# Difference between revisions of "Tabletop Mill/Lathe Combo"

File:LatheSetup.jpg
Tabletop Mill/Lathe combo in the Grainger Makerspace

## Contents

The Tabletop Mill/Lathe is a machine used for machining different materials extremely accurate. The normal materials used in these machines are softer metals and plastics such as aluminum, POM, and Wax.

General Stats:
Price : The cost of the material used material
Maximum bed size for Milling: TBD
Maximum bed size for Lathing: TBD

# Safety Instructions

• No attempt should be made to operate the mill/lathe until you understand the proper procedures for its use and have been checked out on it.
• Dress appropriately. Remove all watches and jewelry. Safety glasses or goggles are a must.
• Plan out your work thoroughly before starting.
• Know were the location of the OFF switch is.
• Be sure the work and holding device are firmly attached.
• Never walk away from the machine while it is turned on.
• If someone approaches you while on the machine - shut down before directing your attention towards person.
• For the lathe, turn the chuck by hand, with the lathe turned OFF, to be sure there is no danger of striking any part of the lathe.
• Always remove the chuck key from the chuck immediately after use, and before operating the lathe. Make it a habit to never let go of the chuck key until it is out of the chuck and back in its holder.
• Keep the machine clear of tools. Tools must not be placed on the ways of the mill/lathe.
• Stop the machine before making any measurements, adjustments, or cleaning.
• Chips are sharp. Do not attempt to remove them with your hand when they become “stringy” and build up on the tool post or workpiece. Stop the machine and remove them with pliers.
• Stop the mill/lathe immediately if any odd noise or vibration develops while you are operating it. If you can not locate the source of the trouble, get help from the instructor. Under no circumstance should the lathe be operated until the problem has been corrected.
• Use care when cleaning the lathe. Chips sometimes get caught in recesses. Remove them with a brush or short stick. Never use a floor brush to clean the machine. Use only a brush, compressed air, or a rag.

# Using the Mill

To use the mill, first, understand the components of a Mill and how they move. Pic of Bed, Pic of head, Pic of handles. (Maybe Gif of them moving instead of pictures.

The bed on our machine moves in the X and Y axis, and the Head moves in the Z axis. With these 3 degrees of motion, you can move the bed to adjust where the cutting head is removing material. Both X and Y axis have dials on the handles to correlate the linear movement of the bed with the rotational movement of the handle. This lets you cut material with a precision of .001". The Z-axis has a drawbar similar to the drill press which allows precise movement. These 3 axis combined can allow you to cut channels, precise holes, and more complex geometry out of softer metals and plastics such as aluminum, POM, and Wax.

Now that you have zero-ed your workpiece, you can begin cutting. Using the dials on the handles, you can fine-tune where the head is moving, but keep track of how many rotations are made, each rotation is (.2" or .25" ?). When cutting, listen to the noises the machine makes while cutting. If the machine is chattering or squeaking, stop what you are doing. If the machine is chattering, lower the speed at which you are cutting material. Different bits like to spin at different speeds, and the rate that you cut the material also changes. Use this simple calculation for determining how fast to move the cutting head.

Template:math{3.82}math}}
$|\text{Cutting Feed} = \frac{\text{Tool DIA}*\text{RPM}}{3.82}$

The cutting feed variable is in Inches per Minute. Try to get close to this number when turning the axis handles. It will cut nicer, leave a smooth surface finish, and make the cutting tools last longer.

# Using the Lathe

To use the lathe, first, understand the components of a lathe and how they move. Pic of chuck, Pic of cutting head, Pic of handles. (Maybe Gif of them moving instead of pictures.)

This machine has a rotating axis, and an X and Y axis for cutting. With these 3 degrees of motion, while the 3rd axis is rotating, you can move the X and Y axis to cut the selected material into varying circular geometry. Similar to the Mill, both X and Y axis have dials on the handles to correlate the linear movement of the cutting tool with the rotational movement of the handle. This lets you cut material with a precision of .002". The 3rd axis has a dial to tune the speed of cutting. These 3 axis combined can allow you to cut shafts, bushings, and more complex geometry out of softer metals and plastics such as aluminum, POM, and Wax.

Now that we understand the basics, we can learn more about the machine. First, we need to fasten the piece you want into the chuck. This can be accomplished by loosening the chuck with the key, sliding your workpiece inside (with at least a 1" section inside the grip) and tightening the chuck. Make sure to remove the key from the chuck before turning the machine on. Once the piece is fastened, now you can spin up the machine and start cutting. For setting the handles to zero on the lathe, set and lock the cutting tool in position. (explain how to lock the cutting tools into position) Now move the cutting tool until you just barely cut into the material, and set the dial to 0. Do the same for both X and Y axis.

# Cleaning the Machine

• Please sweep up any metal shavings, plastic or wax are ok to vacuum.
• Wipe any leftover oil or residue off of the machine
• Reset the machine to how you found it. Remove any tools, move the cutting tools away from the lathe chuck.