Recommendations for Lathe and Mill with Space Limitations

[m1kemex]

#1 concern in the shop is safety. It should be the pivot of all other decisions.

And, myself, I don't consider it very safe to get a full size machine to learn. Better to be frustrated with a small lathe when the motor stalls, than to have enough power to rip your arm.

P. S. The lathe is far more dangerous that the mill.

 

[FortyFivePalms]

I like my 12x36, it's Taiwan built and came with all the basics used for less than a grand. It fits in a 60" space just barely but to me it's about the smallest I'd want for my interests which also include classic cars.

There's also a Craftsman "industrial" machine near you but it's missing the cross slide and compound.

Lathe. Classic multi speed Craftsman lathe. - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Great old metal lathe, probably best for wood working now because it's missing the metal working tool post. Runs on 110/120 Volts. Plug it in and have some fun! Comes with it's stand. Call or text...

sandiego.craigslist.org

Might be worth taking a look if you're willing to hunt down the parts and you can get it for half what he's asking.

If you only have space for one I'd suggest getting the best lathe you can, you can do a lot of mill type work on a lathe but not so much the other way around unless it's a CNC.

As for mills I really like having a knee and think it's worthwhile stretching your space to make one fit. sometimes you can rearrange things to push one into a corner to take up less room.

I had my multi-function machine when I was just starting out but remember being frustrated trying to run it as both a lathe and mill, just wasn't good for either with my limited experience at the time. Perhaps if I knew more I could have made it work but I paid about $600 for it new and was happy to sell it for half that much within a year. I ended up getting a Seneca Falls Star lathe for $300 and it served me well even though it didn't have a QCGB. One work around with a change gear lathe is to set it up with a 3 phase motor so you have variable speed, doesn't help with setting up for threading but does the trick for adjusting speeds.

I'm sure you can get what you need close to home if you want a used machine, or even a newer one if that's your preference.

Lathes. Large Bore. Precision Matthews 1127-VF-LB, 120V - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Selling two Precision Matthews 1127 - VF - LB lathes - WITH STANDS and extras. The stands alone are worth $500 new! This is a large bore, 1.5 inch lathe that runs on 110/120 Volts. Just plug it in...

sandiego.craigslist.org

Just take your time and feel free to post up any other questions you have.

John

Thanks for the observations.

I'm actually waiting to get the model number on that Craftsman 'Industrial' unit; I made it clear to the owner that I wouldn't pay anything near the asking price. Plus I don't think it comes with any extra tooling or parts. Kinda looks like it's already been parted out, lol.

To be clear, I have nothing more than a sentimental attachment to the Craftsman machines. In fact, as of right now I am leaning towards finding a used, but newer, offshore machine (unless an incredible Craftsman deal comes my way).

As far as making more room, I would be more inclined to block off my exterior tool room door (and thus free up more room) if I knew I could easily move the tools. Would it be practical to place casters on a sufficiently small (12 x 36) cabinet lathe, or would I be asking for trouble?

 

[FortyFivePalms]

I feel oddly compelled to counter the advice to buy big. Too big is a problem. Bigger machines cost more, are harder to transport, tooling costs more, etc. I recommend a 9x20 lathe and RF-45 mill. Also, buy new if you can. Used machines appear to be amazing deals but often the buyer does not include the value of their time and the lifestyle level of commitment required to find good deals. And you only hear about the success stories.

I tend to agree, I think the largest I would consider right now is a 12 x 36 lathe. Haven't really looked at mills enough yet to form an opinion.
Purchasing new does appeal to me also, especially if I can get something with all the goodies as a package deal. And fortunately I am in a position financially to consider that possibility.

 

[FortyFivePalms]

P. S. The lathe is far more dangerous that the mill.

Roger that.

 

[Aaron_W]

I tend to agree, I think the largest I would consider right now is a 12 x 36 lathe. Haven't really looked at mills enough yet to form an opinion.
Purchasing new does appeal to me also, especially if I can get something with all the goodies as a package deal. And fortunately I am in a position financially to consider that possibility.

If you go smaller than a 12x36" lathe then there are solid advantages to buying an older vintage USA machine.

There are few (none affordable) new lathes available smaller than 12" swing that come with a quick change gear box, and very few offer power cross feed.

Old USA lathes also offer far lower spindle speeds than most new small lathes. Most have back gears which provide good low speed torque.

Many vintage 9"-11" lathes were also built to a higher standard of quality because they were light industrial machines. Most of the current 9-11" lathes are basically targeting serious hobbyists.

There are some older (1980s) import lathes that are both affordable and offer most the above mentioned features the Jet 1024 is one example, Select is another brand that offered some solid 8-10" lathes. Jet and Select are just two common brands, the machines were sold under a variety of other brand names, most with very Asian sounding names Dong Yang, Liang Wai, Shenwai etc. Most of these were from Taiwan, and imported from the late 70s to early 90s.


One area where the current breed of small lathes tends to have the advantage is spindle bore, older lathes in the 9-10" size tended to have small 5/8-3/4" spindle bores until the late 70s. Even the little 7" mini-lathes have a 3/4" spindle bore and most of the 10" lathes have at least 1".

Variable speed is another, older lathes with variable speed tend to have more complex mechanical drives vs electronic speed control on newer lathes. Low speed torque is sacrificed with some of the electronic speed controls.
There are options to add variable speed to a belt or gear driven lathe.

Older lathes also frequently have rear mounted counter shafts making them significantly deeper. A South Bend 9" or 10" lathe needs about 3 feet of space, while a modern 12x36 only needs about 2 feet.


Small import lathes are capable, and certainly worth considering, it is just that under 12" swing I feel the argument for vintage machinery is much stronger than when looking at the larger machines.

 

[matthewsx]

Thanks for the observations.

I'm actually waiting to get the model number on that Craftsman 'Industrial' unit; I made it clear to the owner that I wouldn't pay anything near the asking price. Plus I don't think it comes with any extra tooling or parts. Kinda looks like it's already been parted out, lol.

To be clear, I have nothing more than a sentimental attachment to the Craftsman machines. In fact, as of right now I am leaning towards finding a used, but newer, offshore machine (unless an incredible Craftsman deal comes my way).

As far as making more room, I would be more inclined to block off my exterior tool room door (and thus free up more room) if I knew I could easily move the tools. Would it be practical to place casters on a sufficiently small (12 x 36) cabinet lathe, or would I be asking for trouble?

I find the older Taiwan built machines to be pretty good. As far as casters I have them on my mill but not the lathe. You can make it work but leveling is more critical for the lathe especially if you’re doing longer parts.

If you do go with casters for any substantial machines don’t go cheap. The Carrymaster ones are far better than the knockoffs.

John

 

[GrifterGuru]

@durableoreo

I did not say "Buy big" I quoted the "old addage" as a consideration. I will quote what I stated below...

Given your limited space, the old addage of "buy the biggest machine you can that fits your space and your budget" is always the first thing to consider.

Where in that statement did I specifically say "buy big" by quoting an old addage as a consideration? A "consideration" is just another part of decision making.

Definition of consider:

1.think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision.

2. look attentively at.

 

[matthewsx]

Also, if you are serious about that Craftsman that's missing parts make sure to check it carefully. There may be a good reason it was cannibalized....

John

 

[ChazzC]

Thanks for the observations.

As far as making more room, I would be more inclined to block off my exterior tool room door (and thus free up more room) if I knew I could easily move the tools. Would it be practical to place casters on a sufficiently small (12 x 36) cabinet lathe, or would I be asking for trouble?

I don't recommend blocking an exit with a piece of heavy equipment that will normally be (relatively) fixed to the floor with either floor locks or high-end casters.

I have the exterior door in my basement shop blocked, but only by the Bandsaw Bench & Shop Vac Cart:

Since the casters aren't locked, I can get these pulled out of the way and be out the door in about 15 seconds (even with my left arm in a sling), and probably faster with my Adrenaline pumping.

 

[FortyFivePalms]

Also, if you are serious about that Craftsman that's missing parts make sure to check it carefully. There may be a good reason it was cannibalized....

John

Yeah, after further review, and communication with the seller, that unit is no longer under consideration.