Getting Started with Turning and Its Tools

Moving from 3D computer-aided design (CAD) models to manufactured parts may look like a giant leap difficult to overcome. In reality, it is not something to be scared of, and in the following pages of this book, we will try to explain step by step all the major challenges to overcome. In the end, you should have gained more confidence with machining and the manufacturing world in general.

In this chapter, we will approach a lathe for the first time, exploring components, terminology, and best practices without relying on prior knowledge.

The goal of this chapter is to let you familiarize yourself with the theory before approaching real case scenarios. Although you may want to start spinning your chuck immediately, a dive into basic concepts is very important; after all, behind every successfully machined part, however complex it may be, there is always the fundamental underlying theory.

We will also discuss turning, reaching a general understanding of what is possible and what is not possible with this method. This type of knowledge is fundamental to unleash turning's potential, instead of trying to copy and paste provided examples into your machining scenario.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• Approaching a lathe and its components
• Understanding the main parameters
• Exploring main machining strategies
• Understanding tool geometry