# Do I Want A Cnc Lathe?



## MARVIN GARDENS (Apr 3, 2015)

Hi.

I am new into hobby machining. I have friends that are gunsmiths/machinists and one that has a mold shop. I am an accountant in real life but have enjoyed working with tools since I was a boy fetching tools for my grandfather.  I work in the evenings and on weekends with my mill and manual lathes and it is a nice distraction from work.  I think the reason I became so interested in this hobby is that I am now able to create the objects that I would envision after going to bed and waiting to go to sleep.

I have been offered a Hardinge CNC lathe from a friend/client of mine.  It has no tailstock and has a four position rotating tool post.  It is no longer connected to a computer but everything else is still there.  My friend recently pulled it off his shop floor as he replaced it with a new, much more complex machine.

My question really is do I want this machine?  I know nothing about CNC.  My understanding has always been that CNC machines were for production runs or manufacturing.  Most of my work is one or two off projects.  Do most hobby CNC machinists do it because they just enjoy the process?  I notice that most of the posts here involve CNC mills and I am not sure this lathe would be worth the shop space it would demand.

Thanks.

Bob


----------



## cathead (Apr 4, 2015)

Maybe one could use it manually.  If it would increase your capability and worth the
space, it would be worth considering.  Parting it out would be another way to utilize it.  
Think of the machine as what could it be rather that what it presently is.   Would it be possible to
return it to it's previous state as a CNC lathe?  Most of my activity is to make one part 
or repair one part so unless I radically changed what I do, CNC would be a detriment. 
I'm sure there are members who use CNC will have a very different view on this subject than I
and others like me who don't with some good ideas.  Thanks for starting an interesting thread Bob!


----------



## Eddyde (Apr 4, 2015)

CNC can allow you to make parts that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible to produce without special jigs or tooling, such as radiuses, curved profiles, tapers, etc.


----------



## JimDawson (Apr 4, 2015)

As Eddyde says, a CNC machine, be it a lathe or mill, can allow you to create projects that would be otherwise difficult or impractical to do.  I find that my project designs have gotten more complex, and my shop capability has expanded since I bought my CNC mill.  I use my CNC mill almost exclusively for one-off parts, it has only run one production job since I bought it.

Having said that, your friend is not offering you a CNC lathe, he is offering you a project that has the capability of becoming a CNC lathe again with some time and $$.  Much like buying that old car out of the farmers barn, it's a starting point.   You have to decide if you want to do a CNC retrofit project or make chips.  It would be an opportunity for you to expand your skill set into areas that maybe you never thought about before.  If the price is right and the machine is in good mechanical condition, and you want a project, then I would not hesitate to dive in.


----------



## bpratl (Apr 4, 2015)

I converted my lathe to CNC because it allows me to cut any threads, ASE/Metric left/right without a quick change gear box, cut precision tapers or complex shapes or balls with out a taper attachment and make duplicate parts if needed. The lathe will still function as a manual lathe, with a hand held pendant, once you get use to it. Plus the CNC software has built in DRO's that you can use in the manual mode. Just my 2 cents. Bob


----------



## coolidge (Apr 4, 2015)

You want a CNC mill before you want a CNC lathe.


----------



## T Bredehoft (Apr 4, 2015)

CNC machines are great, they can do anything.

Having said that they require a monster investment in your self-education. I started out learning M & G coding, spent most of ten  years improving my skills.  Subsequent to that my employer purchased dedicated CNC mills and lathes.  They were better, but I still needed  considerable education as to their capabilities and possibilities. 

While I would now like to have a CNC mill, I'm not sure I could utilize a lathe to any appreciable percentage of its potential. 

Considering what you have to learn, and what you have to do to make it functional, I'd suggest that it would not be a good investment. 

I'm not talking about money but your time.

Tom


----------



## MARVIN GARDENS (Apr 4, 2015)

Thanks so very much everyone.  You have helped me to have a much better understanding of some of the aspects of CNC machining.  I also took some time and looked at some forum advertisers and Youtube videos.

The cost of the Hardinge as it sets would be the cost to move it.  My space and available time are limited and I already have projects in line to be finished.  If the machine were to be parted out and sold I would prefer my friend do it as any money made should be his.   CNC machining does look fascinating but I think if at a later time I decide to jump in, I would be better off with a more ready to go system.

Thanks again.

Bob


----------

