Mini lathes & mini mills

[Padmei]

Been tempted to acquire a small lathe to do bits & pieces. Any of you guys have one & where did you get it? I haven't seen any on trademe that look ok & aren't thousands of dollars.
harbour freight in the States seem to have a few so we should have some distributors over here.

here's a really ggod website i've found that explains the basics to a noob as myself.

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Default.htm

I'm only looking at less than $500 cos i'd only use it a few times a year.

[The Lone Rider]

At $500 or less... my opinion is don't bother looking.

You won't get one.

[Fast Eddie]

it did say on that website, ones could be had from 500 - 800 bucks.. US greenbacks I'm sure, and that site looks mighty old..

[Ocean1]

There's no advantage in small machine tools unless you're a jeweller.

There's a couple on TM worth owning.

These were used in schools, good honest machine: http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-fa...-488255038.htm

About as small as I'd bother with: http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-fa...-489124391.htm

Solid, be OK if the bed's not too worn: http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-fa...-489863039.htm

Wouldn't bother with any of the Chinese stuff on the new market unless you really know what you're looking at.

[Padmei]

Yeah fair enough. i thought I'd throw it out there in case someone had an inside deal on one that dropped off the deck of a cargo boat. Looking at the price of tools etc on Tme it wouldn't be worth my while but always good to have more & more toys

[bogan]

Wouldn't bother with any of the Chinese stuff on the new market unless you really know what you're looking at.

I know a few people who have had good results from the machinery house stuff, made in taiwan, straight copies of the tried and true designs already around.

Anything new, I wouldn't look at anything less than 3k, cheap comes at a price!

[roadracingoldfart]

Been tempted to acquire a small lathe to do bits & pieces. Any of you guys have one & where did you get it? I haven't seen any on trademe that look ok & aren't thousands of dollars.
harbour freight in the States seem to have a few so we should have some distributors over here.

here's a really ggod website i've found that explains the basics to a noob as myself.

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Default.htm

I'm only looking at less than $500 cos i'd only use it a few times a year.

Sorry but those are far from Mini , Mini fits in a briefcase.

[Woodman]

Pop into Opel on quarantine road, they may have a second hand one.

Ocean1 is right about the small ones, although you can do a bit on them you can do the same on a big one whereas you can't do big stuff on a small one.

Mine is pretty worn and small, but it was free.

[Ocean1]

I know a few people who have had good results from the machinery house stuff, made in taiwan, straight copies of the tried and true designs already around.

Taiwan stuff can be good. Chinese stuff can be too. Can you tell is the bed's SG iron or grey iron by looking at it? Because you can buy machines out of different Chinese factories that are marketed as the same, and unless you know your shit you'll be wasting your money.

Anything new, I wouldn't look at anything less than 3k, cheap comes at a price!

I haven't seen anything new I'd own of any size for under $16k, but I make my living with them.

[carburator]

Meh..

Cost vs production..

I must admit its handy to have a lathe sitting there my old one cost 2k
( little myford geared head only done woodwork ) it owes me nothing now.

don't waste your time with a benchtop as they simply are toys.

for the odd bush or spacer you might whip up a machineshop would
be better and stock the material you need too..

[bogan]

Taiwan stuff can be good. Chinese stuff can be too. Can you tell is the bed's SG iron or grey iron by looking at it? Because you can buy machines out of different Chinese factories that are marketed as the same, and unless you know your shit you'll be wasting your money.



I haven't seen anything new I'd own of any size for under $16k, but I make my living with them.

Can't tell what the metal is, and internet ordering makes it a bit hard to see from here!

Yeh, no question that bigger money is better machinery, but I'm betting on the one I linked to being good enough for hobby and small buisness. I've got a mate who got the previous model and is happy with it, and the workshop at massey uses the same brand for a turret mill and drill press, and are happy enough with them. They do reckon you gotta clean out any leftover swarf from manufacture, and check all the bolts though.

[Ocean1]

Can't tell what the metal is,

I can

Yeh, no question that bigger money is better machinery, but I'm betting on the one I linked to being good enough for hobby and small buisness. I've got a mate who got the previous model and is happy with it, and the workshop at massey uses the same brand for a turret mill and drill press, and are happy enough with them. They do reckon you gotta clean out any leftover swarf from manufacture, and check all the bolts though.

All true. I've cleaned a cupfull of CI swarf out of the apron gearbox of one very like that. Best advice I can give is if you want one for home then get first get someone who knows their shit to look it over, and then take a couple of evenings to strip and clean everything except the headstock.

[bogan]

I can



All true. I've cleaned a cupfull of CI swarf out of the apron gearbox of one very like that. Best advice I can give is if you want one for home then get first get someone who knows their shit to look it over, and then take a couple of evenings to strip and clean everything except the headstock.

Plan B then, if my lathe (I'll be ordering that one later this week) shits itself, go work for Ocean1 on his fancy ones instead

How about those Lathe-Mill combo units then? I was considering one a while ago, but the guys had shocking customer service, which put me off; also, it was 200kg lighter than an equivalent sized lathe only and I wonder what the hell was missing

[Ocean1]

Plan B then, if my lathe (I'll be ordering that one later this week) shits itself, go work for Ocean1 on his fancy ones instead

How about those Lathe-Mill combo units then? I was considering one a while ago, but the guys had shocking customer service, which put me off; also, it was 200kg lighter than an equivalent sized lathe only and I wonder what the hell was missing

Only used one of the old maximat combo machines, comparitively high overhang, wasn't really rigid enough for anything more than work on alloy or plastic.

I actually have a lathe not dissimilar to that one, even as a #2 machine it's not up to what I need for day to day stuff, it's what I've got for now but I'm in the market for a replacement.

And yes, mass is king in a machine tool. Over a certain size clearances that would be fatal in a small machine don't matter because the tool loading isn't enough to move the saddle/table around anyway.

[carburator]

Taiwan stuff can be good. Chinese stuff can be too. Can you tell is the bed's SG iron or grey iron by looking at it? Because you can buy machines out of different Chinese factories that are marketed as the same, and unless you know your shit you'll be wasting your money.
I haven't seen anything new I'd own of any size for under $16k, but I make my living with them.

Ok im interested in this how can you tell the difference between a SG iron or grey iron bed?
most of the chink stuff is not induction harden sideways like the colchesters where or maybe thats
just a myth about the place..