To successfully employ carbide, you need 2 things--Horsepower, and rigidity. Daltons are a fine little lathe, but they were designed in an era (after the first world war) when high speed steel was replacing carbon steel tooling. We have 5 conventional lathes here, and 1 CNC. Carbide all ways on the CNC Mazak, the others (up to24" monarch) only sometimes. As far as roughing, and removing the most metal in the least time, here is heat treated 4340 and a HIGH SPEED TOOL

Lathe is a 16" Lodge and Shipley, 5HP spindle. Piece was part of a Stanley Steam car engine crankshaft. You didnt make me angry, my only reason for posting is to try to get fledgling machinists to realize that I think too many folks are starting out with carbide, when they would be better off with cheaper tooling.

Herb Kephart