Decisions-- mill lathe combo or separate units.....help with your thought

markba633csi said:
Chris: East coast in general has more machinery than west and for better prices. It tends to come in "waves" though- a long dry spell and then suddenly a bunch of stuff will appear.
It's possible to make good parts on a worn lathe, depending on what you consider tight tolerances. Most older lathes will have wear, usually on the bed near the headstock. But you can often compensate for this if you are familiar with the nature of the error. If you routinely need to make long, precise parts the bed wear is more of an issue.
Mark
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Thanks Mark. That's interesting. I've been looking but it's been an 'off and on' hunt at best. Apparently I need to stay more focused and buckle down on the search over here then. I have plans on making lots of things but "long, precise" parts probably isn't going to be in the mix, so sounds like I should be fine. Would it be worth to dismantle and have the bed ways 'ground afresh' on a surface grinder somewhere? Might cost as much as the cost of the lathe--lol.
 
There are always lathes on Craigslist in the north east (New England) that I wouldn't mind owning.
 
Often grinding the bed means grinding the carriage too; it can get involved and for light inexpensive lathes is usually not cost-effective
Mark
ps Having said that, if your brother happens to own a grinding shop...:)
 
Shootymacshootface said:
There are always lathes on Craigslist in the north east (New England) that I wouldn't mind owning.
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Oh really--awesome. I'll shift my sector of fire. Heck, I'll drive up to New England to pick up a lathe....be fun. I have an ol army buddy that lives up there also...make the most of my fuel cost. Life is too short. Thanks Shooty!

markba633csi said:
Often grinding the bed means grinding the carriage too; it can get involved and for light inexpensive lathes is usually not cost-effective
Mark
ps Having said that, if your brother happens to own a grinding shop...:)
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Yeah, I figured that. Unfortunately, all my friends and close pals in the area which did have nice machines, sold them in the early 90s after the manufacturing packup to overseas. Sad to watch all that unfold, as I did. Life is cyclical though and there are some beautiful things unfolding after this crazy circle. Maybe someone will pop up close to me sooner than later. :concerned: I guess, in the meanwhile, I'll just enjoy what I get and work around the slight wear.
 
Truefire said:
Oh really--awesome. I'll shift my sector of fire. Heck, I'll drive up to New England to pick up a lathe....be fun. I have an ol army buddy that lives up there also...make the most of my fuel cost. Life is too short. Thanks Shooty!
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This is exactly the time of year to do it. People are clearing out their shops/garages/warehouses/etc as part of a spring clean. Machines are plentiful March-May, then everyone takes off for vacation and when they come back they're too busy with winter prep.

Here's a taste (mill, not lathe): https://nh.craigslist.org/tls/d/exeter-milling-machine/6846626430.html
 
That's a good deal for a Cincinnati- looks to be in good shape too
 
My two cents from personal experience: Don't buy Asian (if you can avoid it) and get the biggest machine you have space for and can afford.
 
Check the Boston and the Worcester areas on Craigslist. There are several South bend, Atlas, and Logan lathes on there.
 
wow that looks like one heck of a deal on that mill. wowsers!! almost one of those things, 'You can't afford not to buy'-- wish i was closer
 
I had a 3 in 1 machine and all I could do with it was destroy parts, it didn't even make a decent drill press. I found an old Seneca Falls lathe on craigslist for $300 and it has served me well through 3 different businesses. This year I've been fixing it up with a new VFD drive, QCTP, small but hopefully accurate milling attachment, and a bunch of tooling.

Remember that, tooling is everything where these machines are concerned. If you can get a decent used lathe with lots of tooling (chucks, collets, holders, cutters, steady rest, faceplate, etc. you'll be miles ahead. I personally wouldn't go for an Atlas but here's one in Michigan if you're interested. https://nmi.craigslist.org/tls/d/south-branch-metal-lathe-atlas-618/6830498003.html For the price it might be worth checking out.

Two things I've learned about lathes in the past few months fixing mine up. First, I'll never be able to turn something over 340 rpm because of the plain bearings in my headstock. Second, I have to use the change gears if I want to adjust the automatic feed rate. If I had it to do over I would have looked for a newer machine with ball bearings and a quick change gear box but I am still extremely happy with the functionality of my 9 x 5 Star.

I sold the 3 in 1 less than a year after I bought it and was very happy to see it go to it's new owner even with my loss. Shoot for the heaviest machine with the biggest work envelope you can fit in your space, you won't be sorry....

Cheers,

John
 
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