I am considering adding a metal lathe to my shop. As it will primarily be a hobby tool (for now), I do not want to spend a fortune. But I also do not want to spend good money on a piece of junk. i.e. Buy cheap, buy twice.
Experience? I get the concepts, but have never actually used a lathe (wood or metal). I do have lots of experience with other types of tools/trades incl woodworking, electrical, plumbing, auto repair, electronics repair, etc. I.e. I'm not that guy who owns one small tool box that I use to hang pictures.
Uses? It will primarily be used in research motor making. But I'm an avid DIYer so I can see where it could come in handy for other purposes. Like my brake rotors that currently need flattening.
@prfesser - I saw that you made a Gingery lathe. That project very much appeals to me, but the reality is that I have so many projects going that it'll never get done. Maybe when I'm retired.
Let's hear it! What advice do you have?
Okay, you asked for it...
Build a Gingery lathe---and the other make-it-from-scrap tools---when you've retired. For fun. Because they're far too time consuming if what you want is a lathe. (If you don't have and don't ever expect to have the money, that's a different matter.) The basic Gingery lathe is okay for turning and boring, but it'll be a long time before you can cut threads. Because you need a dividing head to make the dozen or so gears to do that. And you need a milling machine to make the dividing head. And you need the simple lathe (and, of course, the foundry) to build the milling machine. It's a ball of snakes.
[If you do decide to make the Gingery lathe, the only changes I'd suggest are (A) make it 7x18 instead of 7x12, and (B) make the bed in the style of the milling machine bed, and mount it on a heavy base for rigidity and vibration resistance. Increasing the swing is fraught with un-fun changes. Believe me, I know.]
The 7x10, 7x12, etc. units sold by Horrible Fright and others are okay but the between-centers distance is just too short for much of what I wanted to do.
I bought one
like this, 8.7x29". Mine is metric, which I would not have bought if I'd noticed. I'm just used to the Imperial system of measurement. It's not a super-problem but it's a continuous minor annoyance for someone who still thinks in Imperial.
The hole through the spindle (in mine; may not be true for some) is slightly over 1.5" diameter, which is good for 38mm work.
Threading arrangement: On my lathe and most similar ones, the motor has to be reversed and the lathe backed up to the beginning of each pass for threading. Doing fifteen passes that way is tiresome. A more conventional (= more expensive) lathe has a threading dial that is much more convenient. And some common Imperial threads aren't available on mine. Also, changing the angle of the compound slide is a huge PITA. There are fixes for that online but I haven't gotten a round tuit yet.
Another annoyance is a lack of back gears. Those are great when you want to work at very low RPM and high torque, as for threading or heavy cuts.
The bed has conventional prism-shaped ways, which I like. But it's a lightweight bed for all of that. I almost tipped over the machine while placing it on the benchtop. Eventually I'll mount it on a heavy steel plate or a cast-concrete slab.
Depending on what you're doing, tooling doesn't have to be half the cost of the lathe, though it's easy to spend a lot. I fitted mine out with just a four-jaw chuck (HIGHLY recommended, make sure that it has the correct thread), dial indicator with magnetic base, carbide bits, set of drill bits, keyless drill chuck, and some other odds and ends.
Bottom line: Something like the
Grizzly 11x26" unit, at twice the price, would definitely be a better buy, and if I'd had the money at the time I'd'a bought it. But mine is usable and not an enormous pain as long as you remember that 0.1 mm = 0.004", so a quarter of a tenth of a millimeter is about one-thousandth of an inch. Eventually I'll remember that.
[FWIW I've seen posts elsewhere from those who have bought a combination lathe-and-milling-machine. Most have pointed out that these are much less rigid than a conventional lathe and mill, and are not entirely satisfactory. I may build the milling machine later...but more likely that I'll buy a mill.]
Thank God my Dad also taught me to stand out of the path of the blade.
) by way of money order and bicycle. Anyway that was 30 or so years ago. I've been checking out the 12x28 lathe by Preecision Matthew's 
