Are mods a must for all 7x12 lathe's

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rx2man

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Are mods a must for all 7x12 lathe's do I want to buy one?

I am thinking about picking up a 7x12 lathe. I have been reading various posts about modifying them, other posts on the web I read that you have to rebuild them before use. I read about the "Mini-lathe saddle fit improvement". I am starting to think maybe I do not want one and should just stick with the cheaper wood lathe. Is this a quality control issue? with some being better than others or do all of them require the modifications. I want the lathe for briar pipes, with a metal lathe you can do wood and metal so seemed the way to go if I find new interests.
 
Depends on wich lathe you get. Some importers have better QC then outhers but cost more.
 
OK so getting the Harbor Freight version is a coin toss? No being a troll here, decided against a used machine as I don't know enough to spot a bad one. I have not had any issue a s with HF tools, you get a lot of tool for the money. But a lathe is a precision instrument. Just wondering if I am going to be frustrated with it.
 
Some of the mods are really must do's and some are not. I think the ones for stiffening and improving the cut should definitely be done immediately. Some of the others not so much. The only mods I have done to my 7X is adding a qctp from LMS and disassembling and thoroughly cleaning it and carfeul re-assembly. I did add the cam lock tail stock but that was a convenience item only. I think you should run your lathe and judge for yourself if you feel like it needs improvement or not. If you are getting satisfactory results why bother. On the other hand if you have issues some of the mods may address them and help resolve them too. I'm kind of a fix as you go kind of guy so I don't do much unless it has a problem or needs improvement. Hope this helps.

Bob
 
I'm no expert but I "wood" tend to think that even a "bad" metal lathe would be more accurate than hand turning.
Most mods are done to improve accuracy or ease of use.
Most of us want to be within at least .001 when turning a project, at least I do.
 
Sounds good, I will likely order tomorrow while the "sale" is going on and I have a 25% coupon.
 
Another way to look at it is that doing a few small mods would serve to teach basic machining techniques. The parts for a tailstock cam-lock are fairly easy to make and there are several web sites with information on how to do the job.

I'm assuming that you don't have much experience with either wood or metal lathes. While you can turn wood on a metal lathe more easily than you can turn metal on a wood lathe, each one will do a better job on the material for which it was designed. Some wood-turning shapes can be quite difficult on a metal lathe. I have both, but I'll admit I'm more partial to the metal lathe. With a little care, a 7 x 12 will prove a reliable and enjoyable tool.
 
Buy a vintage lathe with tooling and be done with it. :winner: old machines.

But if you don't have the space, then that's another story.

Just sayin.
 
I had an 120 years old lathe, and now i'm very happy with my new c3 clone :)
Mine already had camlock tailstock.
 
Its pretty hard to pass up for $450 + $7 shipping lol. I am selling a Sig p238 to get the extra $$$$ today. Once that is done I will be ordering
 
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