Thread: Screw cutting without Chasing Dial

Hi ben
You have to withdraw the tool when the machine is stopped at the end of the cut. you will still be able to use the DRO to determine how far to advance when you start the next cut, that is where they are excellent as they compensate for backlash.
when i said crash it back and forth earlier, it is a "all in one" motion of withdrawing the tool and reversing all in one step.
When cutting to a shoulder then yes an undercut can be used, but still there is a time in which you have to react before the tool crashes.
really, leaving half nuts in is just a shortcut that many people use, because they can and they feel comfortable with it.
at the end of the day it comes down to what you, the operator and owner of the machine, feel comfortable with, provided the end result is up to scratch. sometimes we all get fixated on the finer points of how we obtain the finish product, and develop our own theories which we will swear black and blue are the only way to do something, and we sometimes forget that the end result will be the same and can be acheived several different ways. I could do it ine way, you might use a different method and the next guy different again but we all end up with the same part at the same tolerance.
reading kody's post about thread cutting will help you, it explains a fair bit of it.
thread cutting really isnt that hard nut it does attract many varied opionions on which way is best.
if you start a thread on parting off or how to get good surface finish or just about anything you will come across different opinions and methods and probably people arguing over which is best.
I say read them all and take constructive advice from each and through trial and error you will work out what is best for you

have fun