MINI LATHE QUESTIONS

If you want to chamber barrels, both are too small. The 7X10 is a good machine to learn the basics on. The 9X20's aren't rigid enough for their size, and also not large enough for a large tool. Save up for a 12X36 or 13X40, which will work well in concert with the 7X10 for the small work.

Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001

Ignored post by Paul H posted 15 April 2003 14:51

Scrollcutter

one of us

posted 15 April 2003 15:46

Where would one locate the 7" lathe.

R Kehr

Posts: 1635 | Location: Washington State | Registered: 29 December 2002

Ignored post by Scrollcutter posted 15 April 2003 15:46

<JBelk>

posted 15 April 2003 15:50

I agree with Paul---

Unless you want to be limited to making screws one at a time both those lathes are too small to do you any good in a gunshop.

It's not so much the size that matters..... it's the rigidity that counts in a lathe...... hmmmmmm. I guess it makes a difference in several things. [Smile]

mbogo375

one of us

posted 15 April 2003 17:47

Pa.Frank,

I can't comment as to usefulness of the 7x12, but just as you, I wanted a mini lathe to learn (OK, play [Big Grin]

) a bit on. I decided on the Homier 7x12, which is basically the same lathe as the Grizzly 7x12 and Harbor Freight 7x10, and is made in the same factory. The Homier at $300 was the cheapest, even though all three seem to be of similar quality.

Check this web site for a review. Homier 7x12 Review

Also the Homier web site listing.
Homier

Jim

Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000

Ignored post by mbogo375 posted 15 April 2003 17:47

KMuleinAK

one of us

posted 15 April 2003 20:31

check out - web page - for info on machine shop tooling.

Posts: 1300 | Location: Alaska.USA | Registered: 15 January 2002

Ignored post by KMuleinAK posted 15 April 2003 20:31

jeffeosso

Moderator

posted 16 April 2003 03:33

THROUGHLY read this site prior to purchase

http://www.mini-lathe.com

jeffe

Posts: 41515 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002

Ignored post by jeffeosso posted 16 April 2003 03:33

Hobie

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 03:35

quote:
Originally posted by jeffeosso:
THROUGHLY read this site prior to purchase

http://www.mini-lathe.com

jeffe

Thanks for the link. I don't know about anybody else, but I found it informative.

Posts: 2324 | Location: Staunton, VA | Registered: 05 September 2002

Ignored post by Hobie posted 16 April 2003 03:35

Dago Red

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 04:06

Wonderful site! Mucho Information. I was wondering if anybody has worked with small CNC lathes or mills? We had one at my highschool, a cnc lathe, very small work. A friend of mine is considering getting into custom bike parts (he rides those BMX type bikes), and was thinking about getting some equipment maybe. Anybody had much experience? Anybody know approximate costs?

Thanks very much!

Red

Posts: 4742 | Location: Fresno, CA | Registered: 21 March 2003

Ignored post by Dago Red posted 16 April 2003 04:06

Art S.

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 04:14

I'll have to say my advice would be to save a little more money and buy a real lathe. You can pick up a functional 10"-12" lathe for less than $1000. I got a pretty good South Bend 13" for $1200 and then spent another $500-600 on it. I tried the concept of "learning" on a small lathe. What you really do is learn to work around the inadequacies of a small, flexible lathe. While they are handy later for small simple tasks like working on cartidge cases, you will learn much faster if you get a decent lathe, and the cost is not that much more.

Posts: 1238 | Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA | Registered: 04 February 2003

Ignored post by Art S. posted 16 April 2003 04:14

Clark

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 05:00

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=mini%20lathe&safe=images&ie=ISO-8859-1&lr=&as_scoring=d&hl=en

I got a mini lathe with a saddle so compliant, it will not cut metal.

So I have relegated it to secondary operations. It does a great job on:
1) boring small parts
2) spindle and wire wheel
3) Dremel flex tool mounted in V block on the tool post as a poor man's tool post grinder
4) spinning bore brushes for cleaning the inside of case necks

So the mini lathe sits outside the shop in the grinding area, while my Clausing 5914 sits in the warm clean shop.

Posts: 2249 | Registered: 27 February 2001

Ignored post by Clark posted 16 April 2003 05:00

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 07:37

quote:
Originally posted by Dago Red:
Wonderful site! Mucho Information. I was wondering if anybody has worked with small CNC lathes or mills? We had one at my highschool, a cnc lathe, very small work. A friend of mine is considering getting into custom bike parts (he rides those BMX type bikes), and was thinking about getting some equipment maybe. Anybody had much experience? Anybody know approximate costs?

Thanks very much!

I've used Omnis and the American Way brand gang-tooled lathes. I would go with the Omni for reliability and customer service. You're looking at about $20,000.00-$30,000.00 for an Omni or American Way lathe.
This kinda falls back on the same principal of manual lathes too. Get a bigger lathe that can run spindle RPM's in the 5000 range, and you can not only do the small stuff, but you can also run larger parts with more standardized tooling.
If you go that route, you'd be looking at anywhere from 30,000- $60,000.00 for one that's used. In this class of machine, which would be a turret lathe with at least 8 tools, and a 2" spindle bore, I'd pick Mazak hands down. For accuracy and simplicity of programming, they can't be beat.

Red

Posts: 1021 | Location: Prineville, OR 97754 | Registered: 14 July 2002

Ignored post by triggerguard1 posted 16 April 2003 07:37

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 08:15

Sorry about the quote. Looks like a screwed that one up. Well, at least the info is in there. [Smile]

Posts: 1021 | Location: Prineville, OR 97754 | Registered: 14 July 2002

Ignored post by triggerguard1 posted 16 April 2003 08:15

Dago Red

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 08:39

Thanks much for the info. With those costs I am going to tell him that he should start out with a manual control lathe until he can see some profits from it.

Red

Posts: 4742 | Location: Fresno, CA | Registered: 21 March 2003

Ignored post by Dago Red posted 16 April 2003 08:39

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 09:06

Sometimes this is one of those things that requires a leap of faith. He may never see any profits without a CNC lathe. That is the unfortunate part of the industry today.
Something to keep in mind, even though they cost that much, it doesn't mean that you have to pay all of it at once. He could look at a finance option with only $5,000.00 down and some modest payments, depending on his credit. I've been down that road myself since I was seventeen. It sometimes takes balls, but it builds character.

Posts: 1021 | Location: Prineville, OR 97754 | Registered: 14 July 2002

Ignored post by triggerguard1 posted 16 April 2003 09:06

<JBelk>

posted 16 April 2003 11:40

Dago Red---

Another possibility is to make prints of the parts and contract a job shop to turn them out. As I understand it, theres a program to write and tooling set-up and then back up!! Or be covered up in parts.

The first CNC I saw run was in Denver at the big machinery show. It was a tiny lathe/mill combo that was turning out the cutest little brass screw drivers I ever saw....Cute, but useless, of course.....unless you're demonstrating CNC machines. It was a marvel......

Then I saw the big one. [Eek!]

citori3

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 13:54

Any thoughts on the "Smithy" products. I'm thinking of the mill/drill/lathe.

Posts: 141 | Location: N. Illinois | Registered: 16 July 2002

Ignored post by citori3 posted 16 April 2003 13:54

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 14:11

I think we should really put up a banner indicating that under no circumstances do you want to waste your time with a Smithy.

Didn't mean to rant Citori, but if you want to start machining, get a lathe and mill seperate, not a combo of the two. What you end up with is a mill that can't take a cut, and lathe that can't turn worth a crap. Even on the most expensive 3,4, and 5 axis lathes. The milling sucks compared to a standalone mill.

Posts: 1021 | Location: Prineville, OR 97754 | Registered: 14 July 2002

Ignored post by triggerguard1 posted 16 April 2003 14:11

Art S.

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 16:22

Don't forget that all these small mills and combination machines spin way too fast for a mortal human to thread on.

Posts: 1238 | Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA | Registered: 04 February 2003

Ignored post by Art S. posted 16 April 2003 16:22

HenryC470

One of Us

posted 16 April 2003 16:27

quote:
Originally posted by mbogo375:
Pa.Frank,

I can't comment as to...

Jim

Jim,

That is one nice leopard you've got there. Looks as if he was eating well before you shot him.

H. C.

Posts: 3691 | Location: West Virginia | Registered: 23 May 2001

Ignored post by HenryC470 posted 16 April 2003 16:27

mbogo375

one of us

posted 16 April 2003 17:20

HenryC,

Thanks. I just wish that we had scales in camp to weigh him. With the skin on and absolutely no stretching, and not dipping down into any of the curves on the body, he was right at 8 feet. After the skin had been in the salt a couple of days I laid it out flat on the ground (once again with no stretching), and it still went about 8'4" (wish I had measured it when it was first skinned out [Frown]

).

Jim

Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000

Ignored post by mbogo375 posted 16 April 2003 17:20

waitaminit

one of us

posted 17 April 2003 12:29

The guy of

www.realguns.com

felt the need for a lathe as well and went through a lot of considerations and research.

His findings and decisions are discribed very clearly and comprehensively in some of his reports.

Posts: 367 | Location: former western part of Berlin, Germany | Registered: 25 August 2001

Ignored post by waitaminit posted 17 April 2003 12:29

Makatak

one of us

posted 17 April 2003 12:56

For the past several months I went through the process of "Which size and what type of Lathe". You have to crawl the web and ask everyone. The final decision is a fateful one. I finally settled on a Grizzly 12x36 gear head. I'm very happy with it. Great fit and finish for the most part, but count on fixing and setting everything up and a whole lot of playing around to get the most accuracy out of it. I wouldn't get anything smaller if you are going to do any barrel work. Of course, when I win the Lotto I will get a slightly better quality CNC......dooda. In the mean time I have barrels and actions and tools-in-the-making scattered from hell to breakfast and indicators sticking in and out everywhere. Ebay and I are on first name basis and the UPS truck is getting worn out running up and down my dirt road.

Goto http://www.practicalmachinist.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi and http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/ubbs/Ultimate.cgiif you want a good cat fight about mini-lathes and combo lathes. Good info.

Good luck Makatak

Posts: 106 | Registered: 22 May 2002

Ignored post by Makatak posted 17 April 2003 12:56