Machine Shop Tips: Reading Dials on a Manual Lathe 

Hey Keith, thanks for this video, I know to many of your viewers out their they watch your videos as an interest to follow what you are doing but there are many of us that watch to glean info. I live in a small town and watching you, and guys like you, is a tutorial, a real learning experience so thanks for taking the time to go back to basics periodically as it ia a huge help to many of us. Many thanks again

I appreciate the video and for you getting back to on my request for the video!

keith i see you stayed away from the compound feed. i was taught many years ago to use the compound feed set it at 60 degrees it will then read diameter reductions and you can use the cross slide as a zero return point if you meed to back out of the cut, similar to threading.. most guys think you need to leave the compound set to 29 degrees for threading. i do a lot more turning than threading and don't find it a problem to swing the compound to thread. there is also that trick of setting the compound to i believe 5 or 6 degrees , the diameter reduction is then theoretically in tenths.good video.

Keith, between you and Keith Fenner, the best videos are a result always interesting and informative!

Oh no! Not math! Thanks for the lesson.

thank you so much this was so helpful

I was chatting to the owner of a lathe company about this and he said the convention is (but not always observed) Imp lathes are direct reading but Metric are diameter reduction. But as exceptions do exist, as you say check before use.

So, Dirent reading Lathes move in .001 per line, taking .002 off of part...and indirect reading Lathes move in .0005 per line, taking .001 off the part? I ask because Direct reading and indirect readind have always confused me because I don't operate Manual Lathes very often.

Wow! It would be wonderful to have a few more videos like that.

All metric lathes that I used measured the diameter

If all else fails, read the manual.

Thank you, clear enough and with examples.

I’m a metric guy, Hands up all the metric guys out there ?

Nice to get an early AM west coast video from Keith, have a great week. Lance & Patrick.

I have not yet seen many lathes, but I think in Europe it is the exact opposite: Most if not all lathes reading in diameter reduction.

Useful info as always Keith, thanks for sharing, Cheers

I appreciate the video. I just have some questions. Why do the numbers Ascend as you approach the axis??? On the cross feed.

Keith, Great Video! Do you know what the exact terminology is that defines the 2 different scale types? (just subscribed!)

Exactly...that's all i was trying to say there's so much out there man and then remembering everything. I can get by i don't need to work for someone or go to school unless i want to take some trade specific class or something then that would be mostly just to get more involved with the other craftsmen in the trade. Besides all the mics and gages I've had to run behind, set up, calibrate....i know where to get the real information that i can trust. I just need to hit the frickin lottery i guess. Yeah, u got some real nice equipment too. Most of y'all do.... I've ran some of those manual lathes, I worked on heavy equipment on and off too.... but, like i said once before. A lot of these guys out here running things (definitely not going to have a channel) don't really care about what they are doing.... you would be real surprised just who out of a bunch of people would actually be worth putting time into training or whatever. A lot of them good workers, head of the pack types, but, again can't say one good thing about anyone and i mean anyone.... u guys wouldn't believe ne if i told y'all. If someone uses an opportunity to shine when someone else is being played or needs helping makes them incompetent.

In my experience it has more to do with country of origin. However metric dials are usually graduated in 0.02mm steps. There is also the bastard mid imperial/metric conversion lathes out there with things like 6mm pitch cross slides {or multiples of} when a true metric lathe will use a 5mm pitch {or multiples of}. A tool room lathe will normally have a diameter graduation where a general lathe will have a direct dial in the old stuff. I cant remember a modern commercial machine that didn't use a diameter dial though. I did use a Russian borer once that was very unusual, apart from the head being on the operators right hand side everything except for the quill on the rotating axis was in diameter. It took me a long time to get used to it.

My just acquired lathe dial is diameter reduction. Newbie question. The depth of cut for my lathe than would be twice what the dial indicates??

Sorry to say guys a DRO will not make you a better Machinist .It just saves time and will give you a few more functions. I did my time back in the 60,s and my mentors where all war time machinists and the one thing they never allowed was to blame the machine . Like the pencil made the mistake on my math test

On the two manual lathes that I owned the cross slide dial gave dia. reduction, the compound gave the cut. On lathe was made in Taiwan the other in Brazil.

On behalf of newbies everywhere thanks for this. Salut

Nice Video. I learned the hard way.

Perhaps when you are learning put a DTI at the back and read that instead. It also gets rid of backlash so does not matter if it is direct or indirect in reading

Yeah, been there done that. My first time on a lathe I ruined a part right off. I knew I needed to take a couple thou off and wound up taking four thou off.

Great tips Keith. Thanks for sharing.

Keith, machine tools have a lot gotchas waiting for the inexperienced operator.

Thanks very much for this video

Excellent Video Thank You!!!

I made new dials for my lathe I got tired of dividing numbers all the time.

Channeling your inner Joe Pie :) Great Video, Keith!

I'm glad the more experienced content producers are still making videos like this.

Most engine lathes are direct read or 2 to one, most turret lathes are .001 of diametre for .001 on the dial or 1 to one.

Mahaloz, very helpful. 😊

Too bad that the lathes don't have a mark on or near the scale to show if the indication is for material removed from the radius or diameter.

I am lucky I am used to Monarchs so my dials read diameter, at least that way it cuts too little instead of taking too much!! :-(

Great info Keith Thank's.

You and Adam are great teachers Kieth.

Boxford metric lathes measure the diameter reduction.

Not complicated, .001 off the radius is .002 off the diameter, simple. A rule of thumb is - Imperial lathes read how much you take off the radius and some metric lathes read how much you take off the diameter

Good stuff Keith! ATB, Robin

Thanks for the tip .

First thanks for all your great vids Kieth

Thanks Keith that was interesting, especially as after 3 years of following your channel, I am now think about buying a small Proxxon lathe.... hmm... better make sure it comes in metric.

"PER SIDE" sign on the direct read lathe!

good info, thankfully both of my lathes read the same

I've noticed on most American made lathes that the cross slide almost always has a 10TPI screw on it so if the dial reads .200 per revolution then its showing the diameter reduction and if it shows .100 per revolution it shows a direct reading

Thank you Keith!

Great tip Keith, thanks

Our Rockwell is weird, it has diameter reduction on both the cross-slide and the compound. I like it for the cross slide, but it's a bit stupid on the compound as rarely is it used at 90 degrees.

Thanks for the videos!To add to the confusion, take in consideration of the movement of the compound at an angle feeding in..(:

Hey Ruker More machine operation fundamentals videos please... U JUST ANSWERED A QUESTION I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT A FEW TIMES

Thank you sir

thanks for the info

In Europe all machine have the dial set for diameter. I didn't even see a direct reading lathe in my life. I think that is an American thing to calculate useless...

I worked in a shop one time where we had some Sarrett shrink rules for foundry pattern work. A couple of times one of these rulers would get used for a non foundry job unknowingly. Well, you can guess the rest. The parts got scrapped and boss cut up the errant rulers. (3/16" shrink/foot) The kid said " Golly, I wondered why that part came out short!" I have seen the same for lathe dials, and have been guilty of the same. I much prefer the direct read dial - .001" on the dial = .001" on the cross slide movement. I guess I'm set in my ways! (Pardon the pun!).

Thank you much appreciated brilliant explaination of using the manual lathe's dial ,I am new to lathe my retirement toy .Excellent ,I have been taught ,great Teaching..

So, I guess we can start calling you Mr. Pete Jr. Just joking, good video. I've taken too much off before on my Logan because I didn't think before I started the cut.

Watch those Abom79 videos and listen to Adam Booth say, "I will take another 1/2 inch (that's 1/4 inch per side)." That's how he reminds viewers (and himself) where to set the lathe.

Diameter of a circle versus Radius of a circle.. Everyone should of had been taught that by the 6th grade (11 or 12 yrs old).

Thank you Keith! As a want-to-be machinist these basics are very helpful. Many thanks!

Great information Keith.

Thanks Keith. I've often questioned your cuts as to what actually happens to the diameter of the work. Questions answered!

Brilliantly done

Indeed, on metric lathes both systems are used. Whatever the system is, you quickly get used to it. I think both system are good. It is what it is.

KEITH - That is a beautiful lathe. Interesting difference. Thanks

Thanks Keith. I wonder how many workpieces have been ruined by not understanding this.

Funny, all the oil field lathes, turret lathes and such that I ran were diametric, what you dial in was the amount taken off the OD / ID. :)

Weird, maybe is standard for imperial lathes because on all the metric lathes that I know, they mesure diameter. Great video.

I can understand the rationale for having the cross slide dial read in diameter reduction (or increase for boring). However, on those machines, how does the dial on the compound read? There, it wouldn't make sense to have the dial indicate two times the slide movement since diameter reduction related to compound movement depends on the angle at which it is set. How does the Monarch's compound dial read?

THANK YOU...for sharing. Thanks for the refresher course.

Thanks again for an informative video, coffee and a video from Keith makes for an even better day! Now if the rain would stop !!

Always interesting thanks for sharing Keith 👍🇦🇺⚙️

People and sites can't even agree on the definition of direct and indirect. Most call direct reading are the ones when the dialed in number is the amount taken off the diameter. Radius reading is referred to as indirect. Terminology differences aside, the information in the video and what you need to look at when operating the late is good to know.

Great video, just like Monarch to think ahead. Makes me resolve to put a DRO on the y axis pronto. Have one on x axis.

I have a Boxford AUD which has metric dials. I understand it is a "modified" Southbend and reads the amount of feed in

Nice explanation Keith; one more thing to point out is to not assume that the cross slide and compound dials read the same. On my HLV-H at work, the cross slide is diameter reading and the compound is direct reading

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Another great video. Thanks for keeping true to the channel and bringing informative information. Might be just me, but other creators are not really creating anymore.

I worked in a shop once which had two lathes, one direct and one diameter graduation. Could be tricky when you were jumping from one to the other.

My graziano has dual reading dials, but is an imperial lathe. Its crosslide dial reads in thousandths off diameter. The advantage in this system is your dial readings are inherently twice as precise.

Hi Keith. One of the operations that I find trickier than most is turning a part to an exact length. Any tips or tricks on that would be most welcome!

Thanks for a very good video I never think a bout that and i cod not understand way my work is to small But now I now Tanks for this tip's

Does that rule apply for an inside bore

👍

I have seen similar issues with the angle scale on the compound feed. Most that I've seen 0 is parallel with the axis of rotation but see where 0 is parallel with the cross feed.

Here is how we describe the dial in my neck of the woods. Is it a 1 to 1 dial or a 2 to 1 Dial Dial 1 line get .001 --- Dial 1 line get .002 -- Is it a 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 dial .

Ok that was the easy dial. Now how about the compound dial vs diameter or thread depth?

Keith, was that an option on your particular Monarch to read like that, or were all of that model that way? Thanks.

Very Good!

Math = black magic. ( which is why I will never be able to become a machinist) 😢

Love machine educational content. Great job Keith.

Great.video Keith, the simple things are always the best 👍🏼

That machine cleaned up nice, good job mr. keith

Boaring heads are similar. Some read in Radius, and some read in Diameter.

One to one or two to one . We had both in the Navy . It can bite you quick if not paying attention.

some dials reduce the radius, some dials reduce the diameter.

Thanks Keith for sharing 👍👍👍❤️