benchtop lathes/miling machines

[dave roed]

Good day all! I have been having a blast checking this site out...and seeing some of the magnificent work you bunch produce. I am wanting to purchase a mini lathe and milling machine so I can begin to explore modeling but know nada about which brands are worth it. Internet searches seem to say wonderfull things about each product, but I dont like believing what the sellers preach. Other than high school shop class, I have little experience with either machine....so at this point, I would have to say the journey is at the beginning. I love modelling ( I am an orthotic technician by trade ) so I basiclly work with body parts at this time. Any thoughts/info you may have on various brands would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

dave

 

[b.lindsey]

Welcome Dave,
I am sure you will get lots of advice here. Let me ask, are these tools to be used for orthotic purposes of more for engine modeling. If for orthotic purposes I would think you would need to look more seriously at CNC or conversion to CNC down the road. If you have any questions about Sherline I can help there, others can help more on the imports and one or more also have experience with Taig equipment. There is a lot to consider and that can be aided but more understanding of what you wish to do with the machines.

You definitely found the right place to ask though

Regards,
Bill

 

[dave roed]

These will be used to get me away from my job and get some serious enjoyment from being able to make things. Yes I don want to try an engine and other projects once I get a handle on what is capable with these small machines. Im quite handy, but lack some background which Im trying to make up..


dave

 

[John Rudd]

First question....
How deep are your pockets? I mean how much is your budget?

A mill and a lathe are going to cost a lot, however much that is double it because the other half will cost you in tooling....

Then again it depends on what you want to make.........

 

[user 284]

Welcome Dave,
The very best advice I can offer you is to not be in a rush to buy the equipment. Having some idea of what you want to build, The sizes, And more importantly what direction you might possibly go in the future will dictate mostly what you want for actual equipment. And...................yeah, How deep are your pockets? You can build a lot with little more than a hacksaw,file, and a hand drill. But ;D 10 million dollars helps a bit more. Probably infernal combustion does require a bit more accuracy overall than steam types IMHO.

Pete

 

[mklotz]

The first step is go get your location in your profile and, preferably, in your avatar space or sig block so it shows up on each post you make.

Machinery availability and pricing are strong functions of location plus knowing your location can be helpful in guiding you to clubs, shows and possible sources of mentoring.

 

[dave roed]

I have loved some of the Stirling engines I have seen on here and would love to be able to tackle one or two of those designs...and some of the steam engines I have seen here and other sites are breathtaking. Plus, as a tinkerer, having the ability to make some obscure part would be of definite benefit. As to the size of the equipment, I cant realistically see me needing full scale machines as space and stuff I would work on just wouldnt warrant it.

I saw the mini-lathe 7x16, and it looks like something I could use (size wise), but with all the scaled lathes there is the question of tooling and replacement parts. (not to mention quality) The high torque mini mill looks interesting, but again, do they last? All of the small equipment I have seen so far appears to go around $1000.00 per unit, plus whatever tooling you want to add. This doesnt seem unreasonable, but I may be better off purchasing something second hand that is of better quality for same price (ish) I wont be in a hurry to buy as ignorance is the quickest way to part with your hard earned cash...lol. I will heed what info I can glean from here and elsewhere, and see where it all leads.


dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

Dave read here.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=9413.0

Virtually all the mini lathes and mills come from the same factory in China . there are many colors of paint put on these and many brand labels. they are all basicaly the same machines but the better brands such as Littlemachineshop and micromark have better motors and upgraded tweaks.
Check out http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Reference/reference.phplots of resources as well as a good place to buy tools.

Consider the Chinese machines as pre assembled kits. you need to clean debur and lubricate. IMHO any machine tool will lats a life time plus of hobby use if reasonably cared for. I have had my mini mill and lathe for about ten years with no major issues. I did have a power surge damage the control board I repaired them for IIRC $10 in parts for the two. You can not blame the manufacturer for such damage things just sometimes happen . Lightning is a powerful force.
Tin

 

[gmac]

Dave;
As Pete has said - patience - I wish I had been at the very outset, as a result money was spent (but not wasted) on a Taig lathe that I've outgrown.

Some key questions to ask yourself;
1. where is this equipment going to sit - a nice big garage or hidden in a one bedroom apartment? My point being - does one person have to be able to carry the lathe / mill to move it, how frequently does it have to move, how many muscled up friends do you know?
2. if you are patient and set your mind on a certain piece of used machinery, I've been able to buy at 30 cents on the dollar in almost new condition.
3. what size of models do you realistically see yourself building - this will set the lower limit of machine size - see no. 1.

I found myself in tool lust for a long time and it kept me from building things - "but I need this tool or that before I can..." Perhaps it's better to buy in stages and get building "parts of a project" with what you have, before you have everything; as a way of motivating yourself.

You've come to the right place, I've found people on this forum to be much more than just helpful and it's a great place to find mentors and friends.

Good luck Garry

 

[user 284]

Hi Dave,
If it was me and using hindsite now. I would highly recomend buying a few good books about the subject first. The more you know, The better able you are to judge what would fit your needs the best. Due to the huge amount of different procedures that can or could be involved depending on the project, There's no substitute for some decent informative books. Those will save you their original cost many times over.

Sherline who make small lathes and milling machines sell a couple of good referance books.
Tee Publishing in the U.K. have a huge selection.

"The Amatures Workshop" by Ian Bradley ISBN 0 85242 482 5 Would be very helpfull.
"The Compact Lathe" by Stan Bray ISBN 1 85486 013 5 Would be another good one but it deals with lathes maybe a bit smaller than your looking for.

This is a hobby where you never really quit learning. There's a few more books I could recomend, But they might be a bit advanced at this point. Overall for hobby machining, The majority of the books about it come from the U.K.

I'm sure there's a few more books that others here could add to the list. A used copy of Machinery's Handbook is a nessesity, But not till after you buy the equipment.

Pete

 

[Swede]

Hi Dave - you'll get a lot of advice here, 99% of it very good, because most of us have gone through more than one set of machines.

Here's my opinion, FWIW. In the end, the size of the stuff you want to make will dictate the requirements. Keep in mind that bigger is almost always better. I can turn accurate 1/16" work on a 3 HP 11" lathe, but I cannot do reasonable work on a 5" diameter round on a mini-lathe.

Also please keep in mind that many beginners think, "I don't mind light equipment. I am not in production, so I don't mind taking 75 light passes on a small machine that could be done with two or one pass on a heavier machine." The reality is that taking dozens of light lathe or milling cuts to reduce stock is a total PITA and will get very old, fast. It is desirable to have enough HP and rigidity to reduce a 1" bar to 0.5" in 3 or 5 passes vs 20.

I think separate machines is best. For a lathe, I'd go for one of the 9" Chinese lathes at a minimum. For a mill, I'd demand an R-8 spindle square columned bench mill or better. If you can afford a knee mill, so much the better. Both of these are pretty expensive. If in doubt, you can get going nicely with one of the standard 7" mini-lathes (~$600) and the accompanying mini-mill. If you outgrow them, you won't be out thousands of dollars, and the machines can remain as useful tools, complementing some larger machines.

Best advice of all - Go slow. Don't rush, do some research. Go to MSCDirect.com and ask for their 4,000 page "Big Book" catalogue, and simply browse it. You'll actually learn a lot without buying anything. You'll learn what exotic terms like Morse taper, ER, 5C, B& S, R8, Screw machine, end mill, arbor, face mill, etc... mean.

Good luck, you're going to have fun!