Newbie With A Question

Hi All,

I am not a complete greenhorn but it was so long ago that I ran a lathe, I don't think that I remember.
I have always enjoyed working with metal-welding making bumbers etc. I am considering picking up a lathe to start doing some of my own rifle work and other part making etc.
I've read here and on other forums the suggestions to get a smaller machine to learn on but I hate to waste money on a machine that won't really do what I want to do.


Question that I have is what are all your feelings on the combo machines Lathe/mill combo???

Get a lathe that will swallow a rifle barrel, and hold it between chuck and live center. You'll regret anything smaller.

That is the way that I have been looking at it as well. More money involved there but I would rather spend it up front rather than spend it twice.

What do you think about the combo machines? The range of the mill seems limited compared to a stand alone?

I've never considered a combination, lathe and mill. Limited is a good observation. It strikes me no better than a drill press with a mill table. I expect correction on this. My Opinion.

Welcome aboard!

The combo machines are OK for very light work, but in general, go as big as budget and space allow.

Used equipment is fine, as long as it's not used up. To find used equipment you may have to go a ways outside of your area. A quick Craigslist search turned up this Logan in Pasco, https://kpr.craigslist.org/tls/5434014430.html This might do what you want. I don't know the specs on this one but it looks long enough. Not sure what the spindle through hole size is.

Good Luck in your search. There are a lot of members here that do gunsmithing so there will be lots of helpful advice available.

I have to agree, Get the largest lathe that you have space for ,that won't break the bank. For gunsmithing. A 14x40 would be a good size.

Gfrost said:

Question that I have is what are all your feelings on the combo machines Lathe/mill combo???

Click to expand...

I've owned three 3-in-1 machines. An earlier one, a competitor's model, then a newer one. The first one didn't do anything well. The second was an alright milling machine but had no redeeming factors for the lathe portion. The third was a decent hobby lathe and milled okay, so long as you were willing to take a long time being careful with light cuts, lock and unlock the table/head/column with each and every adjustment.

That was before, during, and after working in production shops.

Get a straight lathe. As mentioned above, "Large enough to swallow a rifle barrel."

IMO a 12x36 or larger and one that has both a feed screw and a lead screw. A cam lock chuck mount and quick change tool post (QCTP) included with your purchase will save you time, again IMO.

I went this same route, initially looking at the Grizzly G4002 12x24, then at the G4003 12x36. Then through the forum here, I learned about the Precision Matthews PM1236 in the same size. Very nice and has the optional real foot brake! Praises for Matt's customer service are second to none. His outfit also has multiple 13x40 and 14x40 lathes too.

Then, while judiciously viewing local Craigslist ads every day, someone popped up with a G4003 with the stand and extras billed as "used less than 40 hours." Nary a chip on it. Price was over $1500 less than new and he was willing to do a payment plan for a few weeks.

Save up, keep looking. Get a lathe.

Dedicated machines will always be superior to combination machines. There are compromises made to build them. No doubt in my mind at all, get a lathe, tool it up well, then start looking for a mill. A good mill on the used market seems to be a little harder to find but can be done. New is always there of course, but you'll need to be cautious on some of the imports. Do your research and read the reviews, and consider the sources of those reviews.

Thank you for all the replies, really confirmed all my thoughts!!
A week or so ago there was a couple of options on Craigslist that I should have jumped on, they are gone now. One was a Grizzly and the other was comparable, both were around 2500!


Gary

You've got some good advise , now shop and buy the biggest lathe you have room for. If you don't have to have brand new there's lots of really good American made lathes out there. I'm kinda tired of selling our country to china if you know what I mean . Time to rebuild our country not the worlds. Good luck in all your adventures make chips and be a producer .