Tips for parting 2" 1144 Steel?

[benjaminh]

Before I start, does anyone have some tips for parting 2" diameter 1144 round bar?

Benjamin

[klemchuk]

make sure everything is square, minimum stickout of parting blade, and use power feed & lots of lube.

[754]

Insert blade on center..min stickout from chuck.

[brian Rupnow]

Hold breath--wear safety glasses---pray---get ready to duck.----Brian

[Toolguy]

Bandsaw.

[Frank Ford]

Before I start. . .

Befiore you ask, what tools do you have available?

My 11" HLV clone is pretty rigid for its size, but when I tried parting 3" steel on a 15 inch Clausing, it was WAY easier than half that diameter on my machine.

I agree, by the way: band saw. . .

[JRouche]

Bandsaw.

Yep.. JR

[MattiJ]

Befiore you ask, what tools do you have available?

My 11" HLV clone is pretty rigid for its size, but when I tried parting 3" steel on a 15 inch Clausing, it was WAY easier than half that diameter on my machine.

I agree, by the way: band saw. . .

Afaik he had small 7" myford or something like that. In that case my vote goes also for bandsaw/cut off disk...

[benjaminh]

I have a 7" Myford style lathe... bandsaw isn't a possibility for a number of project specific reasons... there will be a bore of nearly 1", which should help.

Thanks for all the help already.

[Mcgyver]

Use this style, or grind a similar shape from hss - it works because of excellent support and side clearance. you're only plunging .500 so it shouldn't be a huge deal.

https://www.tormach.com/store/media/...X_img_6215.jpg

[Rich Carlstedt]

One trick to use assumes you have some extra stock.
Run the cutoff blade in about 1/4" depth and then step over closer to the chuck and run the blade to the same depth. So that means if you have a 1/8" wide blade, you make the groove 1/4"wide. Then resume your original cut for another 1/4" and repeat
It's not perfect, but lessens the chance of a blowup considerably.
Rich

[Illinoyance]

All the suggestions are valid.
I would like to add one more. Set up the parting tool as near the centerline of the cross slide as possible.
You want to minimize tilting of the toolpost due to cutting forces.

You might consider cutting part way through with the parting tool and finishing the job with a hacksaw.

[JRouche]

One trick to use assumes you have some extra stock.
Run the cutoff blade in about 1/4" depth and then step over closer to the chuck and run the blade to the same depth. So that means if you have a 1/8" wide blade, you make the groove 1/4"wide. Then resume your original cut for another 1/4" and repeat
It's not perfect, but lessens the chance of a blowup considerably.
Rich

This is actually a really good way to part large dia parts with a small machine. A long past friend of mine used this method on on his 21" reed prentice with brass water well pumps. JR

[J Tiers]

I have a question:

Will the material go through the spindle on your machine?

If yes, parting straight off the long length of stock is the most economical approach, you can do as Rich C suggests, take the other advice, etc.

If NO, the material does NOT fit through, then you will have to do some sort of cutting to length, unless you support on a steady and part off outside of that. I have had less than stellar results from that, the steady has to be somewhat loose, and that seems to be a problem. I don't recommend it, some seem to.

You have to grab some material in the chuck, whether the chuck is a "spring chuck" (collet) or a 3 or 4 jaw chuck. So that much is wasted for every length you cut to part off pieces from. You need to figure out the least wasteful length based on the size of pieces you need to part off.

If just one piece, do whatever.

If doing several, and the parts are long enough that you can hold in chuck and still face them, use the bandsaw.

if parts are too small to hold individually, bandsaw to a length that allows a number of pieces to be parted off before you need another length... and that sticks out at first as long as is possible to do without problems, so that you waste as little as possible.

[BCRider]

Use the back gear to slow it way down. And when cutting try to keep your feed real even.

On my own Myford when I had it I would not even try such a cut. It would have been instant chatter. A lot of Myford folks make and use a back tool post for parting and heavy threading. I never did one but it's supposed to help reduce chatter a lot.