On Sat, 13 May 2006 22:31:48 -0500, jerry wass
wrote:

Jim Reed wrote:
This is my first lathe and I am having trouble with using a cut-off tool. I
usually am cutting of mild steel, although I've tried stainless, brass, and
some junkyard shafts. The diameter ranges from 6" to 1". On almost every
cut I have the cut-off tool popping at times and chattering at other times.
All of my cuts look as though I used a machete and chopping motions while
the lathe rotated.
I have made sure the tool is 90 degrees to the work, that the tool meets the
work at or just below even with the center, and that everything is tight. I
have broken a few cutoff tools, and once hit the wall over 20 feet away with
the broken piece. (Yes, I wear safety glasses). I am using a tool by
Wholesale Tool (wttool.com), page 156 of their latest catalogue. It is a
"P-Shaped M-2 cut off blade". Specifically, the P4 - 5/32X11/16X5. I flood
the cutting area with oil. I have tried almost every speed on the lathe -
roughly 150 to 450 RPM. My lathe is a Reed-Prentice 16X54, and the
toolholder is an oriental Alorix knock-off. I've used a new 15" four jaw
and a 8" three jaw chuck.
What do I check/change?


As a last resort--turn the tool/holder upside down & run the lathe
backwards----it works.....use same tool/work geometry only upside down..

This is the first thing Id do. The "popping and chattering" indicates
to me that something is seriously loose or the machine isnt rigid
enough..so running it on the opposite side of the machine tends to
tighten things up on a sloppy floppy lathe.

The centerline issue is also something that may cause this.

What kind of lathe is it?

Gunner

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In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
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Theodore Dalrymple,