What to look for in a lathe?

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canerodscom

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I think I need a new (to me, at least) lathe. I currently have two lathes, an Atlas Craftsman 101.212 Mk.II 6x20 and a Unimat SL1000. The lathes are largely used to make nickel silver parts for bamboo fly rods. The rods I make are high end and the parts must be extremely well made. The work I do mostly involves light cuts in nickel silver and Duronze, but the ability to cut .001" is essential. Parts I'm working on range mostly from 1/8" to 3/4". Drawbacks on the Unimat include its small size, the lack of a power feed, and the difficulty finding accessories. The Atlas Craftsman is also a little small, hard to find parts for, and requires nearly constant tinkering to make it work with the precision I desire.

Here's what I think I want:
Something in the 9" to 12" range with a short-ish bed, no longer than 30 inches. My shop is small and conserving space is important.

I'd like a quick change gear box to make feed rate changes quick and easy.

A power cross feed would be great to make facing cuts more smoothly.

A 5c collet closer seems to me to be essential, and a nice three jaw chuck would be a plus.

A quality QCTP or four tool holder will be required, though obviously can be added later.

Something which runs on 110 or 220 will be a big plus. I don't want to have to run 3 phase power to the shop.

To stay within my budget it makes sense to buy used rather than new. Something which comes with much of the desired tooling would be quite attractive. Ebay seems to me to be a crap shoot. Too many machines are 1200+ miles away and poorly or inaccurately described. I'm keeping an eye on Craig's List, but local listings in north Louisiana are few and far between. If I need to make a road trip to pick something up, I can handle that. But moving a 1/2 ton machine around is gonna be as tricky in my small shop as in any. I have looked at Logan, Hardinge, Leblond, Atlas, and Clausing machines. I even looked at the LatheMaster imports available in south Louisiana, but they are out of stock of the 9x20 machines and will be for some time.

Might you offer suggestions on specific makes and models of machines that would work well, not require constant tinkering, and meet my need for accuracy and repeatability?

Thanks in advance,

Harry Boyd
maker@canerods.com
 
What to look for in a Lathe? sorry but I am usually looking for the small drill bits that keep falling into the bed, and once my ring that fell off!!! I know it's a silly answer but it isn't just the lathe you look for, it's sensible and tidy working and removing loose jewellery. I tend to look for a small tray usually on the top of the headstock with a rubber mat inside where I can place small items without losing them, this is usually only on large lathes but a metal dish or even a hinged shelf within reach can make any lathe more user friendly.
 
Thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions.

pdentrem, I had read that article before and found it quite helpful. The struggle comes when the used lathes one is thinking about are many hours away and seen only on a computer screen. I really appreciate you pointing me towards Matt's site. I think I'll give him a call tomorrow and start some serious discussions.

Olbadger, I tend to find myself looking for dust, bits of sandpaper and steel wool, and the key to my chuck. <g> Thanks for the smiles.

Best regards,
Harry
 
Looking for a lathe

For what you are doing I would think the Hardinge tool room lathe would be ideal. I think it would be at the top of the machines you mention. You'd need a phase converter I'm sure. they have the 5c and a nice chuck, then a KDK tool holder. No question about holding tolerance Only trouble is they're scarce and had to come by I think I wouldn't shut down Ebay just be cautious, if nothing else they give you a good idea what's available and cost. A Clausing or Leblond would be nice if you can get a really good one but Hardinge is the no vibes (smooth) best. We live just up the hill from Winston and I know they use a Hardinge for some special parts. Stopped by there looking for some machine work but the P.A was a hardnose and I don't need it that bad. Good luck on your search, I'm sure you'll lfind the right one. dickr
This was in ref. to canerods.com
 
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I like the SB 9A, but finding one in a short bed might be difficult. Most of them seem to have a 48" bed.

Logans are in the same class. My first lathe was a 9x17 Logan with QC box. Fine small lathe, still kicking myself for selling it. Very comparable to the SB 9, but with tapered roller bearings on the headstock instead of the SB plain bearings (steel spindle runs in cast iron bearing). the Logans can usually be had for less money, just because people know the South bend name.

Seems like when you get into the 10" and bigger American lathes, they get rougher, usually having been in a production shop. The 9" lathes were hobby lathes, though a few ended up as armature lathes, and none of those seem to have been treated well. The pristine examples of old iron are getting harder and harder to find, unless you have the eye to spot a diamond in the rough. I was lucky like that on the SB 9A.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at one of the current 11x27 import lathes. this is the smallest of the "big " lathes, and has the QC gearbox, plus the 2nd feed rod for the apron, which I look for. this is big enough to do deep cuts, but precise enough for your needs. You can buy one for $2000 delivered. A nice SB 9A will bring about the same money, and you could wait years to find one.

Currently I have a 10x24 Enco, and a SB 9A. The SB is in better shape, but I find myself doing most of my jobs on the Enco.
 
Thanks for the recommendation on the 9" Southbend. I've looked at them but cannot seem to find one within reasonable driving distance. Rural Louisiana isn't a hotbed of activity for machine tools. Same is true for the smaller Hardinge lathes. As AR1911 said, they are hard to find in good shape and even halfway affordable. Were I willing to pay $10K I could pick one up right away.

I've been watching Ebay and CraigsList for over a year now, and the closest I have come was this weekend. Saw an old Leblond lathe that seemed nice, then figured out it was on wheels and covered in rust. I'm not looking for a lathe to rebuild but one to put to work right away. Or with a day or two's cleaning and refurbishing at most.

Thanks again,

Harry
 
Harry, see if this setup does anything for you. It's the nicest minilathe I've ever seen. Micromark true-inch 7x14. The previous owner built detailed models of square-rigged sailing ships. He spent a LOT of time upgrading this minilathe.
I don't think he really used it, and I have only used it a few times. It's mounted to a bench with a minimill, and both are fully tooled.
If I sell this it will be as a pair. I'm In Fort Worth
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