# Mill Or Lathe



## bubbas55 (Jan 20, 2016)

seems like a lot or stuff out there about the lathe and less about the mill. why, is the lathe more useful than the mill (dumb ??). is one more complicated to learn than the other and if so which. just trying to get started. thanks


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## n.glasson (Jan 20, 2016)

bubbas55 said:


> seems like a lot or stuff out there about the lathe and less about the mill. why, is the lathe more useful than the mill (dumb ??). is one more complicated to learn than the other and if so which. just trying to get started. thanks


For most hobby machinists, a lathe is one of the highest priority pieces of equipment to have in a workshop.  My workshop has 2 lathes, a drill press, a bench grinder and 2 small shapers.  I don't have the floor space for a mill and it would be a big investment for a limited amount of use.  My lathe gets used a couple of times a week.  I guess it depends on what you intend to do.  A lot of engineering revolves around making cylindrical or conical shapes - (shafts, studs, screws, bearings etc).  A lathe is very efficient for machining these shapes, as well as cutting screw threads.  If you intend to make gears, splines, keyways, dovetails or flat surfaces, then you may want to consider a mill.  I get by with a vertical slide for my Harrison L5A to do small milling jobs and a shaper for some other jobs that might otherwise go on a mill.  As with every machine, there is a learning curve. I wouldn't say that a mill is any easier or harder to drive than a lathe - it just involves a different skill set.  The reason there is so much stuff out there on lathes is that it is probably 50:1 the more common piece of machinery in a hobby machinists workshop.  Even on a tight budget you can get a small lathe and it will be useful.  Small mills - not so much.


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## joshua43214 (Jan 20, 2016)

I suspect it simply comes down to lathes are more fun to run, so they get more talk.
Lathes are also less forgiving that mills in terms of tool set up, and mills have a greater potential for disaster. Crashing a mill usually results in a broken cutter, crashing a lathe will usually result in a damaged lathe.
Lathes can also be a bit more flexible. You can add a milling attachment to one and do light milling. Some "milling" operations tend to be better on a lathe - boring for example is easier on the lathe.


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## brino (Jan 20, 2016)

Of course if you ask on this forum the answer would be "Both!".

I find the two machines are complementary.

If you want to break it down it's mainly that a lathe is better at making cylindrical, threaded or tapered "conical" parts and a mill is better at making flats, slots, dovetails, etc. (linear parts). It has everything to do with how the work-piece is presented to the cutting tool. On a lathe the part is rotating about some axis. On the mill the part is moving with the x, y, and z of the table as the cutting tool rotates.

Of course, you can also add a milling table to the cross-slide of a lathe OR turn a cylindrical part in the collet of the mill, using the table to hold a cutting tool. In both cases you'll find that it's awkward being limited by feed-screw lengths, etc. on a machine not exactly design for that purpose.

I have certainly seen more used lathes for sale than milling machines.
I suspect that there are many more lathes around than mills.


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## RandyM (Jan 20, 2016)

For me it was to get a mill first. It really depends on the type of work you intend. But, in the end both are important to do a lot of machining.


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## David S (Jan 20, 2016)

I think you have to consider the type of work you plan on doing and which machine would be used most.  If most is done on the lathe then some milling can be down with a lathe with a suitable attachments.

If most work involves the mill, then some turning can be done on the mill as mentioned above.

First decide what you are planning on doing...and then simply get both 

David


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## wrmiller (Jan 20, 2016)

RandyM said:


> For me it was to get a mill first. It really depends on the type of work you intend. But, in the end both are important to do a lot of machining.



I was the same way. Had a mill for almost two years before I felt the need for a lathe. To me, a mill is way more versatile than a lathe. But as everyone has said, depends on what you're wanting to do.


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## T Bredehoft (Jan 20, 2016)

I "need" both, each is used to make accessories for the other. Right now I'm turning a part on the lathe to make a Sine Plate for the mill.


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## Baithog (Jan 20, 2016)

IMHO - A mill costs more for similar capabilities. Getting into machining is generally a dollar limited exercise. A lathe lets you do round stuff, and in a pinch, with the right tooling, you can do some milling. A mill doesn't do round stuff very well. So a lathe is usually first. Eventually you need a mill. The reason there are more lathes out there is that small repair shops did mostly round stuff, shafts, bushings, and such.


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## planeflyer21 (Jan 20, 2016)

I see the lathe as far more versatile of the two.  One of the people I worked corrections with bought a fairly big lathe, then used it to build his milling machine.

If you haven't found it yet, get on youtube and find myfordboy's channel.  He routinely uses his Myford lathe as a horizontal mill and turns out beautiful projects.  He also has a mill but seems to use the Myford quite a bit more.


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## timvercoe (Jan 20, 2016)

I think it mostly has to do with the way we think/problem solve.  It's easy to wrap my mind around a lathe, it is almost second nature.  A mill not so much, of coarse a drill press fits in here some how and most of us especially myself can make an easy step to a vertical mill.  No so much a horizontal mill and yet a horizontal mill is almost a lathe.............the more versatile the machine the potential for longer set up times.

Off topic only slightly:  "Do you know what a mechanic is?  A mechanic is a tool junkie and being a mechanic is a way to justify and support the "junkies habit"  The ultimate tool junkies wet dream...........A Machine shop.  There is always a better tool."


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## Eddyde (Jan 20, 2016)

Good question, I learned machining from my uncle who is a master tool and die maker, When I did my apprenticeship he only had a lathe, drill press, bandsaw and couple of bench grinders, yet he was able to produce any part he needed of very high quality. I asked him about a mill and he said, while it would be "nice to have" it wasn't absoultly necessary. Hence the first machine I bought was a lathe.
For many years when I had my custom wood shop, there was a guy next door who had a Bridgeport mill, since I had a lathe we let each other use the others machine freely, thats where I learned the mill, he did use the lathe but maintained if need be, he could do anything on the mill. Indeed he was quite proficient at it and made some impressive cylindrical type parts on it. So I guess it comes down to ones perspective and how they work.
It was almost 30 years before I bought my own mill. I think both machines are necessary for a fully capable shop, but if I could only have one machine it would be the lathe as thats what I know best.


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## wawoodman (Jan 20, 2016)

Somebody (on this forum or the other one) said, "if it's round, it goes on the lathe, if it's square, the mill."


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## Str8jacket (Jan 21, 2016)

planeflyer21 said:


> If you haven't found it yet, get on youtube and find myfordboy's channel



Thanks for this hint! I know what to build out of the 1.5hp motor and abb vfd and gear box off my no good cold saw know!  

A bad boy bubby power hacksaw.

Cheers


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## samthedog (Jan 22, 2016)

2 axis is far less daunting than 3 axis. The lathe is a less difficult machine to master feeds, speeds DOC and chip control than a mill so many cut their teeth on a lathe. Grinding tooling is also easier and in many instances, the steadies and tooling follow the lathe. With milling machines, rotary tables, dividing heads and the huge variety of chucks, clamps, collets, vices arbors etc... are expensive additions.

Also, I believe availability has a lot to do with it. There are far more reasonably priced lathes on the used market than mills.

Paul.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 12, 2016)

samthedog said:


> 2 axis is far less daunting than 3 axis. The lathe is a less difficult machine to master feeds, speeds DOC and chip control than a mill so many cut their teeth on a lathe. Grinding tooling is also easier and in many instances, the steadies and tooling follow the lathe. With milling machines, rotary tables, dividing heads and the huge variety of chucks, clamps, collets, vices arbors etc... are expensive additions.
> 
> Also, I believe availability has a lot to do with it. There are far more reasonably priced lathes on the used market than mills.
> 
> Paul.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 12, 2016)

Less daunting ......but

I would take that statement to heart . That 2 axis lathe will kill you in an instant if inproperly trained . My co-worker and friend of 30 years got grabbed by a chip on his glove and was spit out the back end of of 20" lathe . Neither machines are toys , and I would highly suggest learning about them more thouroly before operating one . A mill with a push-in engage wheel is a killer also . I have a friend that is nut-less now trying to take a short cut .


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## stupoty (Feb 12, 2016)

mmcmdl said:


> Less daunting ......but
> 
> I would take that statement to heart . That 2 axis lathe will kill you in an instant if inproperly trained . My co-worker and friend of 30 years got grabbed by a chip on his glove and was spit out the back end of of 20" lathe . Neither machines are toys , and I would highly suggest learning about them more thouroly before operating one . A mill with a push-in engage wheel is a killer also . I have a friend that is nut-less now trying to take a short cut .



Ow man I can kinda imagine that acciden't but i'm not sure I want more info :-0

Stuart


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## planeflyer21 (Feb 13, 2016)

stupoty said:


> Ow man I can kinda imagine that acciden't but i'm not sure I want more info :-0
> 
> Stuart



I'm good without more info.


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## great white (Feb 13, 2016)

to the OP: think about what type of work you need/want to do. Buy the machine that fits that work best and then learn to use it proficiently. Either lathe or mill will take a while for you to even get competent, let alone proficient.

Get the other machine to fill out your other projects/skills that you do when you get the money for it.

Personally, I went with a lathe as turning fits 90% of the things I need/want to build. A milling attachment on the lathe fills that out to 95%. So I can make do without a mill until I get enough time/money/space to get one.


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