Best Lathe For A Beginner? Where To Start?

[skeeks03]

I've been shooting precision rifles for a while now but I'm relatively young (under 30). I just got a Grizzly magazine in the mail and was looking through it. Just out of curiosity what is the smallest lathe that would work best for general gunsmithing (chambering, threading, etc.).

I have many questions but I'll start here: what is the difference (pros/cons) between a reamer pusher and a floating reamer holder?

 

[dave2176]

The floating reamer holder allows the reamer to float or change position to allow for poor setup or a misaligned tailstock. I don't use one. I just use a tee handle so I can keep the reamer from spinning during cutting. The floating holder does not prevent reamer from cutting crooked so the reason setup and alignment are so important.

As far as a minimum lathe you need enough to be accurate during all steps. The Grizzly G4003G is awesome at what you are asking.

Dave

 

[weaselfire]

Best lathe, or best any tool, depends on your intended use. You don't need a 40" bed to make a firing pin. For production runs of rifle barrels, a 7x12 mini lathe won't cut it.

Lots of gunsmiths like Grizzly's gunsmith lathes, others prefer a heavy Southbend. Some just use a mini lathe, others rarely or never use a lathe or mill. But this isn't the forum for them.

Jeff

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Dan_S]

As others have said, it depends on what you are doing, and the size of you work!

Shiraz (owns grizzly), uploaded this you tube video the other day.

 

[6literZ]

I chose the G4003G, it has a lot of features I liked, specifically the larger spindle through size. I know you can turn between centers or use a steady rest (which it also comes with), but it's so much faster to go through the head stock.

 

[skeeks03]

Thanks guys. I am definitely not in a spot in which I can buy a lathe but that gives me an idea so to what size would be needed.

I've read weight is a huge factor. Most guys really like HEAVY machines, true? Is this because the torque of the headstock has less effect in "twisting" the bed or making the machine unlevel.

In order to rebarrel a rifle what tools are needed? Sorry for the terminology in advance still trying to figure it out.
Barrel
reamer
thread cutting hss insert
facing hss insert
right to left cutting hss insert
range rod
.001" and .00001" indicators

 

[AR1911]

Weight absorbs vibrations and harmonics. Think of it as a big flywheel.
You can get a good start with a 9" lathe such as a 9A SouthBend or a 400/9B Logan. These will do all but rifle barrels. Even those could probably be done with a steady rest. In the meantime you can do firing pins, pistol barrel chambering and muzzle truing. Later on, you can sell it on (for a profit, almost always) and get that G4003G or similar. But you will probably keep the small lathe too.

 

[Dan_S]

But you will probably keep the small lathe too.

I'd recommend this as well, specially for high rpm stuff. 10"+ chucks, are heavy (80+ lbs), and can be frightening when you get them up in the 2k range.

 

[Big Rack]

You might look at Precision Matthews compare the 12 x 36 with the preferred package to the grizzly one m
odel up from g4003g it is the one with the enclosed gearbox. The PM1236 has coolant, foot break and a 3year warranty. I thought it was a better deal so I bought it had to wait a while but I got it. Can not give a review yet but there are plenty on here. Oddly it looks like most brands use the same castings but they swear they are made by different companies.

 

[derf]

It almost seems as if you are putting the cart before the horse, with all the questions about tooling. I would concentrate on a machine and learning basic skills first. With all the popularity of "gunsmithing " lathes, it is very easy to get lost in the sea of information and mis-information, generated by marketing hype, and beginners that lack experience. With that said, I been a competitive shooter for 35 years and in the gunsmithing business for almost 30 years, and in that period have chambered and fitted between 2500-3000 barrels. After doing that many, you tend to find the best and most efficient ways, and realize what is most important, what is overrated, and gimmicks that are not necessary. I also found the machines that work better than others.
The most coveted lathe for barrel work is the South Bend heavy 10", which unfortunately has been out of production for almost 2 decades. I was fortune enough to acquire one about 30 yrs ago, and it has served me well. With my business expanding, I needed another lathe, and finding another SB was proving fruitless, and with the last production price of a "new" SB @ 13K, I knew what ever I bought new was going to be an import.

There are several features or aspects of a lathe that are desirable for doing barrel work. Besides a large enough spindle bore, one is BELT DRIVE, for a couple of reasons:

Gearhead lathes have more moving parts, hence the longer headstock, and have a tendency to produce weird harmonic vibrations at times that transfer to the work piece and will affect surface finish and produce chatter. Not saying this is a deal breaker, but it's one more thing you have to learn to work around.
A belt drive lathe seems to absorb bad vibes and act as somewhat of a cushion. Typically, belt drive lathes also have a shorter headstock, which means you can get shorter barrels through them.
I had a gearhead lathe for a very short time, although it seemed pretty tight and it was OK for general purpose, I grew to hate it for barrel work, there were too many quirks to work around. The closest thing I could find that would mimic the South Bends features was a Jet 1340 BD. So, that's what I got and modified it to suit my needs. I've had it almost 16 years with no major problems, and it gets used daily.