Lathe recommendations for beginner home workshop?

[svideo]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but I know there is a lot of talent here and am hoping I might tap into the collected wisdom of those far more experienced with these tools than I'll ever be.

I'm a woodshop home gamer looking to extend my reach into metal. I have some limited experience operating a Bridgeport and have placed an order for a PM-728VT benchtop mill from Precision Matthews. That decision was reasonably-informed as I had some basic background experience there.

I'd also like to pick up a lathe for the home shop, but having never once touched a lathe I have very little idea of what exactly I should be looking for. My use cases are pretty simple, everything I tend to work on happens to be small. I primarily have been making small electronics and simple mechanical contrivances on a one-off basis. As a result, I don't foresee a need for a huge bed/swing as I'm unlikely to be turning gun barrels or what have you.

With that said, here is my entirely-uninformed-by-any-experience list of thing I think I might want. If anything in this list is dumb, I'm interested in being told about it

• Ability to cut a reasonably-wide range of materials, including most grades of steel
• Speed of machining time isn't super important, if one can get a less-massive lathe that can still cut steel but with a smaller DOC then I am totally OK with that
• Machine size in respect to the size of the work that can be handled isn't super important, but I understand that size also relates to capability and would be willing to buy a bigger machine just to get a better machine if needed.
• I'm in the US but would prefer metric tooling if that's an option
• Single-phase power up to 20A would be preferable
• This is going into my basement, which is walk-out but that still is problematic for a 1000lbs+ machine. Smaller would be better in that regard, but I can bust my hump to move something if it's really warranted.
• I have been looking at Electronic Lead Screw projects with some interest. I'm very comfortable w/ steppers and controllers etc and I think that might be a better solution for me than futzing with change gears, or spending $$$$ on something that requires less change-gear-futzin'. I might be wrong about that and would appreciate input.
• Precise enough to hold a thou with care and some work
• An available DRO option would be preferred
• Don't really care about CNC for this tool
• Strong preference for a machine that doesn't require a lot of screwing around before first chips to make it not suck. Buying a cheap chinese tool is OK, but if I need to be an experienced machinist to do whatever work is required in order to make that machine safe and reliable, then I have a problem because I am not an experienced machinist. As a result, for my first set of tools I'd prefer to purchase something that is reasonably reliable straight out of the box. Once I start understanding this stuff then I can go trolling CL for some clapped out Bridgeport treasure find (and then subsequent rebuild).

 

[addertooth]

Questions back to you..
Single phase 20 amp 110v or 220v?
What is the longest item you wish to machine. What is the largest diameter you wish to machine.

Comments: you will have to learn a LOT about machining, to integrate an electronic lead screw on any lathe, this particular desire on your part seems to contradict your expectation of easy learning curve.

p.s. Great choice on the PM 728vt... I got the same one

 

[Watchwatch]

Taiwanese Precision Matthews. Getting the lathe downstairs won’t be fun though because they are all over 1k#.

I noticed you are in Michigan. Plenty of industrial auctions in your area. Check out bidspotter.com


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[svideo]

Single phase 20 amp 110v or 220v?

The room has two 120V 20A circuits available, both happen to be on the same phase. The house service entrance and breaker box is in the adjacent room so getting 2 phase over to the next room is doable. 3 phase is obviously doable w/ a VFD if needed. In short, I'm willing to extend power as needed but it'd be easier and cheaper if it wasn't needed.

What is the longest item you wish to machine.

Honestly, I don't have a clear answer on that which I appreciate is a little dumb. My limited experience on a mill has informed my own thinking about the sorts of projects I can accomplish on a mill. I have no similar mental framework for lathe work, I don't have a lot of problems today that a lathe will solve for me, but that is partly because I don't know how to use a lathe to solve my problems. As a result the size consideration is of low priority vs the other items listed above. In my research, a large lathe often has more features (and more rigidity etc), so I might wind up buying a large lathe than I need just to get that extra capability.

Comments: you will have to learn a LOT about machining, to integrate an electronic lead screw on any lathe, this particular desire on your part seems to contradict your expectation of easy learning curve

Totally understood, and an ELS is a secondary objective which I'll probably only dig into after some time with the lathe as-is. I am very experienced with steppers and stepper controllers and microcontroller firmware development. The electronics are the easiest part of this project for me by a wide margin. Is your concern about the mechanical aspects of integrating an ELS with an existing machine, or based on the complexity of the electro/mechanical solution? If an ELS is the goal, would it be smart for me to consider a common lathe model where others have been working on the ELS solution to simplify the mechanical aspect for me?

 

[svideo]

Taiwanese Precision Matthews. Getting the lathe downstairs won’t be fun though because they are all over 1k#.

PM feels like they offer an ideal tradeoff between price and quality for a first-time buyer, plus offering post-sale support and service. If a PM lathe model makes sense I'd be happy to place another order with them for the same reasons.

I noticed you are in Michigan. Plenty of industrial auctions in your area. Check out bidspotter.com

My problem with this approach is that I don't know what the hell I'm doing, and as a result, I don't know what to buy or how to find a deal or how to fix any issues that might have resulted in that deal. Eventually, I think I'll have the experience required to score a smokin' deal on some well-used machine tools, but for this first purchase, I'd strongly prefer to pick up something that's ready-to-rock and has some support behind it. I recognize that I'll pay more as a result, but that money is buying me less frustration in dealing with problems that I'm ill-equipped to handle on my own.

 

[macardoso]

Think about the general work you'd like to do. If we are talking watches, then a sherline lathe will do everything you need. In general, I think a 12x36" is a great size for most hobby work. Sure a 13 or 14" lathe would be better, but most of us don't need that capacity or weight.

I'm making a medium sized steam engine (PM Research #6) and I wouldn't want a machine any smaller than my 12". It would probably be possible to do this kit on a 10" lathe, but the added mass and rigidity make holding the tolerances much easier.

12x36" is probably the smallest lathe that can effective do gun work.

I got mine used in good condition for $1200 and it weighs in the neighborhood of 800-1000lbs. If you have a walkout basement then you are golden. I would plan on pulling 240V (30 or 40A dryer outlet) from the panel. It makes your machine choices much easier

 

[macardoso]

BTW, welcome to HM!

 

[Watchwatch]

Buy a 1236T or 1340t and call it good. Pay a pro to move into the basement. Buy once, cry once.

The 1236T will do all you want to do and then some.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[macardoso]

My problem with this approach is that I don't know what the hell I'm doing, and as a result, I don't know what to buy or how to find a deal or how to fix any issues that might have resulted in that deal. Eventually, I think I'll have the experience required to score a smokin' deal on some well-used machine tools, but for this first purchase, I'd strongly prefer to pick up something that's ready-to-rock and has some support behind it. I recognize that I'll pay more as a result, but that money is buying me less frustration in dealing with problems that I'm ill-equipped to handle on my own.

I'm somewhat local to you, as are a few other HM members. If you find a lathe within an hour or two of me, I'd be happy to help you inspect it.

Check out HGR.com. They are 10 minutes from my house and have a constantly rotating inventory of machine tools. They come in priced high and the price drops over 2 months or so. Anything that doesn't sell is scrapped. Most everything sells. I've met guys driving up from Mexico to get good deals on machinery there.

That's where I got my lathe and an industrial robot.

 

[svideo]

Think about the general work you'd like to do. If we are talking watches, then a sherline lathe will do everything you need. In general, I think a 12x36" is a great size for most hobby work. Sure a 13 or 14" lathe would be better, but most of us don't need that capacity or weight.

I'm making a medium sized steam engine (PM Research #6) and I wouldn't want a machine any smaller than my 12". It would probably be possible to do this kit on a 10" lathe, but the added mass and rigidity make holding the tolerances much easier.

12x36" is probably the smallest lathe that can effective do gun work.

I got mine used in good condition for $1200 and it weighs in the neighborhood of 800-1000lbs. If you have a walkout basement then you are golden. I would plan on pulling 240V (30 or 40A dryer outlet) from the panel. It makes your machine choices much easier

What lathe are you using today? I'm not opposed to something the size of a Sherline, and at that price I would simply pull the trigger today because it wouldn't require a lot of planning (or money).

Here's a dumb question - with a small lathe (Sherline etc) with very little mass, am I still able to cut harder materials by way of reducing the DOC?