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While I am shopping for the lathe...

D

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
...there are SOME tools that pretty much never come with the lathes. I've looked at a lot of them. Chucks and collets, yes, but some stuff no. Since it is a certainty that I am going to pick up a lathe eventually, wondered what kinds of tools and gauges might be indispensable that I could start collecting now? Here is an example of what I mean, but I know there are more...


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Appreciate suggestions. I like to shop on my breaks, as long as I am tied to this desk for another 5-6 weeks.

Dave the tool junkie.
 
Might be to much of a drive, but on Craigs List, West central IL,tools-there has been a guy in Carthage IL that has had a lot of machine shop equipment fore sale(maybe under heavy equipment.)
 
They do come in different sizes, but more importantly, they come in different tapers.

Morse #2 is pretty common, but larger lathes may use different tapers. Non-Morse tapers do happen but (as far as I know) aren't common at least among lathes. Mills is a different story.

I wouldn't start buying them until you know what taper the tailstock on your lathe is.
 
I will second a dial indicator with a magnetic base. You can find used ones on EBay for a reasonable price.


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Vernier calipers are good, inside mics are tricky to use and a little more advanced. Telescoping gauges are more useful. Reamers and the appropriate drills, center drills, thread gauges.
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A decent set of 6" dial calipers is very useful--while you can spend several hundred dollars on good ones, a mid-range HF or similar unit will be adequate for most home shop projects and will run $20-30. I prefer dial over digital only because it always seems the batteries in my digital one are dead when I need them, but that's more personal choice than anything. A lot will depend on the lathe you get--while there's tons of accessories you can get, many of them are made only for one brand, or even one size or model, and while as a broad statement you can often make smaller stuff work on a larger lathe (and occasionally the reverse) it's still often more hassle than it's worth to make adapters or otherwise cobble things together. Kinda like old tractors--not a lot of sense in buying Fast Hitch implements and then getting an 8N. Things like chucks, steady rests, follow rests, tail stocks, tail stock chucks, etc. etc. and even Quick Change Tool Posts or, as noted, live centers, are all best purchased after you've bought your lathe.
 
I'm pretty sure I have a thread gauge like that larger one. I have a lot of "box lot" tools...and I mean a LOT...some of those things may be in there. Look familiar enough.
 
I found that randomly whilst looking at a consignment sale to see did they have a lathe. Figured I would ask and learn. I watch YouTube videos pretty much every day on this topic. Never going to get this hook out of my mouth until I give it a try.
 
I have a couple of those on watch right now. JimN suggested I take one when I look at lathes. See how straight things run.
 
Depth micrometer...to see how deep a hole is. Telescoping gauges are used to check a bore, then the gauge is measured with a micrometer. Buy quality tools, not the china junk. US made Starette, Lufkin, etc.
 
Been looking at some Starrett stufg. The vise I bought last week was an Athol. Starrett owned Athol. Nice vise.
 

On the local swap shop today a guy advertised a brown & sharp mill vice... I went to his house he had a small tool room added on the the back of his house full of stuff with a lathe and a drilling milling machine he plans to sale... I picked up a few items...

Cutting tools, inserts, boring bars are what you are going to burn money on first.. Than spend may a hour watching Youtube...

This guy is a good'N to watch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eTSmQGEvwo

Using tools...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GST14cz0U1U
 
I have that exact set in my tool box right now . had to buy all that when i was grinding crankshafts in the mid 80s. Cant go wrong with Starrett
 
Regarding Morse tapers- #2 and #3 are common on lathes, industrial drill presses. You can "stack" them, but accuracy of your machine work can be reduced. A good lathe book is South Bend"s "How to run a lathe". Originals date back to the 30s, but contain very good instructions for a beginner. Been updated over the years.
 
That lovely Starrett 0-3" micrometer set in your picture is a good place to start. Don't go overboard on expensive vernier calipers- the best vernier is still just an educated guess. The inexpensive digital kind will get you close, then your micrometers will tell you the real story. A telescoping gauge set is a handy item- buy a good set-Starrett or Mitutoyo. An inside mike set is nice to have, but your telescoping gauges are the workhorse. A depth mike is handy, depending on your budget. You will want a dial indicator and magnetic stand. Even an inexpensive indicator will be useful. Pick up a thread gauge, and a threading "fishtail" to set your tool for thread cutting. A 12" rule or combination square will be helpful.
If it will work for you, a 0-6" micrometer set will cover most of your needs. If the budget is tight, 0-3" will get you going. Make sure your micrometers come with standards- these will check your micrometers, but are also useful as improvised gauge blocks. Buy good mikes for your 1" and 2"-Starrett, Mitutoyo, Brown and Sharpe, Etillon, Moore and Wright are all good tools, and will last a lifetime. You can get by with some less costly tools in the larger sizes- if you have appropriate mike standards, even the inexpensive chinese mikes will get you by. A couple of machinist squares are handy to have, and even the cheapies are usually square. A small 2 or 3" long machinist level is handy. A set of old fashioned inside and outside calipers (about 6" size) are cheap to buy, and will save your bacon once in a while. Start off with a basic set of good quality tools, and add to it as your skills and techniques develop.
Good luck in your quest for a lathe. unc
 
Thanks, and thanks for all the good info. I'll copy all this into my lathe file with the other questions I have asked this week. Give me a reference to look back to as things come up.
 
I bought a Starrett set like that from a buddy that owns the old family run auto parts store near here.
I needed a set when I pour Model T main bearings. He said I have a set I don't use anymore and sold them to me for $50.
Richard in NW SC
 
Dave, if you have any pawn shops near you check them every couple of months. For micrometers you're best off with carbide faces. Personally I never trusted clock or digital calipers and preferred the Vernier scale type. They lack the "feel" without the fine adjusting knob. The rod in the pair in my picture doubles as a depth mic.
 
Turning will cause the work-piece to heat up and expand. If the work-piece is long enough there may be enough expansion to cause it to warp between the chuck and tail-stock, making it wobble. I have used a live-center that was spring-loaded, allowing it to give as the work-piece expanded. They are not common and I can't recall the maker of the one I used, but they are a real problem solver when turning long pieces. A traveling steady-rest is also a real asset when turning long pieces. And don't forget "Machinery's Handbook". New ones are expensive but used ones just as useful. And it's time to start perusing the Starrett catalog. It can answer a lot of questions.
 
When you buy a lathe (or milling machine) figure on spending at least
the cost of the machine for additional tooling and accessories.
 
I also have an Athol vise. My dad had it for a long time, and I got it when he passed away in 1990. Mine is a model 624. A very good vise !


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