Lathe speeds and feeds and tools.

[LRSickle]

I have an old Tida 1236G (12x36 gap bed) that I use for my chambering. It's still a tight machine.
I have a couple questions.
I practice final/spring passes on different materials to see how smooth I can get them. When I get a nice finish, I write down my speed/feed and put in in the case with the tool I just used. Do any of you know of a site that has speed/feed, surface inch per second and similar info that I can print out and hang on the wall in front of my lathe? I've found a bunch of speed calculators on the internet but I need something I can print out.
I also need recommendations on a threading tool that I can get close to a tennon shoulder without hitting it. I use a threading tool from Grizzly and I only have a micro second to open my halfnuts and spin my crossfeed out before it hits the shoulder. I took a 3/8 square HSS blank and ground a tool like one I saw on the net. It works but I'm not good at grinding my own tools that's for sure. So what threading tools/inserts are you guys using that work good for threading up close to a shoulder?

 

[MTBULLET]

CHECK Arthur R Warner tooling, innsert type high speed steel, excellent quality and have the "angle" your looking for

 

[bigngreen]

To get close to the shoulder I run carbide full form lay down inserts, I also use AR Warner tooling for odd thread jobs I don't have an insert for but you can not get near as close to the shoulder with them. Also you can flip a tool and run back wards and thread from the shoulder out.

 

[LRSickle]

CHECK Arthur R Warner tooling, innsert type high speed steel, excellent quality and have the "angle" your looking for

This one? I like it. It also doubles as a bore threader.
Arthur R. Warner Co. | Specialists in High Speed Steel - Kit #18 1/2 inch Threader NV

 

[LRSickle]

To get close to the shoulder I run carbide full form lay down inserts, I also use AR Warner tooling for odd thread jobs I don't have an insert for but you can not get near as close to the shoulder with them. Also you can flip a tool and run back wards and thread from the shoulder out.

Great idea! lightbulb
I'm going to try that after work. I'm assuming I'll have a grove the depth of the minor diameter of my threads between my threads and the recoil lug shoulder (Rem700), right? I'll post a picture.

 

[bigngreen]

This guys is a wealth of knowledge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-dqOi_z5bk
To get super close on a shank you may have to get a LH tool holder, with a shallow shoulder my AR will clear.

 

[Hired Gun]

For inserts I use the cheap Shars indexable inserts Online Catalog catalog number 424-1381 for external threads in a SER 0625-H16 5/8" tool holder that is 4" long. For internal threads I use 424-1432 inserts in a SIR 0500 P16-1/2" holder. This are not the best by any means but they work very well for the money. The inserts are only 10.20 for each 3 sided insert. We get about 6 months to a year from each insert.

I like to stay out a ways so the recoil lug has a nice tight full surface to center on. This thread extends 1/2 to a full thread under a .250" lug. Our trick (Brady and I) to end in the same spot on each cut is to use our DRO zeroed right where you want to stop. Not using a relief also lends itself really well for doing setbacks. Hard to cut threads if there is nothing to cut them in. We can cut a tennon down any number of threads and never have to lose the whole tennon to set it back.



Same for muzzle brakes. We never cut to a relief especially on muzzle brakes because it weakens the already thin barrel and I think it looks bad. I know we could cut threads backwards and considered it for awhile especially when cleaning up internal action threads but as I gained experience I got over it. When in doubt slow down and watch the DRO. With practice we can hit it within .001 real easy as the DRO reads out in .0002" increments. I believe every aspect of a custom rifle should be as perfect as possible inside and out. Without a DRO a guy can use a magnetic dial indicator on the apron.

Using the above inserts and tool holders with Ridgid 74047 Extreme Performance Stainless Steel Thread Cutting Oil for threads and JGS HSS reamers with a 2 horse 100 PSI pressurized flush chambering we get really smooth chambers and threads. So smooth they will not pull lint from a towel. I haven't found a need to record feed rates because with these tools the turning and feed speeds are very flexible. We start out pretty fast and if it sings at all we slow down till they cut quiet and super smooth. Everything still works very well all the way down to 32 RPM if you wanted to go that slow and up to 320 RPM or so on the top end. I think having a quality lathe helps some too. I bought it through Precision Mathews but the same 2200 pound Sunmaster ERL-1340 lathe is sold under a lot of different names like Sharp, Kent and South Bend.



Sorry for going so long but the extra info is kind of related so I went ahead and made it pretty complete. I hope it makes sense in the morning. I was on a roll and it just kept flowing. This is not intended to be the only way either. It's just what we do. If your methods and tools work well for you I would be interested to know how other people do it. I like to try to learn a couple new things every day.

 

[J E Custom]

This one? I like it. It also doubles as a bore threader.
Arthur R. Warner Co. | Specialists in High Speed Steel - Kit #18 1/2 inch Threader NV

+1
Carbide inserted tools are great and can be bought in many configurations. They cut clean (When they are sharp) and will run well at almost any speed. For turning, carbide tools cut best at spindle speeds over 300 rpm (Depending on the diameter of the work) but for threading, I like the slower speeds (45 to 80 RPM)for the control of the half nut. the inserts also work well at these speeds.

The nice thing about inserts is, if you dull a tool/insert, it can be replaced without losing your threading setup.

As mentioned, Shars has lots of tooling for inserts and pricing is good. There are some inserts sold on line that are made in China and are not very good so I don't recommend them. For threading I recommend the brand names and if bought from Shars, the prices are good. also read the recommended use for the insert, There are different inserts for different materials.

J E CUSTOM