02-18-2012, 08:40 PM
Ken,
Here's a general question that I think a lot of hobby machinists would like to know the answer to. Assuming the average lathe size for a hobbyist metalworker is 12x36 with a weight of about 1100lbs, does it make any sense to use carbide insert tooling on such a lathe. Assuming the materials being worked with would be aluminum and mild steel. Yes, nasty 1018 steel. It's cheap and it's very weldable. I happen to use it a lot because of those traits. Let's forget about leaded steel for this conversation. That stuff is so easy to machine you could do it with a Popsicle stick (exaggeration of course).
Thanks,
Ed
Here's a general question that I think a lot of hobby machinists would like to know the answer to. Assuming the average lathe size for a hobbyist metalworker is 12x36 with a weight of about 1100lbs, does it make any sense to use carbide insert tooling on such a lathe. Assuming the materials being worked with would be aluminum and mild steel. Yes, nasty 1018 steel. It's cheap and it's very weldable. I happen to use it a lot because of those traits. Let's forget about leaded steel for this conversation. That stuff is so easy to machine you could do it with a Popsicle stick (exaggeration of course).
Thanks,
Ed