Logan 925, I think

[pete]

That Westbury book is also a good one.Cutting tools have changed a lot, or I guess more so the coatings, carbide quality and it's durability. But carbide as a cutting tool material was still invented just about 100 years ago. If your just starting out there's zero need for carbide though.The basics don't change and what worked 200 years ago still works just as well today. The one real advancement over the older information is the move away from the rocker type tool posts. Even a 4 position turret type tool post is a massive improvement in rigidity. I'd also add a good used copy of Machinery's Handbook to your list. One from the 1940's-1960's will be far more useful that the latest one's that are more topical for cnc equipment and shop processes most with a home shop are unlikely to have.

[Harold_V]

The monumental move in cutter technology that has benefitted the home shop machinist (as well as industry) was high speed steel. It provided for cutting that wasn't drastically affected by heat, although certainly with some limitations. Prior to HSS carbon steel was the rule, and it lost its hardness even in grinding if care was not taken to limit how hot the tool got. It was very important to not allow it to change color, while HSS will tolerate heating to redness without loss of hardness (it should be allowed to cool slowly, as it does not tolerate quenching well). It is far more robust than carbon steel.

When carbide was coming of age, in addition to high speed steel, Stellite was also being used for cutting tools, which offered an even greater ability to withstand heating, resulting in permitting higher cutting speeds.

Carbide has its place, but the benefits are generally lost on home shop equipment, which typically lacks rigidity, horsepower and spindle speed that permits profiting from its use. There are exceptions, including the machining of hardened materials as well as abrasive materials, each of which would be hard on tool steels, generally resulting in premature tip failure.

H

[TheSandman]

Thanks for all you guys helping. I clicked link and it said " do I want to download file again"? Didn't know I had it but that hercus book is great. Makes me wish I read it in 1970 and bought a lathe. Now I'll have to read it 50 times to absorb anything. I got the bracket welded up for backsplash tonight. Should have it mounted tomorrow. Then I can move it into location and run wiring. I need a VFD yet and tooling to get started. Hope to be turning very soon. PS, I do have Machinery,s Handbook 27 from 2004.

[pete]

Just remember, machine tools have no brain so you have to use yours, and they don't care if there ripping metal or flesh off. I still shudder at some of the stupid things I did and somehow got away with when I was first learning. With the gear reductions in most lathes even a 1/2 hp motor has enough torque to rip your arm off never mind fingers. And I'd almost bet money everyone here has crashed a machine once or twice, it's an unfortunate part of learning. So learn from your mistakes when they happen to you. Making the same mistake twice isn't learning what you should have the first time. Safety glasses, and never leaving the chuck key in the chuck no matter what are entry level basics and should be common knowledge. Rigidity for your part holding and reducing tool extensions to there bare minimum required are everything when machining metal. What can be done while working with wood almost never does when trying to machine metal.

[SteveM]

Marc L'Ecuyer (That Lazy Machinist) did a four-part series on safety.
He's probably the only youtuber to go into safety in such detail.
It's a very good series.
Here are the links to all four parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcaJOM6tBQA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR9cPE96E_o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aOOKRwTSdA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8f9v0uTlZI