quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:

quote:

Originally posted by kcstott:
The thing is a machine that is "worn out" for a machine shop my be fine for a gunsmith that only fires up the lathe once or twice a week.

If a machine isn't good enough for a machine shop, what makes you think it is okay for a gunsmith? You do understand that gunsmiths, those who do their own machining anyway, are expected to, and are capable of, turning out every bit as precise work as their machinist/tool and die maker sisters don't you?

Not true if it's a tool room machine.
A tool room lathe is far more accurate then a engine lathe and when it's worn out it still better then an engine lathe.

The thing is most of what a gunsmith does can not be compared to a tool makers work. completely different application with widely varying tolerances and therefore the requirements of the machine are quite a bit different. So yes a machine that is too worn out for a high tolerance machine shop would be just fine for a Gunsmith.
Now bear in mind that when I say worn out I mean still running and able to do lower classes of work but the spindle bearings may be worn or there may be a dip in the ways near the head stock preventing high precision work like something requiring +/-.0005 or better.
A lot of guys use south bend machines and the import stuff. put a bar in your lathe int he chuck 1.5 diameter and push on it. with an indicator on the chuck see how much slop is in the bearings you might be surprised.

Kerry,
I mostly agree with you, but you can get benchrest quality chambers with a lathe that has worn out ways if the headstock bearings are good.
If you are chambering in the headstock the ways don't really affect the chambering job.
Butch

What a lot of people don’t realize is that many of the older lathes were made to “tool room” grade. Hendey, Monarch and P&W all had standards as high as todays tool room standards and time simply does not affect that. Both ways and bearings last forever if kept oiled and working around backlash (new machine or worn) is machinist training 101. Earl.

It might have been me that posted about the Hendey, my uncle ended up buying it, deciding it was too big (his 25x45 shop got a lot smaller once we started moving stuff in) and sold it for what he paid and now has piddly little bench top that a buddy got for 50 bucks and gave him.

Probably good, I have no idea how to operate a lathe and if he got a big one would probably just make a lot of expensive tent pegs. I'vecome to the realization that sometimes it's better to work more and spend the money paying somebody else.

I always enjoy these threads though and file the information away for later.

Red

Butch
That's what I mean A "worn out" machine would be fine for a good deal of gunsmith work.

Earl
You are correct. Machine were made that good and a lot of people don't know it. Hence my desire to get a Mori, Webb or Whacheon. Damn good machine made to very good specs and can do very high tolerance work right along with the grunt work.

Kerry,
Alan Warner uses a Wacheon and loves it.
Butch

Wacheon is a good machine. I got to use a brand new one right after I finished apprenticing. Thats when I found out it was a copy of a Mori seiki. But still one hell of a machine.

Here is another question guys.

I am too sick right now to use my lathe, and I think I may have got too much of a good thing when I bought it. It is a 14 x 40 Lagun/Republic. The tail stock uses #5 MT live and dead heads, chuck holders, etc.

The hole through the head is big enough to walk through, but the head is too big to thread and chamber any barrel less than 28" through the head. I am just not thrilled about profiling, threading and chambering a barrel on the steady rest.

If anyone is interested in such a thing; I would sell it now, and look for something a tiny bit smaller when/if I recover sufficiently. Do dat make any sense?

I'm an amateur, still using a South Bend Heavy 10...

TomP,
A good heavy 10 is an excellent gunsmithing lathe.
Butch