[Sikspens]

Anyone ever considered this very principal difference between the two - in lathes the tool is stationary while the work is spinning, in a mill the work is held stationary while the tool is spinning.

Not very earth-shattering, but still, makes one contemplate doesn't it?

[M60Flipper]

Yeah, considering the two milling seems more logical to me, the cutter should move, instead of the material. Maybe that's why I detest turning as much as I do.

[ImanCarrot]

Also, you can use a Mil as a lathe by clamping the part in the spindle and the tool to the bed, but you can't use a lathe as a mill- well not on mine anyways.

[M60Flipper]

Also, you can use a Mil as a lathe by clamping the part in the spindle and the tool to the bed, but you can't use a lathe as a mill- well not on mine anyways.

This is true. That reminds me of how this one coworker in the lathe dept. would always wander over to me in the mill dept. and go on and on about lathes with live tooling. He would rave about it to no end like it was some kind of miracle. I got him to shut the hell up by saying "What so special about that? In the mill the tooling is always 'live'!"

[Sikspens]

Actually Imancarrot, you can mill on a lathe quite easily. You would normally need an attachment which is like an angle plate with a cross slide hanging on the vertical face. This angle plate is bolted on where your compound slide usually mounts. You clamp the cutter in the lathe chuck, and move the clamped work forwards and back, up and down, and left-right with the lathe's saddle wheels. Kind of horizontal milling, I guess.

Wish I had a photo - a picture's worth a thousand words!

[Khalid]

Actually Imancarrot, you can mill on a lathe quite easily. You would normally need an attachment which is like an angle plate with a cross slide hanging on the vertical face. This angle plate is bolted on where your compound slide usually mounts. You clamp the cutter in the lathe chuck, and move the clamped work forwards and back, up and down, and left-right with the lathe's saddle wheels. Kind of horizontal milling, I guess.

Wish I had a photo - a picture's worth a thousand words!

Actually, we are using Milling attachments on our Lathe but it not fulfill all the milling requirements

[Geof]

Here you are, lotsa pictures.

http://www.shopwiki.com/lathe+milling+attachment

[john-100]

Anyone ever considered this very principal difference between the two - in lathes the tool is stationary while the work is spinning, in a mill the work is held stationary while the tool is spinning.

Not very earth-shattering, but still, makes one contemplate doesn't it?

I'm a broadcast engineer and not a Machinist but have been called on by a local company to maintain various automated capstan lathes

as a result had the opportunity to see lathes like this that breaks your rule - a lathe that has the tools rotating around the work piece !!!


Attachment 289632

or

Attachment 289636

Unlike conventional lathes, escomatic lathes are based on a unique concept. The material,
which is coil stock or bar, does not rotate. The cutting tools mounted onto the
spinning tool head rotate around the material.


www.escomatic.ch | turning machines and turning centres



John