Why no small high-quality lathes?

OakRidgeGuy said:
Can you say G0602?
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Its another possibility, but not what I'm after.

The footprint is perfect but it's not a high-quality lathe or high feature lathe. No Cam Lock chuck. Two-bolt compound hold-down. No power feed reverse for left-hand threads or threading away from the chuck. Common lead screw for turning and threading. No VFD.

I might have to settle for it if I can't find something better, but it's far from ideal.

I don't know why every small lathe seems to have some undesirable set of features. I'm not sure why this is. What I'm asking for has got to be similar to what anyone looking for lathe in this size range would want. It's like the people who design these things have never used them.

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Keith
 
george wilson said:
keithd: There is a picture near the beginning of this thread of a 10x24" lathe,cream colored, for sale on craigslist in Tampa. It is exactly the same model(not the same name) as my 1976 Jet 10x24. It seems to be missing the follower rest. I really enjoyed that lathe,and only got rid of it due to space. Plus,I needed the money to help pay for a 16"x40" lathe which I bought in 1986,and still have. I really don't have a lot of extra room now either,or I might buy the lathe in Tampa myself,just to get the model back.
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Did Jet ever make (brand & market) that lathe? I've never seen a Jet version. I've done searches and never turned up a Jet version.

I live on the other coast so I can't consider this particular Millport lathe. Looks okay but I don't have any specs or a user manual.

Thanks, Keith
 
jumps4 said:
i just reread the entire thread, has to be under 53" total length under $5000 for 11" not chinese...
almost every feature available on a lathe...
we would probably have better luck looking for a unicorn or santa clause i think
steve
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Exactly right.

While it might seem like I'm asking a lot, I am not asking for the impossible. Every feature I've mentioned exists on at least one of the dozen or so lathes that currently exist in this size range. It's just that no one lathe includes all of them. None of my features are particularly costly. Cam Lock. Reverse power feed. Quality spindle bearings. Sturdy compound. Etc.

The Precision Mathews PM1127VF is very close for under $2,000. Given the existence proof of the PM machine and the SB1001 & 2, I guarantee I could specify, design, manufacture, and market a quality, precision lathe with a feature set everyone here would love for $3,000. The PM is close to perfect with the notable exception of it's funky threading capability, which is a show stopper for me. The SBs are almost perfect except I need one in between the 8K and 10K sizes.

It is a mystery why what I'm looking for does not exist. If it did, everyone in the market for a lathe in this class would buy my lathe and take the one they currently own to the scrap-metal yard. You'd think capitalism would have filled this void by now. :)

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Keith
 
It seems all the smaller PM lathes have 8-56 TPI threads. Do you need finer than that of is there some other issue? It might be worth calling Matt and asking if a different gear in the drivetrain could accommodate you. I speak to him often and I'll ask.
 
Buying a machine is all about compromises. Which feature would cause you the least inconvenience if it were missing? I would start there and look at my options. Otherwise as others have said, you are probably looking for the holy grail and will still be looking in several years time.

Paul.
 
Jet marketed EXACTLY the same lathe as the cream colored craigslist one. Why is that not understood? I think I mentioned it several times. It's the same lathe rebadged. It will do everything you want. Buy it.
 
you know I sympathize with the original poster about lack of certain attributes of machine tools. But and this is a big but one needs to compromise as was stated and get on with your work. If you wait for the perfect lathe to show up you will have lost a lot of time you can never get back. I know a lot of people who throw up all kinds of road blocks and life passes them by. Life passes in an instant, don't let it slip between your fingers.
Jerry
 
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