Buying a lathe, what tooling should I get/avoid?

[ttabbal]

I know there are some similar posts, but I hope you guys will offer suggestions anyway. I have been searching and reading, but getting a little bogged down in it...

I have a pretty hard budget of $3000, including shipping. Items have to be available to purchase from a normal web store. EBay etc is going to cause problems as it's not me doing the actual ordering. I need to be able to supply a simple web link and basic info so they can put in a card and order. The lathe, stand, and shipping come to about $2500. I don't need the best quality, but better than Harbor Freight.

Lathe is PM 1022V/1030V (depending on how long it takes for 1030s to come in)

I know I want a tailstock drill chuck, I'll probably order that from PM with the machine.

PM has some holder and insert sets that look nice. Grizzly has something similar that includes a cutoff/groove tool. I do want to be able to cut slots for snap-rings and o-rings eventually. And parting off is needed.

 

[markba633csi]

A lot depends on what you plan to make is the standard response to that question- many of us just add tooling as we need it
Mark S.

 

[T Bredehoft]

I agree with Mark, when you find you need something. you can generally get it within 2 days from somewhere on the internet.
Or, we can tell you of about $1500 worth of stuff you might need somewhere down the road.

One thought, If Matt offers a live center for the tailstock, get it.

While I don't have a PM lathe, I do have one of Matt's mills, and find it eminently satisfactory. His customer service is top notch.

 

[Asm109]

Items for the lathe that I could not live without.
Jacobs chuck for tailstock
live center for tail stock
Quick change toolpost and tool holders for following tools
Turning
Facing
Boring
parting
Knurling

3jaw and 4 jaw chucks.
I use Hss tooling and grind my own bits.

 

[kvt]

like most have said, depends on what your are trying to make. and do like me add as you need and find it on ebay and sales.
I'm on a tight limit for getting some tooling etc, so it is come as I can. Also I purchase some stuff cheap HF, then upgrade as I get a chance.
you did not say if it could be a bunch of sites or if it needed to be one or a few. Also do you have any stuff already. Mics, Calipers etc.

for the lathe itself.
A live center is a must
The chuck for the tailstock
Set of center drills and drill bits. I have found the little stubby ones are better on my 10x24.
QCTP is grate and makes things go a hole lot smoother or at least for me.
Extra Holders, can be found many places for AXA style for as low as 10 to 12 plus shipping, occasionally also free shipping. Compare prices
If you have a good grinder HSS tooling as you can grind your own. Again deals can be found on web/ebay
3 and 4 jaw chucks for the lathe normally get initial with the lathe
If it does not have the quick change gear box then a full set of change gears
THe list can be endless, but can be managed based on what you have, and what you are wanting to start doing.

 

[Z2V]

If you order from PM get as much as you can of your list at the same time. It will all be included in the box with the machine, no extra shipping charge. The drill chuck shown with that lathe has been a very nice chuck for the price. Don't forget to add extra tool holders while your at it.

 

[richl]

Drill chuck for the tailstock, while many of the tools you will get from Matt are great, I bought one of his more affordable mt3 keyless chucks... not so good. I ended up getting a nice one from glacern https://www.glacern.com/drill_chucks, more affordable than Matt's high precision models and very smooth, and mine is very good, very low runout. You save a few bucks for others things, a win-win.

Rich

 

[Glenn Brooks]

Above all else you will need a decent dial indicator and magnetic base to hold the work properly in your chuck. plus a set of micrometers to accurately measure diameter of your work. Maybe 0-1", 1-2", and 2-3" to start with.

Sometimes people don't think of these as tooling, but you can't do much on a lathe without these items.

Also maybe look for a bunch of HSS 3/8 or 1/2" used lathe bits. I have purchased a package of 20 or more used cutters for a few bucks on eBay and usually find half or more can be reused and re ground many times in my shop - at great savings over cost of new.

I shop around a lot for used tooling on eBay - often finding great deals on decent quality tools. Just be cautious

Glenn

 

[mikey]

In my opinion, I would suggest you save a little more and buy the PM1127VF-LB. Before someone flames me, let me tell you why.

The 1127 has:

• a D1-4 camlock spindle so any D1-4 chuck will fit. Not so with the 3 stud/lock ring affair; very limiting.
• a 1.5" bore vs a 1" bore. This is a huge advantage when working with longer stock.
• power feed is with a feed shaft instead of the lead screw. Think wear and tear.
• a bed width of 7" vs 5.3". This has a big impact on the rigidity and accuracy of the lathe.
• hardened, ground and balanced spindle on precision bearings - big plus.

You may think that you'll use the 1030 and upgrade later but if you begin with a decent lathe then the need to upgrade may not be necessary. Yeah, it costs almost $1000.00 more but, to me, it is worth saving a little longer and getting a much better built lathe. The 1127 is the lowest model lathe I would personally even consider in the PM line - you get a LOT of lathe for your buck.

 

[Z2V]

Mike made good points. The 1127 would max your current budget, but you could get the machine then start accumulating tooling as go. Worth strong consideration. I have a MT3 drill chuck I can loan you to get you going.