I think I might be a tool junkie. Are there meetings?

[Brento]

Your story is similar to mine. I have an antique clock collection and work on my own clocks. I bought a Sherline Lathe and Mill. I like the ability to cut threads, but not the switch-over to set up to thread. So I found a used Sherline lathe on Craigslist and have it set up just for threading. A Taig lathe was found at a clock regional meetup at a good price, so I bought it to. Four watchmakers lathes with a variety of attachments were bought used. I pick a machine to use depending on the task at hand. But all these machines are rather small, taking up little space and are easy to move about.

Only problem isnt arent watchmaker lathes expensive as hell?

Not all of us are tool junkies. Some of us can quit at any time. It's just like smoking I know people that quit hundreds of times.

The other popular saying is that you quit smoking when the cigarette burns out. This applies to the quitting of buying tools and tooling. You quit when you buy the last tooling you see. Then you start again with the next tool.

 

[Aaron_W]

Only problem isnt arent watchmaker lathes expensive as hell?

They can be, but you can get a decent basic watchmakers lathe fairly cheap ($200-500), as with many things it is the accessories that really get expensive. You can easily spend $3000+ on a well equipped watchmakers lathe from one of the more desirable brands. The basic lathe can do most of the really fine work done between centers, and small lathes like Sherline, Taig etc can substitute for many of the more expensive accessories.

 

[erikmannie]

I don’t mind spending money on tools at all.

When I spend money, I like being able to have the thing that I bought for the rest of my life.

Sometimes I spend money on consumables or materials, but I tell myself that I will use these to develop (or increase) *skills* that I will have the rest of my life.

I hate spending money on things that are not tools, consumables or materials. This is called “waste”.

 

[Brento]

They can be, but you can get a decent basic watchmakers lathe fairly cheap ($200-500), as with many things it is the accessories that really get expensive. You can easily spend $3000+ on a well equipped watchmakers lathe from one of the more desirable brands. The basic lathe can do most of the really fine work done between centers, and small lathes like Sherline, Taig etc can substitute for many of the more expensive accessories.

I bought my Derbyshire for i think 2000. Had collets, center, drill chuck. I dont think i got much more.

 

[Aaron_W]

I bought my Derbyshire for i think 2000. Had collets, center, drill chuck. I dont think i got much more.

That seems really high, but I think Derbyshire is one of the more desirable brands. Usually when I see a watchmakers lathe asking $2000 it is complete with a motor, and multiple attachments like a cross slide or milling attachment. Often they will have an original storage box at that price.
Collet set can add a fair bit as they run $10-20 per collet. Just a lathe with the drawbar, tail stock, centers and / or a few collets I frequently see them well under $500.

I only paid $500 for mine and it came with a jewelers desk and a bunch of tools. Just the basic attachments for the lathe though (tool rest, set of collets, and a couple of centers).

I'm talking about the common 50mm x 8" WW style, the larger watchmakers lathes sell for much more.

 

[Brento]

I had a full cross slide for it as well and a decent amount of collets. Mine take the 10mm collets

 

[Aaron_W]

I had a full cross slide for it as well and a decent amount of collets. Mine take the 10mm collets

The accessories add up very quickly. From what I've seen many of the individual accessories, chucks, cross slides etc can sell for more than the lathe.

 

[Cadillac]

Well don’t get into machine auctions. Pennies on the dollar for machines, tooling, and accessories. Even material, hardware practically everything. Your biggest problem will be storage not the tool problem.

 

[EricB]

Now all of the sudden a friend offers me an Atlas 10! Now what?

 

[Dabbler]

Now all of the sudden a friend offers me an Atlas 10! Now what?

Congrats. You are now the new owner of an Atlas 10!