"John Martin" wrote in message
...
On Apr 22, 2:04 am, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
When you cut threads by feeding straight in, you're cutting both flanks of
the thread at once. That produces twice the tool load for a given depth of
cut.

If you have a good lathe, your tools are sharp, and you're cutting
aluminum,
it may work just fine. But cutting clean internal threads depends on
getting
things pretty close to right, so the extra tool load is something to watch
out for if you get some chatter.

--
Ed Huntress

Of more importance is that cutting on one flank loads the cutter
against the lead screw. Cutting both flanks at once, the carriage can
float instead on being driven by the leadscrew, and you can end up
with a drunken thread.

John Martin

Maybe you can answer something that's bugged me for a long time, John: Why
do the traditional lathe books say you should advance the cut when cutting
Acme threads by plunging straight in, rather than on the appropriate angle
for cutting one flank at a time? I don't recall ever having seen an
explanation.

--
Ed Huntress