# Reasons to Keep Smaller Lathe



## Susan_in_SF (Jul 24, 2017)

Hello,
I am a newbie who bought a nice old Craftsman 101.07301 metal lathe awhile ago.  At the time I bought it, I really did not know (beyond the obvious size issues) the limitations of such a small lathe.  At the same time, I am working out of a 1 car garage that also has woodworking equipment in it as well.  I really lucked out and found an affordable South Bend 9" model A lathe being sold due to the owner passing away.  The South Bend's bed is 48 inches.  My 6" Craftsman's bed is 30 inches.  Is there any practical reason for keeping the Craftsman lathe? I like the little guy, but if the South Bend can work on small parts just as well, I might just sell the Craftsman.  I was once told by a hobby machinist that smaller lathes work better making smaller stuff than bigger lathes.  As for what the lathe(s) would be used for, that is up in the air.  I am hoping to share my workshop with friends so we have the ability to make anything we want.  That is pretty vague I know. Hence, I now am here asking you experienced guys your opinion on keeping or selling the 6" lathe.  I will be taking a poll , but if you have any friendly feedback, you are welcome to share 

Thanks,
Susan


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## chips&more (Jul 24, 2017)

Welcome, IMHO the craftsman lathe that you have can be easily replaced with something better and you would not look back. And that is only if you really needed a second lathe. Nice pics!…Dave


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## Dave Paine (Jul 24, 2017)

I also purchased a lathe which I soon found out was too short for my needs.  I still have this, but should sell mine since I really need the room.

If you keep the lathe you can have this setup for certain operations, such as a 4 jaw chuck for dialing in close tolerance work on one lathe and 3 jaw chuck on the other.  It helps if both lathes have the same spindle thread so can interchange chucks.

You could also set the first lathe up to turn tapers - if you need to make tapers.  Just offset the tailstock.

I expect many other examples where a second lathe would be of use.


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## shooter123456 (Jul 24, 2017)

My opinion, and its worth exactly what you pay for it, is you should sell the smaller lathe if:

1. You want the space back that it is taking up.
2. You want the money from the sale.
3. It isn't ever used and you don't intent to use it again.
4. You know someone else who wants it and you would like to help them out.

I only have 1 lathe, and I can think of quite a few reasons that I would love to have a second one.  I sold my first one because it helped finance the second one.  

I would love to have a dedicated lathe for threading.  Dealing with change gears is a bit of a hassle and needing to align the cutting tool each time just adds a little bit of hassle to threading so I tend to put it off.  If I could rough turn on my 1030v, then move the workpiece over to another lathe and manually turn to final dimensions, then thread, that would save me a lot of time. Especially if the spindle was the same and I could do it without taking the part out of the chuck. 

There is also the unavoidable event of machine failure.  At some point, a part on the lathe will break and it will be useless until a new one can be sourced.  For new machines, that could be 2 or 3 days if the support for it is good and the manufacturer has the part in stock.  It could need to ship from China and take a month to arrive.  For older machines, finding those parts could take some time.  You might also need the lathe to be able to make that part to make it work again.  Having a second lathe in the shop would mean no down time while you wait for a new part, or give you the option to make a new one on the functioning lathe. 

I have had several projects where I realized I needed to use the machine I am using to make a tool to be able to finish the part I am working on.  With only 1 lathe, that means stopping, taking the part out, making whatever I needed (In the most recent case, I broke my boring bar...), then getting the part remounted and indicated back in as best as I can (there will be a certain amount of error introduced, its inevitable.) then continue.  With a second lathe, I wouldn't need to break down the set up and I would have saved a lot of time. 

If I had the money and space, I would probably have at least 2 lathes, if not 3.  I have always wanted one of those 14x40 or larger machines and one of those gorgeous old Monarchs, but for the very forseeable future, I will only have my 1030v.

TL;DR: Unless something is pushing you to sell it, I would keep it.


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## wrmiller (Jul 24, 2017)

When I purchased my 13x40 lathe I had a SB1001 8x18 lathe. In a moment of weakness I sold it to a friend who wanted to get into hobby machining. I've regretted that decision to this day, and I can't get my 'friend' to sell it back to me. 

I work on medium to small stuff, mostly gunsmithing related. My pistolsmith mentor had a small Craftsman in addition to his large lathe, and I quickly figured out why: Large lathes stink at making really small stuff (I cleaned that up for the PC crowd). They typically don't spin fast enough or have the right feeds. And I can't 'feel' what the machine/cutter is doing as well on a larger chunk of iron. I've never met a clockmaker or watchmaker with a 16x40 lathe... 

Your experience will differ of course.


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## francist (Jul 24, 2017)

I would keep it -- for now anyways. If after a year you find that you've used nothing but the Southbend in that time, revisit the question. Maybe things change, maybe your space requirements change, maybe you find a pal who would really like to use the little Craftsman at their own place for a while. A year isn't that long, but it does tend to be long enough for a person to discover 'gee, I'm really not using this anymore like I thought I might', and the decision becomes easier to make. Plus, you like the little guy! Where's the harm in keeping him around for a little?

-frank


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## T Bredehoft (Jul 24, 2017)

I have two small lathes in my shop, I find that often I can set up two operations, one on each lathe, that complement each other. When this occurs, I realize how much easier it is to do two operations that way. No tear down in case you need to do them again. (Need to make two more pieces because the dog ate the others or what ever.)


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## benmychree (Jul 24, 2017)

I see no valid reason to keep the craftsman lathe; it is no where near the quality of the South Bend, and the fact that it is smaller makes no difference given the small difference (in swing) between the two; sell it and invest the proceeds in some nice tooling for the SB.
Another good reason to dispose of it is the constraints of the available space that you have; there may come along another metal working machine that would be a better value in terms of space taken up than a redundant lathe.


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## Susan_in_SF (Jul 24, 2017)

Wow.  I am really appreciative of  the posts from all you seasoned pros (I assume).  I think I might keep the Craftsman for now, until I learn more about using a lathe.  If the ltitle guy can't help out much after I know a bit more, I guess will sell him.  After hearing all the advantages of having 2 lathes though, I really will try to see if I can have each lathe run separate operations.  If it works out, that would be awesome


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## Bob Korves (Jul 24, 2017)

The only reason I would keep the Craftsman lathe is if it has special tooling that the South Bend does not come with and cannot be easily transferred.  Things like a taper attachment, milling attachment, ball turning attachment, those kinds of things.  Otherwise, the SB will do everything the Craftsman can.  One caveat.  Do not sell the Craftsman until the South Bend is up and running and you are pretty certain that everything is working as it is supposed to on the SB.


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## yendor (Jul 24, 2017)

What the previous poster said.

You just might want the old Craftsman to make a special PART for the SB.
Stranger things happen.


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## f350ca (Jul 24, 2017)

Im not familiar with either lathes, it appears the craftsman doesn't have a quick change gearbox the South Bend does. They're both pretty much the same size. I have two lathes but they have different purposes. One is a 17x80 Summit, it handles big material with ease but will do small parts in a pinch. The other is an 11x18 Hardinge HLV. It does small parts with ease but won't do big parts. 
Your Craftsman won't doe anything the South Bend can't.

Greg


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 24, 2017)

Just as soon as you sell it you will have a part in the new bigger lathe and need to make a smaller part.  Keep it.

 "Billy G"


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## David S (Jul 24, 2017)

Billy G beat me to it.

If you can afford to keep it and have the space, it is really nice to be able to suddenly make something when you already have a project in the "BIG " lathe.  It is nice not to have to break down the set up on the BIG one in order to make a complimentary part.

David


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## Franko (Jul 24, 2017)

You can have two lathes for the same reason you might want two drills or routers.
I sold my Grizzly 9x19 because I needed the cash to help purchase my PM 12x28, plus I didn't have room for those two.
I also have a small HF 7x16 that comes in handy at times. Especially when I'm working on small or thin parts where the 4" chuck jaws take a more shallow bite for tool clearance. It is small, doesn't take up much room and it's easy to move. I can pick it up and carry it (just barely).


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## markba633csi (Jul 24, 2017)

"Seasoned" pros? more like pickled LOL


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## mikey (Jul 24, 2017)

I have two lathes - a Sherline and an 11" lathe and would not be without either one. Both are fully tooled up and both are used for parts that fit comfortably into their work envelope. The advantage to the Sherline is that I can literally pick it up and put it away - it weighs all of 40# soaking wet - but is capable of very fine work on smaller parts. It also has a large enough work envelope that allows it to make parts for the larger lathe if that is needed. I cannot imagine not having both of my lathes.

In your case, your two lathes are similar enough in size that I don't see a practical advantage to keeping both, especially since the larger one has a QCGB. Yes, I agree that it is more convenient to have a lathe for different operations but if space is a real constraint then I would sell the 6" and use the proceeds to tool up the 9". Or, if the kind of work you do frequently requires you to make small precision parts then buy a lathe suitable for that purpose - a Taig or Sherline would be ideal as a second portable lathe that is cheap to own but that is fully capable of real work within its envelope.

Read the post by WR Miller above - he knows what he's talking about.


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## Ken from ontario (Jul 24, 2017)

Hi, a seasoned pro over here,ok I'm a new hobbyist  but I still have something to say.Firstly I want to know, if you sold the smaller lathe , how much would you get for it?
 I myself never sell my tools, I keep them until I'm no longer in the hobby , then sell everything  and get a decent amount of money to spend on the new hobby.
If you like metalworking don't sell your metal working tools,the amount of money you get for it does not outweigh the pleasure of having that lathe available .


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## kd4gij (Jul 24, 2017)

I say keep it. We buy tools not sale.  Or you could just send it to me.


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## eeler1 (Jul 24, 2017)

If you have plenty of room and don't need the money, keep it at least for a while.  Otherwise, sell it and use the money for other tools or SB tooling.


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## Rockytime (Jul 24, 2017)

I  had a 12X36 lathe (which I sold due to my advancing age), a MaxiMat7", a Sherline lathe and two watchmaker's lathes. Since I think I have a few years left I will keep all of them. When I can no longer use them I will just sit reminiscing and enjoy looking at them. I love all my tools.


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## Silverbullet (Jul 24, 2017)

YUPP , if YA Need the money or the space ,sell ,,,,, if not there may be a time you could use the second lathe. Use it for dirty job or a job it's good at .


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## Ulma Doctor (Jul 24, 2017)

you can NEVER have too many lathes


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## SSage (Jul 25, 2017)

I would probably let it go on to a new home since you are replacing it with a small one, although better model of lathe. Make room for more desirable machines. But, I would not give it away either. A 9" SB A lathe is a light weight too. Its all about condition though. Its amazing what folks will pay for old light weight American iron, its "vintage" and interesting to many. My favorite machine in my shop was made in 1941, old stuff is cool or more like Hot these days!


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## A618fan2 (Jul 25, 2017)

I have an Atlas 618 (6") and a Logan 1825 (10"/w quick change gear box).  Started out with the little 6" and upgraded to the 10" to make threading easier and accomodate larger parts.  I thought about selling the Atlas, laughed about it, and forgot about it - I'm keeping both of them 

John


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## eeler1 (Jul 25, 2017)

Ulma Doctor said:


> you can NEVER have too many lathes


I guess you would know, eh?  

Im in same dilemma, every time I look at my little Logan 9B, I like it more and more.  Even though I have an 11" lathe and no room, sure be nice to keep both.


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## Bob Korves (Jul 25, 2017)

Ulma Doctor said:


> you can NEVER have too many lathes


That is from a man who practices what he preaches.


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## Glenn Brooks (Jul 26, 2017)

One earlier poster said it best .- keep the lathe in best condition -e.g. Least wear!  making  parts with the correct Dimensions,  every time you turn down a piece of stock, is the single most important thing there is about a lathe. 

Overall, If it's not worn out, Your new SB 9" is likely the better of the two - but only if it isn't worn out.   Check wear on the ways and look for wear patterns on the bottom of the saddle and tailstock.  Tailstock is easy - If the machined surfaces are not worn down, consider keeping the SB and selling your craftsman - or use the craftsmen for turning wood!

Glenn


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## westsailpat (Jul 26, 2017)

If you don't already have a mill you could put a milling attachment and a collett sys. to hold the end mill on the Craftsman . Also I don't see a tool post on the 6" . If you decide to keep the 6" I would get this tool post , http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3112 . The original lantern type TP  can be frustrating to set up .  How much tooling came with your 6" ?   Mine came with  some good  stuff but I still need quite a bit .


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## Groundhog (Jul 26, 2017)

I had a chance to get a 12x36 like new Central Machinery lathe for a song. The only problem is that he wanted my "tuned" HF mini lathe in trade. I took the deal (and came out smelling like a rose) but I sure miss that little lathe at times.
I justified the trade at the time by figuring how I could replace the mini and still be way ahead financially. I didn't think enough about all the work I had in tuning the mini and gathering and making special tools and accessories that went away with it. Now other things have come up and it looks like it may be a long while (if ever) that I get another small lathe.
I still think I made the right decision but I would have been better off trying to trade him a new, off-the-shelf HF mini and keeping mine!


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## Susan_in_SF (Jul 30, 2017)

Hi Guys,
I had to update you on my dilemma.  To make things even worse, I came across a man who was desperate to empty out his storage unit and wanted it all gone before he was to go on vacation the next day.  His craigslist ad stated he had a South Bend lathe for $200.  In the posted pic, the lathe was in taken apart where the tailstock and headstock were off the lathe.  I thought to myself that, even if it's missing parts, I can still sell on ebay what he's got.  I was extra broke and told him I could only offer $120.  He said he'd sell to me.  When I got to his storage unit, he also had two steel vintage tool cabinets.  He offered them to me for free.    .  The lathe turd out to be a SB model C (no qc box, only 1 axis auto feed) and it was set up for v-belts.  It came with tooling, including a homemade milling attachment,  collet holders, cutters, a 5" 3 Jaw chuck, a 6" 4 jaw chuck, jacobs drill chuck, and homemade boring bar holder. The only thing missing was the countershaft.  Now, I have a bigger dilemma.  I want everything to magically fit my 1 car garage.  Oh, I also have a 1946 Delta wood lathe, surface grinder, mill drill , table saw, Wen laser drill press variable speed, 1940's Craftsman drill press, 1930's Craftsman belt sander, router table, and so on....I really fell in a deep rabbit hole.


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## Ken from ontario (Jul 30, 2017)

I would still get the southbend you mentioned in your first post and sell the one you just got for $120 , southbend parts are still sought after , people pay good price for them up here.


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## Groundhog (Jul 30, 2017)

Sounds like you're going to have to move your bed, stove, tv, etc. to the garage. Put the important stuff (machine tools) in where you have more room!!


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## Robert LaLonde (Aug 23, 2017)

Lathes are like screw drivers and fish hooks.  You just can't have to many.


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## richl (Aug 23, 2017)

Only solution is to get a bigger garage!! I've been unloading some of the woodworking tools to gain back some room to work. I have a 3 car garage...

Rich


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## ericc (Aug 24, 2017)

Hi Susan.  I am in almost the same situation as you.  I have owned a Craftsman 109 lathe for a while and just bought a Southbend 9.  It is in good condition, but is missing some important parts.  For one thing, it needed an MT3 spindle center.  The Craftsman was able to make one, and it fits fine.  Now to make a few more parts.  It is sure nice to have a running lathe, even if it is kind of light.  By the way, if you have any parts from that extra South Bend that you don't need, I am in the market for a few.


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## Robert LaLonde (Aug 24, 2017)

Here is the deal.  I have 3 lathes (4 if you count my wood lathe) and there have been times when there was a single setup part on the big one, I was fixing the smaller one, and I had to turn a part to fix it on the ....

HF 7x10 tiny lathe.  I am actually in the process of converting it to CNC, but in this one instance I had to put it back together to make the part for the other one.  LOL.


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## Scruffy (Aug 26, 2017)

Since I bought a American pace maker a couple of years ago .i don't think I have even started either of the 2 820 Logan's. They both have qc gear boxes but it's so much easier to thread on the pace maker.
Thanks scruffy


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## Ulma Doctor (Aug 26, 2017)

i wanna get a mezzanine


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## Linghunt (Aug 26, 2017)

*Tool Hoarders Are Us*.  Seems like we need to have a counseling group .

Some 7 years ago I build a slide shed that would fit on a flatbed trailer and was moveable with forklift. I fit it with supply cabinets and items I didn't need to have in arms reach. Garage was open for a while, now I have the same problem again.  











I did a camo job so it blended into the house.


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## welderr (Sep 18, 2017)

Hi Susan, I have a 10 inch Atlas that I am redoing for at home, It was my Uncle's and he really made some neat things on it. I have a larger Sheldon 12 inch that is set up at at the shop at the farm I grew up on. I am looking forward to getting the Atlas done and if it works out I think the Sheldon might move on, mainly because the Atlas broke down easily and was light enough to carry down the stairs into the basement and it's not 3 phase. My Uncle used both lathes and could turn out nice work on both of them the Atlas might have taken a little longer but I am thinking more of it from a tinkerers perspective when I retire. The Atlas is fully tooled as well the Sheldon is not. I actually have been thinking about a smaller lathe like a 109 that I could take out on jobs in my service truck to turn a bushing here and there . You can always sell it later if you keep it  TJ


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## Scruffy (Sep 21, 2017)

I retract my previous comment!! A few days ago I was doing something in my large lathe and???? Needed to make a end cap for a collet. Sure didn't want to u chuck the piece, so the Logan came to the rescue.
Thanks scruffy ron


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## Robert LaLonde (Sep 22, 2017)

Scruffy said:


> I retract my previous comment!! A few days ago I was doing something in my large lathe and???? Needed to make a end cap for a collet. Sure didn't want to u chuck the piece, so the Logan came to the rescue.
> Thanks scruffy ron



Toe JA so !  LOL.


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