Turning stainless steel on the Micro-Mark 7x14 mini lathe...

I decided to try a harder piece of material. So far I've turned aluminum and brass and I figured this was a good time to test this out. I want to try and make some tools so before I go looking for any stock I wanted to be sure I was going to be able to turn something a bit tougher.

NOTE: The purpose of these videos is only to show you this particular mini lathe. I'm fairly new at actually machining so please don't take anything I do as being the right way of machining anything. I make mistakes and I don't mind being corrected so if something I'm doing is wrong please let me know.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Micro-Mark
• 7x14
• Mini
• Lathe

[myshots101]

Not yet, so thank you. I'll look around. I haven't touched it much lately. The chatter was making me nuts, but I think I finally figured out what it is. I need to make a new gib for the tool holder part, the one that came with the lathe was hand made or something like that.. I took a close look at it like two weeks ago when I tried making a bushing and sure enough that's what's causing it. The apron is nice and snug now that I milled those gibs, but I never checked the top one.

[alderaforall]

a few tips when you encounter chatter while in the cut. reduce speed(rpm) and increase feed. It is easier on your tool to work towards the spindle, doing this eliminates plunge cutting and tool nose breakage. When your workpiece is hanging out so far use a center. Rigidity is your ultimate goal in your setup and your part is only as good as your setup. Invest into a machinist handbook, they are readily available through a google search and contain a wealth of information for a small price.

[myshots101]

@alderaforall Thank you for the tips, they help a lot. I haven't done much lately since it's been really cold, but it's always nice to find other ways to do make things.

[lovinit19791]

isnt it whining because the tool is either at the wrong angle or the sharp cutting edge is machined wrong? Also shouldnt the speed be nearer 800rpm?? Has been a while since i did this so i may be wrong :)

[myshots101]

@lovinit19791 Well, I'm still new at actually making anything so I'm just trying out different things. Also, cutting harder metal on this little lathes is quite the workout hence all that noise you hear, not to mention the whole machine can start moving quite a bit depending on what you're cutting. So basically I'm sort of testing it's limits with the harder metals. If you go slow enough on the parts you can still cut, but like I said it can be a chore to do on stainless steel for example.

[lovinit19791]

@myshots101 Nice one :)

Thats a cool little lathe you have there...ive always wanted one but i have nowhere to put it :(

I did an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering, that was nearly 13 years ago now so im a bit rusty myself lol

Have a great haloween weekend :)

[myshots101]

@lovinit19791 Thanks you have a safe Holloween too, and it is a neat tool if you just want to make small stuff, but I got carried away and wanted to try more stuff, but it does have its limits and I also got this small one due to space. With the tools, you end up having quite a bit of stuff too, but that's with almost anything I guess. So when I'm bored I just go mess with it or clean it and see what else I can fix on it. They're not perfect but in time you can get it to make your small parts.

[jlg4880]

If it's not yet been suggested, do a search for Lindsay Publications, Inc. and get a copy of "How to Run a Lathe ", No. 21150, $7.95. That's best lathe text I've seen yet. It'll go into all manner of lathe set-up and operations.

[hondaj1monkey]

@bhelpurii

... and turn around the jaws in your chuck - any length you gain from it will improve stability

[myshots101]

@bhelpurii Thanks, I now do have the live center set and center drills, also you are correct the height of the tool does make a difference. I use a Fujifilm Finepix J38 point and shoot camera o make the videos.

[bhelpurii]

With work that long and thin would be worth your while investing in a 2mt live centre + centre drills to stop any flexing when machining. Also check the height of your cutting tool.

btw what camera are you using please?