When I was looking into agi they offered a mini lathe with there course. So far I have only found a south bend lathe with a 14 inch swing and an 8 foot bed for 500 dollars its in good condition but just to big it weights almost a ton. I have seen suggestions of going with a 8 or 9 inch swing however they all have 3/4 hp motors and 3/4 thru the spindle. When you look at a 7 inch by whatever lathe they can be picked up for around 500 and the bed extended to almost 28 inches for less than a grand. I'm looking for something just to turn down and thread barrels. What makes these 7x lathes not have percison work with a extended bed?
Mini lathe
- Thread starter Fire8523
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well, for around $500 dollars, it is gonna be Chinese, and it's not gonna very precision to start with.
Under-powered with a 110v DC motor and speed control, a lot of slop in the carriage & cross-feeds, and adding an extension on the bed won't help any either.
I have a small Chinese mini-lathe, and it's great for small projects that don't require precision.
But even if a barrel would fit in it?
It's harder then Chinese Algebra trying to set up the threading gear sets for different thread pitches.
Getting a lathe with a quick change gear set is mandatory.
I would consider a 36" bed the minimum for barrel work.
Less then that will not allow room for a 26" barrel for tapering or turning + the tail-stock & live-center, & center rest.
rc
Under-powered with a 110v DC motor and speed control, a lot of slop in the carriage & cross-feeds, and adding an extension on the bed won't help any either.
I have a small Chinese mini-lathe, and it's great for small projects that don't require precision.
But even if a barrel would fit in it?
It's harder then Chinese Algebra trying to set up the threading gear sets for different thread pitches.
Getting a lathe with a quick change gear set is mandatory.
I would consider a 36" bed the minimum for barrel work.
Less then that will not allow room for a 26" barrel for tapering or turning + the tail-stock & live-center, & center rest.
rc
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BBBBill
Member
Think long and hard about going cheap (hobby grade import) or small on a lathe (or mill). You will be severely limiting your capabilities. If that 14" South Bend is in good shape, it will be a much superior lathe to a new smaller import at 4 or 5 times the price. And it can be rebuilt if need be. That's a challenging and fullfilling project in itself. Superior castings can be scraped if needed and there are lots of machinist forums/local support groups to help with advice and parts.
For $500, I'd love to have it.
To answer your question on the lack of precision, the imports are poorly made with little effort made to fit the parts. You often find stripped or cross threaded fasteners, uneven ways and gibs, cracks in the castings, and variable support.
For $500, I'd love to have it.
To answer your question on the lack of precision, the imports are poorly made with little effort made to fit the parts. You often find stripped or cross threaded fasteners, uneven ways and gibs, cracks in the castings, and variable support.
Kp321
Member
Save your money and buy the biggest and heaviest that you can make room for. You get what you pay for in a lathe. As already stated, 12 x 36 is minimum for decent barrel work. I used a 12 x 36 Atlas for 30 years and did not realize how limited it was till I bought a 14x40 Grizzly. Sure, the Grizzly is made in China but the quality is there. The Atlas has flat ways versus V ways on the heavier tools. The flat ways are harder to keep straight and accurate. I did good work with the Atlas but had to run much slower and take lighter cuts than I can with the Grizzly. Being lighter and more flexible, the Atlas was more prone to tool chatter.
dubbleA
Member
The swing really doesn't much matter in this case. The bed should be at least 36" as already stated. Don't forget about the spindle bore. 1 1/2" would be the very minimum. Having front and rear spiders are helpful also.
Save some $$$ for tooling, it will wind up costing you in the future.
Save some $$$ for tooling, it will wind up costing you in the future.
Clark
Member
After 37 years, I am still on my first wife, but in 10 years, I am on my 4th gunsmithing lathe.
Mistakes were made.
Mistakes were made.
What an understanding wife!
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