SB 9A tooling suggestions

Looking for suggestions on tooling for my SB 9A, threading tools, boring/turning, etc. I'm ok with running HSS or carbide, I have both the rocker style tool post and a quick change tool post as well as lots of Armstrong HSS tool holders. Just curious what I should look for that others have used to expand my tooling for my machine.

Thanks

Have heard lots of good things about these people and their indexible HSS: Arthur Warner Co. | Specialists in High Speed Steel

Paul

my best advise-

become proficient at hand grinding - add a few carbide cutting tools for hard materials.

tooling- buy as work dictates, but never go bottom of the barrel cheap. given the same budget I`d rather have a totally clapped out machine with high quality tooling than a pristine machine with cheap tooling- the value of tooling outweighs the value of the machine itself.

for now a nice 3 jaw chuck, 4 jaw chuck, live center,headstock center,indicators,micrometers,calipers, and tailstock chucks(don`t forget drill bits)
you`ll find that even that short list will cost MUCH more than the machine itself.

you`ll eventually want/need more (steady rest,collets,micrometer carriage stop,etc.) but that`s a good start.

as you get ready to buy post questions on individual items- you`ll get some good suggestions and possibly some good deals.

I use HSS for about 95% of what I do on my 10K. The finish is generally better and they're practically free. I've accumulated at least 100 cutters from various estate sales and auctions. Most of them are even already ground, so at most, they need a quick touchup and they're ready to make chips.

A follow rest is IMO quite useful if you like to do small work and it's something that can easily be made.

An assortment of decent chucks can make life simpler. I've got 3 jaw inside and outside... 2 4 jaws (one self-centering, the other independent) and I just bought a 6 jaw yesterday that I'll need to make a backplate for.

Next on my wishlist is one of those Noga adjustable indicator bases... looks like a big timesaver. One of my minor complaints about the 10K is that there never seems to be a really good place to securely put an indicator holder.

I agree with the HSS recommendation. I use it for almost all of my stuff except for my large boring bar which uses carbide inserts. If you can stand the added expense, you'll be well served by using HSS with added cobalt. It lasts much longer with the cobalt although it's a little more difficult to grind.

And when you buy HSS blanks, go for the "made in USA" stuff. It's really much better but may make you blink a couple of times over the price. However, a stick of that stuff lasts a long time so you'll forget how much it cost pretty quickly!

And for Heaven's sake, get a good quality bench grinder and use quality wheels on it. Stay away from the really cheap imports both for the grinding machine and the wheels. Those cheap grinding wheels are often non-uniform and can't be made to run smoothly even when they're perfectly round!

I use the AR Warner HSS inserts or grind my own. For an indicator, I use the Mighty Mag base on my AXA tool post or use a toolholder with the indicator clamped in place of a cutter.

oh, a not so obvious but very much needed bit of tooling is the `ol center gauge to grind and set your threading tools.

How about a thread pitch gauge, acme gauge, various size center drills, live and dead centers. Just got a couple of Somma HSS cut off tools 1/16 and 5/32, made in USA...real fine

Thanks for all the suggestions. My 9A is equipped with a 3-jaw Cushman and I have outside and inside jaws for it, I also have a live center, steady rest, dead centers, Jacobs chucks, micrometer stop, thread gage, collet attachment if I want to take the chuck off and lots of HSS bits and some holders as well as the indicators and stands. I'll keep an eye out for cutoff, threading and boring tools and holders. I have been toying with getting a 4-jaw as well but for right now the 3-jaw serves my needs and the 4-jaw chuck will be a future purchase along with a taper attachment.
Thanks again!

I just bought a 9A and will travel to Indiana next week to pick it up. I have a lot of tooling that I have been using with my "Axxxs" 12x36 lathe (I know we aren't supposed to mention those) that will work with my 9A. I've found that with the smaller, less rigid lathes, HSS works better as they can't handle the surface speed and cutting feed pressure carbide works best at plus I feel HSS gives a better surface finish.

Have you looked at the Diamond tool holders sold by Bay-Com or the Wimberly tool holder sold by the maker? They are different takes on the tangential tool holder and use the cheap HSS tool bit blanks. I have a couple of each and really like them. I plan to buy a set of the 20mm Diamond tool holders for my 16" South Bend and to make a shop built clone of the Wimberly scaled up to the size needed for the 16" lathe.