Advice on metal lathe tool bits pls

[Noods]

It would help greatly if we knew what you wanted to do with your lathe before recommending.

Also a 4 jaw chuck is easy to master, get a dial indicator, and learn how to align a part.
It's much more versatile, and a valuable skill to learn.

As far a HSS, grinding tool bit's is not nearly as hard as sharpening scissors, again a valuable skill to learn.
consult any older "How to run a lathe" type textbook, and look at the pictures, learn how to see/recognize the clearances needed.

I would need it for all kinds of work eventually.. Mild SS and Chromium type steels brass aluminium etc.. Size wise not that big i mainly want to be able to machine one off parts for small projects etc and billet motorcycle parts that kind of thing.. Until now everything i’ve made has been by hand really eg angle grinder bandsaw tig etc etc i need accuracy at times though eg slotting and even drilling and tapping etc.. Hope this helps !

 

[Noods]

For smaller stuff, an ER40 collet chuck. You can turn this yourself easily.

Bison 4304, 4 jaw independant is the chuck to get. They pop up on ebay occasionally.
If it must be a 3 jaw scroll, then a Pratt Griptru.

BISON 4304 200mm 4 Jaw Independent Front Mount Lathe Chuck With Reversible Jaws | eBay

"The Bison 4304 series Cast Iron 4 Jaw Independent Chuck is supplied with 1 set of solid reversable jaws. You can alter the position of each jaw Independently which allows extra flexibility and precision when clamping irregular workpieces.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[fizzy]

A 3 jaw is the most common chuck for a very good reason. As long as you aren't taking parts out and then trying to put them back in again before you have finished they are fine.
I love collets as well.

 

[Kram]

Yeah, not cheap, but used ones pop up on ebay, often below £100. Mine was £90 and makes a huge difference.
Clocking a part into a 4 jaw should only take seconds if your well practised and its a useful skill to have, but its one you loose if not practised.

 

[graffian]

I didn't use a 4jaw very often on my old lathe, so I avoided using it.
I got the new lathe[1955 is new] with a looked like new bison3 jaw
and an old pratt 4jaw.
The 3 jaw grips with anything up to 30 thou run out. Could I have got that figure wrong?
So I virtually always use a 4 jaw.

If you want to speed up setting up in a 4 jaw gets two keys.

 

[Gritineye]

This is a good method, aim for under 2 minutes, get quicker with practice.

 

[Agroshield]

Their coated carbide ball nose cutters lasted just as long if not longer than brand name cutters at 4 times the price. Was very impressed.

They quench them in Irn Bru and chuck them in with the deep fried Mars bars to temper.

 

[Johnnybravo]

They quench them in Irn Bru and chuck them in with the deep fried Mars bars to temper.

Is that why they are blue?

 

[brightspark]

if your removing stock the 1st cut will then be 100 percent accurate using the 3 jaw. its only if u have to remove it and refit it will be out a few thou. then u need a 4 jaw to clock it back up accurately

 

[Gritineye]

If a part in a 3 jaw will be removed before it's finished, I mark the part at number 1 jaw with felt tip (pin punch if I think it'll get rubbed off by handling) and then it's easy to put it back where it was. Mostly it goes back pefectly with no runout of the turned surface.

If that isn't accurate enough or I'm making two parts that fit together, I sometimes use two chucks (3 jaw and 4 jaw) and swap chucks with the parts still in them for test fits.

Having two chucks can be very useful when you have half made a tricky part and another urgent job turns up, just swap chucks with the parts in them.

 

[Noods]

if your removing stock the 1st cut will then be 100 percent accurate using the 3 jaw. its only if u have to remove it and refit it will be out a few thou. then u need a 4 jaw to clock it back up accurately

Is that because your opening say only two of the 4 jaws to get the part out, eg so as long as you mark it and place it back as near poss as before with those two jaws not moving all should be the same again and you can just retighten the two loose jaws?

 

[Noods]

This is a good method, aim for under 2 minutes, get quicker with practice.

That was really good so thank you..

 

[Gritineye]

That was really good so thank you..

You're welcome, ton's machining how to's on YT, but finding reliable tutors can be a bit tricky.

 

[MattF]

Is that because your opening say only two of the 4 jaws to get the part out, eg so as long as you mark it and place it back as near poss as before with those two jaws not moving all should be the same again and you can just retighten the two loose jaws?

No. He's meaning that if you turn a part from rough stock in a 3 jaw, the finished part will be accurate, (provided you don't remove & reinsert the stock before completion of the item), as it doesn't rely on the rough stock being perfectly aligned. 4 jaws & collet chucks come into their own when you're working with parts which have already been worked, & you need to either clock them in to get them running true in respect to the lathe, else know they're dead on when reinserted, (respectively).

 

[Noods]

No. He's meaning that if you turn a part from rough stock in a 3 jaw, the finished part will be accurate, (provided you don't remove & reinsert the stock before completion of the item), as it doesn't rely on the rough stock being perfectly aligned. 4 jaws & collet chucks come into their own when you're working with parts which have already been worked, & you need to either clock them in to get them running true in respect to the lathe, else know they're dead on when reinserted, (respectively).

in a roundabout way that’s exactly what i said! or at least, tried too..

 

[Turbo]

Ignore anyone that tells you carbide insert tooling doesn't work on a small lathe like a Myford. Myself & a few others on here have tried them & they work very well! Put it this way - I have quite a few HSS tools but since I got the tipped tooling the HSS doesn't get used apart from the rare situation you need to cut something that you don't have a HSS tool for.
Don't bother with HSS unless you enjoy spending ages at a bench grinder & an oil stone sharpening your HSS tool, trying to get 3 different cutting angles correct then wreaking it because you did something wrong!
With carbide if you break a tip it only takes second to swap it & get going again!

I bought a full set of carbide tip tooling from Banggood after reading @doubleboost reviews on his youtube channel. They have been faultless & the tips only break if I do something stupid!

 

[smashweld]

thanks, was at the brink of insanity googling 'carbide insert code' etc!

 

[Erie Fred]

I
Don't bother with HSS unless you enjoy spending ages at a bench grinder & an oil stone sharpening your HSS tool, trying to get 3 different cutting angles correct then wreaking it because you did something wrong!
With carbide if you break a tip it only takes second to swap it & get going again!

Trying to get 3 angles & oil stone sharpening ?
Oh my.
Wreaking it ?
Snap your last insert on a weld or bad spot, and you goose is cooked until you BUY some more.

HSS is not fussy, and very forgiving, especially when turning rough welded on stuff.

 

[brightspark]

Ignore anyone that tells you carbide insert tooling doesn't work on a small lathe like a Myford. Myself & a few others on here have tried them & they work very well! Put it this way - I have quite a few HSS tools but since I got the tipped tooling the HSS doesn't get used apart from the rare situation you need to cut something that you don't have a HSS tool for.
Don't bother with HSS unless you enjoy spending ages at a bench grinder & an oil stone sharpening your HSS tool, trying to get 3 different cutting angles correct

i dont spend ages with hss lathe tools i sharpen them on the disk sander and dont spend ages. once set if they need re sharpening its a matter of a quick touch up on the tip in seconds

 

[Erie Fred]

i dont spend ages with hss lathe tools i sharpen them on the disk sander and dont spend ages. once set if they need sharpening its a matter of a quick touch up on the tip in seconds

...and it's MUCH cheaper.....that alone will appeal to some on here....