- Joined
- Jul 8, 2018
- Messages
- 880
By applying that, the only thing people really need is a 7x14" lathe because it will fit both of those dimensions. The difference is a 14" will be heavier, stronger, and more rigid, allowing you to cut those smaller pieces faster and more accurately, and when that task that comes up needing 13" diameter, a 2" spindle bore, or 36" between centers, you are already equipped to handle it.
The same sort of thinking made me purchase a 7x16 lathe from Micromark when I was starting out. I thought it would work out of the box, as would the various accessories (cutters, toolposts, etc) sold for it. This turned out to not be the case, and a few months of reading made it apparent that every tool bit has to be custom ground, the mini-lathes need to have carriage locks and the like added, the gibs have to be machined or even replaced, and so forth. All of which is problematic when you're just starting out and have access to only that unreliable and imprecise machine you've purchased.
I took the plunge and got a used 14x40 with a bunch of tooling, and you know what, everything worked out of the box (well, upon receipt, as there was obviously no actual box). So far I have only been making stuff in the 1" diameter, 12" length range and smaller, but I came across a long 3" diameter brass rod and hey, now I have a cannon project in my future. Because, you know, I can.
So, yeah - size does matter, and buying new doesn't necessarily get you the ready-to-run machine that justifies buying new in the first place.