Metal Lathe Introduction

This is the content required for an introduction to our metal lathe - reading this does NOT replace the mandatory session with a tutor! It will make it a lot quicker though ;-)

Safety

Dangers

• rotating chuck
  • can easily catch loose clothing, jewellery or hair
• loose work pieces can be thrown at high speeds
• no prevention of turning on after loss & restoration of power (keine Anlaufsicherung)
• small debris can be thrown towards the user
• cluster of shavings ('rats nests') can be caught by the chuck -> very sharp; quickly rotating object...
  • turn off the lathe and remove the shavings before continuing
• shavings (especially steel) are very sharp & hot
• parts of the machine/workpiece can become hot
• autofeed will cause a crash if left unattended!

Precautions

• wear short sleeved clothing or tight fitting sleeves
• tie long hair together
• don't wear any kind of jewellery (e.g. rings) as they may get caught in the chuck or trap shavings
• wear Personal Protection but not gloves, as they might get caught in the rotating parts
  • a face shield in addition to goggles is recommended
• make sure to secure the workpiece properly in the chuck
• make sure the tool bit is secured properly in its holder
  • use the appropriate chuck for each workpiece
• never leave the machine unattended, especially when working with autofeed
• regularly remove shavings around the chuck (when machine is turned off)
• keep transmission covers closed during operation
• compound slides move 0.2mm per 1/10 of a revolution (1 indent)
  • radius reduces twice as much

Demonstration

The tutor will show you these steps in detail:

Turning a Piece with and without Autofeed

• turn a part to size
  • outside diameter
  • inside diameter
• drill a hole