home shop lathe

[MossRoad]

Test complete. Please continue lathing.

 

[GeneV]

Test complete. Please continue lathing.

Ok, see ya lather.

 

[alexpops]

Just a test to see if we can post.

penalty box?

 

[MossRoad]

penalty box?

I don't play hockey.

 

[Eagle1]

Sin Bin then?

 

[Trackerjoe]

Hey guys,

I lost access to the lathe I've been using for small projects over the last 15 years, and I've got enough small jobs on the horizon that I'd better get moving with a quick replacement.

I love the vintage old USA equipment, in fact I have a shop full of vintage woodworking machines, but I don't really have time for a restoration or repair right now. So as much as it pains me, I'm probably looking at import junk.

Any suggestions on where to start? Brands? Retailers? Looking to turn and bore everything from loader pins to aluminum cylinders of a few inches diameter (work stuff). Also looking for something that could make a poor-man's horizontal mill in a pinch, you know the old trick of putting an end mill in the chuck and your work on the tool holder.

I still use a commercial shop for most of my work, so this is really more for one-offs, prototypes, and repairs. Don't need much length, or even a ton of throw, but wanting see what's available before putting numbers to it.

Thanks!

Well, ask 15 people for brand recommendations and you'll get 15 different answers. But the Jet lathe I bought in the '80s still works great and continues to hold +/-. 002 tolerances easily.

 

[Fallon]

Well, ask 15 people for brand recommendations and you'll get 15 different answers. But the Jet lathe I bought in the '80s still works great and continues to hold +/-. 002 tolerances easily.

Only 15? I can come up with 2-4 separate opinions by myself.

The heavier the better if you can move it. Old iron is great value, but you may not have the skills or knowledge to determine its condition or wear levels if you are starting out.

 

[DanMc77]

A 1973 South Bend 13x30 lathe showed up in my shop a few years ago. The guy selling it bought it at the VoTech where he was teaching (he probably got it for $200 in a silent auction). He claimed that it had been rebuilt about two years earlier, and I have no reason to dispute that. It went into the shop with a 3 Phase VFD controller and needed nothing other than filling the oil cups. The bed ways don't have a single nick and it's tight. I just need a decent 3 jaw chuck. I'll get +/- about 20 thou when I put something in the chuck. So any accurate work has to stay chucked until it's cut off.

 

[aircommuter]

They don’t all run at the same time. I don’t know the criteria is for HP versus square footage. That room in my shop is 40x50 and 12’ high.

 

[aircommuter]

Location has a lot to do with old machine avalibility & pricing. East coast & the rust belt were old manufacturing & industrial centers. Lots of old machines from back in the day. Much smaller industrial legacy here in Denver or in the west. So much smaler supply of machines & higher resulting prices.

I travel to where the machine is and haul it back.

 

[stephanadams]

You might get lucky and find some vintage old iron.....South Bend, Leblond, Monarch, etc. near you or within traveling distance. Even shipping can sometimes be reasonable for the right machine!

Nox Vidmate VLC​

 

[yubh8tn]

I am very happy with my Lagun mill. Variable speed and very solid.

I have a Lagun Mill as well. Love it.

 

[eCRX]

I went through a similar situation. I had access to an oasis of machinist, toolmaker, maintenance and QA equipment that we were (more or less) allowed to use on nightshift and then found a new job in an office full of geeks and computers.

I ended up with a made-in-Taiwan 14x40 lathe that I use from time to time. I have no regrets on size or quality but I can't imagine having anything much smaller. A DRO would be nice but not necessary.

I would suggest having a budget keeping an open mind. I was fixated on finding a USA made lathe for a while and only found 'vintage' equipment in my price range. The gear swapping, bearing tech, and toolpost on a southbend seemed too unfamiliar from what I used in school and while pretending to be a machinist.

sounds odd and maybe even insulting or rude to some, but make sure you have some spending money during the next recession. Best time to build a home workshop.

this is the exact make model I have. There's a few different clones and varients out there.