# metal turning newbie



## feathermypen (19 Jan 2014)

Hi everyone firstly I will introduce myself, my name is Mervyn and I have been woodturning for many years I have for a long time now wanted a a metal turning lathe and I finally bought one from Axminster tools the other day it's just a little mini lathe - SC2 from Axminster

I also purchased a lot of tooling to go with this mini lathe


Along with this set plus a few other bits from Axminster tools


Now my question is I want to turn some 303 grade stainless steel, about 5/8 in diameter and around 70mm in length firstly can I cut and turn this type of metal OK? I will also want to give the turned SS rod some knurling so what type of knurling tool will I need to do the job - if at all.


Many thanks guys in advance

Regards Mervyn


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## seaco (19 Jan 2014)

Hi Mervyn

Welcome to the slippery slope, stainless is a fairly hard but will cut fine on your lathe I'd use indexable tipped cutting tools you will need to centre drill the end of the rod and then use the tailstock with a centre in it don't forget to lubricate if your using a dead centre! As for knurling I would use one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RDGTOOLS-LARG ... 563ed82dd8 as they don't rely on pressure from the cross slide to produce the knurl thus relieving tension on your spindle bearings. Also it would be worth practising on so mild steel before trying it on your stainless... :wink:


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## tool-me-up (19 Jan 2014)

AS above the knurling tool is great advice, its the same one i use and Lee is dead right about the pressure they need to operate, that particular model is a good way to avoid.

Stainless will need to be cut SLOWLY and with plenty of lube. You need low RPM and a relativity big cut, taking to shallow a cut will heat it too much as you will be almost polishing the surface with your tool and you will harden the metal.
If you get blue swarf or a screeching sound its too hot.
Stainless is tricky at times

With the knurling DONT expect to be able to knurl something to an exact diameter. 
This is for two reasons
Firstly after knurling the piece WILL BE BIGGER than before you knurled it
and secondly unless you know the exact pitch of your tool, chances are it wont knurl properly and you will have to skim a bit off.

Heres a quick start with the knurling.

Get a nice smooth surface quite near finished size.

Get knurling tool on piece sat as square as possible ( only need one wheel touching for now so dont worry about clamping the wheels together just yet)

Rotate chuck BY HAND one revolution and you should have a very faint set of lines in the work peice.
If not push the tool up a bit harder until you can just see the pattern that will be left ( dont worry if its only one set of lines for now a bit like this > /////////// )
if you have one very light band of line around the peice rotate one more full revolution and see if the 2nd set of lines have landed on top of the others - chances are you now have even more lines in between the old ones.

This is because the diameter of the work and the diameter of the knurling wheels arnt in proportion.
Take just enough metal off that you can no longer see the line left by the knurling tool and repeat until eventually the knurling tool only leaves one clean set of lines and the pattern is no longer doubled up on itself.

The closer you get this bit the sharper look your knurling will have.

one you've got it, set both the wheel on the tool top and bottom of the work, try and get the work directly in between the wheel so that when you apply pressure it doesnt want to push the work out one way or the other.

Double check everything is clamped nice and tight and knurling wheels ARE CLEAN, cake the lot it lube or oil and off you go on the slowest RPM you have, If you have an autofeed use it, it will be smoother, if not wind it the tool along the work as steadily as you can.

Just NIP the wheels to the work do not over-tighten them - provided you dont run off the end of the work you can always give them another nip then go in reverse to deepen the pattern.

There is a lovely guide to all this with pics somewhere on the net but I cant for the life of me find it ( or remember whats it was named)
There is also some handy formulas to calculate the size of the work has to be to get perfect knurling.


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## woodfarmer (19 Jan 2014)

As said use tipped tools, Industrially these are run fairly fast but time is money. for home use run slow but make sure it is always cutting. It is very easy for a blunt tool to rub and case harden the stuff. Pay attention to the tool height, It shouldn't be at all over centre height and must not rub.


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## feathermypen (20 Jan 2014)

Many thanks guys some realy helpful tips there from everyone, Lee I'm not sure if that knurling tool will fit my toolpost as I have 8mm opening, 

or will this one be ok but I would rather go with your recommendation Lee
axminster-mini-lathe-clamping-knurler

I'm hoping to buy stainless steel 303 grade bars where I dont have to tturn too much off, I do have a new set of Glanze Replaceable Tip Turning Tool Sets cost me £109.00 for 7 tools so I'm hoping these are ok to cut SS

Many thanks guys

Regards Mervyn


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## AndyT (20 Jan 2014)

I have just bought that same knurling tool and it is 8mm x 25mm on the stem, so you should be ok with it. 
It gives good results - but I've only used it on mild steel so far.


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## feathermypen (20 Jan 2014)

Thanks Andy I will place an order with them.

Mervyn


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## PhillyDee (20 Jan 2014)

303 Stainless is a lovely material to cut, I prefer it to Aluminium, its nice and free cutting, and chips well. Take a cut equal in the radius, or larger than the radius on the tip. If its a 0.8 radius tip, take 1.6mm minimum from the diameter. I would cut it at about half the speed of what you would for mild steel. Feed would stay the same.

If you can, use coolant. This will prolong tip life.


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## feathermypen (31 Jan 2014)

Hi all this is one of my first turnings after all the help I had from you guys, the only thing that was a pain in the bum to do was to sand down with wet and dry and polish to a hign fiinsh, let me know good or bad, these are turned aon really basic mini lathe http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-mo ... mini-lathe

Using carbide tip tooling

Many thanks guys talk soon when I need some more helpfull tips.

Merv
sorry about the pinky images


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## AndyT (31 Jan 2014)

That's pretty impressive work!

How did you make the blade-holding part?


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## feathermypen (31 Jan 2014)

Andy I wish I could mke the heads, no they are bought in from Italy I only make the handles normaly I make them out of my own cast resin and turned on a wood lathe so this metal turning is all new to me.


Thanks anyway Andy


Merv


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## PhillyDee (31 Jan 2014)

Very nice, you actually have a quality knurl there. Its exactly like it should be


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## Harbo (1 Feb 2014)

Really nice work especially the knurling - did you use a normal knurling tool, the edges look very precise and sharp?

Rod


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## feathermypen (1 Feb 2014)

Thanks Rod this is the tool I used http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-mi ... ng-knurler

I have sort of a basic setup Rod - I have no digital read-out on my lathe as this was an extra cost at around £130.00 so I just turned the lathe down to an educated speed of 100-200rpm...I think then offer the knurling tool up to the work so it sits square then hand tighten the knurl tool bring the knurled back off the work do a quarter turn then I turned the lathe on and then work it so it’s sitting square with the lathe turning at that speed, then I engaged the drive travel so it knurled on its on speed, once it finished the point of knurling I then stopped the lathe and withdrew the knurling tool. 

Now Rod I am no expert in metal turning I have only listened to what you guys have said and watched a few YouTube videos.
the hardest thing I find is sanding down with wet and dry and poishing to a high sheen without touching the knurl

Merv


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