[Newbie] First Home Shop Lathe/mill

Aw don't regret it, there will be other deals, besides that was a change gear lathe which can be PITA if you want to change threads and feeds often. Be patent, when the right machine comes along you'll know it.
 
find yourself the cheapest usable lathe
size doesnt matter, brand doesnt matter
all that matters is the price and the tooling that comes with it
then..
start learning to actually use a lathe
make all the mistakes that can be made
find out the deficiencies of a small lathe
then..
start looking around for a real lathe
discover that a real lathe is heavy and big and costs no more than a south bend or logan or whatever
real lathes are cheap because the professionals want a cnc and the hobbiest scare away from hem because they are big and heavy
but a real lathe will have all the capabilities the others ones lack
after you found your real lathe sell the first one
 
ditto ^. Also, to be somewhat brutally honest, if you can't find what the difference is between a Heavy 10 and an SB9, you need to do some more reading. Read read read everything you can, then you can be a little more confident about jumping on a lathe the moment it appears, rather than posting it up here and seeing it disappear while you wait for people to get back to you. No used lathe is going to be perfect, but any lathe is better than no lathe.
 
toolman147 said:
All good advice thanks.
Click to expand...
Even if the logan was in real good shape, it's still a change gear machine. I'm way too lazy to go through that routine everytime I want to change my feed. Change gear machines don't sell real well in the midwest. There are too many qc machines available. What part of the country are you from?
 
I agree with what JA has stated. But I'm going to add one more thing. Start with a small lathe and not only learn how to use it, but also learn how to use it SAFELY.
 
silence dogood said:
I agree with what JA has stated. But I'm going to add one more thing. Start with a small lathe and not only learn how to use it, but also learn how to use it SAFELY.
Click to expand...

a very important aspect indeed!!!!
a smaller, low powered, belt driven lathe will be much more forgiving than a real lathe
real lathes dont take prisoners, they just mutilate and kill
 
First get alathe.Preferably one with some tooling. Use it for a while and then you will know what you need.
If you buy it right, you can resell at no loss.
 
toolman147 said:
First of all...Thanks for all your replies. There seems to be some great experience and knowledge far above what I have in this area. I am a retired electrician so doing any "motor stuff" or getting power to any machine is where my expertise ends.
With that said let me respond to a few questions. My "shop" is a detached 26'x32' garage with 12' ceiling height. I have a beam across the center for lifting purposes only (no structural support) with a couple of rolling chain hoists. I also have access to a car hauler so picking up-delivering a machine to my shop should be doable. The budget is a little flexible, but I don't want to put too much into the machinery till I see how much use it gets. I have been looking at some used lathes in the $750-$1800 range, with a 9" to 16" swing range. It seems that the 10"-12" is a pretty good all around size (?). As for mills, I've looked at everything from "mill-drills" up to 9"x42" bridgeport style machines ($500-$3000). In reality I will have to pick one (lathe/mill) to purchase first. I can't afford both right now. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks again!
Terry
Click to expand...
 
every one in this trade has been where you are. so many choices and so much to consider. first and foremost the size of the equipment will be determined by the type of work you want to do. new or used is also a big consideration. you really need a lathe and a mill. if i had to choose i would get a mill first. most serious machinists end up with a bridgeport style mill. if you can afford it start with one of these. a lot of purists look down their noses at imports but to be honest unless your in a production shop they will work fine and are way cheaper than domestic machines .if your buying used get some professional help evaluating your purchase. bridgeport parts are very expensive. as far as lathes are concerned the same advice applies. as for size a 12 to 14 inch is a good size. smaller will limit the size of work you can hold as well a the thru hole in the spindle. when you go larger, chucks get very heavy and a pain to change and they sometimes wont close up to hold small parts. both machines will require a lot of tooling . check the spindle mount on the lathe for a common mount type, check the mill for tooling type . most common is r8 but you will see come mt3 or mt2. get a grizzly catalog and you will get a good idea of sizes,types ,weights and pricing of new equipment. i see someone else mentioned a local machinery dealer for used equipment. read a lot and shop around. if you can find something in good condition and with some tooling you can save a lot of money.good luck and good hunting
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top