Newbie Looking to buy a Lathe

[truckeic]

I am a newbie to lathes and looking to buy one for my home gunsmithing shop. I cannot afford these 3-4K lathes so I am looking at 2. Would love your opinion on these.


https://www.vevor.com/metal-lathe-c...for-processing-precision-parts-p_010748145741
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=7350&category=1271799306
So my questions start with I know the vevor lathe has some bad reviews but it is a 30" bed. Do I need one that long? the spindle hole on the LMS is only .8 wide and the vevor is 1.5".
Can a gun barrel be passed through the bore from back to front to say work on the front of the barrel and turned around and passed through the back to do the other side?
Can I upgrade thee to ballscrews and would that change how the gearing would be for threading?

Thanks

 

[SmithDoor]

I am a newbie to lathes and looking to buy one for my home gunsmithing shop. I cannot afford these 3-4K lathes so I am looking at 2. Would love your opinion on these.


https://www.vevor.com/metal-lathe-c...for-processing-precision-parts-p_010748145741
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=7350&category=1271799306
So my questions start with I know the vevor lathe has some bad reviews but it is a 30" bed. Do I need one that long? the spindle hole on the LMS is only .8 wide and the vevor is 1.5".
Can a gun barrel be passed through the bore from back to front to say work on the front of the barrel and turned around and passed through the back to do the other side?
Can I upgrade thee to ballscrews and would that change how the gearing would be for threading?

Thanks

I look both lathes back in Oct 2023 just before I purchased my new lathe
They both good lathes I think Vevco has more bang for buck
I was downsizing from South Bend lathe and both was to large for what planning working so purchased a 8x14 that weighed 120 pounds easy to move around.

The most helpful is a good tool post like the Aloris type OXA size.

Dave

 

[RM-MN]

My opinion is that you start to save money now to buy a more expensive lathe. I feel that neither of those lathes are really suitable for what you want to do. Of the 2 the Vevor is the best but some of the information is suspicious. Most often lathe sizes are specified as swing over bed (the biggest diameter that can be turned) and distance between centers (the total length of stock that can fit between a center in the headstock and a center in the tailstock. Without the distance between centers being specicied, I suspect the actual length of bed is what they list which is longer but not all of it can be used. It might (a guess on my part) have a distance between centers closer to 20 inches or maybe even less. I don't turn between centers but chuck one end of stock in the 3 jaw chuck and support the other end with a center in the tailstock.

I have a mini lathe from Harbor Freight, very similar to the one from Little Machine Shop. It needed several tweaks to make it somewhat accurate. I do threading on it from time to time and find it to be a chore to change out the gears to get the correct thread. I do also have a larger lathe with a quick change gearbox where I can simply adjust 2 levers to get to the proper pitch.

 

[Richard Hed]

My opinion is that you start to save money now to buy a more expensive lathe. I feel that neither of those lathes are really suitable for what you want to do. Of the 2 the Vevor is the best but some of the information is suspicious. Most often lathe sizes are specified as swing over bed (the biggest diameter that can be turned) and distance between centers (the total length of stock that can fit between a center in the headstock and a center in the tailstock. Without the distance between centers being specicied, I suspect the actual length of bed is what they list which is longer but not all of it can be used. It might (a guess on my part) have a distance between centers closer to 20 inches or maybe even less. I don't turn between centers but chuck one end of stock in the 3 jaw chuck and support the other end with a center in the tailstock.

I have a mini lathe from Harbor Freight, very similar to the one from Little Machine Shop. It needed several tweaks to make it somewhat accurate. I do threading on it from time to time and find it to be a chore to change out the gears to get the correct thread. I do also have a larger lathe with a quick change gearbox where I can simply adjust 2 levers to get to the proper pitch.

I agree, particularly about the claims made by vevor. My take would be save yer $ for a larger lathe. Check Grizzl;y also. I purchased the G4003G before the price skyroketed and feel that It was a very good price. HOwever, I feel that the same lathe now is quite overpriced.

Over all, I would not recommend either of what OP has listed. You can save your $ while looking for a larger used lathe. Also, some places will do credit and that would also be a good alternative.

I know nothing about used machines out of the Carolinas area but Atlanta should have lots of used stuff. Also the Oakridge area has lots of cheap used tools.

 

[SmithDoor]

I agree, particularly about the claims made by vevor. My take would be save yer $ for a larger lathe. Check Grizzl;y also. I purchased the G4003G before the price skyroketed and feel that It was a very good price. HOwever, I feel that the same lathe now is quite overpriced.

Over all, I would not recommend either of what OP has listed. You can save your $ while looking for a larger used lathe. Also, some places will do credit and that would also be a good alternative.

I know nothing about used machines out of the Carolinas area but Atlanta should have lots of used stuff. Also the Oakridge area has lots of cheap used tools.
















4

I would add it depends on your needs.
At time my life I need a great 17" x 52" lathe it took a 8,000 pound forklift to move. Great lathe but needs change.
Today I ñeed just a small lathe for hobby work now I have a lathe that weights 120 pounds in a mini lathe that fits my needs.

Dave

 

[Richard Hed]

I am a newbie to lathes and looking to buy one for my home gunsmithing shop. I cannot afford these 3-4K lathes so I am looking at 2. Would love your opinion on these.


https://www.vevor.com/metal-lathe-c...for-processing-precision-parts-p_010748145741
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=7350&category=1271799306
So my questions start with I know the vevor lathe has some bad reviews but it is a 30" bed. Do I need one that long? the spindle hole on the LMS is only .8 wide and the vevor is 1.5".
Can a gun barrel be passed through the bore from back to front to say work on the front of the barrel and turned around and passed through the back to do the other side?
Can I upgrade thee to ballscrews and would that change how the gearing would be for threading?

Thanks

How large is your workroom? That might be a better question for you. But these two lathes are, IMNSHO, not good choices if you can avoid them.

 

[Wonk]

If you check out the specs of the Vevor that OP has listed, it shows 29.5" between centers, 8.3" swing over bed and 1.49" spindle bore. Overall length of 47.2" long footprint.

 

[Wonk]

I should have posted that I have no personal experience with either of these lathes but on specs alone I would think the size of the Vevor would work better for gunsmithing work (again no experience in this area either). The specs on the Little Machine Shop lathe is 7.1" swing, 16" between centers and .8" through spindle bore.

 

[SmithDoor]

I should have posted that I have no personal experience with either of these lathes but on specs alone I would think the size of the Vevor would work better for gunsmithing work (again no experience in this area either). The specs on the Little Machine Shop lathe is 7.1" swing, 16" between centers and .8" through spindle bore.

I would agree with you on the Vevor lathe is better for gunsmithing work.

It has good size hole and long bed for barrels.
Cuts both inch and metric threads for barrels.

I would buy at same time a good Aloris type tool post OXA size.

Dave

 

[Steamchick]

Hi, I think I can speak with some experience of a lathe like the Vevor, just mine has a shorter bed. (My tiny workshop will only take that size!).
I have an older brushed PM Motor but it has the problem that this one will have. The Variable speed is CURRENT limited I.E. Motor torque limited. This means that the torque you get for a maximum metal removal at top speed will be 750W worth of torque.... but at top motor speed. So when you reduce from 1250rpm to 50 rpm you only get the same TORQUE, (equal to motor current) but the power is effectively only 4% of max = 30W. So when you want to stop the job you can just grab it and hold on tight! - But never do this as most lathes will rip your hand off!
I.E. cutting a thread with tap or die at 1/4" in brass is OK at the lowest speed. But 5/16" Brass will STOP the job as the torque is less than your right arm! - Or 1/4in steel with a coarse thread!
Unless into small clock-making, the lathe is only built to take that level of max torque from the reaction of tool on metal, so the bed is NOT at all stiff. I did not build a strong-back frame to mount my lathe upon. So it has twisted, and now has 0.001in runout in 4in of length. The job is on the list to make a mew strong back and re-straighten the lathe mounting to true it up.
My friend had the equivalent lathe to the Harbour Freight Mini-lathe. Good for what it did. But after making 1 small model from cast iron castings, brass and bronze, decided to get rid of it and get a bigger stiffer lathe with more torque capability.
Both of these are just above "toy" level in my opinion. The inability to apply a decent heavy cut is overcome by many more small cuts, but the inaccuracy caused by the whole lathe twisting when a decent cut is applied, means you really have to have your wits about you to get a decently accurate job from the lathe.
So: BUY a Second-hand industrial lathe, as you'll be able to do some decent amount of metal removal accurately.
K2

 

[SmithDoor]

I am a newbie to lathes and looking to buy one for my home gunsmithing shop. I cannot afford these 3-4K lathes so I am looking at 2. Would love your opinion on these.


https://www.vevor.com/metal-lathe-c...for-processing-precision-parts-p_010748145741
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=7350&category=1271799306
So my questions start with I know the vevor lathe has some bad reviews but it is a 30" bed. Do I need one that long? the spindle hole on the LMS is only .8 wide and the vevor is 1.5".
Can a gun barrel be passed through the bore from back to front to say work on the front of the barrel and turned around and passed through the back to do the other side?
Can I upgrade thee to ballscrews and would that change how the gearing would be for threading?

Thanks

FYI
Note it is easier to get a business licence for portable work. Most time to a little machine work in garage not big deal.

But any time you work a firearms you need a FFL.
To get FFL you a business license.

Dave

 

[JLW]

I do a fair amount of gun work for a local FFL shop and have a 12x24 Tiwan made gear head Harrison that I think highly of. Much of what I do is threading the end of barrels for a muzzle break and to take off the action would be cost prohibitive. I can handle just over 1.5" diameter through the headstock and the length of the bore combined with the need to support the outboard end of the barreled action means that I routinely need to chuck the action in a 4 jaw and support the end of the barrel with a steady rest. To do this, a 24" bed is not long enough. I would advise getting at least a 12x36" machine for what you want to do. Keep your eyes open and buy a better quality, larger, used machine.

 

[RM-MN]

You have to be really careful with cheap lathe specifications. The Vevor lathe shows a bed lenght of 29.5" but doesn't say that is between centers. My 7X14 lathe has a bed length of 19.5" but the tailstock takes up part of that to hold the center.

 

[Wonk]

You have to be really careful with cheap lathe specifications. The Vevor lathe shows a bed lenght of 29.5" but doesn't say that is between centers. My 7X14 lathe has a bed length of 19.5" but the tailstock takes up part of that to hold the center.

Actually, if you look at the specs on that lathe it says 29.5" between centers.

 

[packrat]

Look at youtube there are bad reviews on the Vevor lathe, it's not worth your hard earned money...

 

[RM-MN]

Actually, if you look at the specs on that lathe it says 29.5" between centers.

I apologize, you are right. I had only looked at the first part where is didn't mention that the 29.5 was between centers and hadn't gone down into the rest of the ad where the specs do mention that.

 

[actinaria]

I looked at that lathe and was about to pull the trigger when a south bend appeared locally. It took some cleaning but I feel it’s a much better lathe, and cost me $500. For another $300 I added a 3 phase motor and vfd for variable speed.

 

[Steamchick]

Did you remove some gearing from the South Bend lathe? - Or just a different (DC?) motor and VFD? I wonder how your new set-up copes below 100rpm Spindle speed? - What motor speed do you have at the lowest spindle speed, and what current rating (RMS for the 3 phases) does the VFD achieve when at the lowest speed? Remember, many motors have fans designed for Max current at max rpm = lots of fan blow at speed... But cannot do Max current at low rpm = insufficient blow from the fan to keep the motor cool? I have had to add a small fan and vents to cool the electronics to try and avoid blowing everything when I run slow for more than a few minutes...
K2