10 Things to Consider When Buying threading in lathe machine

Buying a lathe is a big decision. A machine shop owner should consider the type of work they plan to do and future plans.

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What to Look For

The lathe is one of the more complex machinery available to home workshop owners, or industrial production shops. It is also one of the most expensive tools to purchase. This is due to the level of engineering that goes into this machine, which can create metal shapes with incredible precision and accuracy. It is no wonder that this tool is so sought after for making everything from aircraft parts to automobiles.

When shopping for a new lathe, there are a few essential factors that should be kept in mind. The first thing to consider is what you will be using the machine for. The size of the work that you will be doing is important as well. It may not be the final decision-maker, but it will help narrow down your options as you shop.

Other things to look at include the swing measurement and bed measurements. Swing is the maximum diameter of a workpiece that can be turned, and bed is the overall length of the lathe that you will be working with. Also be sure to check out the chuck, as this is what will hold your workpieces. Most lathes will have a chuck that can secure workpieces up to about 66 inches in diameter. Some chucks will even have a through-hole, which can allow longer barstock to extend into the back of the lathe.

You will also want to see if the lathe has a quick change gearbox. This makes it much easier to swap out the gears depending on what you are doing, and will save you a lot of time and frustration. The quality of the gears is another important factor; a good set will have little to no backlash and will run smoothly.

A final factor to consider is the power of the motor. The more torque a lathe can provide, the better it will be for things like screw and thread cutting. Many smaller lathes will use a brushed DC motor, but larger machines will likely have an AC induction or brushless DC motor. These are more efficient than a traditional brushed motor and provide more consistent power, especially at lower speeds where the most torque is needed.

Power

Most modern lathes are powered by a geared headstock. This is attached to a carriage for longitudinal movement and a cross slide for axial motion. The geared headstock drives a series of changeable gears, and this in turn provides plenty of power to the rotating spindle.

Depending on the type of work being done, you’ll need different types of accessories. For example, if you’re turning long shafts, you’ll need a steady rest. This bolts to the bed of the lathe and supports the shaft while you’re working on it. You’ll also need a live center and a dead center to hold the workpiece in place. For the tailstock, you’ll want a three-jaw or four-jaw chuck. You can also add a faceplate to work on larger pieces that cannot be held in the tailstock.

Another feature you’ll want in a lathe is speed control. This allows you to run the tool at the correct cutting speed for any diameter you’re working on. This can be manually done by changing belts on stepped pulleys or electronically with a rheostat similar to a light dimmer.

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Stability

Before purchasing a new lathe, machinists need to decide what type of work they will be doing with the tool. Lathes are divided into a few categories, including engine lathes and turret lathes for metalwork and woodworking lathes for other projects. When deciding what kind of lathe to purchase, shop owners must also consider the size and geometry of the parts they plan on producing. For example, if a project requires a long, slender shaft, it’s best to buy a lathe that can accommodate this length or consider an addition of a tailstock to the machine.

The basic two-axis lathe consists of the headstock with spindle, chuck for holding the part, carriage and cross-slide, and tool turret. If a project requires the part to be turned on an axis other than the headstock, then a mandrel can be used to hold it. A mandrel is a tapered axle that can be forced into the hole in the workpiece. This can be used for supporting the piece between centers or in a faceplate.

To ensure that a machined workpiece is accurate, the tool bits must be made from the correct material and ground to the proper angles. For example, a roughing tool should have a smaller radius than a finishing tool. In addition, the overall shape of a tool bit can affect the quality and performance of the cutting action.

Shops must always keep a good supply of spare parts and accessories on hand to make the most of their lathes. These include three- and four-jaw chucks, faceplates, live center, and various Morse taper adapters for the tailstock. They should also consider adding a collet chuck and a steady rest to their arsenal of lathe equipment. Lastly, it’s important to have enough power capacity for the lathe machine. If possible, a 220-volt, three-phase electrical system should be used. If not, a phase converter can be purchased to increase power capability.

Safety

A lathe is probably the most important machine tool in any shop. In fact, anything that involves moving or round parts probably has a part made by a lathe somewhere in its construction. This makes it a vital tool for the engineer to have, and one that requires careful consideration when buying.

First of all, the size of the workshop is a major factor in what type and size lathe to buy. There is little point in buying a large, expensive lathe that will only be used for small jobs. On the other hand, a smaller, cheaper machine might be left unattended and unused for long periods of time. In this case, the value of the machine may drop significantly in comparison to its original purchase price.

The next thing to consider is the headstock spindle and chuck. The spindle should be a good fit for the chuck and should not have any looseness. The condition of the chuck should also be considered, as this will affect how true the chuck will spin. In addition, the threads and bearing surfaces on both the spindle and chuck should be well-lubricated.

Finally, a steady rest should be included with the lathe to support shaft work and other longish pieces while turning. This should bolt to the bed and provide a solid mount for between centers work. It should be drilled through with a Morse taper for both live center and tailstock work.

There is no substitute for hands-on experience with a machine, so if you can find a used lathe at a garage sale or at an auction, try it out and see if it meets your needs. It is always better to do this than to be disappointed when you buy a machine that has a number of features that aren’t useful to you. In this way, you can avoid a costly mistake and get the best value for your money.

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On another thread no pun intended someone asked about the threading capability of the new south bend 8 x 18 lathe the following is based on my answer with a few more details added in.

One serious consideration when purchasing a lathe is threading capability. How does the lathe create the proper ratio between the lead screw and head stock.

Quote:
Why does the # SB need quick-change gears if it says that it can thread ?
I have never threaded and do not know anything about the QC gears.
Can someone enlighten us ?

Yes it will indeed thread!
In early days of of the screw threading lathe the only way to change the pitch of a screw being threaded is open the head stock cover, if it had one.( sometimes they were exposed) and change out the gears to set the ratio of gearing between the head stock spindle and the lead screw. these gears are furnished as a set with the lathe, Hence the term change gears and change gear set.
a set will allow for all common threads to be made either imperial , metric or both.depending on the lathe.

Modern production lathes have a gear box with a series of levers or knobs that allow to change the ratio of gearing in the head stock quickly .
this gearing also sets feed rate for automatic feeds.

Modern hobby lathes may be a hybrid you can quickly change thread pitches with levers or knobs but within limits like imperial threads or feed rates or metric threads . if you need to change MODE open the box and switch change gears.

the old way saves money on production cost but takes time to change out gears.

A full featured QC gear box is an expensive option. but in a job shop where things change fast an furious it save production time and setup cost.

the hybrid is a compromise it makes threading setup easier and faster and keeps costs reasonable.

Some of the small hobby lathes like taig and sherline have no head stock gearing at all . this is an added option.

Single point threading was one of the basic skills learned on the lathe in tech school for me. As a hobbyist one needs to decide how important the skill is and how important the threading capability of his or her lathe is.

Added info:
Metric vs imperial most lathes I have seen are either designed to measure and function and are built either to be a metric machine or a imperial machine. the difference is the lead and feed screws are made to either metric or imperial standards. so if one has an imperial standard machine and wants to thread you need a transposition gear of 127 teeth or in the case of the 7 x mini lathes a 21 tooth gear. and this gives a close approximation.

So the lesson here if wanting to do serious threading get a lathe built for what you work with or are comfortable with. some machines are built metric and only aproximate us decimal inches. The newer imports have corrected this and use inch based screws.

CNC can be a horse of a different color. Look ma no gears. If the head-stock of a cnc lathe has a spindle sensor the computer can set the ratio of the spindle speed to the lead/feed screw electronically so you program in the numbers and the computer does the threading. just swith working units to metric or inches and the computer does the math
I/we still recommend learning to thread with a manual machine.


These are some things to keep in mind when selecting a lathe . Threading capability is one consideration. and selecting a hobby lathe can be tough. I learned to machine on a real lathe a modern south bend and a standard modern. full featured lathes with all the capabilities thereof.
My first home lathe a grizzly 7x10 champagne tastes on a ginger ale budget to say the least. The one advantage I had was a target of what a real lathe will do.I had to get what I could afford and not give away all capabilities . If I bought a taig (one of my first considerations) it would not thread at all.

One must still consider things like budget accessories size of work to be done old iron vs import, swing and center to center size available workshop space shipping weight shop location (Garage basement attic) and a few other things. I hope this helps the new folk.




Tin One of the factors to consider when purchasing a lathe is what accessories and tooling comes with the lathe. Check everything and assume nothing.
It is hard to define standard tooling.
IMHO a well equipped lathe should have:
3 jaw scroll chuck
4 jaw independent chuck
face plate
Quick change tool holder
machinable center
live center
drill chuck or tail stock chuck

the Basic Seig C2/C3 aka 7xs come with a three jaw and a center and a basic tool post.
a 9 x 19 has a, face plate, steady rest, follow rest, and a woodworkers cheap 4 jaw .

The point here is if a lathe costs say $ 600 and adding the steady ,the follow rest the face plate and a 4 jaw these will likely add up to another $ 200. then add shipping and in the case of Harbor freight add the extended warranty cost. so you are now close to the cost of a similarly equipped 9x19.

The other question is how much do you need or want the steady rest and follow rest. IMHO there is rely no place to put a steady on a 7 x 10 a 7 x 16 maybe.
Other stuff: if you are turning on centers you need a machinable center and a drive dog as well as a drive plate or face plate with slots. You may also need mandrels.

When using a face plate you need clamps a angle plate, and often a counterweight.

You will need cutting bits. IMHO HSS is best for hobby machines
right hand bit for turning LH bit for facing and a parting grooving bit.

Drill bits. Screw machine length will save spce on short lathes but are more expensive than jobbers length at least in sets.

Buy or make a boring bar or bars generally use the largest that will fit.

reamers will help smooth and size bores of cylinders .
laps will refine cylinder bores.

A scissors knurl will save on bearing wear. as apposed to a plunge knurl.

A used lathe can come from stripped to well equipped so when looking at a used lathe take careful inventory.


Tin One of the most basic but confusing aspect of machining is holding the work. It is important when choosing a lathe what choices you have in this respect.

3 jaw chuck . this is probably the first work holding device that comes to mind for a lathe. It is quick and easy to use. It will never run true unless you have a set true chuck. a set true is more expensive and not common in the home shop.
a 3 jaw is perfect for hex stock and general machining of round stock. good for a simple part like a hat bushing.

4 Jaw chuck: more versatile easy to dial in a part. good for many odd shaped parts. and is great for square stock. It can be offset for eccentrics etc. Take a bit more time to clamp in the part.

A face plate allows one to clamp a part down . you will need clamps often a counter weight to balance things and sometimes a angle plate to hold the work. an old school but effective way to hold model engine parts.

Turing on centers. the part is held between a center in the head-stock. A machinable center will ensure you are truly on center. and a center in the tail stock. you may need to adjust the tail stock for true center to prevent taper or kick it over to set a taper. a lathe dog is clamped to the part and the dog leg is inserted into a face plate or drive plate slot. turning on centers is great for shafts. a mandrel may also be placed on centers . a mandrel hold a part with a a hole in the middle like a gear blank or a cylinder.

Collets. Indusrial lathes have a 5 morse taper in the head stock . this allows for 5c collet holders to be mounted in the head stock and allow for 5C collets. . smaller lathes with 3 MT tapers can accomadate 3c collets.
5c collets are more common and have a greater size range . 3C only go to 1/2 in round. collets come in various sets usually in 1/32 or 1/64 increments.
you can only use a collet for the specified size with a little tolerances built in.

collets save Z axis space hold the work truer than a 3 jaw hold the work all the way around and not just 3 or 4 points so good for tubing.
collets are also made for hex stock and square stock as well as round.
so a collet adapter is something to consider when purchasing a lathe.

A steady rest hold a long part so it can be machined .

a follow rest sits behind the cutting tool and supports long thin work as it is cut. it follows the cutter.

Tin Some notes on Tins excellent explanations about lathes:

1. The distinction between faceplate and independent 4-jaw chuck isn't common in Europe. Most lathes have a European style combination faceplate, i.e. a faceplate with slots and 4 independent jaws that are easy to remove. This tool serves for most clamping needs and is usually the only clamping accessory found on large industrial lathes with swing > 30".

2. Turning between centers:
Besides using a lathe dog there are 2 other possibilities. The first is to install the workpiece between the centers and then clamping it with the jaws of an independent 4 jaw chuck or (European style) faceplate. Again, this is standard on large lathes - I've never seen a 6" lathe dog.

There is another tool available for turning between centers, a "Stirnseitenmitnehmer", dunno an english word for this. Its attached to the lath spindle and it consists of a center and several spring loaded hardened wedges which grasp into the face of the workpiece. Advantage is, You can machine the complete OD of Your part in one pass; disadvantage it damages the face of your part.

3. Threading capability
Tin has written a lot about this subject, though I wonder whether its really very important for the small threads most of You usually cut. I find it very difficult to machine small internal threads with the single-point method. I once have cut an internal M10x0,8mm thread and found it very difficult to make. For small threads I use taps and dies, they are reasonably cheap.
If You need to machine large threads like M30 or larger or need something like ACME threads, You need threading capability - taps/dies this size are pretty expensive and only real large lathes develop the torque for these tools.

Mike