Manual & Computer Controlled Lathes

Health and Safety Category: Red!

Serious harm can be caused to operator, bystanders and machine by incorrect operation. All those using lathes must be trained/assessed to make sure they are taught or know how to correctly use the equipment.

We have a number of people who will be available performing the above training/assessing, they are:

• Andy Last
• Dan Phillips
• Kevin Bullman

If you are interested in being taught or assessed for manual lathe use in the Dyson Centre, please use the training diary link below at the end of this page.

(Expressions of interest in the computer controlled lathes will be dealt with on a bespoke basis)

When you email, please can you indicate (for each machine type you're expressing an interest in), in short summary (ie a sentence or three) your level of expertise, for example:

• I know nothing.
  • (In this case, you might like to watch this 7 minute video of a simple turning exercise. Note, please never put your hands near the moving parts as occasionally happens in this video!)
• I've used a lathe that was set up for me at school/home to machine round bars, but in general there has always been a little background supervision.

• I suspect there is more I could learn about lathes, but I am completely self sufficient for all the tasks that I want to undertake, and would know to ask if I wanted to do anything 'new' to me (that said I wouldn't object to someone spending an hour showing me 'new' things).
  • You may like to look at parts of the following videos:
    • Using a 4 jaw independent chuck on a lathe (6 minutes).
    • Using a face-plate on a lathe (30 seconds) - perhaps watch above video first.
    • Machining a thread using a lathe (2 minutes).
    • Using a steady on a lathe (3 minutes).
• I know how to swap camlock chucks, am experienced with using three and four jaw chucks, faceplate machining and all aspects of setting up a lathe and can screwcut, use steadies, and mount a new chuck to a backplate for example.

...note: that is not insisting you learn all of the above before you can be signed off for using the lathes, though it is perhaps good for you to know what is possible on a lathe.

An indication when in general you might be free would also be useful (for
example, only afternoons, and Tuesday's and Thursday's are in general good).

Documentation to read before using manual lathes

• Lathe Controls Familiarisation
• Lathe Health and Safety Documentation

List of those having expressed an interest:

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO NEW LATHE AND MILLING MACHINE INDUCTION AND TRAINING DIARY

DRP39, 16 Feburary 2022