Need for recomandations on cut off or parting tool

[Ralph KochParticipant @ralphkoch79118]

I have looked on the web and found KIT-Q-CUT from Greenwood and Glanze from Chronos. I have also thought about HSS toolbits, but they seem to be hard to find in medium size.

I would like to hear from someone  with experience with theese, because i have only tried the 8mm parting off tool from Arc Eurotrade and it seems to be too small and suffer from rigidity. I have a Sieg C6 lathe.

[Ralph KochParticipant @ralphkoch79118]

[Geoffrey Morgan 2Participant @geoffreymorgan2]

On this side of the pond, the best I have ever used are “Empire Tool” manufactured in Ithica, Michigan.  They are of the “P” style cross section.  The smaller size is 1/16 inch by about 5/8 deep.  They are very tough and somewhat flexible.  I’m not sure if there is a UK agent and they are not easy to find here in the US.  I understand that the company has recently changed ownership (surprise, surprise).  When used with the minimum of overhang, they perform very well.  Perhaps a web search will locate a source.  I have used these in both front and rear tool holders.

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

Ralph,

 

You don’t mention how large a diameter you will be wanting to part off.

 

The larger the diameter, the more rigidity will be required.

 

So no matter how good the parting tool, if your lathe isn’t or can’t be made rigid enough, no matter what the latest fad in tooling is, you won’t be able to part off large diameters.

 

I started to do a write up on a good friends site, but unfortunately ill health has meant I can’t get into the shop to finish it off, but I will do soon (hopefully). But it does show a few things that are available, especially the industrial very expensive types, which if you are willing to wait and haggle for, can be picked up reasonably cheaply.

 

John Somer’s beginners site

 

Parting off on my machine 

 

Industrial tools in action 

 

 If you have got this far, I hope that this has shown you that there is no such thing as one tool does all, in fact very few tools even come close to it.

Once you start to go over the 1″ diameter scenario, things can and do start to get complicated.

 

Bogs

 

[IanHParticipant @ianh]

Hi,

I am not sure what a Sieg C6 lathe is but I can recommend the Q cut tool from Greenwood without reservation. I have two of these, one for my Myford 254 and one for my Colchester Student – I would not be without them.

 

They transform parting off from a tense operation at best to a complete no brainer. I have no qualms parting off alloy steels (EN16, EN24) and stainless steels at high speed (800 plus RPM).

 

Defintely worth the money! I have no connection with Greenwood tools by the way other than being a loyal customer – I generally stock up once a year at Harrogate 4 SCLCR tips and a couple of Q cut tips every other year (they last and last).

 

Ian 

 

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Agree, Q cut type tools are the best, similar cutters are available from Cutwel Tools and JB. The main thing is not to be afraid of it and keep the infeed going, keeping a continous swarf output, just don’t let it get too thin because the next step is merely rubbing its way in!

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Q cut is good.  Best IMHO is the rear cutoff tool designed for Myford and sold through Kirjeng.  Regularly use this as explained by GHT parting off under power feed, never had a problem.  Not sure if it could be adapted for the C6.

 

 John

[Ralph KochParticipant @ralphkoch79118]

Thank you very much for the response.

 

I’m trying to part off some 35mm cast iron bar for the Stuart 10v engine, and the 8mm tool began to clutter. Therefore I thought it was time to get a decent cut off tool.

 

 

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

The problem with a rear tool post is that it is trying to lift the whole carriage off the bed whereas a front mounted tool does the opposite, with the forces acting down on the bed where it should be.

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

If there is one thing to learn about parting tools, it is that no one tool is right for all circumstance. Make that two things, never have more projection of the tool than is necessary for the cut. Sorry, make that three things, cutting fluid  (even if dripped one drop at a time) makes cutting sweeter. This could go on all night and I am running out of fingers, so enough!

I have no doubt that the Greenwood tool works as described, but the price always seems a bit high for my frugality. I recently made a holder, much like Bog’s Mircona one, to take tips that I picked up for peanuts. It works an absolute treat and only cost about 50 pence (plus time) to make. Making 1/2mm discs in inch stainless is a piece of cake, and both sides look like there were faced.

I made it to cut a Max 35mm Dia. which is big enough for the majority of ME applications. The tip is only just over 2mm wide, so cutting forces are nice and low, and deflection is not a problem. If you try to part off small stock with a wide parting tool, you are asking for trouble. I wonder if this is the cause of some people’s parting troubles?

chriStephens 

[Rob StevensParticipant @robstevens54297]

I can recommend the Q-cut, speaking as a relative beginner.

 

I have recently performed several parting off operations (on a Warco WM240) on 35mm CI bar with no problems whatsoever (front toolpost).

 

I’m almost tempted to say it cuts cast iron like butter.

 

No problems with mild steel either.

 

Gives a very clean surface on the part remaining in the lathe.

 

Rob Stevens

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

My two cents worth would be that the parting tool should be as narrow as is reasonable for the depth of cut. This keeps the forces low, which with our amateur machines is quite important. It follows that you will be limited in the diameter you can part off. On my Unimat three I use a little tool ground from square HSS, it will do up to about 1/2 inch diameter. On my Myford I get good results with a tool about 3/32 wide, and it seems to not make much difference if I use the rear tool post or the quickchange one on the front.

 

The other thing, as always, is to have it really sharp. 

[WALLACEParticipant @wallace]

I can’t fit a rear tool post on my L5A – but as it has a L00 spindle I could mount the tool upside down and run the lathe in reverse  as the chuck can’t unscrew.. .

 

Is it worth trying ? !

 

 

W.

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'm going to move the recent posts in this 5YEAR OLD thread to the current parting one, as I'm sure you don't all want to tell Ralph something out of date.

If you want to talk parting then please use the current thread

J

 

Edited By JasonB on 03/01/2015 13:24:58

[dave greenhamParticipant @davegreenham19379]

I've sent you a PM

regards

dave

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

With my C6, the secret is to stare at the work with a fierce glare and show no fear – I'm sure a purpose made rear toolpost would be easier though…

The C6 as shipped does not have locks on the cross slide or the compound. Without these you cannot "lock everything down" which is really important, especially when parting off.

Also, it is worth checking what you are trying to do – sometimes it's easier to stick the work in the vice and use a hacksaw, then face off in the lathe if necessary.

I'm pretty sure if I spent £60 on one of those real parting off tools and made a competent toolpost, my C6 would part off 2 inch bar. Just haven't created the capability yet.

Steve

[VicParticipant @vic]

I was bold. Just chipped another 3 or 4 quids worth of insert into the bin. Must make that new tool holder!

[Larry Coleman 1Participant @larrycoleman1]

Vic

When I made my parting tool holder I used one just like the picture But I think the angle was more than 45 deg and the tool was spring steel.

I think the idea was that if the tool jammed it would move away from the job and relieve the pressure. the tool in the picture is HSS and is not springy enough but it still works better than the tool being horizontal. Now I have used a tool which was marketed in the seventies and it was brilliant but I have never seen one since.Maybe eclipse are still making them. the spring action is the secret. It also had a tip with a little circle cut into the tip to fold the shaving.

Larry

 

 

Edited By Larry Coleman 1 on 04/01/2015 04:35:54

[Larry Coleman 1Participant @larrycoleman1]

Steve

Parting tools have been a problem for years. In the tool room we were always parting of tool steel so you had plenty of water on the job and we just waited for the bang. But when we got the angle tool we never broke a tip.

The tips were silver soldered so we kept spares. But the tool was spring steel. I still think the power hacksaw is easier.

Maybe some of the CNC machine dealers might have some real smicko tooling. Also I have found that parting close to a collet you have less bangs.

Regards

Larry

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