lathe tooling

[metalmaster1766]

i was gonna say almost this same thing

carbide tooling is great, when used at hi speeds,

HSS is more versatile,
i like the quick change tool post because setting a lantern type tool post with each tool change can get rather bothersome,
i still use one all the time, mainly depends on the job im doing,
i use whatever i can for HSS bits as well, broken taps, center drills, some drill bits,
i just make a tool holder to hold a round HSS broken tap and sharpen to do the job

another thing about a lathe is its versatility as well, with a bit of experience and imagination you can machine all sorts of parts


Ron

[11echo]

I'm a hobbyist type machinist and I'd have to say I would have both! I live near the oil fields here in middle Calif. and I see alot of "sucker rod" (the rod you see on derks pumping oil out of the ground) as scrap. It's pretty good steel but on the tough side. You can cut it with HSS, but it'll dull the tooling semi quick, so I have carbide tool too to deal with it. I just find it more versatile to have both on hand to deal with what ever I use.

[arftist]

11echo, If you aneal that sucker rod, you will probably find that it machines very well, with just hss tool bits. One way to aneal is to place your stock in your forge when you are done for the day. get it hot then shut the forge off and retreive the stock the next morning. No wasted gas or effort this way. I also sometimes aneal the same way in a woodstove.

[11echo]

Forge!?? ...Forge what's that!?? *G* ...I WISH!!!