Buying mill/lathe tools.

[takai]

Picked up my gear this morning, and had a quick look at the 2axis DRO, looks like a nice bit of kit.

Now i just have to get a lathe back to my place on Saturday in 41deg heat .

[takai]

Another aside, what parting tools do you guys use?
Ive been using a Glanze style tool:

But its always been a bit chattery and the actual blade (not carbide tip) is bent. So im going to need a new one (and leave this one with my mate).

What do people use?

[Sam-Q]

basically a piece of crap. It's a stop gap measure which holds a 12.7mm piece of tool steel, I need something new.

[takai]

Ah yeah. I still like the Glanze units, but damn they are expensive.

Also in my trip out to ozmestore today i forgot that they had cheap pilot drillbits and cheap MT3 chucks.... ohwell, another trip coming up.

[takai]

I promised pics when i got it in, so here it is:


300kg of Hafco Metalmaster AL320G, upgrades are too many to name. But a few of the obvious ones that the previous owner has done are:
- alloy/brass handles for everything
- saddle stop/dial indicator mount
- ways protector (wood) for changing chucks
- ways swarf protector (bolted to the slide)
- coolant drain in the tray, leading to a pot underneath
- sturdier toolpost, with better bolts

And the first thing i got around to turning up:


Sort of, gave up after about 30mins because it was too bloody hot in the garage.

[Sam-Q]

wow that doesn't look like a toy at all unlike that C3 thing. So how was it in it's initial use?

Thought I would post a pic of my non operational mill here:



I know very little about it and it doesn't run yet. I need to run some three phase power to it, which is low in my list of priorities.Crappy pic was taken without a head or the hydraulics bolted up.

Also I picked up this today:



I hope it's decent, it should be though as I have used Vertex dividing heads before and they have been excellent.

[takai]

Its really good, i had a few teethign issues with it like tool heights and not having any 8mm allen keys around, but they were easily settled, and now i have it all running.

With carbide bits it machined that chunk of 50mm round down to what you see there in under 30mins including all the dicking around finding 3.5 or 4mm bits of bar to use as tool spacers.

Next purchase is a drill press, as my current one is giving up the ghost. The little motor is smoking away and dying, so i think ill just shell out for a new press entirely and use this as a tap jig.

How much was that rotary table though, im interested in one eventually.

[Sam-Q]

sounds great, you could do as I am going to do in that I plan on making a draw under the tray with segments, then with each tool I will have the accessories such as the undo tool, tips and the shim pre-machined to be the be exact height. I don't see a real big need for a quick change post when I have it set up like that. Keep us updated on how it works for you ok?

The rotary table was off ebay on a buy it now, I bought it for $250 normally its $363. I had a saved search for a whole year until this one came up.




Do not buy this:





despite its price it has an insane amount of slop in it, its not even good for rough work.

[Tim.duncan]

aarrrgghhh why do i read this thread, i want to go blow lots of money on machienery now!

i have a few jobs that i want to get done but i dont have acces to a mill, i have enlisted in a advanced milling night corse at tafe which starts in feb so that should be fun, might be able to sneek a few homers in perhaps he he