Basic Operation of a Lathe

Chapter 3. How to Use a Lathe

Basic Operation of a Lathe

Let's Use a Lathe!

A lathe is a machine tool which turns

cylindrical material, touches a cutting tool

to it, and cuts the material. The lathe is

one of the machine tools most well used

by machining (Figure 1).

As shown in Figure 2, a material is firmly

Fig.1, Appearance of a Lathe
fixed to the chuck of a lathe. The lathe is

switched on and the chuck is rotated. And

since the table which fixed the byte can

be moved in the vertical direction, and the

right-and-left direction by operating some

handles shown in Fig. 3. It touches a byte's

tip into the material by the operation, and

make a mechanical part.

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

Fig.2, Chucking of Material

Fig.3, Handles of a Lathe

CAUTIONS!

When we use a lathe, the following things must take great care.

(1) Don't keep a chuck handle attached by the chuck. Next, it flies at the moment of

turning a lathe.

(2) Don't touch the byte table into the rotating chuck. Not only a byte but the table

or the lathe are damaged.

Three Important Elements

In orger to get an efficient propcess and beautiful surface at the lathe machining, it is

important to adjust a rotating speed, a cutting depth and a sending speed. Please note

that the important elements can not decide easily, because these suitable values are

quiet different by materials, size and shapes of the part.

Rotating Speed

It expresses with the number of rotations

(rpm) of the chuck of a lathe. When the

rotating speed is high, processing speed

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

becomes quick, and a processing surface is

Fig.4, Three Important Elements
finely finished. However, since a little

operation mistakes may lead to the serious

accident, it is better to set low rotating A beginner of a lathe must operate with

speed at the first stage. low rotating sopeed, small cutting depth

and low sending speed.

Cutting Depth

The cutting depth of the tool affects to the

processing speed and the roughness of

surface. When the cutting depth is big, the

processing speed becomes quick, but the

surface temperature becomes high, and it

has rough surface. Moreover, a life of byte

also becomes short. If you do not know a

suitable cutting depth, it is better to set to

small value.

Sending Speed (Feed)

The sending speed of the tool also affects

to the processing speed and the roughness

of surface. When the sending speed is

high, the processing speed becomes quick.

When the sending speed is low, the surface

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

is finished beautiful. There are 'manual

sending' which turns and operates a

handle, and 'automatic sending' which

advances a byte automatically. A beginner

must use the manual sending. Because

serious accidents may be caused, such as

touching the rotating chuck around the

byte in automatic sending,.

Cutting Tools for Lathe

There are vrious kinds of the cutting tools for a lathe. We must choose them by the

materials and shape of a part. Three typical cutting tools are introduced in follows.

Then we consider what is an easy process or a hard process.

Form of Typical Cutting Tools

Figure 5(a) shows the most well-used

cutting tool called a side tool. It can

process to cut an outside surface and an

edge surface. Since the material is set at

the right of lathe, then this tool can only

Fig.5, Typical Cutting Tools
cut the right of the material.

The cutting tool shown in Figure 5(b) is

used at parting and grooving processes. Its

pointed end is slim, then it is too weak.

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

Don't add a strong side-force to the tool.

This tool must send vertical direction only.

The cutting tool shown in Figure 5(c) is

called a boring bar. It is used to cut at an

inside surface. It can make a big hole,

which cannot be process by a drill, and an

high accurate hole.

Easy Processing and Hard Processing

The general cutting tool,

shown in Figure 5(a) is

the most easy hangling.

Then the shape, which

can be make using only

the general cutting tool,

has easy processing.

In the case of the parting

or prooving, The process

Fig.6, Easy Processing and Hard Processing
becomes hard with

decreasing of the width

of a alot, and increasing

of the depth.

In the case of using of the

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

boring bar, the process of

a penetrated hole is not

so hard. But the process

of no-penetrated hole is

somewhat hard. Because

we cannot see the

bottom surface in during

process. In such cases, we

decide the location of the

tool with the sound or

the scale of lathe.

Moreover, the process of

a small hole (less than 10

mm) or a depth hole is

too hard.

Of course, there are

impossible shapes as

shown in Figure 6(c). In

such case, the part must

be divided or have any

contrivances.

Hearing the Sound

In the case of the lathe process, sharpness is known from scraps of the material or a

processing surface. In addition, it is also important to hear the sound. For example,

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

when the sound is too high, the processing is not suitable. It is caused by the bad

edge of the tool, too higher rotating speed of the lathe, or vibrating of a thin

material.

Setting of a Cutting Tool

In case a cutting tool is fixed to a

table, thin metal plates are put

between the tool and the table,

and the height of the edge is

Fig.7, Height of Edge
adjusted to the center of material.

In the case of using the general

cutting tool, when the edge is

higher than the center of material,

the edge of a blade does not hit

the material, and it cannot cut at

all. Conversely, if the edge is low,

it becomes impossible to cut the

center of material. Moreover, the

scale of a handle does not have

correct value, then accurate

processing becomes impossible.

If it says which it is ...

Though the height of the cutting tool is adjusted in careful, we cannot unite with

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Basic Operation of a Lathe

the center of material completely. Therefore, we have to set the tool to the

direction, that the edge is easy to touch the material. The general cutting tool and

the parting tool have to be set a few low position. The boring bar has to set a few

high position.

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