facing plastic rod

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facing plastic rod

This topic has 35 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 29 November 2017 at 16:00 by lug lord.

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24 November 2017 at 12:50 #328848
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
i made up a hss facing tool i put very sharp angles and a point on the tool but when facing it had a tendency to dig right in and pull the part out of the chuck .

would i be better rounding the tip on the point,

I can face it off no problem using a aluminium tippped facing tool but was just plating around grinding my own tools hhs 5/16" on a myford super 7 ill put a pic on of the tool in a bit

Edited By lug lord on 24/11/2017 13:14:32
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24 November 2017 at 12:50 #15974
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
24 November 2017 at 13:15 #328852
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
i mainly turn down uhmwpe its not the best to work with not very forgiving
24 November 2017 at 13:17 #328853
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
That looks to be completely the opposite geometry to what you need.

I would call that a right hand tool and they are used for cutting from the right towards the left so ideal for reducing the diameter of a cylinder cutting from end towards the headstock..

You need what is called a left hand tool which will be the mirror image and the tool is mounted with it's length along the lathe axis and used from the outer dia to the ctr or left to right as you look at the end of the stock

J

PS This is not as it is described in a certain editors beginners guide
24 November 2017 at 13:26 #328856
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
I put the tool in at an angle so there is a clearance on the end of the plastic piece in the chuck I am pretty sure its a right hand tool i need i been doing this job facing plastic for over 2 years now i just think maybe my tool is too sharp on the angles .

cutting from the right to the left is what i do
24 November 2017 at 13:28 #328858
duncan webster 1
Participant
@duncanwebster1
You haven't got much rake in the direction of cutting when facing with this tool. I use a tangential tool for plastic, rake both ways. Horrible stuf to machine tho' very easy to get entangled in long ribbons of quite tough swarf
24 November 2017 at 13:38 #328860
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
oh i thought i put fairly extreme slopes on the tool with this plastic you know if it wrong for sure it goes wrong badly.

by rake do you mean the slope on the top needs more of an angle
24 November 2017 at 13:46 #328861
duncan webster 1
Participant
@duncanwebster1
From the photo it looks like you've got plenty of rake for turning towards the headstock but for facing it needs to slope back towards the operator as well. Or as Jason says use a facing tool which is a mirror image of what you've got but mounted with the axis of the tool parallel to the spindle.

However the photo might lie!
24 November 2017 at 13:49 #328862
Hopper
Participant
@hopper
When facing, you start from the outside and work towards the centre, so your tool is traveling from left to right. So you need a left hand tool like Jason said. And yes, it needs a greater slope on the top surface (rake) for cutting plastic.
24 November 2017 at 14:14 #328869
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
24 November 2017 at 14:15 #328870
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
i do it like in the pic work from the outside to the centre this seems to work better now i put a nose on the tool instead of a sharp point
24 November 2017 at 14:57 #328880
richardandtracy
Participant
@richardandtracy
I turn quite a few pens with plastic barrels on my lathe (about 300 now). I get a perfectly adequate finish with carbide insert tooling designed for steel on Nylon, Delrin, acrylics and polyester resins. PTFE gets a bit hot and melts at the contact point.

I get the best finish with a 6mm dia finishing carbide insert.

Regards

Richard.
24 November 2017 at 15:03 #328882
Muzzer
Participant
@muzzer
Look at what Threadexpress gets up to on Youtube. He does a lot of work with Delrin and gets a great finish. You can probably take a look at his tooling there, although I don't recall him appearing to need anything special.

Murray
24 November 2017 at 16:06 #328900
mark smith 20
Participant
@marksmith20
I must be unusual as i often face from the centre outwards particularly if there a hole in the end,in that case the tool pictured would work.

Edited By mark smith 20 on 24/11/2017 16:08:20
24 November 2017 at 16:14 #328903
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
24 November 2017 at 16:15 #328904
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
the tool above is the one i use with great results with an aluminium insert very sharp but i like to try and grind my own as i am a messer with things
24 November 2017 at 22:12 #329010
Martin Connelly
Participant
@martinconnelly55370
Richard, I made some nylon pulleys last week with a 6mm button insert, lovely finish. Duncan, I set up a vacuum cleaner to suck the ribbon of swarf away as it came off the tool.

Martin C

ps Pulley fits over 1.25" diameter tube.

Edited By Martin Connelly on 24/11/2017 22:15:03
24 November 2017 at 22:50 #329019
Chris Trice
Participant
@christrice43267
It depends what plastic but assuming Delrin or Nylon, the tipped tool for aluminium above is what I use too. Delrin is a little more forgiving of rake angles than Nylon but both should be OK if you add a small radius to the tip of the tool.
26 November 2017 at 21:25 #329312
Jon
Participant
@jon
I use a neutral tipped quality parting tool and turn with it
26 November 2017 at 23:07 #329330
Tim Stevens
Participant
@timstevens64731
Jason comments: PS This is not as it is described in a certain editors beginners guide

Perhaps it was an uncertain editor, then?

Tim
27 November 2017 at 09:36 #329355
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Just one who knows not his left from his right

In this case I can blame my subby (who will remain nameless) as I got it checked for me

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 27/11/2017 09:36:55
27 November 2017 at 22:35 #329461
lug lord
Participant
@luglord
Ive basically learn to use a lathe machining uhwmpe and stainless 316 not the best to learn on , Ive found hdpe acetel and delrin are easy to machine but uhwmpe is not very forgiving one mistake and it all goes wrong pulls out of the chuck as so slippy tools will dive in pulling it out of the chuck as well.No swarf sometimes facing you just get one big lump of goo forming .
28 November 2017 at 07:26 #329478
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Posted by Neil Wyatt on 27/11/2017 09:36:04:

Just one who knows not his left from his right

In this case I can blame my subby (who will remain nameless) as I got it checked for me

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 27/11/2017 09:36:55

Should have looked at the ARC advert at the beginning of the mag, that nice man Ketan has written left and Right on the tools in the pic
28 November 2017 at 07:27 #329479
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Luglord, how much material do you have sticking out of the chuck and what sort of dia are you working on, that pic of the white plastic being machined may have too much projection.
28 November 2017 at 09:18 #329496
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
Posted by lug lord on 27/11/2017 22:35:56:

Ive basically learn to use a lathe machining uhwmpe and stainless 316 not the best to learn on

No swarf sometimes facing you just get one big lump of goo forming .

+1 for plastics not being best to learn on. Some are OK, many are horrible.

That lump of goo may indicate overheating due to your tool rubbing rather than cutting. Try a much sharper tool, more like a knife than the types we use on metal, and/or drastically reduce the spindle speed.

Not sure about suitable coolants for plastic, perhaps someone else knows?

Dave
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