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Thread: Looking for decent 1st lathe
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18th Feb 2019, 01:42 PM #1New Member
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- Jul 2017
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- USA
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Looking for decent 1st lathe
This will mainly be for a hobby, with the possibility of making a profit down the road..but mainly as a hobby.
For budget, I don't know where to start. I would like to stay under $1K used, maybe $2K new but hopefully can find something used.
Accuracy is obviously a focal point, would like to turn down some aluminum, maybe steel with a usable smooth surface.
Looking mainly to machine aluminum, mild steel, plastics, probably not any stainless.
A lathe/mill combo would be great, of course cost will come into play. I dont know where to look, e.g. what models.
I was looking at a few Grizzly models...G4015Z, and the G8688 to give you an idea on size.
Would a variable feed speed be the way to go? I figure money is better spent on bits and higher precision over bells and whistles.
All input and criticism greatly appreciated.
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18th Feb 2019, 01:55 PM #2
Go for a Hercus 270 mainly because spares are around and the company still exists albeit not making lathes anymore.
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18th Feb 2019, 03:42 PM #3Most Valued Member
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As you are in the states, I wouldn't look for a Hercus, they are an Australian south bend clone.
I think as you have real USA dollaridoos to spend you would be best used. Here is my usual summary of cheap lathes.
New cheap lathes are exactly that. Cheap, New. I personally wouldn't bother. Save your money and buy something decent.
For small lathes made in the USA that are good I would look for a Sheldon, Rivett, Causing, South bend etc. I wouldn't look at an Atlas.
If you want new you should save a little bit more maybe 3k should buy you something approaching comparable combination units should all be recycled into elevator weights or drain covers.
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18th Feb 2019, 04:23 PM #4Most Valued Member
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18th Feb 2019, 04:31 PM #5Most Valued Member
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This - more or less.
Forget combo machines. The only decent ones ever made are 3X to 10X your budget. The only smallish one worth owning IMO is the Emco Maximat 11-FB2 milling head combo. The Chinese ones are unmitigated crap.
Unless you live somewhere where there's a lot of tooling I think your budget is unrealistic, sorry. You might get a decent small lathe for $2K but South Bend, Sheldon or something similar would be it. Personally I'd prefer a Sheldon but I have a low opinion of South Bends except *maybe* for the Heavy 10 model.
It's a difficult place as the machines available new at your budget point are pretty universally rubbish so you have to buy used and there condition is everything - which as a newbie you don't have the experience to assess.
If you can find someone local who's connected to a live steam club or similar and network, that's your best bet.
Practical Machinist is USA based and has a wealth of knowledge membership but is utterly unforgiving on questions about hobby machinery, particularly Chinese, doubly so for combo machines. If you want advice about South Bends etc, you can ask in the relevant forum, or the antiques sub-forum, but READ THE RULES in full at the top of the General forum before posting anything. Or you will regret it.
PDW
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18th Feb 2019, 04:46 PM #6
Do yourself a favour and try and get something with atleast a 38mm spindle bore, anything less and you will start to build a large off cut collection as the smaller 19mm or 25mm spindle bores don't handle larger stock well even with a steady setup. My first lathe was a Hercus, a good little lathe but spindle bore way to small for larger projects, went up to a Tiawanese lathe with 38mm and haven't looked back. Just my 2 cents worth others opinions may differ.
Shane
Got the square peg in the round hole, now can't get it out !!
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