Contemplating a small lathe...

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Tremelune

Newly Enlightened
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Feb 24, 2003
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I've used a lathe exactly once in my life, and I'm not sure what to look for in one. I would like a lathe mainly to make small motorcycle parts. Bushings, spacers, brackets, adapters.

I just plan to stick this on a table in my garage...What are the maintenance requirement of these machines? If one sits in storage for years, what could go bad on it? It's just metal and an electric motor, right? Simple cover? Rust-proofing oil?

This thing will probably make a few dozen small parts per year...but I'd like for it to do it for years and years and years. I'm comfortable buying used equipment (cars, bikes, laptops, cameras, etc), but I really don't know what to look for (good vs bad) in machining equipment. Since it is my first, I feel like it would be wise to buy new so that I know it operates properly and safely, to get a feel for a proper machine. I'm starting from scratch, though, so I need chucks, tools, live/dead centers...Everything.

List of desires, as far as I can see:

- Metric and standard measurements
- Sturdy, accurate (thousandths? hundredths?), and reliable (serviceable?)
- Small (Maybe 4' long?)
- Threading--Metric and standard
- I would like to be able to use it for simple mill work as well--plates, adapters, brackets, mounts, braces. I understand there is a vertical axis adapter you can use...
- Power feeding (?)
- 110V
- Presumably any metal lathe can do wood as well?
- The cheaper the better! It would be hard to justify $1000 for a hobby tool

I've thought about a 3-in-1, but I've read they're not such a great investment, bang for buck. That said, I don't have a lathe, mill, or drill press at this point. I'm also wondering about CNC. Versatility is key, but perhaps a simple lathe and a simple mill would be better than whiz-bang all-in-wonder? I'm seeing some Sherlines and Harbor Freights, but I can't sniff out quality from web photos.

I'm just researching at this point, but any input would be appreciated.
 
I would recommend a 12x lathe as I now consider my 12x to be a small lathe :)devil:), but I think that to start, you can't beat a good 7x lathe. The 8x lathe (like the 8x14) is larger/heavier/stiffer, but the built-in speed control makes the 7x much user friendly. Here is an old post of mine when I got my used one:
Cummings 7x12 lathe ...


There is also a very active, and very knowledgeable group in yahoo that concentrates on the 7x and 8x lathes:
7x12 mini lathe Yahoo Group

And of course, this sub-forum is also a good place to learn as well ;)

Keep in mind that you will typically spend "at least" the same amount or more on tooling than the lathe itself. This is not a joke - tooling is what makes the hobby expensive ;)

Will
 
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wquiles said:
Keep in mind that you will typically spend "at least" the same amount or more on tooling than the lathe itself. This is not a joke - tooling is what makes the hobby expensive ;)

Will
Click to expand...

No joke at all. With an inexpensive lathe like the 7X it is easy to out spend lathe cost on tooling.

Just be very cautious buying Chinese tooling (like harbor freight) It often is pure junk. But the price is attractive. :grin2:

Check eBay for great pricing on "often" top quality tooling, you just have to have patience.

One suggestion I often hear is buy the biggest heaviest machine you can budget and have space for and you won't have to replace it as soon. Buy small and you will out grow it before you plug it in!
 
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wquiles said:
Keep in mind that you will typically spend "at least" the same amount or more on tooling than the lathe itself. This is not a joke - tooling is what makes the hobby expensive ;)

Will
Click to expand...

Ya by the time I get my lathe I will have about $700 in tooling. And of course much more to go.:naughty:

Oh and the two bottom machines you listed are the same as my PM 1127 VF only mine has the vari speed and the power cross feed. I looked for a titan dealer in the the states to compare prices but never found one.

Good luck:twothumbs
 
The tooling I hadn't considered. Is there, like, a "starter" set somewhere? Tooling costs don't terrify me, because they can be picked up as time allows, and as a particular project necessitates. Do all lathes use standard, interchangeable tools? It would be incredibly annoying to save $200 on a lathe and find out that it doesn't use the same tools as 80% of the other lathes in use.

As far as size is concerned, well, a 52" TV will always be a 52" TV, even when 10' TV's are $100. It doesn't make the viewing experience any worse. As long as it is durable, versatile and accurate, I think a small lathe will do me for a decade--Which is probably how long it will take for $1000 in lathes to actually save me money as opposed to just going to a shop and having parts made over that time. Also, I'll probably move five times in as many years, so this thing has to be man-movable.

Can anyone name a few quality domestic brands? I've had good stuff from Harbor Freight and I've had crap. I'd like to know what I'm getting into beforehand. Does anyone have first-hand experience with their lathes/machinery? They have several sizes, and they all look the same to me:

4x5
7x10
7x12
8x12

I don't think I'll be making anything much bigger than 4x5", but I'm guessing the bigger machines are simply better at doing everything. I'd rather buy a machine that was overkill that lasts than one that'll work but is crappy at what it does and then falls apart.

Are there standard lathe dimensions that the various manufacturers compete on? I see "7x12" batted around a lot, presumably that's the common size of most mini lathes? Does an 8x12" buy you much more than an inch in swing?

I'll check out the Yahoo group...I didn't know they still had those...I live in the Bay Area of California, if it makes a difference. I'm unaware of any suppliers out here, and the used market seems to be pretty slow.
 
Tremelune said:
Do all lathes use standard, interchangeable tools?
Click to expand...
Not exactly. They are "scaled" to match the size of the lathe.

A 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x use AXA size tool holders, although the 7x can use the sub-AXA size as well. My 12x for example uses the BXA size toolholder.


Tremelune said:
Is there, like, a "starter" set somewhere?
Click to expand...
Yes, and in fact, the little machine shop should be your "first" stop for anything/everything related to the 7x lathes:
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3486&category=


This site is a great one to get more familiar with the 7x lathe and its "many" accessories:
http://www.mini-lathe.com/


Tremelune said:
Can anyone name a few quality domestic brands?
Click to expand...
Not new, not for $1000, not even close. At this price range of $500-1000, all of the new machines "will" be imports. They are all very similar, differences being mainly the bundled accessories, but I still feel that given your goals/budget, a 7x12 or 7x14 will be your best option.


Will
 
Those are excellent resources. At this point, I think I have it narrowed down to these options (all made by Sieg). It sounds like, with a bit of tuning and modification, you can get these things in very good shape:

Grizzly 7x12
Harbor Freight 7x12
Cummin 7x12
Micro-Mark 7x14
Big Dog 7x14

I wonder if the extra 2" is worth the money for the 7x14, as well as the relatively rarity of the model when compared to the ubiquitous Sieg 7x12 machines...They're all Sieg, but I wonder how many parts are shared between the 7x12 and the 7x14.

I'll need cutting tools, and an arbor and chuck for the tailstock.
 
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One thing I'm unclear on: Thread pitch. The Micro-Mark advertises a "True Inch" thread pitch. If I most often work in millimeters, do I want a true inch thread pitch?
 
Tremelune said:
One thing I'm unclear on: Thread pitch. The Micro-Mark advertises a "True Inch" thread pitch. If I most often work in millimeters, do I want a true inch thread pitch?
Click to expand...


They come in 3 flavors;
Metric leadscrew and dials;
Metric leadscrews and dials that are marked in inches (most common)
Imperial (TPI) leadscrews and dials.

If you work a lot in inches, the TPI works best simply because a full turn of the handles will be some even fraction of an inch.

Using a metric leadscrew with Inch dials will result in odd amounts like . 0393 inches per revolution.

If you primarily use metric, then by all means look for a metric lathe. That keeps you from doing things in 2.54mm increments. :)

BTW, I have a 5 year old 7x12 cummins and have gotten a lot of use out of it. I'd like a bigger one with a quick change gearbox and room for a DRO (digital read outs) but that has not stopped me from being able to make whatever I've wanted.

I'd suggest getting a separate mill. Unless you go for a machine like a Emco Maximat 7 you will not have a really workable mill. Even then, you have a small lathe with a mini mill in a configuration that is not optimal.

Welcome to CPF!

Daniel
 
This might be a dumb question, but if the dials are marked in inches, how do I make a 0.01mm cut? Mashematics?
 
One important thing about lathe size is the diameter of the stock you plan on cutting. I have an ENCO 7x10 lathe that I have used for a few years now. The diameter of the tube through the headstock is only 3/4 inch, any stock larger will not fit through. The original chuck had a smaller bore. I bored it out so I could fit 3/4 inch stock.

The length of the bed is important. If you use a tailstock with a drill chuck, the machine gets real small with very little space between the end of the drill bit and the stock you are are drilling into. Also - if you are boring out a piece, you need the room for the boring bar.

I only cut aluminum and wood on this lathe, on occasion some brass. I have tried stainless steel and regular steel. This machine does not do a real good job with harder metals. The import machines all seem to be made by the same Chinese manufacturer. Most ( maybe all ) use plastic gears in the headstock, mine has plastic feed gears as well.

I have been very happy with my lathe. It does what I want and what I purchased it for.

You should figure out what type of material you will be cutting, and the sizes of the objects you will be cutting. As many have said, buy the biggest machine you can afford.
 
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Tremelune said:
I wonder if the extra 2" is worth the money for the 7x14
Click to expand...

Your not paying for the 2" extra bed, but for camlock tailstock, digital readout of the spindle speed, more rigid etc. After you have searched you entire workshop for that spanner a number of times, that extra $100 looks like a bargin. ;)
 
Geir68 said:
Your not paying for the 2" extra bed, but for camlock tailstock, digital readout of the spindle speed, more rigid etc. After you have searched you entire workshop for that spanner a number of times, that extra $100 looks like a bargin. ;)
Click to expand...

+1.

Also with a machine that small 2" is a huge increase in length. It also looks like the spindle through hole is larger.

All good reasons to buy up!
 
Geir68 said:
Your not paying for the 2" extra bed, but for camlock tailstock, digital readout of the spindle speed, more rigid etc. After you have searched you entire workshop for that spanner a number of times, that extra $100 looks like a bargin. ;)
Click to expand...

+2

If I were buying a small lathe, I would rather wait until I can buy that one for sure ;)
 
Makes sense. That leaves me looking at the Micro-Mark, Big Dog, or waiting a few months for the new Sieg motor...
 
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