Thoughts and advice on a lathe

[jknaus]

So for the umpteenth time in who knows how many years I am toying with the thought of getting a mini Lathe. I know of some things I could do with it like turning a piece of rod down a bit which I need right now. But what other things can I do with it in the long run. Any thoughts or advice on the practicality of getting a mini lathe?
JAmes

 

[moon puppy]

I bitched and moaned about getting one, I got one and I haven't used it once. Having a lathe is one thing, having lathe skills is another. What part to I need that I can't get in aftermarket or have a buddy print in 3d?

 

[Sharkmouth]

I uh... AHEM... admitted I didn't turn mine on for over a decade. I used it for many things and I do have lathe skills (thankfully to my workshop classes while getting my airframe license in High School). Turning shapes can be for barrels, spinners, road wheels, and so on. My model was able to connect to my PC (not anymore as my software, AutoCad 10, is too old and no longer supported). Also, having gear cutting and threading tools with an indexer are nice additions for adding rifling to barrels. Personally, I don't regret buying my Unimat then but wouldn't buy one now.

 

[jeaton01]

I have a couple lathes but don't use them much for plastic modeling. Much of what I have done is shaping things with a file while chucked up and spinning in the lathe, or with a drill chucked up in the tailstock.. For things like pitot tubes or gun barrels using a cutting tool is difficult on small diameters because it's hard to get the tool set up at the proper angle and center, and if it's not it will tear up the work before you get done. Paul probably knows how to do that kind of work properly. Paul?

 

[Heavens Eagle]

The thing with a lathe or a small milling machine is that you also need tooling to hold the work and machine the parts. The lathe itself is only the first half of it.
I have a watchmaker's lathe and use it fairly often. It is kind of a cross between a wood lathe in how you work the tools to cut the work and a very fine machine lathe. As I said the lathe itself is only the first part. My lathe cost me about $800 twenty years ago. Then there were the chucks, 3 jaw and 4 jaw, wire chucks, wheel chucks, cross slide, and a few other add ons. There was also the motor that I purchased separately which was another $600 if I remember correctly. all the other items I listed probably cost about $3k at the time. Some tools I have used a lot, and others have never been used.
I also bought a small table top mill. It was a fair bit less expensive, and the tooling was also cheaper. I use it much more than I ever have used the lathe.
The thing is I was asked one time what I was planning on using the mill for. My answer was this:

"It isn't what I have planned for the tool, it is what the tool allows me to plan."

I have never regretted the money I spent on these two items. While there are times when it might be a month where I don't use them, there will then be a time and I will use them a whole lot in a short period of time. I have actually thought about getting a larger milling machine, but it doesn't look like I will ever do that. What I have is generally good enough for the things I want to do.

On a side note, I have a VERY OLD shelf queen that got put aside due to needing a way to cut some slots in the plastic for correct detail. It goes back to the 80's. I now have the mill I needed back then. I just have not ever gotten around to digging out the kit and getting after it to finish it.

 

[Sharkmouth]

On a side note, I have a VERY OLD shelf queen that got put aside due to needing a way to cut some slots in the plastic for correct detail. It goes back to the 80's. I now have the mill I needed back then. I just have not ever gotten around to digging out the kit and getting after it to finish it.

No excuse now, right?

 

[Barney]

I grew up in my father's machine shop. Bridgeport, WarnerSwazey, Cincinnati are names that bring back some good times. However, that was 50+ years ago. For me the investment does not make sense. I do admire the work y'all do though.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Right now I am getting a LONG TIME storage emptied out. Almost done. Just have the car yet and it has a locked up wheel. One more trip to tear that wheel down and it can be moved. Have a huge amount of clutter in my house as all the stuff is now in one place for the first time in years. Weeding out and moving things around are what I have been working on for months. Just set up my old original hobby work bench and shelves. Need to get some other items moved out. In the process I now have a shelf with the "Queens" located on it. Don't really have all that many, but I do have a few and will be jumping on them once it all is settled.

 

[jknaus]

Yeah this isnt necessarily for modeling but for the evil 3d printing. Cu8rrently I have a press I built but the 10 mm steel rod which was called for is too big and I want to turn it down to 9.6mm which would be easier than the alternative. Then there are some other projects I have seen which the lathe would be handy. I have toyed with a mill idea for a long time also but that would involve more money and training than I have. I cant see using the lathe a lot but then I dont now what all I have planned or will find in the future. It has been a recurring idea for many years though so I might just get it anyways. The pitot tube idea is something I hadnt thought of but it is making m,e even more interested now. Hmmmmm.

 

[paddy]

I spent 35 years in a machine shop and really it comes down to how much you want to spend and what you want to do.
Not all lathes are the same , its more than just different sizes.
Some will be able to screw cut, some will have powered cross slides for facing, some will be metric, some imperial and some both. Some will be belt drive and some gear drive. Some small belt drive might have very little power at slow RPM, some will not have slow RPM. If you want to use a die and run a thread for example then 20rpm will do but some small lather will not go anywhere near that slow.
As HE Paul said a good tool post , running centre, bench grinder to make tools, Chuck for the tail stock ect could cost as much as the lathe so plan what you need.

 

[Steve Ski]

I acquired a lathe an older fella used for making doll house parts. It came in a bundle with the tiny scroll saw, vertical belt sander, etc., etc. Problem being, my model bunker doesn't have the room for it, so it's in the shop if I ever need it for woodworking. I think the bundle of older mini woodworking tools was $150 back about 8yrs ago, so that was a deal back then.

Research will save a lot of pain and regret, I'm thinkin, like Paddy is sayin.

 

[jknaus]

This is the one I am looking at. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09NQZVV1V/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?smid=A2EWGCZPTX9ERE&psc=1
Has the cross feed and from the reviews and from you tube it looks like the best for what I want. I just need more justification than turning A steel rod. I'm at the point where I will probably do it anyways. I cant find anyone out here who will turn it for me. I just wanted more reasons to get one than just the one reason. I have the files to make a 3D printed lathe, but with the cost of parts and not imagining it will be a long term item i think it would be cheaper just to buy one.
Thanks for the thoughts and advice guys.
Maybe I might have to dabble in something from my childhood and make some steam stuff. I never turned my own but I did play with some steam engines my Dad sold in the hobby shop. Might be another fun money pit even though I have so many ideas and files for 3D printed stuff to last me a lifetime and kits to last 5 lifetimes.

 

[Rhino]

10 in. x 18 in. 5 Speed 1/2 HP Benchtop Wood Lathe

Amazing deals on this 10In X 18In 5 Speed 1/2Hp Benchtop Wood Lathe at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Teresa uses this one to make all her Eggknobs & Inksticks products. She doesn't care for belt-drives because she like to twist a knob to change the speed, rather than swapping belts around. She's used this lathe since 2013 without much fuss.

Eggknobs & Inksticks

Custom toys and pen curiosities. My Wife makes these in her machine shop. She's quite the craftsman and cute too!

tlarmodels.com

I wonder what availability might be like in The Great White North. Our 2 bits.

 

[paddy]

A wood work lathe is a completely different machine from a metal work lathe Rhino

 

[jknaus]

I wondered about something like that, but its no good for metal work. funny story about wood lathes, in school I laminated wood together to make a nice 18 inch salad bowl. I ended up giving my Mom a 5 inch round jewel box. Too bad the instructor wasnt interested in teaching , just shaking his head and muttering obscenities. Still Mom did like her jewel box so not a great loss.

 

[Rhino]

My apologies. Where did I leave that big cup of shut-the-f#ck-up I so often drink from. Hmm.

 

[jknaus]

My apologies. Where did I leave that big cup of shut-the-f#ck-up I so often drink from. Hmm.

Every thought counts. I even considered it before asking, but it wouldnt do what i want to do. Then again even if I get the lathe there is little to no chance it will do what I want to do unless someone else does the work lol. Thak god my youngest son is a metal basher although all his work so far has been refinishing and ALSE.
JAmes

 

[Heavens Eagle]

This is the one I am looking at. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09NQZVV1V/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?smid=A2EWGCZPTX9ERE&psc=1
Has the cross feed and from the reviews and from you tube it looks like the best for what I want. I just need more justification than turning A steel rod. I'm at the point where I will probably do it anyways. I cant find anyone out here who will turn it for me. I just wanted more reasons to get one than just the one reason. I have the files to make a 3D printed lathe, but with the cost of parts and not imagining it will be a long term item i think it would be cheaper just to buy one.
Thanks for the thoughts and advice guys.
Maybe I might have to dabble in something from my childhood and make some steam stuff. I never turned my own but I did play with some steam engines my Dad sold in the hobby shop. Might be another fun money pit even though I have so many ideas and files for 3D printed stuff to last me a lifetime and kits to last 5 lifetimes.

That is actually a decent looking lathe James. I have pondered about getting the nice lathe that Micro Mart has as a step up from the Watchmaker lathe I already have for doing larger work that needs a little more beef to the machine.
Again, the lathe is only the first step. Get the tooling and then use it to do simple jobs to begin with. For example use the lathe to turn the wheels for tank wheels flat. Either to remove the mold line or to smooth the seam where the parts join. This does not need a full setup, just something to hold the wheel while you take a hand file to it for smoothing. It is amazing how fast you can smooth a bunch of bogies for a tank build. My Maus had something like 48 bogies in the running gear and it didn't take much time at all to smooth them.

I have a work job to do this evening and will take some photos in process just for grins.

 

[jeaton01]

That looks just like the one I have from Harbor Freight but a different brand name. Buy exyra drive belts. There are metal replacement gears avilable for mine, better than the nylon gears they come with. But it is a nice solid lathe with a nice tool holder.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

I had a project from work that I had to do on my lathe tonight so since this thread has been going on, I took some photos during the process. Hope you enjoy! It took me about an hour to do this little job. Sometimes it is quicker, sometimes it takes a little longer depending on how contrary it is while trying to get it true to center. I need to make another little tool which would help with that, but just have not had the time as that tool will have to be quite small delicate and will have a fair number of parts for it to work properly.

Anyway on with the show. This is a true watchmaker lathe that uses WW chucks that are common to the older American made lathes. My lathe is a Boley with the motor and speed control made by Levin. This has been a very good lathe and I have been able to do quite a lot of different projects and jobs with it.

If you have any questions feel free to ask. Not many people ever get to see these kinds of things.