Consider using a gang lathe to accomplish the same result from Eden Hamilton's blog

After physically hoisting the Turret onto my Tormach CNC CNC turn machining, it seemed appropriate to begin thinking about how I would tool it up for production. I wanted to share with you some of the considerations I'm making, which are based on some personal experience, some advice, and a slew of online research. I hope you find this information useful. Listed below are nine thoughts that should be running through your head as you decide how to tool up the Turret on your CNC Precision Machining Parts. They are only guidelines, and different jobs will almost certainly necessitate the use of different tooling.

Hey, you don't have a turret, do you? Instead, why not use a gang lathe? No need to be concerned; much of what has been said is still relevant to consider. For more information on which style to choose, check out our Turret vs Gang Tooling post, which contains some useful information.

Consider a Facing Tool while we're on the subject of roughing out your design. Because of the limited number of slots available in a 3D printed parts turret (are there ever enough? ), most people face their work with their OD Rough Turning Tool, which they purchased separately. If you keep the depth of cut below the radius of the nose of your insert, you shouldn't have any trouble doing so. If your job necessitates a significant amount of facing, you might want to consider investing in a dedicated Facing Tool. CCGT/CCMT inserts are popular choices for those who prefer to face their opponents.

The advantage of LH tooling is most noticeable when there is more horsepower and heavier roughing applied. The LH tooling directs forces down into the lathe bed and away from the tooling. RH tooling is used to raise the turret off the lathe. With RH tooling, you can cause serious damage to a lathe in extreme situations (for example, solidly catching the tool or the tool turret on a chuck jaw that is spinning at 4000 rpm). There has been discussion in some threads about popping the dovetail completely off (Ouch!). While doing so with LH tooling will be unpleasant, the consequences will be less severe. Supporters will also claim that the forces on the LH tend to reduce chatter, may result in marginally improved surface finishes, and can facilitate the placement of cooling fluid in strategic locations.

It is important to note that we are referring to inverted RH holders as opposed to right side up LH holders. That is why the spindle must change direction, and that is why the forces are directed in the direction they are directed. Another advantage of using a right-side-up holder over an upside-down holder is that it is easier to see when changing inserts with a right-side-up holder than with an upside-down holder.

Some people are able to get away with using the same tool for roughing and finishing, but this is not the best method for getting the best finish. Others prefer to use the same insert on two tools, one for roughing and the other for finishing, with the same insert on both tools. That's a step forward. After being sharpened on the finisher, new inserts can be graduated to the rougher, where they will remain sharp until they are no longer sharp. Although it is more expensive, using different inserts for roughing and finishing provides the best performance and flexibility. The DNMG and VNMG inserts were the most popular insert choices I discovered for the finishing tool:

These two are very similar, though I suppose you could argue that the VNMG has a greater ability to reach into tighter spaces. When it comes to finishing tools, the ability to get into tight spaces is essential. For turning work, it is similar to milling work in that you may start out with a larger cutter but will eventually need to use a smaller cutter that can get into the tighter corners; the same is true for milling work. Additionally, these skinny inserts have better chip clearance than the roughing inserts, which should be taken into consideration. Small chips stuck between the flanks of an 80o insert (CNMG. WNMG) and the workpiece are frequently responsible for a nice finish cut being ruined. With this type of insert, the chips simply have a better chance of getting out of the way before they can scratch up the work and cause damage.

A Parting Tool will be required for the vast majority of jobs that require cutting multiple parts from a single piece of bar stock. As a matter of fact, it's so common that you might want to dedicate an entire turret station to a Parting Tool. The blade type with replaceable inserts, such as this one I use, which has GTN-style inserts, appears to be preferred by the majority of people:

There are a variety of other things that can be accomplished with parting off blades as well. The nib on one side of the insert can be reduced by using angled inserts, which are available on the market. There are inserts available that have a radius on one side, allowing you to perform some tight turning operations with them. They won't break any records when it comes to hogging material, but the small radius on an insert like this can sometimes produce a radius that is significantly smaller than the larger OD Finishing inserts can achieve.