioning:

http://www.mini-lathe.com/

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/south-bend-lathes/

http://www.gadgetbuilder.com/

http://varmintal.com/alath.htm

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/ShopTips/tiplist.html

http://www.bedair.org/Lathelinks.html


Some of that stuff pertains to mini lathes, but still useful.