LATHE WORK

Objectives of this chapter

• To understand the working principal of lathe machine.
• To have knowledge of the various types of lathe.
• To understand the principal components of a central
lathe.
• To understand the construction of lathe machine.
• To understand the accessories and attachments of lathe.
• To understand the feed and cutting speed and factors
that affect the cutting speed.
• To achieve a basic understanding of the safety
precautions when using cutting fluids and while working
on lathe machine
 LATHE WORK
• Lathe is one of the most versatile and widely used machine tools
all over the world.
• It is commonly known as the mother of all other machine tool.
• The main function of a lathe is to remove metal from a job to
give it the required shape and size.
• The job is securely and rigidly held in the chuck or in between
centers on the lathe machine and then turn it against a single
point cutting tool which will remove metal from the job in the
form of chips.
• An engine lathe is the most basic and simplest form of the lathe.
It derives its name from the early lathes, which obtained their
power from engines.
• Besides the simple turning operation, lathe can be used to
carryout other operations also, such as drilling, reaming, boring,
taper turning, knurling, screw thread cutting, grinding etc.
Working principal of lathe machine
 TYPES OF LATHE
• Lathes are manufactured in a variety of types and
sizes, from very small bench lathes used for
precision work to huge lathes used for turning
large steel shafts.
• But the principle of operation and function of all
types of lathes is same. The different types of
lathes are:
1. Speed lathe
• (a) Wood working
• (b) Spinning
• (c) Centering
 TYPES OF LATHE Cont
2. Centre or engine lathe
• (a) Belt drive
• (b) Individual motor drive
• (c) Gear head lathe
3. Bench lathe
4. Tool room Lathe
5. Capstan and Turret lathe
6. Special purpose lathe
• (a) Wheel lathe
• (b) Gap bed lathe
• (c) Duplicating lathe
• (d) T-lathe
7. Automatic lathe
 Speed Lathe
• Speed lathe is simplest of all types of lathes in construction and
operation. The important parts of speed lathe are following-
(1) Bed
(2) Headstock
(3) Tailstock, and
(4) Tool post mounted on an adjustable slide.
• It has no feed box, leadscrew or conventional type of carriage.
• The tool is mounted on the adjustable slide and is fed into the
work by hand control.
• The speed lathe finds applications where cutting force is least
such as in wood working, spinning, centering, polishing,
winding, buffing etc.
• This lathe has been so named because of the very high speed
of the headstock spindle.
 Centre Lathe or Engine Lathe
• The term “engine” is associated with this lathe due to the fact that in
the very early days of its development it was driven by steam engine.
• This lathe is the important member of the lathe family and is the
most widely used.
• Similar to the speed lathe, the engine lathe has all the basic parts,
e.g., bed, headstock, and tailstock.
• But its headstock is much more robust in construction and contains
additional mechanism for driving the lathe spindle at multiple
speeds.
• Unlike the speed lathe, the engine lathe can feed the cutting tool
both in cross and longitudinal direction with reference to the lathe
axis with the help of a carriage, feed rod and lead screw.
• Are classified according to methods of transmitting power to the
machine.
• The power may be transmitted by means of belt, electric motor or
through gears.
Principal components of a central lathe
 Bench Lathe
• This is a small lathe usually mounted on
bench.
• It has practically all the parts of an engine
lathe or speed lathe and it performs almost all
the operations.
• This is used for small and precision work.
 Tool Room Lathe
• This lathe has features similar to an engine
lathe but it is much more accurately built.
• It has a wide range of spindle speeds ranging
from a very low to a quite high speed up to
2500 rpm.
• This lathe is mainly used for precision work on
tools, dies, gauges and in machining work
where accuracy is needed.
 Capstan and Turret Lathe
• Results from the technological advancement
of the engine lathe and these are vastly used
for mass production work.
• Tailstock of an engine lathe is replaced by a
hexagonal turret, on the face of which
multiple tools may be fitted and fed into the
work in proper sequence.
• Several different types of operations can be
done on a job without re-setting of work or
tools, and a number of identical parts can be
produced in the minimum time.
 Special Purpose Lathes
• These lathes are constructed for special purposes and
for jobs, which cannot be accommodated or
conveniently machined on a standard lathe.
• The wheel lathe is made for finishing the journals and
turning the tread on railroad car and locomotive wheels.
• The gap bed lathe, in which a section of the bed
adjacent to the headstock is removable, is used to swing
extra-large-diameter pieces.
• The T-lathe is used for machining of rotors for jet
engines. The bed of this lathe has T-shape.
• Duplicating lathe is one for duplicating the shape of a
flat or round template on to the job.
 Automatic Lathes
• These lathes are so designed that all the
working and job handling movements of the
complete manufacturing process for a job are
done automatically.
• These are high speed, heavy duty, mass
production lathes with complete automatic
control.
 CONSTRUCTION OF LATHE MACHINE
• A simple lathe comprises of a bed made of grey
cast iron on which headstock, tailstock, carriage
and other components of lathe are mounted.
• The major parts of lathe machine are given as
under:
1. Bed
2. Head stock
3. Tailstock
4. Carriage
5. Feed mechanism
6. Thread cutting mechanism
Different parts of engine lathe or central
lathe
 Bed
• The bed of a lathe machine is the base on which all other parts
of lathe are mounted.
• It is massive and rigid single piece casting made to support
other active parts of lathe.
• On left end of the bed, headstock of lathe machine is located
while on right side tailstock is located.
• The carriage of the machine rests over the bed and slides on it.
• On the top of the bed there are two sets of guideways-
innerways and outerways.
• The innerways provide sliding surfaces for the tailstock and the
outerways for the carriage.
• The guideways of the lathe bed may be flat and inverted V
shape.
• Generally cast iron alloyed with nickel and chromium material is
used for manufacturing of the lathe bed.
 Head Stock
• The main function of headstock is to transmit power to the
different parts of a lathe.
• It comprises of the headstock casting to accommodate all the
parts within it including gear train arrangement.
• The main spindle is adjusted in it, which possesses live centre
to which the work can be attached. It supports the work and
revolves with the work, fitted into the main spindle of the
headstock.
• The cone pulley is also attached with this arrangement, which
is used to get various spindle speed through electric motor.
• The back gear arrangement is used for obtaining a wide range
of slower speeds. Some gears called change wheels are used
to produce different velocity ratio required for thread cutting.
 Tail Stock
• The tail stock is commonly used for the objective
of primarily giving an outer bearing and support
the circular job being turned on centers.
• Tail stock can be easily set or adjusted for
alignment or non-alignment with respect to the
spindle centre and carries a centre called dead
centre for supporting one end of the work.
• Both live and dead centers have 60° conical points
to fit centre holes in the circular job, the other end
tapering to allow for good fitting into the spindles
Tail stock of central lathe.
 Carriage
• Carriage is mounted on the outer guide ways of lathe bed and it
can move in a direction parallel to the spindle axis.
• It comprises of important parts such as apron, cross-slide,
saddle, compound rest, and tool post.
• The lower part of the carriage is termed the apron in which
there are gears to constitute apron mechanism for adjusting the
direction of the feed using clutch mechanism and the split half
nut for automatic feed.
• The cross-slide is basically mounted on the carriage, which
generally travels at right angles to the spindle axis.
• On the cross-slide, a saddle is mounted in which the compound
rest is adjusted which can rotate and fix to any desired angle.
• The compound rest slide is actuated by a screw, which rotates
in a nut fixed to the saddle.
Tool post of centre lathe
 Feed Mechanism
• Feed mechanism is the combination of
different units through which motion of
headstock spindle is transmitted to the
carriage of lathe machine.
• Following units play role in feed mechanism of
a lathe machine
1. End of bed gearing
2. Feed gear box
3. Lead screw and feed rod
4. Apron mechanism
 Thread Cutting Mechanism

• The half nut or split nut is used for thread

cutting in a lathe.
• It engages or disengages the carriage with the
lead screw so that the rotation of the
leadscrew is used to traverse the tool along
the workpiece to cut screw threads.
• The direction in which the carriage moves
depends upon the position of the feed reverse
lever on the headstock.
 ACCESSORIES AND ATTACHMENTS OF
LATHE
Lathe centers
• The most common method of holding the job
in a lathe is between the two centers generally
known as live centre (head stock centre) and
dead centre (tailstock centre).
• They are made of very hard materials to resist
deflection and wear and they are used to hold
and support the cylindrical jobs.
Carriers or driving dog and catch plates
• These are used to drive a job when it is held
between two centers.
• Carriers or driving dogs are attached to the end
of the job by a setscrew.
• Catch plates are either screwed or bolted to the
nose of the headstock spindle.
• A projecting pin from the catch plate or carrier
fits into the slot provided in either of them.
• This imparts a positive drive between the lathe
spindle and job.
Lathe dog
 Chucks
• Chuck is one of the most important devices for holding
and rotating a job in a lathe.
• It is basically attached to the headstock spindle of the
lathe.
• The internal threads in the chuck fit on to the external
threads on the spindle nose.
• Short, cylindrical, hollow objects or those of irregular
shapes, which cannot be conveniently mounted
between centers, are easily and rigidly held in a chuck.
• Jobs of short length and large diameter or of irregular
shape, which cannot be conveniently mounted between
centers, are held quickly and rigidly in a chuck.
 Types of lathe chucks
There are a number of types of lathe chucks, e.g.
(1) Three jaws or universal
(2) Four jaw independent chuck
(3) Magnetic chuck
(4) Collet chuck
(5) Air or hydraulic chuck operated chuck
(6) Combination chuck
(7) Drill chuck.
 Face plates
• Face plates are employed for holding jobs, which
cannot be conveniently held between centers or
by chucks.
• A face plate possesses the radial, plain and T slots
for holding jobs or work-pieces by bolts and
clamps.
• Face plates consist of a circular disc bored out and
threaded to fit the nose of the lathe spindle.
• They have slots cut into them, therefore nuts,
bolts, clamps and angles are used to hold the jobs
on the face plate.
• They are accurately machined and ground.
 Angle plates
• Angle plate is a cast iron plate having two
faces machined to make them absolutely at
right angles to each other.
• Holes and slots are provided on both faces so
that it may be clamped on a faceplate and can
hold the job or workpiece on the other face by
bolts and clamps.
• The plates are used in conjunction with a face
plate when the holding surface of the job
should be kept horizontal.
 Mandrels
• A mandrel is a device used for holding and rotating a hollow job
that has been previously drilled or bored.
• The job revolves with the mandrel, which is mounted between
two centers.
• It is hardened and tempered steel shaft or bar with 60° centers,
so that it can be mounted between centers.
• It holds and locates a part from its center hole.
• The mandrel is always rotated with the help of a lathe dog; it is
never placed in a chuck for turning the job.
• A mandrel unlike an arbor is a job holding device rather than a
cutting tool holder.
• A bush can be faced and turned by holding the same on a
mandrel between centers.
• It is generally used in order to machine the entire length of a
hollow job
 Rests
• A rest is a lathe device, which supports a long
slender job, when it is turned between centers
or by a chuck, at some intermediate point to
prevent bending of the job due to its own weight
and vibration set up due to the cutting force that
acts on it.
• The two types of rests commonly used for
supporting a long job in an engine lathe are the
steady or centre rest and the follower rest.
 SPECIFICATION OF LATHE
The size of a lathe is generally specified by the
following means:
(a) Swing or maximum diameter that can be
rotated over the bed ways
(b) Maximum length of the job that can be held
between head stock and tail stock centres
(c) Bed length, which may include head stock
length also
(d) Maximum diameter of the bar that can pass
through spindle or collect chuck of capstan lathe.
Specifications of a lathe
The following data also contributes to specify a common lathe
machine.
(i) Maximum swing over bed
(ii) Maximum swing over carriage
(iii) Height of centers over bed
(iv) Maximum distance between centers
(v) Length of bed
(vi) Width of bed
(vii) Morse taper of center
(viii) Diameter of hole through spindle
(ix) Face plate diameter
(x) Size of tool post
(xi) Number of spindle speeds
(xii) Lead screw diameter and number of threads per cm.
(xiii) Size of electrical motor
(xiv) Pitch range of metric and inch threads etc
 LATHE OPERATIONS
For performing the various machining operations in a lathe,
the job is being supported and driven by anyone of the
following methods.
1. Job is held and driven by chuck with the other end supported
on the tail stock centre.
2. Job is held between centers and driven by carriers and catch
plates.
3. Job is held on a mandrel, which is supported between
centers and driven by carriers and catch plates.
4. Job is held and driven by a chuck or a faceplate or an angle
plate.
• The above methods for holding the job can be classified
under two headings namely job held between centers and
job held by a chuck or any other fixture.
 Lathe operations
• The operations performed in a lathe can be understood
by three major categories
(a) Operations, which can be performed in a lathe either
by holding the workpiece between centers or by a chuck
are:
1. Straight turning 2. Shoulder turning
3. Taper turning 4. Chamfering
5. Eccentric turning 6. Thread cutting
7. Facing 8. Forming
9. Filing 10. Polishing
11. Grooving 12. Knurling
13. Spinning 14. Spring winding
(a) Lathe operation
 (b) Lathe operations
• Operations which are performed by holding
the work by a chuck or a faceplate or an angle
plate are:
1. Undercutting 2. Parting-off
3. Internal thread cutting 4. Drilling
5. Reaming 6. Boring
7. Counter boring 8. Taper boring
9. Tapping
(b) Lathe operations
(c) Operations which are performed by using
special lathe attachments are:
1. Milling 2. Grinding
 TAPERS AND TAPER TURNING
• A taper is defined as a uniform increase or decrease in
diameter of a piece of work measured along its length.
• In a lathe machine, taper turning means to produce a
conical surface by gradual reduction in diameter from a
cylindrical job. Taper in the British System is expressed
in taper per foot or taper per inch.
• Taper per inch = (D – d)/l
Where,
D = is the diameter of the large end of cylindrical job,
d = is the diameter of the small end of cylindrical job, and
l = is the length of the taper of cylindrical job, all expressed
in inches,
 TAPERS AND TAPER TURNING
• A taper is generally turned in a lathe by feeding the tool at
an angle to the axis of rotation of the workpiece.
• The angle formed by the path of the tool with the axis of the
workpiece should correspond to the half taper angle. A taper
can be turned by anyone of the following methods:
1. By swiveling the compound rest,
2. By setting over the tailstock centre,
3. By a broad nose form tool,
4. By a taper turning attachment,
5. By combining longitudinal and cross feed in a special lathe
and
6. By using numerical control lathe
Some of the important taper turning methods are discussed as
under.
 THREAD CUTTING
• Thread of any pitch, shape and size can be cut on a lathe using
single point cutting tool.
• Thread cutting is operation of producing a helical groove on
spindle shape such as V, square or power threads on a cylindrical
surface.
• The job is held in between centres or in a chuck and the cutting
tool is held on tool post.
• The cutting tool must travel a distance equal to the pitch (in mm)
as the work piece completes a revolution.
• The definite relative rotary and linear motion between job and
cutting tool is achieved by locking or engaging a carriage motion
with lead screw and nut mechanism and fixing a gear ratio
between head stock spindle and lead screw.
• To make or cut threads, the cutting tool is brought to the start of
job and a small depth of cut is given to cutting tool using cross
slide.
Thread cutting
 DRILLING ON A LATHE
• For producing holes in jobs on lathe, the job is
held in a chuck or on a face plate.
• The drill is held in the position of tailstock and
which is brought nearer the job by moving the
tailstock along the guide ways, the thus drill is
fed against the rotating job as shown in Fig.
below.
Drilling on lathe
 CUTTING SPEED
• Cutting speed for lathe work may be defined
as the rate in meters per minute at which the
surface of the job moves past the cutting tool.
• Machining at a correct cutting speed is highly
important for good tool life and efficient
cutting.
• Too slow cutting speeds reduce productivity
and increase manufacturing costs whereas too
high cutting speeds result in overheating of
the tool and premature failure of the cutting
edge of the tool.
 Factors that affect the cutting speed
• The following factors affect the cutting speed:
(i) Kind of material being cut,
(ii) Cutting tool material,
(iii) Shape of cutting tool,
(iv) Rigidity of machine tool and the job piece and
(v) Type of cutting fluid being used.
• Calculation of cutting speed Cs, in meters per minute
Cs = ((22/7) × D × N)) /1000
Where
D is diameter of job in mm.
N is in RPM
 Example 1.
• Calculate the spindle speed on the center
lathe given the cutting speed of aluminum as
200m/mm and diameter of work piece as
25mm
• N= = =
 FEED
• Feed is defined as the distance that a tool
advances into the work during one revolution
of the headstock spindle.
• It is usually given as a linear movement per
revolution of the spindle or job.
• During turning a job on the center lathe, the
saddle and the tool post move along the bed
of the lathe for a particular feed for cutting
along the length of the rotating job.
 Cutting speed for different materials using H.S.S. tool bits

• Mild steel - 20 – 28 metres/min

Cast Iron - 18 – 25
metres/min
High Carbon
Steel - 12 – 18 metres/min

Brass
- 45 – 90 metres/min

Aluminum - up to 300 metres/min

 Factors affecting cutting life
But the cutting life depends on

-cutting speed

-rate of feed (feed rate)

-chose depth of cut as great as possible

with least feed rate
 CUTTING FLUIDS

Purpose of Cutting Fluid

-Lubricate the tool and thereby reduce friction

-Cool the tool to avoid softening due to high heat

generation
-Cool the
work piece as any expansion due to heat produced by
friction will result in wrong reading.
-Can improve surface finish if it has lubricity

-A good cutting fluid can also inhibit corrosion

-Can also wash away the swarf from cutting zone/area

 Requirements of a Cutting Fluid

-Be an effective coolant

-Should have good lubricating properties

-
Should be easy to handle, prepare and store
-
Must not affect the machine’s normal lubrication

-Should not affect the health of people in the machine shop

i.e. non-toxic and non-fuming
-Should not have any offensive odours

-Must be non-corrosive to machine, tools, components and

operators -
Should provide the required service at minimum cost
 TYPES OF CUTTING FLUIDS

• Next/straight oils – used for threading,

broaching and shaping materials

• Soluble oils (Emulsions) – used for most

workshop operations
• Synthetic cutting fluids
• Chemi – coolants – good for grinding
 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING CUTTING FLUIDS

-On cast iron don’t use the cutting fluid

-Aluminum, brass, bronze – wet or
dry depending on the alloy
You can use paraffin when machining aluminium
-Aluminum is attacked
by alkalis
-Copper and its alloys get corroded by sulphur
{contained in E.P. [Extreme Pressure] additives}
-Wash regularly to avoid skin damage
(causes dermatitis)
-Ventilation has to be good

-Clean the machine regularly to minimize contamination of normal lubricant

-Never mix different types of cutting fluids

 Safety Precautions while Working on Lathe
Machine
1. One should always be sure that all guards are in place before running the
machine.
2. Always clamp the work and tool properly with correct size of work and tool
holding
device.
3. Always keep the machine clear of tools.
4. Machine should be stopped before making measurements or adjustments.
5. Wear an apron or a properly fitted shop coat. Goggles should also be used.
6. One should remove necktie, wrist watch and jewellery while working.
7. One should not operate the lathe until he knows the proper procedure.
8. One should check the work frequently when it is being machined.
9. One should check the face-plate or chuck by hand to be sure that there is
no danger of the work striking any part of the lathe.
10. Stop the machine and remove chips with pliers. One should not remove
the chips by hand.