Author Topic: What is a Turret Lathe? (Read 1238 times)

Donna · « **on:** March 09, 2003, 06:17:11 PM »

Hello everyone,

I know what a lathe is and what it does and how it works. I have read in Dave Corbin books about using a turret lathe to cut lengths of copper tubing for jackets. But what is a turret lathe? How does it work? Is it automatic in its operations? And can it be used to trim the cups?

Donna

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2003, 09:44:42 PM »

A turret lathe is pretty much like any other lathe except that it has a turret on the tailstock so you can do several operations. You might mount three chucks in the turret with a stop in one, a chamfering tool in another, and a deburring tool in the third. You could then run a length of tubing through the headstock to the stop and tighten the headstock chuck. You would then rotate the turret and deburr, rotate again and chamfer. You'd then cut off the tube with a cutoff tool in the tool post, loosen the headstock chuck, and slide the tubing up against the stop again.

It's not automatic and I would hate to try to do a lot of production work like that, but it would be a decent way to do a few hundred if you had a turret lathe around. Turret lathes are pretty expensive to think about buying one for the purpose.

BUTCH HAIRFIELD · « **Reply #2 on:** March 16, 2003, 01:15:50 PM »

SOMETHING ELSE THAT WORKS BETTER AND IS CHEEPER FOR THIS OPPERATION IS A SECOND OPERATION LATH BY HARDING USING A 5C COLLET IN THE HEAD STOCK. IF YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL I WILL SEND YOU A PICTURE OF ONE. YOU CAN BUY THEM FOR ABOUT 1000 EACH USED OR LESS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU FIND THEM AND THERE CONDITION. THESE MACHINES WERE DESIGNED FOR DOING JUST THIS OPERATION AND THEY DO IT VERY WELL.

BUT IT TO HAS A TURRET MOUNTED IN PLACE OF THE TAIL STOCK ON THE LATH. IT WILL HAVE USUALLY SIX POSITONS AND CAN BE SET UP WITH SEVERAL TOOLS TO DO A SPECIFIC JOB. BY ROTATING THE TURRET YOU BRING EACH TOOL IN POSITION TO DO ITS WORK. THE TURRET IS THEN MOVED IN AND OUT ON A FEED OR HAND WHEELE. I THINK YOU WILL HAVE TO MOVE TO THE GARAGE IF YOU GET ONE OF THESE.

RPbump · « **Reply #3 on:** November 26, 2003, 06:14:48 AM »

Donna, The best of the large turret presses were made by Jones & Lamson. With one central hex turret and up to two 4 position side turrets you could set one up to feed large diameter round stock and end up with a finished piece (valve body, etc). The early ones were programed with paper tape and were very expensive. Rbump

EDG · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2003, 03:45:37 PM »

Hello,
Here are some good pictures of a turret lathe. The carriage works much like an engine lathe (tool room lathe). The tail stock has a ram that is operated via the 4 spoked handle. Turn about 2 revolutions CW and the ram retracts and indexes the turret one station. Turn CCW to move the tool in the turret into the work. The tool cutting depth, such as a drill, can be set using the stop screw for each turret position.
While out of fashion due to the use of CNC equipment, these machines can produce a lot of work with a good operator and are relatively cheap.
One of the best for hobby use is the Hardinge.
I used to run a Jones and Lamson #5.

http://www.machineryvalues.com/xdetails.cfm/QN/132016

Donna · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2003, 08:48:30 PM »

Thank you all for the helpful information.

Donna

Paul McC · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2003, 10:29:51 AM »

Gday Donna,

Turret lathes sometimes-called capstan lathes because the horizontally rotating, indexing tool holder on the lathe bed resembles a ships capstan winch for hauling up the anchor (canvas sails, sweating sailors, Errol Flynn type movies)

As you see from the pictures at http://www.machineryvalues.com/xdetails.cfm/QN/132016, turret lathes can be large ungainly pieces of machinery, but are still useful and cost effective if you have the space and the right sort of work for them. I have seen older electric-hydraulic, automatic turret lathes in good condition sell for as little as (Australian) $1000.00 because their peg-board programming system was considered too slow and inflexible.

I have seen, and used smaller hobby type lathes set up for repetitive operations; some even have turret type tailstocks available as accessories. This would be my recommendation, unless you wanted full automation.

Other options for jacket trimming, if you want to partially automate the process, would be one of the earlier desktop CNC training lathes, but I dont think they would be much faster than a dedicated hobby lathe set-up.

If you would like me to elaborate on anything I have mentioned, just ask.

Lots-a-luck,
Paul

EDG · « **Reply #7 on:** December 16, 2003, 02:29:43 PM »

Hello,
The best set up I can think of for cup trimming is a 5C collet in an engine lathe or a the small Hardinge turret lathe. A 5C collet has both an internal and an external thread. The external thread is used for the puller to lock your work. The internal thread is used for an internal adjustable stop.
In use the internal stop is set to give the jacket the exact length needed and is then locked. You would insert a jacket into the open collet, then lock the collet lightly, and trim the edge with a tool in the locked cross slide. With a turret lathe you can trim with a tool in the cross slide or with a tool mounted in the turret. The turret is a little faster to manipulate. With the carriage locked the cross slide will hold a fixed dimension with better repeatability.

Ed