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Smthy 3 in 1 cobos
- Thread starter Bresh
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Aaron what did you buy?
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Thanks
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I started with a Sherline 4400 mini-lathe and a 5400 mini-mill. I recently bought a used Logan Powermatic 10x24 lathe.
I'm not doing gunsmithing. I started off with the Sherlines for doing model work and have expanded into wanting to occasionally do something larger. I don't have a big shop so a 10 or 11" lathe was about the largest I could comfortably get in there.
I just point out the size difference between the lathe part and the mill part on these 3 in 1s because most mini-mills are bigger than the comparable mini-lathes, not smaller.
Is space an issue for you? You haven't mentioned if you were looking at the Smithy for space issues, cost, or the convenience of one stop shopping.
Just for a price comparison for the same $5500 or less you could buy a slightly smaller 12x36 lathe ($3000-4000) and a larger bench mill ($1500-2000) from Grizzly or Precision Matthews.
A 13x40 lathe is going to run about $5000 alone, but it will probably be a better lathe. A small bench top mill about the size of that included with the Smithy can be had for $800-1200 and if you find it too small you can sell it and upgrade, or just spend a little more upfront and get a better mill.
Wow I looked up the model you started out with and Man they were small. I can see how you can make models with it. A guy at work made a truck for his kid. It was about 12 inches long and about 4 inches wide and It turned out beautiful. I was really impressed with his workmanship.
Any way The shop I’m making is exactly 14’x14’x10’ on the 1st floor, it should be enough to handle a 12x36 and a 9x39 mill. Its not so much the room. Like I said the shop will have 2 floors so a lot of my Electrical tools can go up there. And machinery on the first floor. It’s more the money. As you may have heard it’s very expensive to live in Jersey, Taxes are a killer here especially since I’m not making the money I use to.
That being said I thought the Smithy 13x40 I Max would have been a good fit for me plus it came with a lot of tooling but as I stated I also want to do some gunsmithing as well so I want a good machine for boaring and so on. Not sure a 3 in 1 will give me that much persision. Which why I’m reaching out to the forum for advice.
One thing I don’t like about the 3 in 1 is the small spindle boar, it only has 1” while the Grizzly has a 1.57 “ on their 12x36 and 2” on their 14x40. I’m a firm believer in do once and do it right, and I just can’t make up my mind between a 3 in1 or a stand alone or even which company to buy from Smithy or Grizzly. These are my dilemmas.
If space is not a big issue I'd definently go with 2 separate machines. Maybe figure out what you want/need the most right now; a lathe or a mill, and buy that now then wait for a good local deal on the other machine.
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That's a great principle to employ! As you gain experience, you will eventually become aware of the tolerance levels of your equipment and recognize a larger/heftier machine can do more. That's a no-brainer. But IF you do your homework and buy right the first time, that's nothing more than an observation. If you under-buy, you'll find yourself selling and upgrading. That'll be frustrating and cost you money in the long run.
Regards,
Terry
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I had been thinking of purchasing the Smithy 3-1 1324 Max a few years ago. After a LOT of research and crunching logistics #'s in my basement I had to pass. Primary reasons were weight limitations. There was really no realistic means for me to get a 700# mill down into my 1st floor basement. The second was also the elevated cost. I was looking at about $4800 with the DRO option. I already do CNC machining so I have limited access to full size machines anyway. I realistically just need a small versatile mill/ drill for small recreational / home widgets. So ended up recently purchasing the LMS 4190 deluxe. I'm confident I made a great choice in my situation.
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All machine arrangements have limitations. The work envelope on any machine gets used up much quicker than most people new to machining think it will. Certainly really think about what you want to do, go and see/talk to people that are doing what jobs you want to do. There are many examples here of people who started with a combo machine, then bought stand alone machine once they had a better idea of what they wanted to do, and a basic knowledge of machining. If you want to buy once, then start with stand alone machines. The multi machines have limitations sooner than you think.
Also, buy the biggest and best you can - then even if you keep growing in this activity, that first lathe will still a good useful piece of kit. There are many posts here on HM about how big a machine to get? The two responses are, to consider the type of work intended, and get a machine that is a bit bigger than needed to do that work. The other response is to get the largest that you can fit in the space, provide power to, or move (depends on what the constraints are). Of course there is a top end to that idea of, “bigger is better”. Nobody is claiming that a 36” swing lathe is better than a 6” swing lathe - they are completely different. On a lathe, a swing of about 18” is pretty handy, and still no problem working down to pretty small stuff. On a mill, a 9 x 49 knee mill is a very useful work envelope.
No machine is going to cover all the bases. That is fine, it is an excuse to get multiple machines. You mentioned both 12x36 and 14x40 lathes. The larger one will be more versatile, however a nicely set up 12x36 will always be a good piece of kit.
I do general mucking around machining. I have an 11x24 lathe and a 15x60 lathe. I use them both. I have used every inch of the larger machine, the little machine is great for certain tasks. There have been times that a larger machine would have been nice, but I was able to figure out a work around. Having a good sized machine just gives a person more options.
Let us know how you make out. David
Also, buy the biggest and best you can - then even if you keep growing in this activity, that first lathe will still a good useful piece of kit. There are many posts here on HM about how big a machine to get? The two responses are, to consider the type of work intended, and get a machine that is a bit bigger than needed to do that work. The other response is to get the largest that you can fit in the space, provide power to, or move (depends on what the constraints are). Of course there is a top end to that idea of, “bigger is better”. Nobody is claiming that a 36” swing lathe is better than a 6” swing lathe - they are completely different. On a lathe, a swing of about 18” is pretty handy, and still no problem working down to pretty small stuff. On a mill, a 9 x 49 knee mill is a very useful work envelope.
No machine is going to cover all the bases. That is fine, it is an excuse to get multiple machines. You mentioned both 12x36 and 14x40 lathes. The larger one will be more versatile, however a nicely set up 12x36 will always be a good piece of kit.
I do general mucking around machining. I have an 11x24 lathe and a 15x60 lathe. I use them both. I have used every inch of the larger machine, the little machine is great for certain tasks. There have been times that a larger machine would have been nice, but I was able to figure out a work around. Having a good sized machine just gives a person more options.
Let us know how you make out. David