- Joined
- Oct 17, 2018
- Messages
- 925
The sheer mass of the lathe to me would make the biggest difference because that is the limiting factor on the depth of cut you can take, the accuracy of your finish cuts, and your enjoyment. Compare the import 9" lathes with some of the rare high quality ones like an EMCO (not ENCO). The Emco is tremendously more heavy for the same travel size and this is for good reason.
True, but the Atlas Craftsman I have is not known for being particularly rigid. The weak point is the compound. I can make a cut about 0.025" in steel before the lathe bogs down. That's with lube, a sharp bit, slow feed rate and proper RPM. Knowing this, I adjust my workflow accordingly.
If you are used to working on a heavy 12" swing lathe, I bet you'll be disappointed when a tiny lathe squawks at you for pushing it a little too hard.
I think you'd really be better off waiting for a generic 12x36 to turn up, or maybe a Heavy 10 or Sheldon equivalent. Anything less will just trade one problem (messy change gears) for another (lack of rigidity, lack of size etc). Send Ulma Doc a message, that guy has a sixth sense for machine tool deals
I'm pretty sure a 12x36 is too big, but I might be able to get a 10x-- on the bench.
If anyone has a 12x36, let me know how deep it really is. I'm just relying on the dimensions the seller gave me, and what I could find in various manuals for similar lathes.
Maybe it would help if I showed you a picture of where this will need to go:
The column to the left of the lathe is 45-1/2" from the right end of the bench. It's 9" wide and sticks out 4-3/4", leaving 19-1/2" clear. The bench is 24-1/4" deep everywhere else. Length is not an issue; I got another 8 feet to the left.