Kingston HL-1500 ..... When is a lathe too big?

[acruxksa]

Depending on condition, and if you have the room, I'd buy it

It would seriously cramp my work space, but is theoretically possible if a little cramped. Not sure a power solution for the 10hp 3phase motor is doable though. It's probably possible, but I've only got a 100a service in the garage and already have 1-50a breaker and 2-30a breakers on it in addition to the 120v 20a outlets and exterior lights.

I'm probably going to pass given that there really isn't much/if any tooling with it and the size creates even more cost for me in Alaska.

 

[ArmyDoc]

One other consideration is top RPM. Not familiar with that lathe, but larger lathes often have lower top RPM. If you are planning to do smaller work, that might or might not be limiting depending on the material.

I don't have a lot of personal experience with this, so more experienced guys may want to chime in. But in choosing a lathe, I am looking for one that has a top RPM greater than 2000. The reason for this is that I expect to do small parts in aluminum. Steel has a cutting speed of 30-100 ft/min depending on type. But aluminum has a much higher cutting speed of 400-1000 ft/min. So, if I am calculating this correctly, a 1 inch diameter part is ~3.14 inches in circumfrence, so #4 rpm is 1ft /min. To turn aluminum you need more than 1600 RPM. Some larger and/or older lathes have a maximum of 1500rpm.

 

[Watchwatch]

1in diameter aluminum and ~1000 RPM turns nicely with a sharp tool. HSS or ground carbide.

Is the lathe in good shape? If so buy it OP. Put a 10inch 6 jaw chuck on it and call it a day. Big chucks are not fun up close. I spent some time on a 24inch 4 jaw in my youth and don’t recommend it unless it’s required for the work.

You might have to make some adapters for smaller tooling, but it shouldn’t be complicated.

VFD and juggle the 50amp outlet with other machines.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rabler]

Typically to run a 10HP motor on single phase you use a 20HP vfd. That double accounts for the lack of phases. You need a vfd that allows phase loss detection to be disabled. A smaller vfd will often trip off on motor startup (inrush current) even if you don’t need the horsepower.
50A at 220v single phase is probably a little light to run it, plan on 60-75. Still within a 100a service as long as you limit what else runs. Again inrush on startup is the challenge.

Otherwise, for a big lathe, room to house it, max rpm, and ability to rig/move it into place are considerations. I have a 25x50 Monarch 612 at nearly 10,000 lbs. Hard to beat shear size and mass. Mine came with a 20HP motor, which I replaced with a 10HP and used the 20 to build an RPC. That lathe max’s at 1500 rpm.

I use carbide on aluminum on a 1000 rpm max lathe. I’m cutting at less than optimal speed but it works well enough.

Any floor size lathe can kill or maim. With bigger lathes, the hazard to be aware of is that bad setups don’t jam and stop the lathe, something gives way, often violently.

Me, I’d gobble it up on a heartbeat.

 

[Janderso]

You can’t do big stuff on a small lathe.
I’d be on my way right now. $3,000 for a known good lathe…..? What’s the question?
My 15x50 is too big fir some. It’s perfect for me.

 

[f350ca]

Large lathes can certainly do small work, but they awkward. Hard to see what your doing and the dials are generally stiffer.
I have a 16 x 80 Summit thats built heavier than the Kingston. I do small work on it regularly now, often before I got an accurate small lathe.
The Kingston doesn't have a clutch, so your starting the motor loaded every time, not a small feat with large chucks and work pieces. I use a Phase Perfect solid state 3 phase generator to run the Summits 10 hp motor which starts unloaded as it uses a wet cutch to spin up the spindle. I'd be tempted to go with a rotary converter to run it for cost savings.

Greg

 

[John O]

Does the voltage make a difference, I didn't see it mentioned. Commercial in Canada is usually 600v

 

[akjeff]

Kingston ad isn't old news, my wife works with the daughter of the owner. They offered to sell it to me several months ago for 4k, but I saw the size and chickened out. Now at 3k, common sense still says no, but I've been known to do stupid things before.

Well, I guess Bob's must have a second Kingston HL1500 they're selling. That looks similar to the one they sold last November. Machines like that, at that price, usually don't stay for sale for more than a few hours, let alone a few months in Alaska! Good luck with the search.

 

[woodchucker]

Yep, should have said 1 in 20 chance of dying in the job . Still, at 52yrs old, I've been shot at in Punta Arenas Chile, stood on top of a moving train in Cairns Australia and beaten up and thrown out of a bar in Guam ( 18 stitches). Nothing has ever scared me more than pre loading the springs on my garage door.

oh, preloading springs on a garage door is cake..

 

[ConValSam]

Rigging a lathe that size will introduce a whole set of issues as well. And once you set it it won't move again unless you go through the entire process again.