Chapter X: Cutting Tools for Lathes (2)

To facilitate setting the height of the tool, a gauge such as shown in Fig. 985 may be used, the height of the line A from the base equalling the height or distance between the top surface of the cross slides and the axial line of the lathe centres. If the lathe, however, have an elevating slide rest, the rest must be set level before applying the gauge. Or in place of using the gauge, the tool stool or tool holder, as the case may be, may be made of such height that when level in the tool post its top face points to the axis of the lathe centre, the tool being sharpened on the angles and not ground on the top face.

But in the case of a tool holder, or of a chaser holder, the tool may be ground on the top face, and adjusted for height by any suitable means, the top of the holder serving as a guide to set the tool by.

The line of the cutting edge of the tool must, to obtain correct results, be presented to the work in the same manner as it was presented to the gauge to which its angles were ground, so that if the tool were in position in the tool post, and the gauge were applied, it would point to the axis of the lathe centre, for if this is not the case the thread cut will not be of correct angle or depth. Thus, in Figs. 986 and 987 the tool T would cut threads too shallow, although placed at the correct height, because the cutting edges are at an angle to the radial lines C C.

It becomes obvious, then, that it is improper to set the height of a screw-cutting tool by means of any tool elevating or setting-device that throws it out of the horizontal position. To enable the correct setting of threading tools, and to avoid having to grind the angles correct to gauge every time the tool requires sharpening, various kinds of tool holders have been designed by means of which the tool may be ground on the top face, and set at correct height and in the proper plane.

To facilitate grinding the tools to a correct angle, the gauge shown in Fig. 988 is employed, the various notches being for the pitches of thread for which they are respectively marked, but, the edge of the gauge being circular, does not afford much guide to the eye in grinding the angles equal from the sides of the body of the tool; hence the form of gauge shown in Fig. 989 is preferable, because the tool can be so ground that the edge of the gauge stands parallel with the side of the tool steel, so that the tool will, when in correct position, point straight to the work axis. To insure correctness in setting the tool, it may then be set with a square S in Fig. 990, held firmly with its back against the side of the tool, which may be adjusted in the tool post until the blade B comes fair with the work.

Another method of setting the tool is with a gauge as in Fig. 991, which sets it true with the angle independent of whether the angle is true with the side of the tool or not. In Fig. 992 is a form of gauge that will serve to grind the tool by to correct angle, and also to set it in the lathe by the angles, independent of the side of the tool.

The same gauge may be used for setting internal threading tools by first facing the work quite true and then applying the gauge as in Fig. 993.

By reason of the comparatively sharp points of thread-cutting tools, they are more readily dulled than the rounder pointed ordinary lathe tool, and by reason of their cutting edges extending along a greater length of the work, and therefore causing it to spring or bend more from the strain of the cut, they cannot be employed to take such heavy cuts as ordinary tools. Hence, in all thread cutting, it is necessary to turn the work down to the finished diameter before using the threading tool, so that the thread will be finished when it is cut to the proper depth. To test that depth on a piece of work having a United States standard, or a sharp [V]-thread, a gauge such as shown in Fig. 994 may be used, consisting of a piece of sheet steel about 1/50 inch thick, having a single tooth formed correct for the space of the thread, so that the edge of the gauge will meet the tops of the thread when the space is cut to admit the tooth on the gauge; the most accurate method of producing such a gauge having been described in the remarks upon screw threads.

If the tool is known to be ground to the correct angle and is set properly, the gauge for depth may be dispensed with by turning the body of the work to correct diameter, and also turning a small part, as a in Fig. 995, down to the correct diameter for the bottom of the thread, so that when the tool point meets A the thread will be cut to correct depth.

Figs. 996 and 997 represent a method of cutting a round top and bottom, or any other form of thread, by means of a single-pointed circular cutting tool, which is mounted on a holder. On the circumference of the cutter is cut a single thread, and a piece is cut out at E to form a cutting edge. To cut a right-hand thread on the work, a left-hand one must be cut on the cutter, so as to make its thread slant in the proper direction. The tool is sharpened by grinding the top face, and moved on the holding pin to set it to the proper height or in position to enable it to cut. A top view of the tool and holder is shown in figure 997.

It is obvious that two gaps may be cut in the wheel or cutter so as to provide two cutting edges, one of which may be used for roughing, and the other for finishing cuts.

In roughing out coarse threads, a single-pointed tool, formed as in Fig. 998, and set considerably above the centre as shown, may be used to great advantage. It will carry a heavy cut and throw off a cutting but very little curved; hence but little power is absorbed in bending the cutting. To preserve the cutting edge, the point of the tool should be slightly rounded. Such a tool, however, requires to be rigidly held, and requires experience to use it to the best advantage.

An English tool holder for a single-pointed tool for cutting coarse pitch threads, such as square threads, is shown in Fig. 999. The stem of the holder is cylindrical, and is held between two clamping pieces, while the short piece of steel used as a tool (which is thinnest at the bottom, so as to provide for the clearance without grinding it) is clamped in a swiveled post, so that it may be set at the angle sideways required for the particular pitch of thread to be cut, as is shown in the end view.

The difficulty of adjusting the height of threading tools that are ground on their top faces to sharpen them is obviated in a very satisfactory manner by the tool holder patented by the Pratt and Whitney Company, and represented in Figs. 1000 and 1001. A is the body of the holder, C is the tool clamp, and B the set screw for C; D is a pin fast in A and projecting into C to adjust it square upon A. The threading tool G has a groove H, into which the projection E fits, so that the tool is held accurately in position. F is the screw which adjusts the height of the tool, being threaded into A and partly into G, as is shown at I. The holder once being set in correct position, the threading tool may be removed for grinding, and reset with accuracy. The face K of the holder is made at 30° to the front or leading face of the holder, so that the stem or body of the holder will be at an angle and out of the way of the work driver.

If a chaser instead of a single-pointed tool be used to cut a thread, the thread requires to be gauged for its full diameter only, because both the angles of the thread sides and the thread depth are determined by the chaser itself. Chasers are also preferable to a single-pointed tool when the work does not require to be cut to an exact diameter, nor to have a fully developed thread clear up to a shoulder; but when such is the case a single-pointed tool is preferable, because if the leading tooth should happen to run against the shoulder the whole of the teeth dig into the work, and more damage is done to it than with a single-pointed tool. When the thread does not run up to a shoulder, or in cases where the thread may be permitted to run gradually out, and, again, where the thread is upon a part of enlarged diameter, a chaser may have its efficiency increased in two ways, the first of which is shown in Fig. 1002. When the chaser is set and formed as at A in the figure, the leading tooth takes all the cut, and the following tooth will only cut as it is permitted to do so from the wear of the leading bolt. This causes the tooth to wear, but the teeth may be caused to each take a proportion of the cut by chamfering them as at B in the figure, which will relieve the front tooth of a great part of its duty and let the following teeth perform duty, and thus preserve the sharpness of the cutting edges. We are limited in the degree of chamfer that may be given to the teeth, first, because as the cutting edge is broader and the strain of the cut is greater it causes the tool to spring or bend more under the cut pressure; and secondly, because if the tool be given many teeth in order to lengthen the chamfer, then the pitch is altered to a greater extent by reason of the expansion which accompanies the hardening of the chaser.

A chaser thus chamfered may be set square in the tool post by placing a scale against the work as at S in Fig. 1003, and setting the bottoms of the chaser teeth fair with the outer edge of the scale as in the figure.

The second method of increasing the efficiency of a chaser is to grind the top face at an angle as from A to B in Fig. 1004, and set it so that the last tooth B is at or a little above the work axis D. This causes the last tooth B to stand sufficiently nearer the work axis than the other teeth to enable it to take a light scraping cut, producing a smooth cut, because the duty on the last tooth being light it preserves its cutting edge, and therefore its form.

Chasers are often in shops, doing general work, formed in one piece in the same way as an ordinary tool, but it is preferable to use short chasers and secure them in holders.

Figs. 1005 and 1006 show a convenient form of holder, the chaser A being accurately fitted into a recess in the holder D, so that it may be set square in the holder without requiring to be adjusted to come fair with the thread grooves after having been ground to resharpen it. The short chasers are held by the clamp B, which has at C a projection fitting into a recess in the holder to cause the clamp to adjust itself fairly.

In setting a chaser to correct position in a tool post the points of the teeth may be set to the surface of the work as in Fig. 1007, or if the thread is partly produced and the lathe has a compound slide rest, the tool may be set to the tops of the thread as in Fig. 1008, and then brought into position to meet the thread grooves by operating the slide rest.

It is obvious that the height and position of a chaser require to be as accurately set as a single-pointed tool, but it is more difficult to set it because it can only be sharpened by grinding the top face, and this alters the height at each grinding.

Thus, suppose that when new its teeth are of correct height, when the bottom face I, Fig. 1009, lies upon the rest R, the face H being in line with the centre B B of the work, then as face H is ground the tool must be lifted to adjust its height. On account, however, of the curve of the teeth it is very difficult to find when the chaser is in the exact proper position, which in an ordinary chaser will be when it has just sufficient clearance to enable it to cut, as is explained with reference to cutting up chasers and using them by hand.

To obviate these difficulties, an excellent form of chaser holder is shown in Figs. 1010 and 1011. Its top face C being made of such a height that when the holder rests on the surface of the slide rest and is in the tool box, C will stand horizontally level with the horizontal centre of the work, as denoted by the horizontal line D E; then the tool proper may have long teeth as denoted by A, and the surface of the teeth may always be brought up level with the top surface of the tool holder as tested with a straight-edge. This is a ready and accurate mode of adjustment. A top view of the tool holder is shown in Fig. 1011, in which A is the tool holder, B the threading tool, with a clamp to hold B, and a screw to tighten the clamp.

It may now be pointed out that a common sharp [V]-chaser may be used to cut a United States standard thread by simply grinding off the necessary flats at the points of the teeth, because when the chaser has entered the work to the proper depth it will leave the necessary flat places at the top of the thread, as is shown in Fig. 1012.

In cutting internal, inside, or female threads (these terms being synonymous) the diameter of the bore or hole requires to be made of the diameter of the male thread _at the root_.

Since, however, it is impracticable to measure male threads at the root, it becomes a problem as to the proper size of hole to bore for any given diameter and pitch of thread. This, however, may be done by the following rules:--

To find the diameter at the roots or bottom of the thread of United States standard threads:

Rule.--Diameter - (1.299 ÷ pitch) = diameter at root.

Example.--What is the diameter at the root of a United States standard thread measuring an inch in diameter at the top of the thread and having an 8 pitch?

Here 1.299 ÷ 8 = .162375.

/ 1.000000 \
Then 1 - .162375 | .162375 | = .8376.
| -------- |
\ .837635 /

For the sharp [V]-thread the following rule is employed:

Rule.--Diameter - (1.73205 ÷ pitch) = diameter at root.

Example.--What is the diameter at the root of a sharp [V]-thread of 8 pitch, and measuring 1 inch diameter at the top of the thread?

Here 1.73205 ÷ 8 = .21650.

/ 1.0000 \
Then 1 - .2165 | .2165 | = .7835.
| ------ |
\ .7835 /

For cutting square threads the class of tool shown in Fig. 1013 is employed, being made wider at the cutting point C than at B or at D, so that the cutting may be done by the edge C, and the sides _a_ may clear, which is necessary to reduce the length of cutting edge and prevent an undue pressure of cut from springing the work.

The sides of the tool from _a_ to B must be inclined to the body of the tool steel, as shown in Fig. 1014, the degree of the inclination depending upon the pitch of thread to be cut. It may be determined, however, by the means shown in Fig. 1015.

Draw the line A, and at a right angle to it line B, whose length must equal the circumference of the thread to be cut and measured at its root. On the line A set off from B the pitch of thread to be cut as at C, then draw the diagonal D, which will represent the angle of the bottom of the thread to the work axis, and the angle of the tool sides must be sufficiently greater to give the necessary clearance. The width of the point C of the tool should be made sufficiently less than the width of the thread groove to permit of the sides of the thread being pinched (after the thread is cut to depth) with a tool such as was shown in Fig. 968.

For coarser pitches the thread is cut as shown in Fig. 1016. The tool is made one-half the width of the thread groove, and a groove, _a_, _a_, _a_, is cut on the work. The tool is then moved laterally and a second cut as at B B is taken, this second cut being shown in the engraving to have progressed as far as C only for clearness of illustration. When the thread has in this manner been cut to its proper depth, the side tools are introduced to finish the sides of the thread. If the thread is a shallow one each side may be finished at one cut by a side tool ground and set very true; but in the case of a deep one the tool may be made to cut at and wear its end only, and after taking a cut, the tool fed in and another cut taken, and so on until, having begun at the top of the thread, the tool operated or fed, after each traverse, by the cross feed, finally reaches the bottom of the thread. If a very fine or small amount of cut is taken, both sides of the thread may in this way be finished together, the tool being made to the exact proper width.

When used on wrought iron the tool is sometimes given top rake, which greatly facilitates the operation, as the tool will then take a heavier as well as a cleaner cut.

After the first thread cut is taken along the work, it is usual to remove it from the lathe and drill, at the point where it is desired that the thread shall terminate, a hole equal in diameter to the width of the thread groove, and in depth to the depth of the thread. This affords relief to the cutting tool at the end of the cut, enables the thread to end abruptly, and leaves a neat finish.

On account of the broad cutting edge on a screw-cutting tool, the lathe is always run at a slower speed than it would be on the same diameter of work using an ordinary turning tool. After the tool is set to just clear the diameter of the work it is moved (for a right-hand thread) past the end of the work at the dead centre, and a cut is put on by operating the cross-feed screw. The feed nut is then engaged with the feed screw and the tool takes its cut as far along the work as the thread is to be, when the tool is rapidly withdrawn from the work and the lathe carriage traversed back again, ready to take another cut. If, however, the thread to be cut runs close up to a shoulder, head, or collar, the lathe may be run slower as the tool approaches that shoulder by operating the belt shipper and moving the overhead belt partly off the tight pulley and on to the loose one, or the lathe may be stopped when the tool is near the shoulder and the belt pulled by hand.

An excellent method of finishing square threads after having cut them in the lathe to very nearly the finished dimensions is with an adjustable die in a suitable stock, such as in Figs. 1017 and 1018, in which S is a stock having handle H, and containing a die D, secured by a cap C, pivoted at P. To adjust the size of the die, two screws, _a_ and _b_, are used, _a_ passing through the top half of the die and threading into the half below the split, while _b_ threads into the lower half and abuts against the face of the split in the die, so that, by adjusting these two screws, the wear may be taken up and the size maintained standard. This device is used to take a very light finishing cut only, and is found to answer very well, because it obviates the necessity of fine measurement in finishing the thread. The die D is seated in a recess at the top and at the bottom so as to prevent it moving sideways and coming out.

LATHE TOOL HOLDERS FOR OUTSIDE TOOLS.--When a lathe cutting tool is made from a rectangular bar of steel it requires to be forged to bring it to the required shape at the cutting end, and to avoid this labor, and at the same time attain some other advantages which will be referred to presently, various forms of tool holders are employed.

These holders fasten in the tool post, or tool clamp, and carry short tools, which, from their shapes and the manner in which they are presented to the work, require no forging, and maintain their shapes while requiring a minimum of grinding.

Fig. 1019 represents a side view of Woodbridge's tool holder at work in the lathe, and Fig. 1020 is a view of the same set at an angle to the tool rest. Fig. 1021 is an end view of the tool and holder removed from the lathe.

The tool seat A is at an angle of about 4 degrees to the base of holder (a greater degree being shown in the cut for clearness of illustration), so that the side J of the tool will stand at an angle and have clearance without requiring such clearance to be produced by grinding. The seat B of the cap C upon the tool is curved, so that the cap will bind the middle of the tool and escape the edges, besides binding the tool fair upon its seat A. The top face is formed at the angle necessary for free and clean cutting, and the tools are, when the cutting edge is provided at one end only, hardened for half their length.

The holder, and therefore the tool, may obviously be swung at any chosen angle of the work or to suit the requirements.

Fig. 1022 shows a right and left-hand diamond-point tool in position in the holder with the cap removed, the cutting edge being at G, the angle of the top face being from F to E. The tool, it will be observed from the dotted line, is supported close up to its cutting corner.

Fig. 1023 shows a right and left-hand side tool in position, the dotted line showing that it is supported as close to the cutting edge D as the nature of facing work will permit. When left-hand tools are used the holder is turned end for end, so as to support the tools in the same manner as for right-hand ones, and for this purpose it is that the holder is beveled off at each end.

By grinding both ends of one tool, however, to the necessary shape and angle, one tool may be made to serve for both right and left, the tool holder being simply reversed end for end in the tool post. There are, however, furnished with each holder a right and left-hand diamond point and a right and left-hand side tool, each being hardened for half its full length.

It is obvious, however, that there is no front rake to the tool, and that it therefore derives its keenness from the amount of side rake, which may be regulated to suit the conditions.

When tool holders of this class are employed, the end face only of the tool requires grinding to resharpen the cutting edges; hence the area of metal requiring to be ground is much less than that on forged tools, and therefore the grinding occupies less time; and if the workman grinds the tools, he is enabled to run more lathes and not keep them idle so long while grinding the tool. Or if the tools are kept ground in stock (about 200 of the tools or cutters serving to run 24 lathes a week) the workman has but to slip in a new tool as the old one becomes dull, no adjustment for height being necessary as in the forged tool.

When the tool requires to be set to an exact position, as in the case of screw cutting, it is desirable that the tool holder be so constructed that the tool may be removed therefrom and replaced without disturbing the position of the tool holder in the tool post or tool clamp; and means must therefore be provided for securing the tool to the holder independently of the tool post or clamp screw. Fig. 1024 represents a tool holder possessing these features: H is the holder provided with a clamp C, secured by a screw B, T representing the tool, which is in this case a chaser, having teeth down the full length of its front face; K is a key or feather fast in the holder H, and fitting into a groove provided in the side of the tool. The vertical angle of this feather obviously determines the angle of clearance at which the tool shall stand to the work.

The Pratt and Whitney Company, who are the manufacturers of this holder, make this angle of clearance 15 degrees. The height of the tool in the holder is adjusted by the screw S, which has journal bearing in the holder, and threads to the end edge of the tool.

Now it is obvious that the holder H, once being set to its proper position in the tool post, the tool T may be removed from and replaced in the exact same position, both in the holder and with reference to the work.

In Fig. 1025, for example, is a top view of the holder with a single-pointed threading tool T in place. W represents a piece of work supposed to be in the lathe, and G a tool-setting gauge; and it is obvious that, if the holder is not moved, the tool T may be removed, ground up, and replaced with the assurance that it will stand in the exact same position as before, producing the exact same effect upon the work, providing that the height is maintained equal, and the tool is not altered in shape by the grinding. To maintain the height equal, all that is necessary is to have the upper face (H, Fig. 1024) of the holder horizontally level and in line with the line of centres of the lathe, and to set the top face of the tool level with that of the holder. In sharpening the tool the top face only is ground; hence the angles are not altered.

Fig. 1026 represents the holder with a tool in position to true up a lathe centre, the angle of the tool holder to the line of centres being the same as in Fig. 1025; and Fig. 1027 represents various forms of tools for curves. All these serve to illustrate the advantages of such a tool holder.

If, for example, a piece of work requires the use of two or more such tools, and the holder is once set, the tools may be removed and interchanged with a certainty that each one put into place will stand at the exact angle and position required, not only with relation to the work, but also in relation to the other tools that have preceded it. Each hollow or round will not only be correct in its sweep, but will also stand correct in relation to the other sweeps and curves, no matter how often the tools may be changed. Inasmuch as the tool is ground at the top only for the purpose of resharpening, it maintains a correct shape until worn out.

The pin shown at _f_ in Fig. 1024 is fast in the holder, and fits loosely in clamp C to prevent it from swinging around on B when B is loosened.

When the tool requires to preserve its exact shape it may also be made circular with the required form for the cutting edge formed round the perimeter. Thus Figs. 1028 and 1029, which are extracted from _The American Machinist_, represent tool holders with circular cutting tools.

The holder A fits the lathe tool post, carrying the cutting tool B, which is bolted to the holder and has at F a piece cut out to form the cutting edge.

To facilitate the grinding, holes are drilled at intervals through B. A plan view of this tool and holder is shown at C, the shape of the cutting edge being shown at D. The cutting edge is shown in the side view to be level with the centre of the tool holder height, but it may be raised to the level of the top of the tool steel by raising the hole to receive the bolt that fastens the cutter, as is shown at E; or the cutter may be mounted on top of the holder as shown at H, having a stem passing down through the holder, and capable of being secured by the taper pin I. A plan view of this arrangement is shown at J.

Another form of circular cutter is shown in Fig. 1030. It consists of a disk or cutter secured to a holder fitted to the tool post, the cutter edge being formed by a gap in the disk, as shown in the figure, which represents a cutter for a simple bead or round corner. The front end of the holder has a face A, whose height is level with the line of lathe centre when the holder is set level in the tool post. Hence the top face of the cutting edge may be known to be set level with the line of centres when it is fair with the face A of the holder. The bottom clearance is given by the circular shape of the cutter, while side clearance may be given by inclining the face B of the holder (against which the face of the cutter is bolted) to the necessary angle from a vertical line. The face C is ground up to resharpen the cutting edge, and may be reground until the circumference of the wheel is used up.

Figs. 1031, 1032, 1033, and 1034 represent lathe tool holders by Messrs. Bental Brothers, of Fullbridge Works, Maldon, England. The holder consists of a bar A, having at the front end a hub H, containing a bush in two halves, through which the tool T passes; this tool consisting of a piece of [V]-shaped steel. A set screw on top of the hub clamps the two half-bushes together, and these, as their faces do not meet, grip the tool.

The advantage possessed by this form of holder is that the top face of the tool may be given any desired degree of side rake or angle required by the nature of the work by simply revolving the bushes in the hub of the holder. Thus, in Fig. 1034 the top face of the tool stands level, as would be required for brass work; in Fig. 1032 the tool is canted over, giving its top face angle a rake in the direction necessary when cutting wrought iron and feeding toward the dead centre; and in Fig. 1033 the tool is in position for carrying a cut on wrought iron, the feed being toward the live centre of the lathe. This capacity to govern the angle of the top face of the tool is a great advantage, and one not possessed by ordinary tool holders, especially since it does not sensibly alter the height of the tool point with relation to the work. Again, the [V]-shape of the tool steel causes the bushes to grip and support the tool sideways, and, by reducing the area of tool surface requiring to be ground, facilitates the tool grinding to that extent. Altogether, this is an exceedingly handy device. It is obvious, however, that it cannot be moved from side to side of the tool rest unless a right and left-hand tool holder be used; that is to say, there must be two holders having the hub on the opposite side of the body A.

Figs. 1035, 1036, 1037, and 1038 represent tool holders in which the tools consist of short pieces of steel held end-wise and at a given angle, so that the amount of clearance is constant. The holders Figs. 1035 and 1036 are split, and the tool is secured by the screw shown. Fig. 1037 represents a tool holder in which the tool is held by a clamp, whose stem passes through the body of the holder so as to bring the fastening nut out at the end, where it is more convenient to get at than are the screw heads in Figs. 1035 and 1036. It is obvious, however, that such a holder is weak and unsuitable for any tools save those used for very light duty indeed, while all this class of holders is open to the objection that the side of the holder prevents the tool from passing up into a corner, hence the cut cannot be carried up to a shoulder on the work. This may, however, be accomplished by bending the end of the holder round; but in this case two holders, a right and a left, will be necessary.

Fig. 1038 represents a form of tool holder of this kind in which the tool may be set for height by a set screw beneath it.

Fig. 1039 represents a tool holder and work-steadying device combined. The holder is held in the lathe tool rest in the usual manner, and affords slideway to a slide operated by the handle shown at the right-hand end.

The tool is carried at the other end of this slide, there being shown in the figure a cutting-off tool in position. At the end of the holder is a hub and three adjusting screws whose ends steady the work, and which are locked in their adjusted position by the chuck nuts shown.

THE POWER REQUIRED TO DRIVE CUTTING TOOLS.--From experiments made by Dr. Hartig, he concluded that by multiplying the weight of the metal cuttings removed per hour by certain decimal figures (or constants) the horse-power required to cut off that quantity of metal might be obtained. These decimal constants are as follows:

Lbs. of metal cut off per hour, cast iron × .0314 = horse-power required
to drive the lathe.
" " " wrought iron × .0327 = "
" " " steel × .4470 = "

FOR PLANING TOOLS.

Lbs. of steel cut off per hour × .1120 = horse-power required to drive planer.
" wrought iron " × .0520 = " "
" gun metal " × .0127 = " "