Model making and our machine tools

Yes, more than one lathe is useful. I have 3 an 11x24, a 9x20 and a little Sherline 3.5x17. The Sherline gets the most use of the 3 for the stuff I do.

Other than cutting metric threads the 9x20 is kind of redundant, but I got it more as a project. There are a ton of mods people make to the 9x20s, it was about 45 minutes away and the seller was offering it at a price hard to pass up. I thought it would make a good experimenting lathe.


I get the "you can do anything on a large lathe that you can do on a small lathe" thing, but if you don't need the size changing tooling on the Sherline is a lot easier as most everything weighs less than 5lbs. The whole lathe weighs about the same as a 6" 3 jaw chuck. Smaller tooling can also be considerably cheaper. Of course the reason I have a bigger lathe is not all of my projects fit onto a 3.5" swing lathe.
 
f350ca said:
You can do small work on a big machine but can't do big work on a small one.
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I don't think I could even count the number of times I've seen this statement; and it's true, too! :) BUT ...

I was just about to respond to this thread when Aaron beat me to it. You can do small precision work much easier on a small precision lathe than on a big one. Smaller lathes, at least Sherline lathes, allow you to get up close and you can usually sit down while you do it. I would guess more model engines are built on little Sherline lathes than any other kind of lathe, not just because they are easier to use but because they can. Moreover, with the right tools, Sherline lathes are extremely precise and that makes holding tolerances easier to do.

Like Aaron, I have a larger lathe, too, but my Sherline still does a lot of my work because it is just easier, faster and more precise to use for small work.
 
Good morning, Sir:

Perhaps I can provide useful information this time. I've made comments on several of your posts, most of which ended up being a little off point. My current machine is a 12X36 Atlas/Craftsman. There is a 9X19 Grizzly 1550 in the back, but I use the same hardware as the Atlas. There was an Asian 6X12 but I passed it on. And a UniMat 3Xwhatever, probably around 6". Also gone. The 6" machine had plastic gears and I couldn't justify upgrading it. And the UniMat, while a good all around machine, wasn't really that good at any one thing. And it wouldn't cut threads. . .

However, (and there had to be one. . .) I kept the chucks from both of the little machines. And some of the milling stuff from the UniMat. Actually, I had spare chucks for it and kept one set. The 3 jaw from the 6" machine went to one of the dividing tables. The 3 jaw and 4 jaw from the UniMat have M12X1 threads. I cut down a Jacobs MT3 adapter to 12 mm and tapped the backside for 3/8-16 for a "draw bar". The Atlas cuts some mighty fine threads, there are several smaller than 80 TPI. But Nr 0-80 is as small as I'm willing to try. Anything smaller,(like 000-120/0.035") I use a die. My hands aren't that steady any more.

The Atlas is loose, as in old and about worn out. But it will still cut 10ths when I'm willing to go through the setup for it. With a shear cutter, not often though. With the 4 jaw, work can be zeroed whenever I feel it matters. Any fine cuts must be approached with the compound. Best I remember, 87 Degrees is 4:1 for cutting. Or was it 75? I do some plane trig in my head. Most cuts are made by backing out past the backlash and advancing what I need.

I use mostly 1/4 tooling, with some 1/8 blanks and lots of old drills that make specialty tooling. Most of my work is smaller than what you would run into with steam models. But most of the time, tolerances are looser. To 1/64th is usual, and square. Very seldom I get below 0.015. Square is the big issue. And quartering drive shafts. They should always be at 90.00 degrees. That's when the indexer comes into play. The hobbies we pursue look similar but are really quite different.

If you do have a smaller lathe, it should come off the shelf and be readied. But if you need to purchase tooling new (to you), I would say to improve your techniques first. And make some adjustments to your thought processes. Small work on a large machine is not that difficult. But it does involve different thought processes.

.
 
Since you already got a small lathe, pull it out and start using it. After a while, you will find that on some types of turning the Atlas will shine, and on others you will find yourself using the Colchester.
 
I pulled out the Craftsman last night. I spent some time reacquainting myself with it. It has the lantern tool post which is what I learned on back in 1973.
Everything was loose so I tightened up gibs, cleaned and oiled. I need to get a 3L link belt (ordered) and mount the lathe and motor to try her out.
I'll add some pics later.
I really don't need another project right now but I think it will come in handy during this steam engine build.
That 4 jaw is just too heavy. I'm glad I got the 10" I was considering the 12!!
Thanks Bill, good information.

Ulma Doc has posted videos using his UniMat. Capable little guys.
A Sherline would be sweet at times.
 
I keep thinking of junking that 7x16 MicroMark lathe I bought way back, and getting a decent small lathe specifically to avoid firing up the 3-phase, lifting heavy chucks, that sort of thing. One of the reasons I don't is that there is just much less room to work in, on a small lathe. Everything is all crammed together, the handwheels are all right next to each other, really makes things much more of a chore than on a big lathe.

So I still fire up the 3-phase, but I have been doing as much work as I can using 5C collets. I picked up 5C chuck mounts for the 3" 3- and 4-jaw chucks from the 7x16 lathe. I only need the heavy 4-jaw now for large stock - and even then, I picked up a smaller (6") 4-jaw which is not as much an adventure to mount on the spindle.
 
ThinWoodsman said:
Everything is all crammed together, the handwheels are all right next to each other, really makes things much more of a chore than on a big lathe.
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I noticed that, I was cranking in the compound and the handle hit the cross slide handle. I agree, all cramped up.
It will be interesting working this small lathe.
 
I had a 1930's craftsman machine for a short while. I'm sure one of the reasons i gave up on it was the fact that it was so small, and as mentioned the controls were not only bunched together, there was almost no clearance between the handwheels and the bench. Mine might have been a bad example, but it was so clumsy to operate I gave it away.

As for the larger machines, you can always use a much smaller chuck and a lantern tool post for delicate work. I have several small chucks (4" to 6") that have 5C collet mounts. Rather than deal with an 8" or 10" chuck that weighs 100 lbs.+ and sticks out 6" from the spindle I use the smaller collet mounted ones.

Here's a link to the type I'm referring to. The first one is only 3 1/8" in diameter which should give more clearance.

www.ebay.com

5C Mount 3 1/8" Diameter Lathe Drill Chuck 3 Jaw Self Centering with Key | eBay

The following item is up for SALE - 1 - 5C Mount 3 1/8" Diameter Lathe Drill Chuck 3 Jaw Self Centering with Key.
www.ebay.com

There are several new and used chucks of this style listed on eBay

I haven't seen any 4 jaw models on eBay with this style mount, but I'll bet they're available from industrial supply houses.

If you already have a chuck you would like to use there are also several 5C mount listed.

www.ebay.com

4" 5C MOUNT FOR 3 & 4 JAW SELF CENTERING LATHE CHUCKS (3900-4704) 769053079912 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4" 5C MOUNT FOR 3 & 4 JAW SELF CENTERING LATHE CHUCKS (3900-4704) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

I'm generally not a model builder, but recently purchased 5 PM kits from another member just to try it out. In my case the models are the lower dollar versions on antique machine tools and are not nearly as complex. The intent was to delve into them for something to occupy my time as my new hip heals. It's only been a week since the replacement so I'm not to the point of looking forward to standing in front of a lathe for hours at a time.
 
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