Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

Buy Site Supporter Role (remove some ads) | LPF Donations

Links below open in new window

FrozenGate by Avery

Lathe

L

LightSourceBlue

New member
Joined
Sep 4, 2024
Messages
23
Points
3
I haven't had any experience with a lathe before, but after seeing a few posts from members here showing what they had some with theirs I did a bit of research and decided to try one. Will start our with doing a heatsink and then eventually might tackle doing a host. I have a Bambu X1C which is great for doing stuff with plastic but I really want to be doing more with metals - so feel like this is a good starting point.

I was fairly limited by space and weight requirement, I don't have a workbench so I needed to find an option which was small enough to fit in a cupboard and light enough to pick up and out away. This one is 12kg weight and length wise will just fit in the cupboard I need to store it on, chose the 80mm chuck option so feel like that will give me the most flexibility.

1000137455.jpg


Any tips on working with a lathe like this? What am I realistically going to be able to do with this? Thinking of working with mostly softer copper and aluminium. The seller told me it can do all of this, but I'm still skeptical how well!
 





There are a bunch of Utube lathe learning video's. Find the right one as alot are better than others.

Copper might be soft but it can be a handful to machine. It gets hot and gummy. If your using high speed cutting steel to machine it you will probably have to sharpen the cutting steel a few times. If your using a Carbide tip tool you will just need to machine slowly like usual.

Brass machines very easy and free. Aluminum is decent to machine but can be abrasive.
How much is that lathe you posted?
I'm sure it comes with some tooling but you will most likely need to get more which adds up money wise.

Also never run a lathe if you have long hair, if you have long hair tie it behind your neck with a band.
Think what will happen if long hair gets caught in the spindle while its spinning at 2500 rpms 🤢
 
Last edited:
Good to know re copper, I wasn't aware of that! I suspect I'll end up mostly working with aluminium, and copper and steel now and then.

It cost about US$275 (local domestic market in China), but would probably sell in the US for a little more - probably another $100 on top of that if it were selling on Aliexpress or Amazon.

It does come with some tooling, but not sure exactly what it does - was going to wait till it arrives to see if I need to get anything else. Didn't seem like it comes with a lot.

My preference would have been to get something like the Vevor 7"x14" (workspace) which would have cost just a bit more, but the size and weight just wouldn't work in my space unfortunately!
 
For what you need it should be fine..
There are easier machining copper styles but with prices being so high lately I would stick with AL like you said.
You can get a tap & die at your local Ace Hardware plus the set screws to hold the 12 modules in place.

You should pick it up in time..
 
My lathe arrived a few days ago, looks like I got these two insert holders / inserts. I'm thinking about getting carbide inserts so I don't have to worry about sharpening, does that sound like a good idea and will work?

Any suggestions on what to use as initial insert holders, or these two good enough for now?

1000138095.jpg
 
As long as you don’t apply too much lateral force to the tip. I highly recommend carbide tips. I have a carbide parting tool and a tool steel facing tool at work. Resharpening all those faces for a facing tool is a pain sometimes. And I’m definitely looking to add carbide facing tools to the order list.
 
CurtisOliver said:
As long as you don’t apply too much lateral force to the tip. I highly recommend carbide tips. I have a carbide parting tool and a tool steel facing tool at work. Resharpening all those faces for a facing tool is a pain sometimes. And I’m definitely looking to add carbide facing tools to the order list.
Click to expand...

Yeah assuming I'm being careful with the carbide inserts they should like a much quicker / less painful approach. I'd rather spend a bit more on them and save time on not needing to sharpen.

There are a lot of insert options, so trying to navigate the ins and out and which ones to use
 
Might need to shim the tooling to make it even with center as well
 
  • Like
Reactions: GSS
Ricker said:
Might need to shim the tooling to make it even with center as well
Click to expand...

In was wondering about this, I have seen this in a lot of videos I believe. How and when is the best time to do this? Is it basically measurements the tolerance/variance from a certain point?

When trying my first use of the lathe (with copper, I know not the best to start with - but it's the only one I got that didn't need to be cut first!), it did feel not fully aligned and cutting smoothly - but I thought it might be due to it being copper and the insert maybe not being suitable.
 
LightSourceBlue said:
Thanks!



What are these two used for? Being able to hold the round insert holders?



I've seen a lot of these inserts around, is this a common type of insert that's easy to get or used commonly?
Click to expand...
I believe these carbide tips are for CNC machines that they use for for threading. You can see it in the way they are sharpened in a very fine tip and angled point.

Can you show another pic of the flat bar tool that came with the lathe.. I think the insert is carbide.

Like Ricker mentioned you might need to shim the tooling so it is on center. The block tool holders have screws on top to help center but if there are no screws below and your having a hard time centering you might have to shim the tooling with tiny pieces of .001 to .010 metal sheets below on the block. The screws up top will create a up and down type motion to center the cutting tip.

Could be the lathe set up and tooling blocks have a centering setup that I cant see?
It might sound confusing and my explanation isn't the best but it's simple really.

Always start a tiny bit below the center line on the piece your machining when you want a clean face off or machine to size and bring the cutting tip up as needed.
I would have a piece on hand that was already faced and put it in the chuck and slide the tooling and block over to it once in a while it and see where your tooling is centered.
I'm guessing the issue you had with the copper was mostly because it wasn't centered to well.

You need a drill a tiny fraction under 12mm and a 12mm reamer for a nice fit for the laser modules.

You should pic this up in a short time..
 
Last edited:
GSS said:
I believe these carbide tips are for CNC machines that they use for for threading. You can see it in the way they are sharpened in a very fine tip and angled point.

Can you show another pic of the flat bar tool that came with the lathe.. I think the insert is carbide.

Like Ricker mentioned you might need to shim the tooling so it is on center. The block tool holders have screws on top to help center but if there are no screws below and your having a hard time centering you might have to shim the tooling with tiny pieces of .001 to .010 metal sheets below on the block. The screws up top will create a up and down type motion to center the cutting tip.

Could be the lathe set up and tooling blocks have a centering setup that I cant see?
It might sound confusing and my explanation isn't the best but it's simple really.

Always start a tiny bit below the center line on the piece your machining when you want a clean face off or machine to size and bring the cutting tip up as needed.
I would have a piece on hand that was already faced and put it in the chuck and slide the tooling and block over to it once in a while it and see where your tooling is centered.
I'm guessing the issue you had with the copper was mostly because it wasn't centered to well.

You need a drill a tiny fraction under 12mm and a 12mm reamer for a nice fit for the laser modules.

You should pic this up in a short time..
Click to expand...

Good feedback, thanks.

Here are the bits that come with it:

1000139091.jpg
1000139090.jpg

I ended up buying these bits, I think I'm slowly starting to understand what each kind of insert is for:

1000139098.png

What I'm still working on figuring out is how to get everything aligned, I'm sure this is an issue from what I'm seeing. Got these which I'm hoping I can use to help align it - but still not 100% the best way with my lathe.

1000139097.png

1000139096.png

1000139102.png
 
They sure look like carbide. I think the majority of entry level lathes come with carbide tips.
You need a diamond dust wheel to sharpen carbide but they can cost alot but carbide is durable.
Even old school machine shops are using carbide alot more.

Very nice extra tooling that you bought.. Those should keep your stock running true :)

Just to know carbide is tough but it can be brittle. Be careful with your feed speed.
Your on your way!

Edit: Like Curtis mentioned swapping a worn tip is easy..
 
Last edited:
Generally, replacement carbide tips are cheap. And whilst I don't necessarily like the disposable culture, they are disposable when worn. That's why the tips are either screwed in or press fitted.
Trying to sharpen carbide tips again for reuse will be a PITA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GSS
You must log in or register to reply here.





Back
Top