TIPS ON MACHINE USE
SAFETY
For all power equipment, this is the most important consideration of
all. When working with a lathe or mill you will be cutting metal, which
will come off in chips and strings, sharp and often very hot. Using
common sense and proper safety practices will reduce the chance of a
severe injury.
FIRST AND FOREMOST are
safety glasses. Safety glasses and full
face shields are inexpensive and available from many sources. We
recommend that you keep them always on the machine itself hanging
in such a way that an operator must remove them before the machine will
work. In this way, he will be constantly reminded to use these
important tools. If you wear glasses, have a set of
prescription safety glasses made and use the special elastic neck
cords, so that your glasses are always ready for use. DO NOT rely on
regular glasses to protect you- a flying object could shatter the lens
and increase the chance of injury. If you are working at home, do not
allow family or friends to watch you without providing protection for
them as well. Children are especially susceptible because they may be
looking up at the machine as it works. In a shop environment, make the
use of safety glasses mandatory and subject to disciplinary action for
those who fail to use them. A clean and organized work area is also an
important safety factor. Make it a habit to clean up after each job.
Pick up the tools you have used and put them back in their proper
place. Clean the machine of all chips and debris. Sweep the floor
around the machine and do not leave parts or tools where you could trip
and lose your balance while working. Make sure your area is well lit,
so that you can see your work properly. Fluorescent shop lights are
very inexpensive and easy to install. Keep your shop area secure with a
locked door to prevent inexperienced or untrained people from entering
while you are away. If your shop is in the home garage, unplug all
machines after use, or turn off the breaker to the outlets. While
operating the machine, do not wear loose clothing that could become
entangled in the machine. Keep all long hair or beards secured with a
net or hat. Avoid pants with cuffs, or your wife may injure you when
the metal chips end up in the house. Often, cutting will produce long
strings of metal like springs, these sometimes wrap around the toolpost
or chuck. DO NOT attempt to pull them out with your hands- they are hot
and sharp. Do not poke at them with a
screwdriver or other tool, that could hit the machine and fly back.
After each pass, stop the machine and clean away any material
that is entangled. DO NOT use compressed air to blow chips away.
Always use a brush and dustpan or vacuum to clean away the chips.
Compressed air can force chips into moving parts and cause pre mature
wear.
Avoid distractions in your workplace. Many people like to have a radio
playing while they work. This can be relaxing as long as it is not
loud, or if you have a tendency to dance to the music. A TV should be
an absolute NO , as you want to have full concentration on what you are
doing at all times. If you have a phone in the shop use a recorder, so
you can finish your operation and then call back
when you have a moment. If one of your friends shows up and wants to
talk fishing, turn off the machine until the fish stories are done. If
he wants to watch, give him some glasses and ask him to stand quietly
until you are finished. If your wife wants to talk, shut the the
machine off and listen.
MACHINING
Becoming a machinist requires a minimum 2 years full time training to
qualify as an apprentice. Unless you have completed the course or have
a lifetime of practical experience behind you, the only way to learn is
by experience. No one can teach you to be a machinist over the phone or
in a few pages of instructions. However, following a few basic tips
will move you along so you can begin doing the basic jobs
right away. First, read your manual thoroughly before you use the
machine. This will give you a better understanding of the various
functions and prevent mistakes that could cause damage to your new
tool. Start with basic operations. On the lathe, find some old stock
and try gripping it in the chuck and turning away the surface to get a
feel for how the machine cuts. Try drilling some holes at various
spindle speeds to familiarize yourself with the power of the
motor. Practice on your scrap stock, held in a vise and mill some
slots to understand the machine under these conditions. Once you have a
feel for the machine, you will have more confidence to begin your first
real project. As a lathe project, one comes with your machine. The 8"
faceplate you received is left slightly oversized at the factory so
that you can custom fit the 4 jaw chuck to your machine. This will be a
good first time turning project. Follow the instructions in your manual.
TURNING TIPS
Most turning jobs are done in your 3 jaw chuck. Your chuck has 2 sets
of jaws. These are interchangeable as described in your manual. One set
of jaws will hold objects on the outside diameter from 1/8" up to 2"
and objects on the inside diameter up to 5.5". Generally objects can be
held in the jaws and protrude about 4" before they require
support from the tailstock. If the parts do not run true, loosen the
jaws and
rotate them a bit and be sure they are flush to the jaw face as well.
Parts
will sometimes have a high or low spot that you can rotate away from
the jaw. Once your part is properly secured, choose the type of
turning tool
that matches the job. Details on turning tools are well laid out in
Volume 34 of the
library. Centering of your tool is critical for proper work. Your
PATRIOT comes with an adjustable toolpost so you can bring the
cutting tip of
your tool to the center point of the lathe spindle. If the tool is too
high,
it will be contacting the face of the tip, not the point, if too low it
will
tend to grab and pull the toolpost creating a rough finish. Also, a
tool not on the
center will give false readings on the amount of material being cut,
causing
errors in your work. When using the parting tool, it is absolutely
necessary
to have this height perfect or you will break the fragile blades. If
you are
turning up close to the chuck or a shoulder, set your dials to the 0
point at the
end of the cut, and use the auto stops to prevent accidentally going
too
far. When turning with your X axis ( such as turning down an
axle), set the
depth of the cut on the Y axis and lock it down. This will prevent any
taper
or chatter due to leadscrew backlash. The same goes for turning across
the face of an object ( flywheel) with the Y axis- set the depth with
the X and lock it down. Finding the proper depth of cut will be a
matter of experience and the material to be cut, but in some case a
deeper cut
will give you a smoother finish. Keep your ways well lubricated and the
gibs properly adjusted. A poorly adjusted gib will show up as a drag
cut-
when you return the carriage for a second pass, it will cut more
material away, meaning that the carriage is rocking on the ways.
Volumes 15 and 34 of
our library will help you through the intricacies of turning work.
MILLING TIPS
Most machinists consider milling to be a higher skill level than
turning. Because there are so many varieties of milling
operations and tools for these jobs, your learning curve here will be
higher. It is recommended that you get some training, or invest in some
books, such as our Volumes 28 and
35 from the library. Volume 24 is
also handy for its vast
amount of formulas etc. Milling in metal is similar to using a router
on wood, but your work and setup times will be much longer. First, you
must use the proper tools to get a decent result. You CANNOT use a
drill chuck to mill parts.
Drill chucks are designed for vertical loading and their precision
level is
not high enough for mill work. If you load a drill chuck sideways, it
will wobble and probably come loose from its arbor. For all mill
work, choose either end mill holders, collets or other specialty
tools such as shell mill arbors, collet chucks etc. For most home
shops, the collet
is the best choice. You will receive a 3/8" collet as one of your
standard accessories when you buy a PATRIOT. You will also find
that the cutting tools for milling are of a vast
array of sizes, shapes and materials. However, beginning with your set
of 3 pieces that come with the PATRIOT will give you enough choices
to do a lot of jobs. End mills are similar to drills, except
that many of them are designed to cut on both the side and the
end. With these end mills, you can cut grooves ( key slots) trim the
edges of
stock, mill pockets and surface pieces. With more varieties, you can
cut "T" slots, dovetails and more. With the use of a flycutter set, you
can
surface parts up to 4" across in a single pass. Learning these
operations will
take time and patience, as the result is dependant on many variables,
feed rates, spindle RPM, depth of cut, material hardness, choice of
cutters
etc. There are a lot of books, videos etc available to help you through
this learning process, but nothing can replace hands on experience.
When beginning your first milling projects, it is important that
your parts
are secured properly to the mill table. If you are holding the
part in a
vise, be sure you have a proper amount of gripping surface on the vise
jaws. Parts and vises MUST be secured to the mill table with T
nuts or bolts. For odd shaped parts, the ST 33 clamp set will give you
all the
varieties clamping you will need. NEVER attempt to mill with a
part or vise loose on the table. When your 1 HP motor is turning a
milling cutter, it will generate sufficient force to snap the shank of
a 3/4" end mill. If the
part is not properly secured to the table it could be thrown away from
the machine. DO NOT underestimate the power of your mill. If you are
not an experienced machinist, begin with light cuts and gradually
progress
up in feed rates and depths until you feel that the machine is working
to
its optimum . Remember, many projects will involve machining the same
piece in several different setups- becoming impatient and rushing the
last operation could ruin hours of work. Volume 24, the Ready reference
manual will be an indispensable tool in helping you select the proper
tools
for your jobs.