I got a question. I have a project where I need to machine a part out of titanium using a lathe. Presently I don't own a lathe, and want to spend as little bit of money as possible to make it and so I was wondering. What is the cheapest mini lathe that can successfully machine titanium? I was going to purchase the Harbor Freight 7X10 mini lathe, but I recently read that this lathe can't really do titanium. So I was wondering what is the cheapest one presently on the market that could turn titanium?
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Cheapest Mini Lathe that can Turn Titanium
- Thread starter djf123
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Welcome djf123, it’s not just if the lathe can do it. The operator of the lathe must also have the finesse to do it. A good operator could turn titanium on a Unimat. Because the operator knows how the material and lathe behave. I guess some people are born with the knack/knowledge. Others will need years of hands-on to learn the trade.…Good Luck, Dave.
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I have owned my lathe for a couple of years. I could make a piece almost from the first day. However I am still working to consistently get the fit and finish on the projects. For a project calling for a piece or two I would look for someone to make it. It will be vastly cheaper. I make a part or two every week and I could have bought a lifetime supply for what I have invested in the lathe and tooling. That said I really enjoy making parts on my lathe so I factor that into my expenses. Good luck
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6AL-4V is 36 RC which isn't terribly hard, you should not have any problems turning it on any lathe, Ti has some interesting machining properties and may take some experimenting to get right however
Be careful when tapping.
Be careful when tapping.
Buying the cheapest lathe you can get and then learning how to use it is going to take more than a couple of hours. Unless your willing to take the time to learn as others have hinted at your going to waste a lot of time and money by trial and error. May I suggest you find someone local to you and perhaps someone on here would be willing to do it for a fee?
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You should buy a lathe If you want to learn how to be a machinist and make many parts, if you only want one part, hire someone to make it for you. If you post a picture or a drawing of the part you need folks her can tell you the best way to make it.
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Is this something that has to be done in short order and accurately? And you only need to make a couple of parts and that's it? Then may I suggest that you find someone to do this for you. Now if you plan to use this lathe for making other things in the future, then consider other features than just price. Also, if you have not any experience, it will take a while to learn.
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Yep, buy to a standard, not a price - I worked for a while at a UK importer of Chinese machines, at the bottom end of the range they're not a lot of use IMHO.
For less than a secondhand mini-lathe I got a vintage but still accurate toolroom lathe (quite possibly heavier than you'd consider movable, but hulking son, his mates and a crate of beer moved it ok!), which can handle much bigger work and still turn out good tiny parts - BUT I have previous experience 0ver a few decades and this isn't my first machine tool...
If you plan on years ahead of you using machine tools, buy the best you can afford and learn to use 'em, if its a one or two off as an adjunct to another hobby, get the parts made elsewhere!
Dave H. (the other one)
EDIT: although from the '50s, mine can cope OK with titanium, it's big and sturdy (3HP, 4000 pounds) and was designed for anything up to diamond turning... It's a rolling rebuild though, still working on improvements
For less than a secondhand mini-lathe I got a vintage but still accurate toolroom lathe (quite possibly heavier than you'd consider movable, but hulking son, his mates and a crate of beer moved it ok!), which can handle much bigger work and still turn out good tiny parts - BUT I have previous experience 0ver a few decades and this isn't my first machine tool...
If you plan on years ahead of you using machine tools, buy the best you can afford and learn to use 'em, if its a one or two off as an adjunct to another hobby, get the parts made elsewhere!
Dave H. (the other one)
EDIT: although from the '50s, mine can cope OK with titanium, it's big and sturdy (3HP, 4000 pounds) and was designed for anything up to diamond turning... It's a rolling rebuild though, still working on improvements
djf123,
I frequently turn Titanium gr2 x 10mm round bar on my 7x12 chinese mini lathe using HSS tools without issue. I am an absolute noob on my lathe, yet I find it simple to part, drill and bore Ti gr2 with minimal fluid and sharp tools.
Unfortunately I can't mill Titanium with my X2 mill very well at all.
Good luck Sir,
I frequently turn Titanium gr2 x 10mm round bar on my 7x12 chinese mini lathe using HSS tools without issue. I am an absolute noob on my lathe, yet I find it simple to part, drill and bore Ti gr2 with minimal fluid and sharp tools.
Unfortunately I can't mill Titanium with my X2 mill very well at all.
Good luck Sir,