Chatter
Glossary · Workholding & Setup
At a glance
- Category /
- Workholding & Setup
- Related /
- 3 terms
- Source /
- Written in the shop
Chatter is self-sustaining vibration between the tool and the workpiece that leaves a rippled surface and shortens tool life.
In practice
It happens when the cutting forces excite a natural frequency of the setup — a long thin part, an extended boring bar, a worn spindle, an under-supported workpiece. The marks it leaves are regular and unmistakable.
Why it matters
Chatter is usually a rigidity problem, not a speeds-and-feeds problem. On long shafts the fix is support — a steady rest or a live centre — rather than slowing down, which often makes it worse.
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