This video will show you a technique for setting up your lathe compound for precision angle cuts. This is an excellent way to get your angle settings within minutes of the desired spec.
I had to smile about the engineer comment. I was that engineer who couldn't understand the machine shop constantly asking if I really wanted it that size? It was during a previous life when I was designing wire and slick line equipment here in Aberdeen Scotland. Admittedly it was half a lifetime ago so I think I may have learned a bit since that time. Thanks for the pointer from the machinists point of view - and the memory.
I've contributed to the final part from both the shop floor and the keyboard, so I feel qualified to make that comment. CNC machines are a different animal, but manual machinists need tips like this to keep them sane. I also taught a course on design for manufacturability to University of Texas engineering students. I was amazed at what they didn't know. So were they. It always went very well. Thanks for the comment.
At last someone succeeded in explaining me in a comprehensive way why I had to learn all that trigonometry back in highschool allmost 35 years ago. Thanks and greetings from Belgium.
Hi Joe, your content is a little advanced for me at this point. It took me a whole weekend to machine 8 levelling feet for my lathe my first lathe so small steps. However even being a novice your presentation was done in such a normal way without you needing to pull out the technical terms and language that for us novices make you sound like a brain surgeon and goes straight over the top of our heads, you have a way of conveying a circumstance that is understandable to many, thank you. Your clearly putting it out with a genuine desire to help not to stroke your own ego.
Oh that was very clever indeed. To quote a New Zealand saying, “you really do know your onions!” I am super impressed. The only thing wrong with the whole approach is that I did not think of it..Bravo! Not only that but exactly the same trick will work with my mill. Double winner! Thanks Joe.
Gee Joe, it is with great interest that I watch you channel. Even though I won’t ever need this information, for this ‘ol maintenance engineer I certainly do admire you and your approach/application to a situation such as this. 👍
I'm ashamed to admit this, but I'm still going to... I did not know this method. It's so simple! To those people who are having trouble grasping it, watching the video while standing in front of the lathe is a good suggestion that someone else mentioned. Thank you, Joe!
Hi, allow me to say that you are the ONLY one that makes videos where someone thinks: "...exactly this I wanted to know for years". thanks for sharing your knowledge. The day that you will come to Florence let me know, I will show you my city and we take REAL Italian coffe ;-) Take care and stay save
That's great. Personally I'm a CNC guy. But watching these videos in you channel helps me on the manual lathe and mill for small projects around my shop. Keep them up. They are very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to show it step by step. You are a great teacher. Two thumbs up!!!!
I was a carpenter for 35 years back when we use to cut roofs, before premade trusses. (roofs are all angles). This is exactly how i use to figure angles/lengths,rises, diagonals . If you buy a construction master calculator, which i used for years, this will all be extremely simplified. On the calculator there are three keys called run, rise and diagonal (the three parts of a triangle). You can enter as fractions 1-1/4, or decimals 1.25, or metric 31.75 or whatever. The amount of weird angles on all the different pitched roofs with hips and gables and interrupted angles and so on are endless. Greatest tool ever invented for us dumb carpenters.
Some of these shop calculators require the user to convert the minutes to a decimal before they can proceed. 31 degrees 22 minutes is not 31.22 degrees. I've seen some of these lead guys down the wrong path and confuse them more than help them, but if you are used to using them, I'm sure they are a real time saver. I'll stick with my book. 40 year comfort zone.
I love this one Joe! The way you break things down helps so much. I find I was over thinking this issue and your explanation on the board and then in the shop got me on track. God Bless you bud. I agree with the vast majority of your subscribers that your an excellent teacher and I feel personally blessed to have found you. I'm 46 starting again since being disabled and you truly inspire me. The classes I'm taking plus all the other videos have left me more confused. I understand you better than anyone and I really thank you for what your doing. I'm proud to call you one of my instructors. Tim Ditmore Matrix Gunsmithing Lake George, CO.
Another piece of simple trigonometry. No expensive sine bar, no even more expensive gauge blocks. Thank you! I learned trig a million years ago in a third world school. I had the world's worst math teacher. So I found the Barnes&Noble College Outline Series on trig and taught myself. Then I taught my buddies and that cemented it in my mind. Trigonometry is the machinist's best friend. Nowadays there are online aids to learning it, such as the Kahn academy, and whether you use a book or online, every machinist should learn it. At least the rudiments. It is not necessary to learn the identities -- just how to solve a right triangle.
Joe, I used this technique last night in order to set my compound cut an precise 8-degree taper for an ER11 collet cavity for a holder I made. Worked like a charm! Here I thought I would need to go and buy a sine bar to do this but with a little math and your technique I saved some much needed dough! Much Thanks and keep up the videos. This is priceless knowledge that you are choosing to share and I greatly appreciate it.
Thank you, Joe. I'm making an ER32 collet holder for a D1-4 spindle and this tip allowed me to cut the angle in the holder that mates to the lathe spindle. Thanks again
Stumbled on this video on 12th July 2023 just in time for making accurate angles on mating parts. Thank you, Joe for all of the incredibly clear advice you've given for so many of us over the years. Long may it continue!
I've been trying to get a 1.4 degree taper on a hardwood sprue using an old Lesto Scintilla with a removable cross slide, very tricky, but your method produced results on the 2nd attempt. After sanding smooth and a sawdust polish, the taper was measured at 1.409 degrees. Thanks for the time to make this video, its much appreciated.
Hi Joe, thank you so much for your videos. As a 65 year old I regret never taking any trigonometry classes. You break it down and make everything seem so simple
Its great joe,in the beginning it was a little difficult, but as i stand by my lathe and repeat what you explained,suddenly it become clear to me. Thanks a lot for your time , and i hope you will go on to help us.Again Thanks Hans, from Holland
This was way over my head , but I enjoyed watching it , I can tell you know what your talking about, Loved your video on threading away from the chuck. I haven't ran a manual lathe in 30 years but I'm about to retire and I'm going to buy one just to play with. I will watch all your videos for a refresher coarse .
Trig is always the answer... what an eye opener this info was when I began machining. It all started by asking what a Sine plate was for... Then the explanation, then Jo blocks, then confusion, then a million tests and now I use trig all the time. Thanks for the info.
I have been toying with the idea of single point cutting a rifle chamber using the info provided in these conical feature videos, leaving just a few thousands for the reamer to clean providing a perfectly concentric bore. I am not pioneering this processes, I just wouldn't have the confidence without you. Thanks Joe
Beautiful. I LOVE it when practical trig shows up. I still believe most kids would get trig if they had a lathe and a mill to work with. AND a good, clear, teacher like you. Thank you!
And my trig students in school did not think there was any value to learning the functions and their application. I am now retired but If I was still teaching, your video would be my teaching tool.
Joe, I am not a machinist but I love watching this type content. I want to thank you for taking the time to create these videos explaining not only the how but the why. You have the heart of a teacher and the ability to convey in understandable terms the concepts and techniques involved. Michael
I'm an engineer and this is why engineering students need to spend all their free time in the machine shop. That 44 minutes on the degree just cost the company 20 minutes in additional set up time, and potentially a lot of scrap for less capable machinists. My other pet peeve is engineers tolerancing everything to +/- .001" because they can't / won't do a tolerance study or don't understand fitments. I'm getting off my soap box now.
Amen brother! Ive told numerous engineers that they should come out in the shop and attempt to do what they ask. Its not an easy thing to do on an engine lathe. I recently had to cut a 7.2 degree angle on a mandrel on a manual lathe and I made the engineer come out and see my setup so he could realize how difficult that can be.
Yes, as a journeyman machinist of 40 years myself, I couldn't agree more with you. Adding a fourth zero to the right of the decimal point takes everything to a whole never level of stress for the machinist.
You just got me out of jail! thank you, I'm making a D1-4 to large 5C collet adaptor and was stuck with setting the angle for the short taper. Great video.
Excellent series! Your practical tips are gold for a hobby machinist like myself with just a couple machines in my garage and no professional experience.
Oh my - so simple when you know how! so many thanks Joe for passing on this invaluable knowledge - Going to try this on my 70 year old Myford ML7 Also thinking of trying to make some angle gauges, we will see. Again many thanks and best wishes to you and you family.
That's what all that trigonometric math in high school was for however, the proofs in Geometry class, I didn't need. Again, thank you very much for the lesson.
We need more like him, with experiance and history to teach our youth. Because those who have potential will instantly understand what he is talking about and soak up the knowlege. And i'm not talking about machinist class, i talking about math class
Thanks Joe for the trig refresher. Even better, you demonstrated its application on the lathe. That tip is a gem for setting the compound. Thanks again.
Great lesson on how to apply trigonometry to the cross slide and the compound using the graduated dials. This video was a breath of fresh air!!!!! Thank you.
I got a Hardinge lathe and made my own cross slide and compound so I had no graduated marks for the angle and needed to cut a backing plate for a chuck with the Hardinge 4 degree taper. I failed three times trying to use protectors and digital angle fingers and a few other items to double check the angle. I had one that would work but wasn't true. Only hit at the very back of the spindle nose taper. I just got done setting up using this method and I believe it's going to work great. Thanks for all the knowledge you are giving away and keep up the good work.
Of course, squareness and runout to be checked... I tell ya I learnt from one of the best Toolmakers out there in the field and worked with some good ones, thought I had learnt all the tricks of the trade... 70% of your videos are either i don't know or are quirky and improved versions of what i know... It's rare to find 1 vid that taught me let alone a dozen.. For the maths side I use solid works sketches and draw circles and tangent points i know it's abit pathetic and requires no mental power but hey, technology
Great video. I love it. When I need that kind of accuracy I usually indicate along a sinebar. Very precise also and rules out leadcrew inaccuracies. Works in milling machine too.
Joe, I realize you did this video in 2016 but I just wanted to let you know how much help you've been to me while doing things at my work that I've learned from you. I'm very much a novice when it comes to machining but I'm just good enough to make things work the way I need them with the help from your videos and a few others. Thankyou again for all the great videos Joe you really help guys out like me a HUGE AMOUNT.
Hey Joe, good stuff. I really appreciate your videos like this one. You present well and it is refreshing to see tips from someone with current, relevant practical experience on RU-vid (in contrast to so many sloppy home-shop guys like myself). I practiced with this technique and was able to hit my chosen test taper spot on. Thanks!
I spend a lot of time using trig (soh cah toa) for mill work. That is one great tip for lathe work!! Sure beats the eye loop! Thank you for passing on your knowledge.
Pure genius, instead of dreading trying to cut an accurate angle I look forward to trying. I have to make some grinder hubs with internal tapers so will use this method. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
@@joepie221 Thanks Joe, I'll make sure I pay careful attention to the tool height. Just to let you know I used the technique you demonstrated for turning very thin walled components to make a 10 thou thick acetel spacer that was missing from the seal set of a 30 ton press we bought cheap as it was leaking hydraulic fluid. The OEM part was only available as part of the full seal kit which was very, very expensive. So, thanks again. It just shows how useful sharing knowledge is.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and publishing the videos! I am just a bloody newbie and your videos have helped me immensely. Your videos are clear, concise and very well presented without any annoying babbling. Basically, you taught me via youtube. Thank you! Bernhard
This is especially useful when trying to mate components machined previously. In the past I have had to make sure I did not disturb the compound slide setting between machining components which can be a nuisance when the operations do not follow each other. Keep up the good work, much appreciated.
Thanks Joe for another excellent tips video. I am sure i speak for many people in that we greatly appreciate these, there are few places this sort of information can easily be found - especially for us home shop machinists that have not had formal training. Keep them coming :)
Thanks a million I tried this and got to within .0005 on the dial indicator of a 30 degree angle repeatably several times, tightened the gibs a wee bit and was finally able to get it to go to zero every time. My lathe reads 60 where others read 30. And yes in response the the comment below I did sweep the quill of the tail stock and it is dead on from one end to the other. Again thanks a million. Worth
This worked perfect to set 7.125 degrees to open up the taper on my D1-4 backplate. Thanks Joe, as a hobby machinist I have learned a lot from your videos. It took me ~10 times to get less than .001" error on the cross slide measurement, but I did get it. Then checked how true the angle was by checking with a .0005" test indicator along the original taper. Zero dial movement.
Thanks guy! I'm a home hobbyist and I got an RFQ that included an inside taper at 10.62*. I wasn't sure I could even quote the job 10 mins ago. Cheers!!
This is some good stuff... I've used gage blocks and indicators before to trig out the angle, but never once did I thought to use the tailstock as a reference. This is gold for me. Thanks Joe!
Check the tailstock and stay near center and your angles will be incredibly accurate. Be sure your tool height is equally adjusted to center for the best accuracy.
Hi Joe, I'm new to your videos, I'm self taught what I know about machining and your informational videos are excellent, this last compound angle video is one awesome idea, just what I needed to cut some morse angles. What I want to say about figuring angles is get that construction master calculator and with the run/ rise/pitch/diagonal functions you can figure those angles so fast and easy without getting into fancy geometry stuff. Thanks again for making life easier when cutting precise angles.
Joe...not trying to be a Butt, however, this is High School Geometry Class ! Sine, Cosine, Tangent, etc. Tool manuals give those calculations. What YOU have shown us is HOW TO USE THAT GEOMETRY ! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ! i knew it was Geometry, but did not know HOW to turn it into practical use ! I bought a WEN Aluminum Protractor and STILL you cannot read the lines close enough. You technique EXPANDS the numbers out for old, half blind people like me !
You earned another subscriber! All your methods seem to be very, very good. I appreciate that you spend so much time explaining these so that anyone can do it. Thanks!
I use the same technique plus to make it easier to set the target angle. I clamp a 1m strip of wood across the bed at right angles. The wood is located to the right of the tail stock. The wood sticks out the front of the lathe. I then clamp a 1.4m length of square section steel onto the side of the top slide. The end of the steel rests on the wood, but is not clamped or attached to it. I now make a first attempt to adjust the angle of the top slide using Joe's method. I mark where the steel now rests on the wood by using the steel like a ruler to mark a line. After each adjustment to set the target angle, I mark a new line on the wood. This gives me a history of angle setting attempts. It is also MUCH easier to make very fine angle adjustments at the far end of the steel than at the top slide. It takes longer to explain than it does to do. It speeds up setting the angle to fine tolerances.
Nice explanation with good showing Cap'n A bit advanced for us ol' timers, but nothing we can't grasp with some repetition and trials Thanks again for sharing aRM
I had some jobs come in once that had like that out to 3 decimal places. I managed to cut them and set up a sine bar to check them with and they were right on. A few days later the engineer came back and wanted them recut to a different angle. I told him I'd never had a print before with such precise angles called for. Turns out that they were just experimental angles on a prototype and were drawn on a computer which had put in all the decimal places. I had cut them on a cnc. The next ones I just did on a manual lathe using the numbers on the compound and they worked fine for him. Yeah, engineers mostly seem to have no idea what goes into making parts to some of their prints. Ok, enough of that rant. I never would have thought to do an angle with the method you've shown. Thank you very much and keep them coming.
