Craftsman 4" Lathe Chatter

[ireload2]

I have about 10,000 hours running turning machines of all sorts.

1 .Your spindle bearing that looks like a collet should be tight enough to remove all play at the chuck end of the headstock.
It should run warm to your hand but not get hot so that it expands and locks up the spindle. Because it is a bushing rather than a ball or roller bearing it must stay well lubricated.

To eliminate chatter run your lathe at the recommended speeds for that each material or slower. You are probably not going to be able to cut much deeper than .05 per side per pass. Contrast this to .250 deep passes on a tool room lathe and .750 deep passes on a 48" Bullard or really big turning machine.

Your machine is small and light. High speed steel tools work best for reducing cutting forces but you have to know how to grind the tools and that is sort of a lost art.

You want the machine as rigid as possible without it being locked up or binding.
When turning lock the cross slide.
When facing lock the carriage.
A quick change tool holder is much more rigid and is easier to use than the old rocker/lantern style tool holders (I hate them)

When using the tail stock monitor that there is some pressure on the work piece.If it gets a little loose it will always chatter.
Keep in mind that you can push the work back if you use it in a 3 jaw with a live center in the tail stock.

 

[centershot]

A goggle search for "grinding HSS lathe tools" will provide a lot of information.
www.steves--workshop.co.uk/tips/toolgrinding/toolgrinding.htm should take you to a lot of information including a couple simple fixtures for grinding tools.

Pre ground HSS tools are available. I have never purchased any so I can't provide a source but would guess they could be found with a web search.

Site will not open.

 

[hogpatrol]

Site will not open.

http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/tips/toolgrinding/tool-grinding-poster.pdf

 

[centershot]

Great chart! Thanks.

 

[centershot]

Getting closer. I re ground the tool according to the great post by hogpatrol. Several items that I changed. Cut on fresh, un chattered metal. Cut closer to the head stock. Put more pressure on the tail stock center. Put the tool closer to the work. Granted, it is aluminum. Nice chips came off of the turning. Fairly smooth finish.

Will try some un chattered steel next.

 

[ireload2]

Later on there are some goofy tricks that help reduce chatter when you can't get around it.

If you are boring or facing a large bell type piece you can wrap a bungee cord around it to dampen the vibration and stop the propagation of the chatter.
The old lantern tool holders and long skinny boring bar are bad about chattering. You can clamp a Vise Grip plier on the tool holder and the extra non symmetrical mass will upset the harmonics and reduce chatter. If nothing else slow down the RPMs and increase the feed. If you can manage a deeper cut to get under the chatter you can sometimes cut it off. Making a lathe cut right is sort of like learning to drive a stick shift, learning to ride a bike or learning to roller skate. Your brain will eventually recognize what is needed with out much thought but it takes a few years.