Noob question alert

[oldepole]

I haven't started metal working yet but I would like to get into it.
My question is: What's an engine lathe and how is it different than other lathes?





Thank You
oldepole

 

[Dave Paine]

I think an engine lathe is the same as a typical metal lathe.

Other lathes are e.g., wood lathe which is very different design for very different purposes. Another type is a Rose engine lathe. This uses intricate gears for machining ornamental shapes.

If you want to machine metal, cut threads etc. a typical metal lathe is what you would purchase.

 

[Bob Korves]

It is a lathe with a 4, 6, or V8 engine running it.

Here is Merrian-Webster's definition:
: a screw-cutting lathe equipped with a back-geared cone-driven headstock or with a headstock of the geared-head type

 

[oldepole]

I've been browsing CL just looking and pricing used metal lathes and I see engine lathes listed on occasion and have wondered what the difference was. I have a small wood lathe I use to make pens and I'd like to get in to refurbishing old iron hence my lurking about here.

 

[oldepole]

It is a lathe with a 4, 6, or V8 engine running it.

MORE POWER!!

: [/B]a screw-cutting lathe equipped with a back-geared cone-driven headstock or with a headstock of the geared-head type

OK I know what a headstock is and a geared-head type I would take to mean driven by gears not rubber bands. I'm not sure about back-geared cone-driven though.

 

[Dave Paine]

A backgear is a method to slow down the lathe speed for e.g., screw cutting.

The motor pulley drives a special shaft, the backgear shaft which drives a large gear, the backgear on the spindle. The regular pulley are disconnected for this arrangement.

The backgear design on my Grizzly G9249 lathe allows me to use the normal pulleys. A picture to illustrate.

The backgear shaft is in the middle. It is disconnected for this picture. When backgear is engaged the middle shaft is rotated so the two gears mesh with the two gears seen on the spindle shaft. There is a pin not shown in the picture on the right most gear on the spindle. This pin is pulled.

The backgears then slow down the spindle speed.

 

[oldepole]

Cool!

 

[Moderatemixed]

Someone will likely correct me but I think that an engine lathe is larger than most hobby, vocational lathes. I had a South Bend 14 inch (referring to the size of material that can be turned) engine lathe. It was enormous. I now have an Atlas 10”, fully restored and it is what I would call “screw cutting” or a light duty/hobby lathe. Back gears are simply like having 1st and 2nd in your cars transmission. If you want to go super slow, or have lots of power, use them. Typically you would just use the other speeds; always starting in 3rd or 4th“ so to speak. I hope this hasn’t confused you further. Good luck. Great hobby. Avoid buying cheap if you can; you’ll either end up buying twice, or frustrated. Cheers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[macardoso]

A picture to illustrate.

How on earth is yours so clean?! I spent weeks cleaning mine and it still doesn't shine like that

 

[macardoso]

I understood that an engine lathe continuously ran the drive motor, but only engaged the spindle by the closure of a clutch. This feature gets to be common on larger manual lathes, where the spindle motor also runs the oil pump and any hydraulics if needed. Then a smaller lathe like many of us would be used to with a lead screw would be called a "screw cutting" and a metal lathe without a leadscrew or gearbox, but included a tailstock turret would be referred to as a turret lathe.