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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Age
    63
    Posts
    28

    Default Hafco AL50G 9 x 19 lathe carbide tool advice wanted

    hello, I have a Chinese made Hafco AL50G lathe, very much the same as many marketed under different brands.
    I am not a machinist, my passion is restoring classic and vintage motorcycles. So I do not have the experience or training but am learning slowly to be at least passable at simple turning tasks to make spacers, shafts and components that are not available at your local shops!
    My question is this: as I don't have the skills or time/inclination to grind my own tools, I have decided to invest in indexable tool holders with replaceable carbide inserts. For general all round use at a reasonable price/reasonable quality any recommendations? I am not looking for the cheapest, but one that will do most jobs, work well with my fairly small lathe. I have been looking on the net and am deluged by all the different letter codes and styles in the more specialist sites which just assume you have an encyclopedic knowledge of all the acronyms and on the other end of scale cheap as chips ebay sellers give no pertinent info whatsoever.
    This is what I have gleaned so far:
    Shank height 1/4 (6mm) 5/16(8mm) is ideal, or at max 3/8(10mm) at a pinch
    CCMT (diamond shape) or TCMT (triangle shape) inserts with a medium tip radius around .4mm.
    So any advice gratefully received on the above, brand , source, price or other relevant positive/negative experiences.
    generally to machine mild steel, aluminium, stainless steel and occasionally brass.
    Also any thoughts on a suitable quick change tool post (QCTP, see I know that acronym!) to suit.
    Thanks
    Johnny, Perth, West Australia

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    35
    Posts
    1,522

    Default

    Get the biggest shank you can fit. Rigidity is everything! No advice in inserts unfortunately as I don't use any ccmt or tct.

    Totally understand the bewilderment.

    Sent from my Nokia 8 Sirocco using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,651

    Default

    My lathe is a bit bigger, so likely what I use won't work for you.
    Might be worth a watch of this video from Rob (Xynudu channel on Youtube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdiQT6lfwm4

    One of the positive comments below that video is from a guy using the Banggood tools on a 9" Hercus.

    Pick up a left and right tool CCMT holder, some general inserts for steel and some sharp uncoated ones for aluminium.
    Also get the smallest boring bar that will take the same insert. That will get you started with turning/facing and boring.
    From there, you'll soon get a feel for what other styles you need, but probably the next thing will be something for threading

    Even though you don't want to be messing around grinding your own tools, I'd still say you want to have a holder and a couple of pieces of high speed steel around for the odd tasks that you don't have the appropriate insert for.
    Tasks like making a form tool for a radius, or for groove that's thinner than your parting off tool. They don't have to be ground perfectly - just enough to work "OK".

    Something that might be worth considering are the diamond tool holders from Eccentric Engineering. Still HSS, but VERY simple to grind.

    Steve

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
    Age
    64
    Posts
    4,887

    Default

    For a lathe your size you would be better suited to look for carbide tips with .2 nose radius rather than .4.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OxxAndBert View Post
    My lathe is a bit bigger, so likely what I use won't work for you.
    Might be worth a watch of this video from Rob (Xynudu channel on Youtube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdiQT6lfwm4

    One of the positive comments below that video is from a guy using the Banggood tools on a 9" Hercus.

    Pick up a left and right tool CCMT holder, some general inserts for steel and some sharp uncoated ones for aluminium.
    Also get the smallest boring bar that will take the same insert. That will get you started with turning/facing and boring.
    From there, you'll soon get a feel for what other styles you need, but probably the next thing will be something for threading

    Even though you don't want to be messing around grinding your own tools, I'd still say you want to have a holder and a couple of pieces of high speed steel around for the odd tasks that you don't have the appropriate insert for.
    Tasks like making a form tool for a radius, or for groove that's thinner than your parting off tool. They don't have to be ground perfectly - just enough to work "OK".

    Something that might be worth considering are the diamond tool holders from Eccentric Engineering. Still HSS, but VERY simple to grind.

    Steve
    Agree with all of that. 90% of my machining is with CCMT tipped tools, the other 10% HSS. Just today I had to make a long reach grooving tool to put a runout groove right next to a shoulder, then make another 60 deg threading tool to reach in & actually cut the thread. But mostly I use the tipped tooling.

    IMO the triangular insert tools are crap, I hate those shapes.

    PDW

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Laidley, SE Qld
    Posts
    1,038

    Default Pocketed insert holders

    AVOID the super cheap insert holders that don't have a machined pocket to locate the insert, i.e. the insert just hangs off the screw.
    eg https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5pcs-12m...fGj:rk:13:pf:0

    BUY insert holders with machined pockets.
    eg https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...22ea7891Nm9CC1

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Toowoomba Qld
    Posts
    401

    Default

    if your going carbide try avoid shims
    This should be your lathe but double check
    https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L157
    Tool Height To Suit 10mm (double check this in your manual or on your machine, all information below assumes it's 10mm)

    External turning tools you want will be 10mm height ones
    Boring bars you will find the cutting tip is always on centre, measure how tall the slot in the tool holder is and work out what is the biggest boring bar you can use, eg if the slot in 16mm tall, there is 6mm above the 10mm mark so you can use a 12mm boring bar with a 4mm shim underneath as 4+6=10 to have the tip on centre line (a QCTP changes things) or if your really keen you can machine down the top of the boring bar but the lathe is not going to be overly rigid so hopefully won't be an issue.

    If your just getting started instead of collecting different types of inserts pick one
    my recommendation would be CC**0602** (CCMT060204 are a dime a dozen, good for all steels ect, CCGT060204 is normally for aluminium and tends to be a bit sharper so good for most plastics but you can get away with a CCMT060204 in a pinch)

    External tool holder get a SCLCR1010E06 also try searching just SCLCR1010 (SCLC is the holder type R indicates it's right handed 1010 means it's a 10mmx10mm shaft, E I have not idea and have seen some as H instead, 06 means it uses a 06 size insert)
    Can also get a SCMCN1010H06 if it floats your boat, but the SCLC style will be your go to 95% of the time

    Boring bars look at the SCLCR series as they use the same inserts and you can get them pretty small
    S06K-SCLCR06
    S08K-SCLCR06
    S10K-SCLCR06
    S12M-SCLCR06
    Can also get these in a H instead of an S, made from HSS I believe so better quality but cost a little more
    https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...651686051.html

    Where to get them is just Ebay, Aliexpress, banggood, ect. If your getting a few I have always had good luck with this shop https://www.aliexpress.com/store/225394 on combined orders but they have also had some minor errors and are not the cheapest for inserts.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    blackburn vic
    Posts
    297

    Default AL50 Lathe

    Have a look at the clamp that holds the toolpost to the cross slide.
    If it has 2 bolts holding it on then the FIRST thing to do is make a 4 bolt clamp for it.
    Makes it Much better.

    Roger

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Age
    63
    Posts
    28

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rogerbaker View Post
    Have a look at the clamp that holds the toolpost to the cross slide.
    If it has 2 bolts holding it on then the FIRST thing to do is make a 4 bolt clamp for it.
    Makes it Much better.

    Roger
    Yep, I have done that, much better than the original.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    78

    Default

    You can also bodge up a reverse tumbler for cutting LH threads. Info on just about all the 9X20 sites.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rogerbaker View Post
    Have a look at the clamp that holds the toolpost to the cross slide.
    If it has 2 bolts holding it on then the FIRST thing to do is make a 4 bolt clamp for it.
    Makes it Much better.

    Roger
    I'd be keen to see a photo of that mod.

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    blackburn vic
    Posts
    297

    Default AL50 (9x20) Lathe

    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    I'd be keen to see a photo of that mod.

    Simon
    Hi Simon
    Look up 9x20 lathes on the web. I forget the exact site but there are plenty of them.

    Roger

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