# Why not a Taig workshop?



## captvalk (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm a newbie to machining, and am dithering over what to do. I started out thinking I would buy a Taig mill and lathe. Then as I read different posts in different sites, I decided I needed a bigger setup. The common theme was "get the biggest you can get, because you'll soon outgrow your machines." So I started looking at various Asian Mini-lathes and mills, thinking I would buy one, and then the other, until I finally decided on Lathemaster 9x30 and a Lathemaster LM25L, and also looked at band saws and belt sanders, because several sites said I needed those. Supposedly the Lathemaster is higher quality and bigger than some of the other Asian machines I considered. Then I thought about CNC because I love computers, but became discouraged over all the comments about needing to learn manual machining first. Then I saw all the comments saying I should hold out for a used Bridgeport because all those Asian imports are crap. Then I looked at my garage and the limited space I have and thought, where are you going put all that stuff? And you can hardly drill a decent hole in wood -- what if you have absolutely no aptitude in machining, and what are you planning on making anyway? So I started downsizing my dreams of being a machinist to the point where I am back at Taig again. I had to relook at my goals.

First, I want to learn how to make things with my own hands. Although I have used things that other people have made, I've never made anything significant involving craftsmanship. I've spent over 10 years flying jets as a naval aviator and as a Learjet Captain, 10 years as an Aerospace engineer involved with aircraft, Space Shuttle, and satellite projects, and 20 years as a lawyer, so I'm not afraid of trying something new. But I admire those of you that make practical or beautiful things out of scraps of metal, and I want to be just like you. But I don't know how passionate I will be until I do it. I know I am tired of killing trees and inking paper. Historically, when I start a hobby, I run with it. But that is only if I love it. Here, I just imagine I would love it, although it is a much greater depth of imagination that my desire to play the piano, which will never happen. 

Second, I want to make models and toys for grandkids as a means of learning machining skills.

Third, I don't know where I am going from there. I would like to be a hobby gunsmith so I might put my hopefully acquired machining skills to work there. Or I might want to make knives, or pens, or chessmen or whatever. I see lots of project ideas and even specializations that look like fun, but who knows.

So, I'm back at Taig. I'm thinking that I will either decide Taig is big enough or it isn't. And when it isn't, I can buy a bigger set up then. And since this is forum with a lot of Taig, Sherline, and Sieg mini-machine users, I thought I'd ask this question. Will I regret setting up shop with the Taig to start with, and if so, why? And if you are a Taig or Sherline user that found yourself size-limited, how long did that take, and do you regret starting at the micro level? And finally, if you were trying to just learn basic machining skills, what projects would you consider starting with?

If you read this far, thank you. I look forward to reading your comments.


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## stupoty (Mar 25, 2013)

Hello,

i have a lathe very simmilar to the one your looking at, they are clones of emco 8's 

i can do quite a lot on it , the size is ok for smaller parts, this of course depends on your idears of small and large.

i am currently re setting up my older lathe as i want to do seconday tasks and for some tasks i do find the emco boxyness to be quite infuriating, i seem to always be blocked from whare i would like to put a dial indicator.

also the square type of multi tool holding toolposts are (for me any how) awfull.  I much prefer the older style of single tool holder or the awsome quick change tool posts.  I think every time i have actualy left more than one tool in it i've cut my hamd on the one i'm not using.

if your just starting out and unsure if you will keep at it i would recomend a second hand lathe to start with.  Also if you manage to have a learner fail you wont be so upset with yourself for destrying your new (expensive) pride and joy.

Also the advantage of second hand for a compleatly new to machining person is any tooling thay may be included as it can be quite confusing deciding   what you realy need and what would be a nice handy thing(and what is no good at all ;-)

A slightly larger lathe can take on many tasks that you may otherwise use a milling machine for.

Hope that helps in some way.

ps you could always make a rep rat 3d printer as a project their quite computer centric and the parts should be ok done with smaller lathe/mill/drill press.

Stuart


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## mikey (Mar 25, 2013)

Cap, as I read your thread I could totally empathize with your thoughts. Its really hard to know which way to go when you don't even know what you want to make, let alone if you'll even enjoy making it. I don't know how things will turn out but I am willing to bet that you will not only love this hobby but will become hopelessly addicted to it like the rest of us hapless guys!

I won't overstep and tell you what others will suggest but, for me, a small shop fits right in with all the other things I do. I have a very wide range of interests and hobby machining, while very important and enjoyable, is not the only thing I enjoy. In other words, I don't machine stuff just to machine stuff; I do it to support my other interests as well. If you anticipate making things on the smaller end of the scale then a mini-shop might just suit your needs.

I own a Sherline lathe and mill. This certainly qualifies as small. While I haven't exceeded the capacity of my machines I've come damned close. Still, they allow me to make almost anything I need. Larger machines can do larger pieces and maybe do it faster but I can't see that they do it better. In my opinion, a small lathe and mill is a great way to find out if you like metal working. If you do and you find that they're too small you can sell them and move up. If you don't then you aren't out a ton of money.

I have never used Taig machines but know that many guys produce some amazing work on them. If they meet your anticipated needs then I say go for it. I would also consider Sherline, not because it is better but because they sell almost any accessory you could need and they have good support for their products. I cannot speak to the Asian machines and I'm sure others will chime in shortly.

Regardless of which way you go, welcome to the forum. There is a great wealth of knowledge here and the members have been so great. I have yet to see a new guy ask a question and get harangued for it so ask away and someone will help. 

Best of luck,

Mikey


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## David Kirtley (Mar 25, 2013)

First of all, don't underestimate what the small machines can do. They can really work on some rather large pieces. Just not all at one time. The Taig and Sherline are wonderful machines. I went with the SIEG . The main reason was threading for the lathe. For the mill I went with the X2, being able to use R8 tooling which is cheap. The SIEG are a mixed bag. The LMS and Micromark are best of breed on them. I went with the cheap end at HF.  Not unhappy with the choice but the others are more ready to go out of the box. The Real Bull lathe that Big Dog sells comes highly recommended as well.  If I were going with something bigger, I would lean towards the Precision Mathews lathes. Heard nothing but good about them other than it can take a while to get them.


Between the Sherline and the Taig, I would probably lean towards the Taig just because I like tinkering. The Sherlines are nice as well but a bit short on capacity. Well, I don't know that for sure other than my X2 is bigger than the Sherline and Taig and I am pretty cramped at times. Drilling is the biggest place to get cramped really quickly. By the time you have a chuck, drill bit, clamping or vise, there just is not that much room left for a workpiece.


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## strantor (Mar 25, 2013)

Sounds to me like you need to make some chips before you go doing anymore thinking. I would buy the cheapest of the options you've presented and see if I even enjoy machining before drawing up blueprints of the garage, where all your machine tools will be located.

I say this because I could totally relate to your whole post. I was there not too long ago. I was going to buy a smithy, then a couple of taigs, then a smithy, then a big lathe and a bridgeport, then a CNC mill, then back to smithy. I finally got damn sick of planning and scrapping and planning and scrapping and I just made an impulse purchase. I ended up buying an old Logan lathe. I love it. I probably would have loved it the same if I bought a mill instead, or a smithy, or any of the other options (though most of them would have broken the bank). Anyway, point is you just have to start somewhere. Gotta take the plunge. and there IS a chance that you won't love it as much as you think you will (I've had other hobbies turn out that way) so I say take the cheapest route.


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## captvalk (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks for your responses.  It helped me make up my mind.  I'm purchased a Taig Lathe this morning, and will purchase a Taig CNC-ready mill after the lathe arrives and is installed, and I have a chance to play with it a bit.  Thanks for letting me be part of your group.


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## Ray C (Mar 25, 2013)

Good move and I suspect you'll have the presence of mind to what you can and cannot do on that machine.

Lot's of guys buy a smaller lathe and try to machine big stuff.  As long as you use it for it's intended purpose, you can do cool stuff with it.


Good luck.



captvalk said:


> Thanks for your responses.  It helped me make up my mind.  I'm purchased a Taig Lathe this morning, and will purchase a Taig CNC-ready mill after the lathe arrives and is installed, and I have a chance to play with it a bit.  Thanks for letting me be part of your group.


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## fastback (May 15, 2013)

I also think you are taking the right path.  You will soon find out if you need larger.  If you do, you can always upgrade and you can either keep what you have or sell.


Good luck and have fun.


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## itsme_Bernie (May 15, 2013)

Great way to start.  Check the resale on them anyway, just for kicks.  My bet is they are easy to turn around if you build a nice looking setup, making it a no loss or low loss way to learn.  On Taig's, to a greater degree than Sherlines, you determine how it runs and what it looks like.

I kept my Sherline mill which I started on!  But resold the mint condition lathe and accessories for bigger machines years later.  I bought them mint, used on EBay, and resold them for almost the same!


Bernie


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## Jack (Jun 9, 2013)

According to everythng that I have gathered around the internet, Taig machines are worthy tools in their own arena. The Taig website has great links to other sites to make toolng of all kinds. I believe that kind of percentage of satisfied customers has great merritt. I also read that customer service is excellent! There are instructional books, and videos galore that can be applied to these diminuative wonders.


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## D.C.Clark (Jun 10, 2013)

captvalk,

I have a Sherline 4 axis CNC mill and lathe, and an LMC model 3900 mini-mill.  Don't want anything bigger, don't want to make anything bigger than what I can on these -- don't want to work that hard, don't want to lift anything that heavy.  Been there, done that: spent 30 years in a 20,000 sq. ft. machine shop making spaceships.  Now retired to a 200 sq. ft. home machine shop making clocks and model engines.

San Clemente is only about a half hour drive to the Sherline factory in Vista, CA.  I strongly recommend you pay a visit, tour the facility, talk to the nice people, oogle the Craftmanship Museum.  I promise you won't regret it, no matter what you end up buying.  For that matter, you're only a little over an hour to LMS in Pasadena.  I'd certainly go see them as well.

David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA


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## mckay3d (Jun 11, 2013)

captvalk said:


> Thanks for your responses.  It helped me make up my mind.  I'm purchased a Taig Lathe this morning, and will purchase a Taig CNC-ready mill after the lathe arrives and is installed, and I have a chance to play with it a bit.  Thanks for letting me be part of your group.



Congrats on your new Taig.  I think it's a great way to start.  I have had a larger (7" swing) lathe for years and recently bought a Sherline.  It's really fun!  And you might check out the So. Calif.Home Shop Machinists club in Torrance. Here's a link:http://www.schsm.org/
Maurice


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## captvalk (Jun 12, 2013)

mckay3d said:


> Congrats on your new Taig.  I think it's a great way to start.  I have had a larger (7" swing) lathe for years and recently bought a Sherline.  It's really fun!  And you might check out the So. Calif.Home Shop Machinists club in Torrance. Here's a link:http://www.schsm.org/
> Maurice



Thanks for the reference.  I've contacted SCHSM to see if they could put me in touch with hobby machinists in South Orange County, but I have never received a reply.  Unfortunately, Torrance is quite a drive, but I'll still try to make it occasionally.

- - - Updated - - -



D.C.Clark said:


> captvalk,
> 
> I have a Sherline 4 axis CNC mill and lathe, and an LMC model 3900 mini-mill.  Don't want anything bigger, don't want to make anything bigger than what I can on these -- don't want to work that hard, don't want to lift anything that heavy.  Been there, done that: spent 30 years in a 20,000 sq. ft. machine shop making spaceships.  Now retired to a 200 sq. ft. home machine shop making clocks and model engines.
> 
> ...



Great recommendation.  I forgot that it was so close to me.  I'll go down there next week.  As for LMS, I didn't think they had a retail store.  Am I wrong?

Thanks,
Terry Allen (San Clemente)


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## itsme_Bernie (Jun 12, 2013)

Let us know how you like your Taig!  Pics, pics!  



Bernie


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## D.C.Clark (Jun 12, 2013)

captvalk said:


> Thanks for the reference.  I've contacted SCHSM to see if they could put me in touch with hobby machinists in South Orange County, but I have never received a reply.  Unfortunately, Torrance is quite a drive, but I'll still try to make it occasionally.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...



See:  http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Info/store.php  They have a showroom, and tours can be arrainged.

David Clark


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## captvalk (Sep 22, 2013)

It's been about 5 months since I purchased my Taig mill and lathe.  I'm still a newby, but now I'm slightly more experienced.  The best thing I did was to enroll in Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa, Ca where I took an Introduction to Machines class to learn basic milling and lathe skills, and am now taking a more advanced lathe class.  I have been able to do all the projects for the big lathe/mill at school on my Taig, although it usually takes a lot longer.  Admittedly, most of our projects are on work pieces that are only 2 to 6 inches long, so that is right up the Taig's alley, although sometimes I have to be inventive on my setup.  For example, I had to machine an extended tail stock to complete one of my projects (that was useful modification, as I have used it several times since.).    I'm glad I bought the Taig, although I can see where I might outgrow it in a year or two.  I plan to convert the mill to CNC next year.   In the meantime, I am learning a lot.  And I have so many tools and accessories for the Taig, I may just stick with it.  Thanks again to all that provided me with advice.


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## Barnesrickw (Jan 18, 2014)

Thread is old, but I wanted to add I bought a taig lathe a little over a year ago.  Newbie at metalworking, but the tool has really stood up to the rigors of me learning on it.


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## David Kirtley (Jan 18, 2014)

Barnesrickw said:


> Thread is old, but I wanted to add I bought a taig lathe a little over a year ago.  Newbie at metalworking, but the tool has really stood up to the rigors of me learning on it.




So what did you make?  Pics or it didn't happen.


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## Gerritt (Jan 27, 2014)

David Kirtley said:


> So what did you make?  Pics or it didn't happen.



Pics of some of my efforts so far. 
http://hobbies.psgv.ca/machining/taig-my-new-lathe/

Gerrit


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## fretsman (Jan 27, 2014)

Nice site, Gerrit, looks like you're having a great time-  :thumbsup:  

Dave


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## David Kirtley (Jan 27, 2014)

gerritv said:


> Pics of some of my efforts so far.
> http://hobbies.psgv.ca/machining/taig-my-new-lathe/
> 
> Gerrit



Looking good. What are you doing for threading the large threads for the collet holder?


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## Gerritt (Jan 27, 2014)

David Kirtley said:


> Looking good. What are you doing for threading the large threads for the collet holder?



I use a bolt in tailstock, with correct threads. A hole is drilled and tapped in the work piece to match that. Threading is then done by turning the spindle by hand.
A bit tedious but this method is used by many lathe owners, some smaller than Taig, e.g. Unimats. Great for those cases where you don't have a lead screw/gear cutting gear set.

One of the photos shows the set up from above.

Gerrit


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jan 27, 2014)

that is a really neat way to thread on a lathe without a lead screw, thanks! I never would have thought of that, but it really opens up the possibilities. As long as you have a tap and bolt with the right thread pitch and you can tap a hole in the work, you can thread pretty much anything. I'll have to give that a go now


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## David Kirtley (Jan 27, 2014)

gerritv said:


> I use a bolt in tailstock, with correct threads. A hole is drilled and tapped in the work piece to match that. Threading is then done by turning the spindle by hand.
> A bit tedious but this method is used by many lathe owners, some smaller than Taig, e.g. Unimats. Great for those cases where you don't have a lead screw/gear cutting gear set.
> 
> One of the photos shows the set up from above.
> ...



That didn't sink in the first time I looked. I most often use a die holder in the tailstock and crank by hand as well even though I have change gears. I am often surprised at how much I use the crank. Makes it really easy to go up a shoulder.  I have seen the Taig tricked out with leadscrew and change gears and also a kind of interesting setup that goes outboard on the spindle. As long as it works.


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## Gerritt (Jan 28, 2014)

Two more formal implementations using the bolt-as-pattern follower method:
http://www.cartertools.com/brooketh.html
A modified version of the one above: http://cartertools.blogspot.com/2011/01/monty-remons-taig-lathe-mods-part-2.html

You can copy any thread pitch in any diameter (that fits the lathe) using these methods.

Gerrit


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## Barnesrickw (Mar 9, 2014)

Are you guys talking about something like my picture below.  There is more play than I want in the 1/2-40 threads I cut for the guide threads, so I was going to add a large rod on a set of bushings so it will stay true.  I plan on attaching either my faceplate, chuck, or drill chuck to it.







Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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