need info for first lathe

[fetterman]

I am a new member and want to purchase a lathe. My budget is around 1700 dollars. I am not sure what size or what to look for. I saw a lathe on the net Bolton cq9332 12x24 gearhead anyone know anything about this lathe or Bolton. Thanks

I was looking at the Bolton because it has a 1 1/2 inch bore and I was told gear head lathe is better than variable speed. just starting out so any info is welcome. thanks

 

[richl]

I am a new member and want to purchase a lathe. My budget is around 1700 dollars. I am not sure what size or what to look for. I saw a lathe on the net Bolton cq9332 12x24 gearhead anyone know anything about this lathe or Bolton. Thanks

Welcome to the forums.
Always hard to give advice on what to purchase for first time hobby users. 1700 seems like a bit of money till you start factoring in everything: shipping some baic tooling will take a good chunk outta the budget. Good time to realistically look at what you want to do, how much space you have, and what size machine you really want/need.
I dont know anything about bolton. Lathes in that price point , i see them listed on ebay, and peope mention having them on these forums occasionally. Lots of good new machines on the market, that size range tends to go for just a tad bit more money from grizzly and precision mathews, that maybe a clue.
Hth
Rich

 

[wrmiller]

Is that your total budget, or the money you are willing to spend on the lathe?

I ask because you will spend a fair amount tooling the lathe up after purchase.

It might also help folks here in offering suggestions if they knew what you intend to use the lathe for?

Bill

 

[Bill C.]

I am a new member and want to purchase a lathe. My budget is around 1700 dollars. I am not sure what size or what to look for. I saw a lathe on the net Bolton cq9332 12x24 gearhead anyone know anything about this lathe or Bolton. Thanks

I was looking at the Bolton because it has a 1 1/2 inch bore and I was told gear head lathe is better than variable speed. just starting out so any info is welcome. thanks

I agree with others about giving advice. I saw this model online and read the specs. If you bench mount this machine be sure to build the bench as strong as you can, listed about 610 pounds. A word of advise put a chip pan under it. Not only to collect chips but any cutting fluids used. It looks like a nice lathe from the photos. Take your time and do your homework; setting it up in your garage or basement, power requirements and chip disposal.

The Best to you in your search.

 

[richl]

Be careful here, while the lathe does have some nice features the distributors Web page lists many normally standard features as options
http://www.boltontools.net/12-x-24-gear-head-bench-lathe-cq9332
4 jaw chuck... extra
Steady rest... extra
Follow rest... extra
Faceplate... extra
1hp 110v/220V
Where else have they removed features or trimmed the lathe down to get to that price point?
I do not know much about this company or their products, but at this price point they are below the more well known reputable companys, do yourself a favor, just compare the features of the comp. Precision mathews, grizzly each make a couple of lathes in this size for only a little more than the 1800 us this lathe is priced at.
HTh
Rich

 

[kd4gij]

Anouther thing to look at on that lathe. It comes with 12 change gears. Witch means you would probley be changing out gears often.

 

[Rbeckett]

Changing gears is a real pain when you could use an adjustable speed motor and a quick change totally enclosed gear box made directly onto the lathe. Then it becomes a matter of selecting gear position and motor speed to do the job. No lost or misplaced gears or time spent hunting through the pile for the correct one. Bolton is a good and reputable company, but their machines originate from the same vendor that grizzly, HF, and the others also use(China). Griz and the others also include some nice extra's like follow and steady rests and even some basic tooling for a more complete package that has enough to at least get you started. After that you will find yourself addicted to the various sites looking at different types of tooling that is available such as quick change tool holders, boring bars and a myriad of other tooling. I have more invested in tooling than I originally spent for my machines, but I have been doing it for a while and suffer from "hey that is way cool, gotta have one of them-itis" so I probably have tools I will never use more than once if ever. That is when the real addiction will set in and infect you from head to toe. Welcome to the family and don't be afraid to ask, we are all here to help you succeed and have the least painful learning experience possible in your new hobby!!!!

Bob

 

[AR1911]

Good advice above:

Get all the accessories
Avoid change-gear lathes

In addition, I would not place a premium on a gear-head machine. I prefer belt drives. They are quieter, and they are more forgiving of novice mistakes. A gear-head driven by a 1 HP motor is not going to quit until it stalls, where a belt will slip before anything breaks.

 

[Hawkeye]

I'm in agreement with what has been said so far. Just to clarify ...

I'd put more value on a lathe with a Quick Change Gear Box (QCGB) than a gear-head lathe. Confused yet? You are correct about the gear-head having to do with how the power gets from the motor to the spindle, and how the spindle speed is adjusted. The QCGB, on the other hand, controls the speed of the leadscrew, relative to the speed of the spindle.

When threading, the leadscrew might move, say, 1/20" for each revolution of the spindle. This will cut 20tpi. When turning, you might have the leadscrew move 0.0015" per turn, giving a nice smooth finish cut.

Both of my lathes are belt drive, although the 1943 Storebro lathe has a gearbox between the two belt sets. It can take a heavy cut, but will still slip if necessary to prevent damage. That gearbox is the noisiest part of the lathe. My Hercus 9" is much quieter, with belts at every stage of power transmission. The 9" also has a 3-phase motor, run by a VFD for superior speed control.

Just thought I'd throw in my $0.02, just in case there were any fine points missed. Whatever lathe you end up with, welcome to a very fulfilling hobby.