Beginners machine thoughts and question

rdtricks

rdtricks

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Reading an article on the little machine shop website stating most mini-lathes were produced in the same Chinese factory (Sieg?), I am curious to learn what the members of this forum think of "package deals" when considering the purchase of a 'beginners lathe' - 7X14? With no experience, limited space and equally limited funds a package seems to be something that would get a person started quickly and could be improved upon with upgraded parts as time and money allow: Vevor is one vendor with such packages. What say you?
 
If you get accessories like drill chucks it could be a good deal, but if it includes a lot of poor quality carbide cutting tools it may not be.
I'm a proponent of grinding one's own HSS cutting tools, so putting the money towards a small bench grinder may be a better investment
-Mark
 
Mini lathes come up used frequently so consider waiting for something local you can get used. They're small so easy to drive and pick it up yourself when you find the right thing on Craigslist, FB Marketplace, or elsewhere.

Most folks find they need to work on them a little to get the results they want so there's not a big advantage to buying new with one of these IMHO.

One thing I can tell you for sure is once you get bitten there will always be more stuff to buy for this hobby, take your time to find a good deal and learn how to grind your own HSS tools and you will be dollars ahead.

And welcome to the forum, this is a great place to learn and ask questions.


John
 
Also, don't buy a lathe that's too short- remember when you take into account the length of a tailstock drill chuck plus the drill bit it eats up a lot of your work envelope
14" is on the borderline
-Mark
 
What Mark said is very true. Go for a longer bed if possible.
 
If you are specifically looking at LMS they tend to offer some pretty good starter packages. Agree with the others about looking for used. The smaller lathes pop up on Craigslist and similar quite often, usually lightly used. If you have limited space but don't plan on moving the lathe often it is worth looking at the various 8 and 9" lathes as well, because they are not a lot bigger, or much more expensive just heavier.

Also it is true many of the lathes are made in the same factory, but they are not all the same. The different sellers can spec them differently, and some have better quality control than others.
 
Before you buy anything figure out what you want to make with your lathe. What do you want to use it for. I call this a statement of requirements. SOR for short. Let your SOR be your guide. Think about both initial projects to get you started and where you may go in the future. I'll second what the others have said about bed length. Longer is always better IMHO.

Welcome to the forum. We are a friendly bunch. Don't be afraid to ask any question no matter how trivial you may think it is. You will get good answers to your questions.
 
Aaron_W said:
If you are specifically looking at LMS they tend to offer some pretty good starter packages. Agree with the others about looking for used. The smaller lathes pop up on Craigslist and similar quite often, usually lightly used. If you have limited space but don't plan on moving the lathe often it is worth looking at the various 8 and 9" lathes as well, because they are not a lot bigger, or much more expensive just heavier.

Also it is true many of the lathes are made in the same factory, but they are not all the same. The different sellers can spec them differently, and some have better quality control than others.
Click to expand...
LMS? Still need to learn the acronyms.
 
A long time ago, I started out with a Taig micro lathe. It is surprising how many things that thing could be used for, I even used it to machine some slots in 6061, but I digress.

Things to look for::
a) easy access to changing the RPMs of the spindle--you will want as slow as 70 RPM and as fast as 2000 RPM.
b) easy access to changing the carriage travel speed
c) lots of adjustability in choosing thread pitches
d) enough bed length (then add 6" inches to whatever you thing is adequate)
e) easy access to change the angle of the compound--lost of sub 10" lathes fail this one.
f) powered cross slide travel
g) easy to read dials
 
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