Metal Lathe Tutorial 1 : Theory

This is Lathe Skills, a multi-part series to help you learn basic machine shop work. Please support this work on Patreon:

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[nohopeforthekids]

I recently bought a nearly 100 year old south bend lathe and have absolutely zero experience with machining. This series is exactly what I've been searching for the past few weeks to help get me started. Thank you!

[davesalzer]

It takes a thorough understanding of any theory to explain it simply. Well done.

[firstmkb]

"Everything is a spring" is a gem.

I've been watching machining videos for several years, and nobody else mentioned what a "screw cutting" lathe is versus an "engine lathe." Thank you for that!

[markstefan]

I’m using “the machine tools are actively trying to murder you at all times” in my shop at work from now on. Haha classic. Great vid

[meh.]

You are a VERY good communicator. Simple, straight forward explanation of what everything is and why. Thank you so, so much.

[doyleholmes]

All of your tutorials are done with a high quality of excellence. Without realizing it you always answer a question that most instructors neglect. The question is, 'Why do we do this>' When I attended tech in another field, I had worked in the field and knew the questions and answers that students needed to know. It put the instructor on track to provide ALL of the information students needed. Quinn, as I've said already, YOU provide a great presentation to enable us to learn from you. You are a great think I'm in love LOL) I've subscribed to ALL of your videos. I can see there is so much to learn and at 67 I still enjoy learning.

[DanielMuller-motq]

Dear Quinn, without exaggeration I can say: You changed my life (a bit). Thank you for your excellent teaching, you are are a great talent. And I like your humor too! The only thing I’m afraid of: If I do subscribe and pay you money (and many more people do) you will stop making these fantastic videos and sit on the beach with a drink in your hand… I will do it anyways. Just don’t blame me for that nasty sunburn.

[richardgoehring]

You do an excellent job in your videos. Very informative, visually clear and humorous. You have the ability to be thorough without talking down to the viewer.

[peterroyle]

I am a retired Cabinet Maker / College Tutor new to Metal Lathe work . Really like the way you teach, will view all your Videos as a novice and will, I know, learn a great deal . Thank you for taking the time to produce these Videos . Peter , Herne Bay, UK .

[Thekingmaker]

Recently purchased a lathe, and never used one previously, 2 minutes into watching your video I knew this would be my new home for learning, Thanks

[ogreunderbridge]

Why have I not come over this channel before now...? This kind of serie is exactly what I have been looking for over many years. Thank you ! :)

[seanroland]

"Will embed in your shops far wall after passing through your face" very effective description!

[carportshenanigans]

As a feller who has lots of welding/fabrication experience, my buddies are often praising my skills. I like to hit YT and watch some machining videos, it’s oh so humbling! The more I watch videos on the topic, the more I realize I don’t even know what I don’t know about machining. I have turned more brake rotors and drums than I can count, so I have a small understanding of lathe basics. Thanks for putting together these very informative video series’, looking forward to binge-watching. I’m here to start at the beginning! 👍

[bvcxzgt]

Good advice. We got a new guy at work. When giving a tour and instructions for the shop, someone told him to wear gloves when using the grinder, lathe, or drill press. We stopped and had a discussion on the spot.

[KarlGBergman]

From a former CAD instructor's standpoint, these are seriously excellent, simple explanations - well done, and thank you! Subscribed.

[barryhamm]

Hi Quinn

I'm thinking of buying myself a lathe and am finding your videos really informative. Thank you for the videos.

[gslpkoc]

I was just gifted a lathe. this looks like exactly the series I hoped to find! Thank you!

[tongod]

Thank you. I am purchasing a mill nail lathe tomorrow. I am brand new to this. My buddy has been doing it for about 50 years he started doing it at 9 and his family shop. Thank you for making this video short also cuz that's a lot of information to take on. Trying to learn about this stuff. I've been watching you build stuff for about a year-and-a-half and it's amazing. I want to try my hand at it there. But my key is to not lose one :-)

[roadshowautosports]

Well, your videos never get old! I’m just now starting to watch the basics once I’ve got one sherline lathe. Now, talk about a small hobbyist lathe! I have an unimat that was pretty small with a distance between center of 8” and there’s no automatic feed unless you spend an extra 300$ for it on either of them but your teachings always come handy and give a solid base to start from. I love seeing you struggle with problems but keeping a calm and straight logical approach to resolve them. I’ll be starting a patron account to help you to help us. Sometimes, telling your viewers to help out give the impression that it is a large amount to keep you going but that brings just a small percentage of viewers to help and, in reality, it isn’t true! If we all have a dollar a month, first it wouldn’t be hard to contribute, second it would make the volume be more effective and keep channels like yours going. I’m a watchmaker apprentice and have another watch channel that I must go back to help out too but if all of us would give you one dollar a month instead of being afraid of being obligated to give a lot, the sheer volume would compensate for the amount necessary for you to keep helping us out and wouldn’t be even the cost of a coffee! Try to make clear that ANY AMOUNT helps, no matter how small it is! We all know the value of the information and experience you and other content creators share with others, and giving a dollar a month can make a difference just like many do by giving that same dollar to the people at traffic lights asking for it. What makes the difference ids the amount of people giving and the purpose it’s used for. You guys make this your business, your career, and that has value! You and the one who invest their time deserve to make a living like anyone else does! You have bills and obligations like any of us, you have a family and a pet you must care for, and those won’t happen for free as the information wouldn’t be free if we had to go to any institution to learn it! So, please try to explain just like the guy on the side of the road does with his sign saying “ANYTHING HELPS!” Even though they won’t offer any value for the money you give them but just a sense of doing things right in small doses so why not to help those who add value and give us a chance to learn and profit from such knowledge?
Thank you very much for all you do for us!

[robertoangelocordoba]

hi there. long time lurker and watcher here from the philippines. big fan of your work.

while i studied medicine and am a lab scientist by trade, i have always been into fabricating and metalworking, and just last year got a vocational course cerificate for lathe and milling machine operations. most fun ive had in years is finding out how to turn between centers, and the shop owner and my foreman was asking me how i got the motor main shaft so perfectly spot on, when the lathe they had had a 3 jaw with a 0.2mm run out.

anyway. things in the video that brings back memories, are the chuck key rules and the no dangly bits rule.

the second shop i worked at, had a really.... misinformed "old dawg" machinist who kept telling me to wear long sleeves, gloves and has a habit of keeping the key in the chuck when not in use. what's funny is he keeps telling me to do these things his way, while i could see that he was missing a finger on the left hand and a stitched scar on his right. so you can imagine how that went, yes? yeah, he wasn't a formally trained machinist.

thing is there is this culture in our country where older folk get away with talking sheet by labeling us younger or newer operators as disrespectul. and that goes against our character record. hinders employment and so on.

so yeah. thanks for these videos. i introduced you, ToT and Abom79 and keith rucker to some of my machinist friends. they do like your videos and theirs.