Introduction to the Metal Turning Lathe: Spin your way to precision!

This course meets three times per class session. Please check the Agenda above for the dates included in each session. By purchasing a ticket, you are committing to attend all meetings included in that session. The title of the Agenda page will indicate which ticket to purchase for that session.

Instructor - Gary Valaskovic

Gary is a life-long scientist, educator, and entrepreneur with a background in the development of novel scientific instrumentation and methods in chemistry and life science. Products based on Gary’s inventive creativity have found daily use in thousands of life-science laboratories worldwide. His love of precision manual and CNC machining was born of his interest in optics and microscopy in his youth. He has a belief that anyone can learn to invent and create, especially when empowered with knowledge of the fundamental tools of precision craft.

Class Description

The metal turning lathe lies at the heart of mechanical precision in our engineered world - exploited in every aspect of our technological experience. This course uses an engaged, project-based approach to foster learning the fundamental operations of the metal turning lathe. It is a tool capable of creating objects that are useful, precise, and beautiful, all at the same time. From creating objects of art and jewelry, to objects of pure engineering, the lathe is a crown jewel of making. As this is a project-based instruction, by the end of class you will have the materials and skills to create a strikingly beautiful, high-performance brass-and-stainless-steel spinning top. A perfect creative gift, just like the ones you may have seen on YouTube. Whether you want to create objects of beauty, function, or other custom tools, this is the course you need to start your precision machining journey. Never hurts to Impress your friends and family with the results!

This course will focus instruction on the safe use of the time-proven South Bend Lathe, model 9A. This model is unquestionably the perfect lathe on which to learn: large enough to be useful (a 9 inch “swing”), without being overly powerful or intimidating. Turning techniques learned on the 9A will be useful with nearly every metal turning lathe in operation today, whether brand new or 50+ years old. You will build a foundation of lathe skills which will be ultimately transferable to other metal working lathes found in the AA machine shop (with appropriate additional training and testing).

Material Fee

The materials fee for this class is $50. This is separate from the ticket price and is to reimburse the instructor for any tools or materials used in this class. This will be paid once, directly to the instructor at the start of the first class meeting. This instructor accepts payments in cash or through Venmo.

Class Goals

This introductory class will cover:

- Basic shop safety, how to use the lathe safely

- Parts and operation of the lathe

- Cutting tools you use to cut metal (and plastics)

- Use (and limitations) of the 3-jaw chuck

- Spindle collet operations for high precision

- Materials suitable for the lathe (brass, steel, stainless, aluminum, plastics etc.)

- Setting up lathe tools on the quick-change tool post

- Facing and turning operations to dimension

- Judging speeds and feeds for different lathe operations and materials

- “Shallow” boring operations to dimension

- Simple tapering using the compound feed

- Drilling and reaming on the lathe using the tailstock

- Precision mechanical measurement with the micrometer and 6” caliper

- Light precision assembly operations using the lathe as aid

By the end of this class you will take home:

- The skills and knowledge to pass AA tool testing required for future use of the South Bend 9A lathe

- An appreciation for what the metal turning lathe can do to help you create objects of art, or solve fabrication and engineering problems

- A beautiful brass and stainless-steel spinning top, approx. 1” in diameter

- OR the skills and materials to finish the top you will start in class

Whether you have zero experience in ANY machine shop operations or some previous exposure to using a metal lathe, this fun and informative course will be perfect for you!

Material Supplied

- Materials (brass, stainless steel, bearings) for each student to make their own spinning top

- A wide variety of materials (metals, plastic etc.) for learning basic lathe operations

- Lathe tools (carbide and HSS) for turning operations

- Drill and reaming tools (HSS) for lathe operations

- Basic tools for precision measurement

Students Should Bring

Students should be advised to bring their own safety glasses. They should not wear any hanging jewelry, finger rings, or loose clothing.

Prerequisites

Students must be 14 years old or older. All students under 18 must be accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a responsible adult.

Class Policies

Learn more about our class and ticket cancelation policies here.

Please email education@artisansasylum.com with any questions.

*Sales end 24 hours before the start of the class to allow the instructor and staff time to prep.