Beginners machine thoughts and question

We advocate looking for a used lathe in the size you are looking at for several reasons. They are relatively cheap to begin with, they don't have a lot of 'features' and are pretty common in the market.

The reason they're common in the market, they are one step above a toy. If you really want a lathe, don't buy a toy. Someone's cast-off my decide you against having a lathe, and we don't want that.
 
It's a little bit like learning the guitar, starting out with a cheap one might just turn you off to the whole affair. I consider a 9" swing to be the minimum unless you really are just going to be making tiny stuff. If that's the case definitely look into what Sherline has to offer before you pull the trigger on a Chinese mini lathe.

John
 
I'm going to go against the grain a little bit here only because bed length is a critical factor conspiring against a small space. When you have plenty of room, I agree few have ever said they had too much bed length. However when trying to get as much lathe as possible into a small space too much bed length may actually get you less lathe. An example being a 9x36" lathe or a 10x24" lathe. Unless you make a lot of long parts I think many would choose the larger but shorter lathe. On the other hand a 7x10" (really only 8") vs a 7x12" or 7x14" could be the difference between happiness and complete dissatisfaction where just a couple of inches may matter a great deal.

With a small lathe, mobility also becomes a factor. Are you going to leave the lathe set up, or do you need to pick it up and move it after use?

For mobility the 7x16 at around 125lbs is really pushing mobile for most people, a 7x12" at around 90lbs is more practical, and a Sherline, Unimat or Taig weighing less than 50lbs may well be worth the trade off in size. If weight only matters for getting it into the shop, then 200-300lbs and a case of beer to bribe some friends or co-workers to help you get it moved in may be fine.

What I look at with the larger 7x14 and 7x16" lathes is you begin to trade quality for size / weight that may not be all that critical when mobility is not important only space. A 7x12 lathe is 28" long, a 7x14 30" and 7x16" is 33". An 8x16" is about 40lbs heavier but only 3" longer (36" overall) than a 7x16" lathe. A 9x20 is about double the weight (250lbs) but only 5" longer (38"). The 8 and 9" lathers are a quite a bit more expensive than the 7x10, 12 or 14, but only a few hundred more than the 7x16, and when comparing used machines may be very close in price. The quality of the 8 and 9" lathes tends to be better than the 7" and they are more rigid.

Only pointing this out because many assume the 7" lathes are their only choice for a small lathe when that may not be the case.
 
It all boils down to trying to figure out what you want to do with your lathe. Both now and in the future. We went through this same discussion recently with another new forum member. If I recall he settled on a 7x16 because it would meet his needs both now and in the future.
 
Another potential positive with looking at a used lathe is the possibility of getting a 'package' at little to no extra cost. The first piece of equipment I bought was a used Grizzly 3-in-1 (that I almost immediately outgrew). The seller had quite a bit of tooling and extras that he no longer would use, so I inherited the entire package. When I sold it, a fair amount of that tooling went with it. I upgraded to a used Chinese 1340, and recently upgraded again to a Taiwanese 1440. The 1340 used AXA tooling; the 1440 uses BXA. The lucky guy who bought the 1340 got a fair amount of tooling that I could not adapt over to the 1440.

Moral of the story: The motivation for many folks selling their light-duty used equipment falls into one of two likely categories: either getting out of the activity, or upgrading. In either of those cases, I don't think it's unlikely that a good bit of tooling falls into the bargain as well. It clears out clutter for the seller and is a windfall for the buyer. BUT BEWARE: The other motivation for selling is abuse of the equipment. The last thing you want to happen is ending up with somebody's worn-out reject that may not be practical for any application. Being completely green, you might do well to see if you can find a seasoned hobbyist in your area that would do you the favor of looking over a piece of equipment for you before you buy it. Put out an APB here, and you'll likely find a kind soul that would be willing to help you out. I've seen many instances where potential buyers posted pictures in which our seasoned veterans saw things that escaped the less experienced eyes. Saved us rookies a lot of time, trouble and money.

Regards,
Terry

P.S.: You're going to love this hobby AND this forum.
 
Most of the smaller Chinese lathes are limited in their capability quality and often need a lot of work to get precision results. Think of them as a kit that you can use to build a lathe from. I did have a 7x16 LMS and ended up doing a lot of work on it to make it usable, ultimately sold it for less than 50% of the original price and moved on to a larger 12x36 lathe (Clausing 5914)., which I am much happier with. The mini-lathe did come in handy to make some bushings needed to refurbish the Clausing, then it got sold.

I suspect many follow a similar path. You will be ahead if you start out with something closer to your end needs/goals...
 
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Limited experience could mean a lot of things. There are a lot of good comment here already, if you are an absolute beginner (more or less) you would do well to try to connect with people in your area that have experience. Clubs, people on this site that might be nearby, maker-spaces, Technical schools? Even woodworking groups often have members that are also into metal working and machines.

Often meeting people with like interests and more experience will lead you to a good deal on a starting kit that someone wants to pass on. If you are willing to wait a bit and spend the time looking, you can probably find a good deal on older, more substantial machines and they often come with a decent amount of "kit". However, if you don't know how to evaluate a used machine or don't have a friend that does, you may end up with a major reconditioning project - which is a terrible way to get started unless you plan on specializing in machine restoration!

If you are in one of those areas that simply doesn't have much in the way of used equipment, then again - meeting people and seeing what they have for equipment and talking can really help when deciding to buy new.

There are a lot of really nice and generous people in this hobby and you would do well to meet them in person if you can.

The suggestion of SOR - statement of requirements is a good point, if you are just starting out, your requirements will inevitably grow. But having an idea of what you'd like to be making from the start is a good idea.

About 10 years ago, I landed a used Southbend 9A in very good condition with a lot of kit at a great price. All because I was involved with the local woodturners and had meet and friended a hobby machinist. He knew I was looking for a small lathe. It probably took a year or more before he called me out of the blue. Someone else needed to downsize and sell.

It has a 9" swing and about 24" between the headstock and tailstock. There have only been a few times when I wish I had more room. But I work on the small side / model scale stuff. The lathe also has a quick change gear box and power cross feed. Because it's old, the highest spindle speed is a little on the slow side. But as other have said, if you use hand ground HHS bits, you don't need or want the higher spindle speeds that carbide wants.

When it came time for a small mill, I ended up getting one from LMS - They are a good company and I'd recommend them. I have made a number of small modifications to the mill and it's fit and finish doesn't even compare to the old-iron SouthBend lathe. I'm happy with it but it's a different beast. I imagine I'd feel the same about a brand new small lathe.

Good luck and let us know how it works out!
(and welcome to the group)

HA! I should have waited and just posted: "What Terry said"
 
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