Lathe Tooling

[Katoh]

Colleges
I am starting my second adventure now of building a CNC Metal lathe, I will post adventures of that as they start to unfold.
At the moment I have a question to all the lathe workers out there regarding tooling. I purchased a 11x30 machine 1hp quite modest, and a little on the light side. The machine is manual operated and slowly as I make parts I will covert to NC.
I have been told and have read, that lathes such as mine will operate nicely with positive rake tooling, my dilemma or my question is can you use a tool holder with negative rake position with say a positive rake tool insert?
Seems like all the decent stuff or decently priced holders are all negative rake in the 1/2" 12mm size. I have found some holders I like that are 5Deg. neg but if I use a 7deg positive insert wont that now become 2deg positive? Or am I looking down the barrel of a whole heap of pain.
Please don't come back with with I should use HSS, I don't wont to go there at present, maybe a couple of years down the track from now. Tooling will be all holders and carbide inserts for now.
Thanks
Katoh

[ostie01]

This will depend a lot on what material you want to work with.


Positive insert will work well with light pass and negative will be used on more heavy pass.

On most light duty lathe, positive tooling will work better for me.

About negative holder with positive inserts, no problem with me.

The more important thing if to be sure that the tip of the insert is centered on the part, a bit higher and it will break very fast.


Jeff

[Katoh]

Thanks Jeff
Good info, at the moment my first job when I get setup is some aluminium, need to make some parts for a boat I'm building.
Does anyone use Glanze tools? Any Good, or they just named no-named bits. IE you pay extra for the writing on the side.

[Hood]

Have a small boring bar from Glanze (Chronos) and it is quite nice.
Hood

[ostie01]

I buy 95% of my tooling from Ebay, Very often, you can fing great deal.


Jeff

[Katoh]

Gentlemen
Thank you for your comments, they have been very helpful in making my decision.

[djc]

Does anyone use Glanze tools?

The Glanze holders are very nice, and very well priced. The standard inserts supplied are poor and chip easily. Buy brand name inserts from the 'bay and you will be fine. If you are in UK, Cutwell Tools sell very good Korloy (South Korea) inserts that are meant for aluminium (http://www.cutweltools.co.uk/files/ww/ccmt%20&%20ccgt%20inserts.pdf). The CCGT 060202AK (razor sharp) are fantastic for aluminium, plastic, wood, etc.; this type is hard to find in auctions. Their CCMT060204-HMP are good for everything else - these ones are much more common.

[Hood]

Cutwel also often have offers on, heres one from the latest flyer I have, any four tools for £100 plus VAT which is not bad, also free postage.

Hood

[Katoh]

That is some mighty fine information djc, and I'm really looking into spending some coin there to set up all my tooling. I'm a long way off from the UK like half a world Away. actually in Aus to be specific. I was reading the thread written by jrslick22
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16443.0.html
were he has converted the same lathe but not used any 12mm tooling, brings me to a question crossroad. Do we buy the tooling as good as it is, and will it be able to cope Ok under NC circumstances or do we look for bigger and better?
Again I don't know much about lathe work, but presume 12mm tooling will be fine under CNC conditions
Hood Ill check them out too. I worked out I'm going to spend around 180pounds but don't have to pay vat, but will pay freight.
Cheers
Katoh

[Hood]

Never used smaller than 20mm but no reason the smaller stuff wont be as good on a smaller machine, after all sliding head type lathes often use tiny tools and take massive cuts.

Hood