First machine Lathe or Mill?

[Nochain]

What should be my first machine? I really want both but I don’t have enough. so the question is which one should I get first? I know you’ll ask but what do I need to make? What do I need it for etc. etc. the answer is I needed to make parts for the other machine lol I’m just trying to understand the rationale you guys have to help me make my decision.
My hobbies include automotive restoration, RC planes, motorcycles, metalwork fabrication. I have experience on both machines and not new to trade. Thanks in advance for your input. I have limited space and no one to help me so my plan would be benchtop machines only.

 

[mmcmdl]

The old " chicken or the egg " question !

 

[Nesse1]

Lathe first, in my opinion. I can't substantiate that, through logic, though.

Regarding bench top, I can relate, but I explore you to get the biggest machine you can fit into your work space.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Lathe.
You can fake a lot of flat work with bandsaw (or even hacksaw), drill press and file. Round work not so much.

 

[Nochain]

Lathe first, in my opinion. I can't substantiate that, through logic, though.

Regarding bench top, I can relate, but I explore you to get the biggest machine you can fit into your work space.

That’s the common answer but nobody says why. I am more inclined for a mill but when I get one or the other I know Ill be like darn I need the other machine to complete my task.
Didn’t the old WW2 submarines have lathes on them? With spinning gear that makes sense. Plus they didn’t have bench top mills back then…

 

[projectnut]

I started with a 10" x 60" lathe. I found I could do almost anything I wanted to do with that and a drill press. The few things I needed a mill for could be done with one of the Tree machines at work. I got by mainly because I had little free time to work on projects. After a few years I expanded to a Bridgeport Series I mill. Then came the horizontal mill, the surface grinder, etc., etc., etc. You can go as far as you want depending on the depth of your pocketbook, machinery available in your area, and the size of your shop.

I happen to be in the middle of the rust belt. High quality industrial machines in good condition are available at reasonable prices. I probably have less invested in a couple dozen well taken care of machines than some in "machinery deserts" have in a couple worn out hulks. What you can find is also a function of how far you're willing to travel. In over 35 years I've never had to go more than a couple hundred miles to find good machines. More often than not sellers have approached me asking if I was interested in a particular machine.

 

[C-Bag]

I let the Craigslist fate’s dictate which first. i had much the same work envelope and criteria. My usual parameters were the best bang for the $$. I ended up with a HF 9x20 completely decked out with 4”jw, 5”3jw, 6” 4jw ,QCTP tooling etc in unused condition for $650. A couple months later a well used RF 30 showed up with a great welded bench and tooling for $450. Both needed minor adjustments and tweaks and have served me well almost 9yrs. I see deals I’d love but have no space so theres not been anything tempt me to upgrade and keep the same footprint.

 

[mmcmdl]

I'm on the mill side . Everyone and their brother has a small lathe . I've always used the mills 20x more than the lathes . A good turret mill is pretty darn versatile for doing anything . I used the lathes for shaft work in the past , anything else , I can do it on the mill .

 

[matthewsx]

That’s the common answer but nobody says why. I am more inclined for a mill but when I get one or the other I know Ill be like darn I need the other machine to complete my task.
Didn’t the old WW2 submarines have lathes on them? With spinning gear that makes sense. Plus they didn’t have bench top mills back then…

Lathe, as stated above you can make things flat and square with a 4 jaw. Hard to make round stuff with mill unless you add a rotary table.

You can also do most work with cheap HSS bits that can be easily sharpened with a bench grinder. Sharpening end mills takes specialized fixtures.

One other thing, for me it’s easier to learn about feeds and speeds on a lathe. Doing the same on a mill will result in lots of broken bits.

It’s how I started and I even made my first mill with the lathe and a drill press. YMMV, but there are lots of good reasons to start with a lathe including the fact that lathes were around hundreds of years before they started building milling machines.

John

 

[Ultradog MN]

What should be my first machine? I really want both but I don’t have enough. so the question is which one should I get first? I know you’ll ask but what do I need to make? What do I need it for etc. etc. the answer is I needed to make parts for the other machine lol I’m just trying to understand the rationale you guys have to help me make my decision.
My hobbies include automotive restoration, RC planes, motorcycles, metalwork fabrication. I have experience on both machines and not new to trade. Thanks in advance for your input. I have limited space and no one to help me so my plan would be benchtop machines only.

The old saying is that a lathe, with all its attachments, could build a lathe.
A mill, with all its attachments, could duplicate itself - and make a lathe.
There is such a thing as having an affinity for one machine or another.
I know myself to have a much better feel or instinct for what a lathe is doing than I do for a mill.
Some guys are opposite.
Of course you won't know your own affinity till you have run both.
Getting back to your question tho, if your intent in your shop is to involve welding and making parts to weld together to make a machine then a mill may be your better choice.