How about getting some "known" material for starters? Do you know what
tool angles, speeds and feeds you need?
What are you using for tool bits? Are they sharp? Do you
understand how to set the tool to work?
I'd get a "how to run a lathe" book if the answer to more than one
of these questions is a "no". They can be had for about $10 on E-Bay.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but with so many variables, it's hard to
give any useful advice.
If you don't want to do that, I'd at least visit a high school or
vo-tech shop and ask the instructor for some help.

If you want to get some help over the phone, email me back off list. We
can plan a time when you can be at the lathe and have a phone in one
hand. Then we could start working through the issues.

Pete Stanaitis
--------------------------------------------

Kelly Jones wrote:

Hi all. I just got a new lathe for Christmas and I have been trying it out.
I have been trying to turn a piece of unknown CRES from about 0.75 OD to
about 0.38 OD. I have tried various speeds and feeds but still keep getting
a very rough finish. The finish is so bad that it looks as is the metal is
being torn rather than cut. The surface is full of small slivers that would
cut your hand i a heartbeat. I am having similar problems with an unkown
carbon steel, although not as bad. I have checked the Machinery's Handbook,
the Army metal working PDF, and some engineering reference books I have, but
no help. I thought that I might even be using the tools wrong (cutting on
the wrong face) but I can't seem to find the source of the problem. The
lathe is a Grizzly 12 X 36. Any ideas?