According to :

I'm going to skip over some of this, because I am way behind in
newsreading, and I expect to be away form home helping a friend replace
the spindle in his lathe most of tomorrow, which would make things
worse. I'll answer this one, and skip over whatever other ones you
post.

[ ... ]

I see that you already have it. At least the price was not too
bad. :-)

Actually, I didn't think I'd win it looking at the ended auctions. I
bid low because I figuerd that anything that is supposed to be held in
the chuck taht way couldn't be the best solution.

Now, I 'm looking at a 5" 4-Jaw, because I still need to be able to
turned those 4-1/2" square plate I mentioned.

O.K.

[ ... ]

You should not start the project with *no* experience. Take it
out, set it up, and play with it. Learn what it can do, and what you
have to do to make it do what you want. You *will* make mistakes, and
it is better to make most of them playing with expendible trial
workpieces instead of the serious ones which you are trying to make.
Try sub-sets of what you need to do, and this way you can learn more
things which you may need to do them.

Perhaps I could use this time working on the lathes tolerance/accuracy
(Of course I'd have to get those gauges in a hurry).

You could spend part of the time doing the traditional Asian"
machine tool mantra" of taking it apart, stoning or filing burrs off of
sliding parts, replacing the screws with ones of good metal and the
like.

This will make it a better machine. The sort of thing which the
factory *should* have done, but the Asian factories typically do not.

Tool Post
* AXA QC(Wedge Style))

Good -- with the modified compound to adjust the height
properly.

??? I was just about to bid on this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7593068191

But I'm not sure about the "modified compound" you mention.

The "modified compound" was what the web site you pointed me to
was offering to allow the use of an AXA sized toolpost on this small a
lathe. With the standard compound, the toolpost will be too high, and
you won't be able to adjust the tools to centerline.

[ ... ]

So here goes.(Not taking into account any tool holders that may already
come with the tool post I buy).

I'll be skipping over most of this.

[ ... ]

Ideally, not the one which you just won on eBay. For end mills,
you are better with Morse taper collets or endmill holders to fit your
lathe spindle's taper.

So I'd have to decide wether or not to stick with end mill holders or
get another set of collets(3C) for the spindle. Hmmm. The end mill
holders would seem to be more reliable, but the 3C would allow me to
work hold.(I did win that 5C collet chuck on eBay that I may be able to
use for light work at least).

Yes!

I'm also investigating expanding and step collets. Sigh.

The expanding ones are mostly available in watchmaker's lathe
sizes. The same for pre-made step collets, though there are soft
collets designed to be machined to make custom sized collets. But these
latter are typically 5C size -- so again you are out of luck.

BTW. "F) 5C Collet Tool Holder" was a referrence to a tool holder for
the tool post.

I've not seen a 5C tool holder for even a BXA sized toolpost,
let alone a AXA sized one.

(Perhaps I can make a "collet block" tool holder for indexing). :-)

Yes -- that would be a good task to get started learning your
lathe and its capabilities.

For your work holding, the 5C are only for the collet block, and
the lathe chucks for what you are turning in the spindle.

* G) Morse Taper Tool Holder

O.K. As above.

"G) Morse Taper Tool Holder" also refers to a *tool post* tool holder.

[ ... ]

Ok. Let's see. No "DoveTail Drill Chuck Tool Holder".All I need is the
Morse Taper #2 toll holder to allow me to use the center and regular
drills that I'd normally use on the tail stock, correct?

Yes -- with the problem of getting lateral centering each time
you use them which I mentioned before.

I) Universal Threading & Grooving Tool Holder?

Probably better off with carbide insert tooling for threading.
You'll need a separate one for internal threading, and you'll need to be
more careful of crashes which are easier to create when doing boring or
internal threading.

Crashes?

Unintended contact of moving parts with stationary parts of the
lathe -- with the workpiece involved or not involved. An example is
when the carriage moves close enough to the chuck so it gets hit by the
jaws. Sometimes, it is just harmless nicks, sometimes it is serious
damage to the machine.

And sometimes, it is simply feeding too aggressively for the
insert tooling and thus breaking the tooling.

The problems with inside threading and boring is that you can't
see the cutting edge during most of the task, so you have a greater
chance of it hitting something which you don't want.

Ok. Let's see. Forget the Universal and just use a thick parting tool
in the cut-off tool holder for grooving, correct?

A thin one can be used in multiple passes, and is less load on
the machine's motor.

Avoid the cheap sets of insert tooling which offer five tools in
one set, each at a slightly different angle. The inserts tend to break
easily, there is no carbide anvil to support the inserts, and the
inserts are more expensive than common industrial ones.

I'm glad you mentioned that. I've been eye-balling "cheap" sets of
insert tooling on eBay.

I was afraid of that.

H) Chip Breaker?

Determined by the grind of the insert -- or the HSS tool bit
which you grind yourself.

I still don't know what a "chip breaker" is.

Oh -- I thought that you were asking whether you should get one.
It is a geometry in the insert or toolbit which causes the chips to curl
more than they can tolerate, so they break off frequently. Otherwise,
you can wind up with long spiral chips, which look pretty, but which can
get tangled up in the spinning workpiece and the chuck. And they often
have rather nasty sharp edges. Your stainless steel is probably one of
the flavors which will make the nasty ones.

[ ... ]

J) Trepanning tool?

Special purpose -- and better made by hand from the HSS bits for
a given need.

I didn't know what this was either until you mentioned it when we were
discussing making a circular "trench" in stainless steel..

O.K.

[ ... ]

L) Radii Cutter?

Do you want to turn balls? If so, then this is nice. But most
of them aren't the right size for your machine.

If I could find it, it would probably be too expensive. And it's
probably better to just but those ball knobs than to try to turn 303
stainless to get them.

The good ones are too big for your machine. And will probably
put too much of a load on it. And stainless would be a real pain to
make the balls from. Pay someone else who does it for a living, and use
your time for something easier.

[ ... ]

End Mill Grinding Fixture?

Do you have a surface grinder? (*Not* a bench grinder.) If not,
the fixture won't do you any good.

The 2 Flute end mill will be indexable, but I'd still have to figure
out a way to sharpen the ball end mill.

An end mill grinding fixture is only for the square ended end
mills. For a ball end mill, you will need a serious tool and cutter
grinder, and quite a bit of time to learn to use it properly. I don't
have one, and have never had a chance to learn one. It will be a lot
cheaper to just buy new ball end mills as needed -- or if you are
dulling them a lot, find a service which will sharpen them for you.

[ ... ]

* MT2 Rotabroach Arbor(@#$%! And I just brought a Rotabroach).

?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7591760352
I was discussin it in another thread.("Using A Rotabroach Cutter In A
Lathe")

*Please* -- when you post eBay auctions, just post the auction
number (7591760352 in the above), rather than the whole URL. That is
all that *I* use, and nobody else seems to be following this thread any
more.

Did you notice that this one is in England? The currency
exchange can be a pain, and shipping can take forever.

It looks interesting -- though it is probably made for a mag
base drill, not a lathe.

* Steady Rest(Micro-Mark OEM)
* Follower Rest(Micro-Mark OEM)

Good.

* Face Plate

Does this not come standard with the lathe? The other two
*should* come standard with it, but probably don't.

You mean the rests?

The face plate should come standard with the lathe. The steady
and follower rests will have to come from the importer (Micro-Mark in
this case) as they don't cross over to other machines very well.

Outside of change gears, this lathe(which I think
is the costliest of it's type) came with very little.(I guess they
figured that the extra 2 inches in length and the digital read-outs
were enough).

:-)

[ ... ]

And the 60 degree center reamer set was for when I was thinking of
making a tool holder that could be centered by having a rear hole in
the smae shape as the tail stock center.

That is the function normally performed by the center drills.
(Also listed as drill and countersink in the catalogs.) That reamer may
be needed for precision center holes when working on a precision
grinder, but not for normal lathe work.

lathe Dog?

Not *one* lathe dog, but a set of lathe dogs to handle the range
of sizes which you expect to turn between centers.

And this is the one commonly mentioned item that I've not yet read
about a purpose for.

O.K. Think of a workpiece held between centers (a ball bearing
live center in the tailstock, and a solid center in the headstock).
This holds the workpiece perfectly on center -- but what turns the
workpiece. The surface area of contact between the headstock center and
the workpiece is too small to put any significant torque into it. A
lathe dog has a hole which slips over the workpiece, with a setscrew to
clamp it to the workpiece. The dog typically has a bent tail which
engages a slot in the driver faceplate. Some have straight tails, and
are driven by a bolt run through the faceplate and held by a nut.

[ ... ]

Rotary Table?
Dividing Head?
Index Plates?

Once you get a milling machine -- and the machine's size will
determine the size of what you want to get.

Actually, I've been studying these items because I've been working on
designing a small indexing jig for drilling/slotting plastic(Delrin),
and I'll probably pick up some index plates to use in it's design.

Note that the typical index plates are designed for different
gear ratios on different index heads. Mine is a 40:1 ratio, some are
20:1, and some are 90:1. You need to match the index plates to whatever
gearing is present in the index head which you buy or make.

[ ... ]

A good bevel protractor should do for most anything which you
really are able to machine with your equipment.

Actually, I already have one of those, which magnifier, blades, ect..

O.K. That should suffice.

[ ... ]

Trammel

This suggests delusions of grandeur. Think of that as a very
large compass -- and none of your machines are large enough to take you
beyond the range of a normal machinist's divider.

Actually, the items I was looking at int he HF catalog are quite small.

Hmm ... normally a trammel is designed to take the place of a
compass or dividers where a standard design is too large to be easy to
use. There are trammel point sets designed to clamp onto a standard
yardstick for a cheap way to do it. I have a nice Starrett one with a
spare bar to allow handling a radius of up to 18", IIRC.

[ ... ]

Die?

Not just one. How many threads will you need to cut? One die
for each. (Assuming that you can't cut the thread directly on the
lathe.)

I've been looking at sets. All I need to make are standard holes from
1/8" to the larger bolt sizes. I still need to find a site that deals
with the nomenclature.

Beware of carbon steel dies. They are too brittle, and will
break or will chip teeth. You want HSS taps and or dies. The dies are
only needed for making external threads, which you should be able to do
on the lathe. The taps are more useful to you because internal
threading on a lathe of the smaller sizes is quite difficult.

The dies can be used to smooth down a thread which was cut just
a little oversized.

Bench Block? + ?
Hand Reamers?
Cutting/Tapping fluid?

Bandsaw?
Bench Grinder?

How much will your apartment floor hold? Even with small
machines, you're building up a collection of tools there. The bandsaw,
and a *good* bench grinder will weigh as much as the lathe, I suspect.

Well, the floor can support me and I weight well over three times what
the basic lathe weighs.(And well over twice it's length). :-)

But the bandsaw and the bench grinder are of similar weight to
your lathe -- or heavier.

The basic machine is only 90lbs(which I think is lighter than most in
it's class). So much for that "more massive bedway" statement in their
advertisment.(They do call it's .47 hp motor powerful).

:-)

Anyway, The bandsaw would be for cutting that 1/4" thick stainless I
mentioned.

So you would need a vertical bandsaw for that. The horizontal
ones are good for cutting overlength stock to a reasonable length for
what you intend to do with it.

And a vertical bandsaw which will run at speeds appropriate for
stainless will be big and heavy. Proably 600 pounds or so, at a rough
guess.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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