Looking to get into the hobby with either a mini lathe or mini mill to start with, advice?

Minilathes are fun. And you can find them cheap if you are persistent and a bit patient. I have bought 4 minilathes from CL for $100, and another with LOTS of accessories for $150 just recently. The advantage of buying used is you usually get some tooling with it that you would have to buy if you ordered a new machine. I have yet to see a used minilathe that actually had wear on the critical surfaces. Parts are cheap and available.
I have some pretty nice bigger US-made machine tools, but the most recent project I tackled (Firing pin) I did entirely on the minlathe and minimill.
Go for it. have fun
 
What machine you do buy 1st should be based on what you want to make. I have been working as a Tool & Moldmaker for 30+ years. A lathe based on that is the last piece of equipment I would need, mill, surface grinder and EDM machine 1st, lastly a lathe. As for making more complicated stuff on a lathe, thats total BS, the stuff we build with a mill is absolutely amazing and virtually none of it could be made on a lathe with a milling attachment without taking weeks and possbily months to make it and having 10 other attachments to go with it and not having enough spindle speed along with that. Heck I have made tons of round parts on a mill using the spindle and vise just like a lathe, done the same on a CNC mill. I had a lathe 1st but was very limited in what I could make due to what I was making or what I needed to make. A lathe will never be an efficient mill or vise versa. The amount of material I can take off in a mill compared to a lathe being used as a mill is no comparison at all, what I can remove in 10 minutes will take you hours, the same can be said trying to use a mill as a lathe in most all cases unless the part is small and simple.

Best advice is figure out what you can afford and what you want to make, the 2 machines go hand in hand, at that point buy what you can do the most on 1st.
 
Sorry,McRuff. That is completely backwards. I guess you have your own way of doing things!! I was a toolmaker myself.
 
I just went thru this. I've been working with metal for years and always wanted a mill and lathe. I read as much as I could, asked a lot of questions, and based on all that I was going for a lathe first. But, I found an old Johansson small knee mill within reasonable driving distance in good condition and I decided I'd be kicking myself if I passed on it. Memorial Day weekend I found and bought a 1957 South Bend Heavy 10. I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't researched as much as I could on what to look for buying a used lathe.

So with all that... I would get a lathe first. You can do a lot with a lathe, including basic milling, but I've yet to see anyone do lathework on a mill. You need to figure what you intend to use the machines for. Most guys will tell you get the biggest you can afford, even if you have to splurge a little. Don't forget tooling, accessories, etc., usually add up to as-much, if not more, than the actual machine. Then you need to figure if you want new or used. You can get a good bench-mounted Asian lathe for around $1200-$1600 that will require only minimal cleaning (even most new machines need a slight cleaning of metal grinding dust from fabrication, etc.). Or, you can look for used machinery. With used machines you can get a lot of machine for your money. The catch there is you might not know enough to judge a machine worthy of asking price, or you could get lucky. If you know someone with the knowledge that can evaluate a machine for you then you're lucky. So decide what you really want to do first, then decide if you want new or used.

For a real beginner I suggest getting new. Less to worry about and, while 100% foolproof, at least you'd have a warranty and a machine that should work like it's supposed to. Only you can really decide what your course of action should be. Get some paper, define your wants and expectations and the possibilities of buying new or used. That should greatly help in your buying your first machine(s).
 
george wilson said:
Sorry,McRuff. That is completely backwards. I guess you have your own way of doing things!! I was a toolmaker myself.
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Obviously George you have never built a mold or die, period. I stand 100% by my statement and no I don't do things different just tools like I guess you've never seen. I could go for several years in most mold building shops and never need a lathe. Like I said in 30+ years of working in a shop I have never been in a single shop that had a milling attachment for a lathe.

As for using a mill for a lathe, easy, put the part in the collet, tool holder drill chuck or small chuck, turn the spindle on and use a tool blank in the vise, like I said it works easily and CNC guys do it from time to time as well.

As I said decide what types of things you want to make and go from there.
 
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That's part of the beauty of metal working. There is so much variety in products to make, and methods and machines to make the products. Molds in general for casting purposes would indeed be difficult on a turning machine. That can't be an all-inclusive statement though. I immediately thought of the size of the mold coming into play. Certainly many molds are rather large and it would be most impractical to attempt on a lathe. But without doubt, small molds can be made on one with a milling attachment. I have always considered a milling attachment for a lathe as a compromise at best. They have obvious limits, but can and do work. Mills can perform many turning functions, and with some part designs, it is the best approach to take. I've turned a great many parts in the mill spindle, with no problems. And added to it, CNC milling machines can do circular interpolation and create round features on large, ungainly parts. Sometimes, that's the only way to do a piece.

I think the areas an individual works in are reflected in their comments. When I see a reference to making tools, it probably means something different to me than it does to others. Likely die and mold work conjures up images that differ for each of us. And of course, the methods used to create these things will differ as well. It is best that we make allowances for these differences in each other. As the French say: "vive la différence!"
 
McRuff said:
As for using a mill for a lathe, easy, put the part in the collet, tool holder drill chuck or small chuck, turn the spindle on and use a tool blank in the vise, like I said it works easily and CNC guys do it from time to time as well.
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Okay, I have pretty much "zip" experience with this stuff. I've owned a lathe for a while and am just now exploring what one can do with a mill other than hold down the floor. That being said, and no disrespect meant, I find this view to be a bit myopic. Let me break it down, as I understand it. I have been making things on my lathe that can't possibly be "put in a collet" or even a small chuck. Drill chucks aren't even designed for the side pressures that are inherent in turning an item so I doubt they would be an option with anything but the softest materials and lightest cuts.

A lathe is not a milling machine, no doubt about that. Tool and die making has been around quite a bit longer than milling machines have and lathes were integral in the process. While the mill may be a better choice for many operations (and the CNC adds another aspect) the lathe still excels at what it has been doing for the last couple of hundred years. "There is more than one way to skin a cat!"

-Ron
 
ScrapMetal said:
A lathe is not a milling machine, no doubt about that. Tool and die making has been around quite a bit longer than milling machines have and lathes were integral in the process. While the mill may be a better choice for many operations (and the CNC adds another aspect) the lathe still excels at what it has been doing for the last couple of hundred years. "There is more than one way to skin a cat!"

-Ron
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1 - Lets address what I said in the first post, decide what you want to build and let that be the deciding factor on what machine you buy 1st.
2 - Size has a alot to do with what you can do in the machine, he asked about a mini lathe or mini mill, which means hes thinking smaller parts and usin ga mill spindle will do that alot of the time minus threading of course.
3 - I also said that a lathe will never be an efficient mill and vise versa, while you can mill on a lathe it is a poor excuse at best, the same applies to the mill as a lathe.
4 - In years past when mills didn't really exist neither did lathes big enough or sturdy enough to mill on, thats why they had planers and shapers to machine with. Not that lathes are not needed there just not the king of all machines as so many ill informed people make them out to be, as the industrial revolution churned along things became diferent and the lathe had to make room for other machines that did jobs it couldn't do like cutting complex curves, splines, cutting objects square, with all kinds of complex angles, surfaces, pockets and such.



I'm not trying to argue this point just make sure the man doesn't buy a lathe when 90% of his work will be square stuff that is more efficiently done on a mill and vise versa.
Lathes work best for turning jobs, mills work best for anything not round.
 
McRuff said:
1 - Lets address what I said in the first post, decide what you want to build and let that be the deciding factor on what machine you buy 1st.
2 - Size has a alot to do with what you can do in the machine, he asked about a mini lathe or mini mill, which means hes thinking smaller parts and usin ga mill spindle will do that alot of the time minus threading of course.
3 - I also said that a lathe will never be an efficient mill and vise versa, while you can mill on a lathe it is a poor excuse at best, the same applies to the mill as a lathe.
4 - In years past when mills didn't really exist neither did lathes big enough or sturdy enough to mill on, thats why they had planers and shapers to machine with. Not that lathes are not needed there just not the king of all machines as so many ill informed people make them out to be, as the industrial revolution churned along things became diferent and the lathe had to make room for other machines that did jobs it couldn't do like cutting complex curves, splines, cutting objects square, with all kinds of complex angles, surfaces, pockets and such.



I'm not trying to argue this point just make sure the man doesn't buy a lathe when 90% of his work will be square stuff that is more efficiently done on a mill and vise versa.
Lathes work best for turning jobs, mills work best for anything not round.
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I agree wholeheartedly with maybe the exception of point #2 as that is still over-ridden by point #1. It appeared to me that the OP was looking at the mini type equipment more due to his lack of space as opposed to what he wants to use it for. Up to this point that still remains a mystery. Depending on what he is thinking of doing, the mini equipment might not even be appropriate and therefore he may be better off looking at a larger capacity "multi" machine to satisfy his space requirements. I know we mostly dismiss this type of machine but they do fill a certain niche and they can still do acceptable work as long as you understand their limitations.

It'd be nice if the OP checked back in so we could be more specific with our advice.

-Ron
 
Actually,McRuff,I have made quite a few molds for our home business of jewelry making. I am no hobbiest. Retired master toolmaker. Don't assume things of me that you know nothing about. Not to be disrespectful,that is just a poor judgement. You obviously haven't seen the work I've posted here.

Now,IF mold making is ALL you ever want to do,the milling machine is O.K.,BUT,what home hobbiest is going to be a mold maker? More likely he will need a lathe for things like small engines,or a myriad of other NORMAL hobby type projects.

I think it is not a good idea to confuse the new guy that a mill was your best first machine just because your specialized work involved it. 99.99999999% of the home shop guys are not going to be mold makers. That,as said,is a very myopic viewpoint.

A lathe may be a poor choice for milling,but a mill is even a poorer choice for turning since it can't thread,and doesn't have a tailstock(though Bridgeport did offer a "lathe" attachment to make the Bridgy a poor "instrument"(non threading) lathe. Also,you cannot do central boring of tubes on a mill with the ease or accuracy of a lathe,or turn tapers without some major jigging. You cannot turn long objects,either,unless you can accurately tilt your head 90º and have a tailstock and a LONG travel manual setup to carry the cutter. You can't readily chamber a rifle with a mill,but you can mill the extractor slot very handily with a milling attachment on a lathe. No home hobby shop is going to invest wisely in that type of equipment when a lathe would do it cheaper and better.

If you have read"Precision Hole Location",put out by the Moore jig bore co.,you will have seen pictures of lathes being used to make accurate,complicated masters for drilling holes in clock and watch plates. All face plate work,using toolmaker's buttons and gage blocks to get extreme accuracy. This was in the late 19th. and early 20th.C.. Mills did not figure as largely then as they do now for a lot of work.

I managed to do some pretty decent smaller work with my lathe's milling attachment many years ago. Not a real mill,but we are talking hobby here,not a mold shop.

You need to rethink your statement that larger lathes did not exist years ago.How do you think they bored and turned large cannon and mortars in the 18th.C.? They were cast solid and bored out by the 18th.C.. There are large lathes from the 1840's in the Science Museum in London. And,a shaper or planer has very limited capacity. That is why shapers,especially, are mostly obsolete today in any reasonably modern factory. I have a shaper I've used ONCE in 30 years.

Don't confuse the newbies with that kind of misleading perspective. Everyone else is saying the lathe or combo machine(which I do not care for) is the best choice. The lathe IS the king of equipment,and has been for a very long time. Not to say I don't use my 3 milling machines a lot. t took time to get money and SPACE to have the machines I now have. The lathe was a good start.
 
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