HI guys and gals I am looking for a small metal hobby lathe that I will be using for aluminum and hopefully titanium. Any recommendations, I had found a Unimat 3 for $550. But I'm not sure if I want to pay that. Your opinion's are appreciated and valued. Thanks in advance...George
Looking for a hobby lathe any thoughts
- Thread starter Murdoch
- Start date
If I may if your not looking to spend 300 for a Unimat the prices only go up from there even very old lathes go for 500 and up . What do you plan on doing with the lathe? If you plan on using that drill press to do some milling with the cross slide and feed vise you're going to have to try to keep any cutting operations going front to back toward the column. The head will move slightly over time it can be done but you will find if you want to do it a lot your going to spend an inordinate amount of time setting up and actually milling. I notice your in Toronto the prices on lathes and mills up that way I do not know so perhaps you could get something cheaper but not here in the US .
Cypher
Cypher
Last edited:
http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=270816
This is the best possible description of what I am doing...GMurdoch
Ok I see what your trying to do very very ambitious , At first I thought it was scale version further down I realize nope full size. For that kind of work making the pieces etc out of metal vs 3d printed plastic you may be able to answer your own question on equipment . Sit and estimate the largest / longest etc pieces you will be making add say 10% more to their size and go with a machine that can handle that size. There are some moderately prices combo lathe/mill units out there new they are pricey but used though over your comfort range of 300 probably closer to 1 to 1.5 k Usd . You will also need tooling which is going to get expensive so perhaps look for a used machine with tooling.
Cypher
Cypher
SteveL
Well-known member
From the looks of your link, I think you need a 5 axis CNC milling machine or 3D printer instead of a lathe. I didn't see very many round parts and lathes are pretty much only going to get you cylinder shapes unless you go way over your budget.
I have a Sherline 24" bed lathe and separate mill and even with all f the accessories I have, there's no way I could make very many of the components you show. Adding CNC to both of mine would likely cost $1000+ just for the conversion. Also keep in mind that the cost of the lathe is much more than the machine itself. Tooling can add up quickly.
If I were to do it all over again, I would lean toward a setup like the Shop Fox or Grizzly. Here's a link to a review on both. http://metallathereviews.com/
I have a Sherline 24" bed lathe and separate mill and even with all f the accessories I have, there's no way I could make very many of the components you show. Adding CNC to both of mine would likely cost $1000+ just for the conversion. Also keep in mind that the cost of the lathe is much more than the machine itself. Tooling can add up quickly.
If I were to do it all over again, I would lean toward a setup like the Shop Fox or Grizzly. Here's a link to a review on both. http://metallathereviews.com/
This is great stuff guys. The pictures are only reference pics of what I am looking to do. There is no way for me to afford a CNC unless my numbers come up lol. I plan to cast some parts in aluminum, so I figure just a good hobby lathe can get me started. The $300. Budget, I don't know where that came from. But the cheaper the better, I always say...
Also, if you mill on a drill press there is the often mentioned warning about the the chuck flying off.
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astroracer
Well-known member
Just a warning.... DO NOT use that drill press to try to mill anything. The chuck is held in only with the upward pressure while DRILLING. Any milling operation will apply no upward pressure to the chuck. It will loosen and fall out. Not a good situation with spinning tools.
For a decent machine you need to look up from the small plastic or extruded aluminum hobby machines. They just aren't stiff enough to allow for very accurate and consistent cuts. Material removal will also be on the small side as they are not stiff enough to take bigger cuts.
I think you would be better served with a small mill and a rotary table, but, if you look at the 3 in 1 machines you will have the best of both worlds although a bit limited on the milling capabilities.
I have been using a Smithy 3 in 1 for 24 years with great results. Ran production on model car parts with the lathe portion for 15 years. It is still my go to machine for small parts.
Look at Smithy.com, Grizzly or Jet. They all sell basically the same machines and they will get the job done for a decent price and minimal footprint. You will spend more then 300 dollars though, tooling is not free and getting it set up with fixturing and clamps to hold odd shaped parts that you are looking at will be a job and expense above and beyond the cost of the machine. It is fun though...
Mark
For a decent machine you need to look up from the small plastic or extruded aluminum hobby machines. They just aren't stiff enough to allow for very accurate and consistent cuts. Material removal will also be on the small side as they are not stiff enough to take bigger cuts.
I think you would be better served with a small mill and a rotary table, but, if you look at the 3 in 1 machines you will have the best of both worlds although a bit limited on the milling capabilities.
I have been using a Smithy 3 in 1 for 24 years with great results. Ran production on model car parts with the lathe portion for 15 years. It is still my go to machine for small parts.
Look at Smithy.com, Grizzly or Jet. They all sell basically the same machines and they will get the job done for a decent price and minimal footprint. You will spend more then 300 dollars though, tooling is not free and getting it set up with fixturing and clamps to hold odd shaped parts that you are looking at will be a job and expense above and beyond the cost of the machine. It is fun though...
Mark
mbshop
Well-known member
I have a microlux 7x16 from micro mark. No way will it do much of what you are showing and it is priced way over yer budget. What you need is some serious cnc equipment. $$$$$$$$$$.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
The smithy is a good machine to start with, however may be out of your budget.
My advice would be to look more closely at the accessories you can get with the purchase of a machine than which machine you buy. You will easily outspend the purchase of a new machine on accessories quickly unless you want to do a single job.
For example if you can get an older lathe with a quick change toolpost, several different style holders, cutting tools, 3 jaw, 4 jaw and faceplate chucks, centers, and drill holders, then it is worth more than a brand new lathe without all that stuff.
Also pay attention to how hard it is to set up for threading if you think you'll want to make threads on it - some lathes don't have the ability to thread - some are very time consuming to set up. Some are easy.
My advice would be to look more closely at the accessories you can get with the purchase of a machine than which machine you buy. You will easily outspend the purchase of a new machine on accessories quickly unless you want to do a single job.
For example if you can get an older lathe with a quick change toolpost, several different style holders, cutting tools, 3 jaw, 4 jaw and faceplate chucks, centers, and drill holders, then it is worth more than a brand new lathe without all that stuff.
Also pay attention to how hard it is to set up for threading if you think you'll want to make threads on it - some lathes don't have the ability to thread - some are very time consuming to set up. Some are easy.
astroracer
Well-known member
I use the X/Y table all the time in my DP but it is JUST for lining up and drilling holes. NO milling is done with it.
Mark
Mark
I use the X/Y table all the time in my DP but it is JUST for lining up and drilling holes. NO milling is done with it.
Mark
I just ordered one for my drill press, the T slots are much nicer when trying to secure a work piece to as well. I would not however want to damage my drill press using it to mill as it was built during WW2 and a nice machine.
John in OH
Well-known member
I use the X/Y table all the time in my DP but it is JUST for lining up and drilling holes. NO milling is done with it.
Mark
Ditto!! I don't use the X-Y very often on my smaller drill press, but it is good for accurately locating multiple holes in a workpiece. But it is NOT for milling!
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
For what you are wanting to do, the lathe or combo machine has little to no value. As others have said, your desire requires real milling equipment, read CNC. You should seriously spend some time at a local trade school or the like, you have much to learn. Your budget for what you profess to do should be more like $6-8K minimum. Even better is $12-15K. A multi faceted part with radii and contours needs a minimum of 4 axis and a TON of tooling along with lots of hours of experience.
I'm sitting in front of a $15K CNC with $3-5K worth of tooling in the box below my keyboard, there is no way I'm making the exoskeleton you are dreaming of without thousands of man hours of design and machine time.
Not to pile on, but I've made a number of parts/assemblies for people wanting to do replica and the like. More often than not I will no quote, due to the unrealistic expectations ($) that many have.
How old are you? Again not to stereotype, but I've dealt with so many folks with your desire that have a great income, 200K+ house, 50K+ car, eat out all the time, yet balk at machining quotes that most large shops would just laugh at.
Owning the machine is just a fraction of what is involved.
But with CNC, you just push the buttons and go. No fundamental knowledge required there
How old are you? Again not to stereotype, but I've dealt with so many folks with your desire that have a great income, 200K+ house, 50K+ car, eat out all the time, yet balk at machining quotes that most large shops would just laugh at.
Owning the machine is just a fraction of what is involved.
But with CNC, you just push the buttons and go. No fundamental knowledge required there
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Owning the machine is just a fraction of what is involved.
But with CNC, you just push the buttons and go. No fundamental knowledge required there
LOL, this just made me spit my beer all over the floor.
You now owe officially owe me a beer, this was a particularly good Pisgah Ale....
WWheeler
Well-known member
My neighbor bought an old classic Smithy for $500 with a box filled with tooling and a whole bunch of aluminum. I helped him go pick it up a couple hrs drive from here from a +80 yr old man who had taken care of it for 20 yrs or more (guessing).
I'm jealous as hell because the damn thing runs great and has had me scouring CL every week looking for a similar deal within driving distance. I'm sad to say a few promising ones have shown up too, but always seems to be when I don't have the cash and they never seem to last until the next payday.
I've likewise sometimes seen a few good looking deals show up on ebay too but they are usually only 'local pickup only' and never anywhere near me. Your luck may be better there.
I'm jealous as hell because the damn thing runs great and has had me scouring CL every week looking for a similar deal within driving distance. I'm sad to say a few promising ones have shown up too, but always seems to be when I don't have the cash and they never seem to last until the next payday.
I've likewise sometimes seen a few good looking deals show up on ebay too but they are usually only 'local pickup only' and never anywhere near me. Your luck may be better there.
Thanks Larry this helped.
Hello Zkling, I appreciate your opinion and no sir I am not a kid and no I don't want a 50K car. Who I am is a guy who has threw away my youth accepting the role that was laid out for me. One day I woke up and out of spite became a jeweler. Then when I was told I couldn't handle working at a plating shop, I became a plater. I am the senior chrome electroplater at the shop. I am driven by education and the idea of folks saying that I can't. I will make mistakes along the way and by the sounds of it the drill press is one of them, but I needed a drill press so I guess I'm still ahead. I will listen to your valuable advice and do the research on CNC. I would like to thank all of you with your suggestions and your time...GMurdochNot to pile on, but I've made a number of parts/assemblies for people wanting to do replica and the like. More often than not I will no quote, due to the unrealistic expectations ($) that many have.
How old are you? Again not to stereotype, but I've dealt with so many folks with your desire that have a great income, 200K+ house, 50K+ car, eat out all the time, yet balk at machining quotes that most large shops would just laugh at.
Owning the machine is just a fraction of what is involved.
But with CNC, you just push the buttons and go. No fundamental knowledge required there
Not to pile on, but I've made a number of parts/assemblies for people wanting to do replica and the like. More often than not I will no quote, due to the unrealistic expectations ($) that many have.
How old are you? Again not to stereotype, but I've dealt with so many folks with your desire that have a great income, 200K+ house, 50K+ car, eat out all the time, yet balk at machining quotes that most large shops would just laugh at.
Owning the machine is just a fraction of what is involved.
But with CNC, you just push the buttons and go. No fundamental knowledge required there
That is the strange thing about forums telling people to get a cnc machine, I used cnc at my last job exclusively but on 1 off jobs I find it harder then just doing it on a manual mill. However some of those parts would be above my ability to just do without cnc. I love my laser cutter 3d printer and in a lot of cases a cnc mill, it is just not push a button and the part pops out it is faster at doing the job just not faster on the layout.
the drill press might not be a mistake, it is a pain to use a mill to just drill a hole. and in most cases it will cost you more to setup your mill to drill a hole then the drill press cost you.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The reason for the CNC recommendation is that many of the parts in the exoskeleton that Murdoch indicates he would like to make are not pieces with straight edges. Compound curves and radii can be done on a manual mill but the setup , tooling and fixturing is beyond most folks ability - especially someone just starting out. Rotary tables, indexing heads and a fairly high level of math skills (maybe very high) are just some of pre-requisites.
Imagine you wish to make a rib cage arrangement. Each piece is similarly shaped as the one next to it, but dimensionally its slightly different, time after time after time. This would require a new setup and fixturing for each piece, then a left rib and a right rib are mirror images of one another, yet another twist.
With a CNC controlled mill, the compound curves are no problem, it's a matter of producing the right g-code for the machine to operate. This requires knowledge of machine programming languages and most likely 3D design software (CAD/CAM) that can take quite a while to master. Then put in the design time to actually design the parts, it's not a trivial endeavor.
Imagine you wish to make a rib cage arrangement. Each piece is similarly shaped as the one next to it, but dimensionally its slightly different, time after time after time. This would require a new setup and fixturing for each piece, then a left rib and a right rib are mirror images of one another, yet another twist.
With a CNC controlled mill, the compound curves are no problem, it's a matter of producing the right g-code for the machine to operate. This requires knowledge of machine programming languages and most likely 3D design software (CAD/CAM) that can take quite a while to master. Then put in the design time to actually design the parts, it's not a trivial endeavor.
There seems to be some misunderstanding in what I am doing. The pics in my thread are simply just reference pics. Not exact pics of what I am doing.
I am building an exoskeleton frame with plates that will attach, and will boast a full range of motion. I am looking to hammer form, metal cast and I was hoping to do some kinda milling to achieve my goal. No I am not a machinit, nor do I hold any certificate's in anything like this and to be perfectly honest I am a high school dropout. That being said I made stupid choices in my youth. I will not be denied now. I wanted to be a jeweler and I studied the GIA course, took a couple of goldsmithing courses. I worked in the biz for 10 years before I moved on. Now I mean no disrespect to anyone who did the hard yards, in fact you fine folks are the ones who inspire me. Your work is a testament to a skill that doesn't come without sacrifice and hard work. I am simply trying to learn as much as I can to pull a rabbit out of my hat if you will. No I'm not looking to cheat through, nor am I looking to make a career of being a backyard machinist. I am looking to make one suit as best as I possibly can. Now you the fellow members can scoff and mock which is quite OK with me. I've been listening to this from family, friends and coworkers for 4 years now. Some see me as a hack or even a dreamer. Or you can be a part of something that is unique and different. I would like to just say thank-you folks for reading and appreciate any help that you can send my way...GMurdoch
I am building an exoskeleton frame with plates that will attach, and will boast a full range of motion. I am looking to hammer form, metal cast and I was hoping to do some kinda milling to achieve my goal. No I am not a machinit, nor do I hold any certificate's in anything like this and to be perfectly honest I am a high school dropout. That being said I made stupid choices in my youth. I will not be denied now. I wanted to be a jeweler and I studied the GIA course, took a couple of goldsmithing courses. I worked in the biz for 10 years before I moved on. Now I mean no disrespect to anyone who did the hard yards, in fact you fine folks are the ones who inspire me. Your work is a testament to a skill that doesn't come without sacrifice and hard work. I am simply trying to learn as much as I can to pull a rabbit out of my hat if you will. No I'm not looking to cheat through, nor am I looking to make a career of being a backyard machinist. I am looking to make one suit as best as I possibly can. Now you the fellow members can scoff and mock which is quite OK with me. I've been listening to this from family, friends and coworkers for 4 years now. Some see me as a hack or even a dreamer. Or you can be a part of something that is unique and different. I would like to just say thank-you folks for reading and appreciate any help that you can send my way...GMurdoch
Murdoch, as for videos try this link
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrpete222
as for suggestions to a lathe I would just look around I bought a craftsman lathe for $40 last year that was in great condition and was given a south bend 9 in lathe. Good deals are available if you are in the right place at the right time. I wish you luck in your project it is going to take you a while.
Manwithtools, the reason for the comment was in a forum I was asking about a mill I bought to just use for small tooling plates, yes I could do it with cnc machines but it would be easier to just do it with a manual machine most of the time. Also being that I do not use this every day I would break less tooling doing it in a manual mill.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrpete222
as for suggestions to a lathe I would just look around I bought a craftsman lathe for $40 last year that was in great condition and was given a south bend 9 in lathe. Good deals are available if you are in the right place at the right time. I wish you luck in your project it is going to take you a while.
Manwithtools, the reason for the comment was in a forum I was asking about a mill I bought to just use for small tooling plates, yes I could do it with cnc machines but it would be easier to just do it with a manual machine most of the time. Also being that I do not use this every day I would break less tooling doing it in a manual mill.
This is the only info that I can get on this, which isn't much by the way. Please if anyone has any background history on this piece or any thoughts on weather this is a diamond in the rought and can be saved, I would be great full...George
macgyver37
Well-known member
I think that a lathe is a pretty fundamental tool to make things, I am biased I know, but I would not be without a lathe given a choice and I have sacrificed other things to keep my machine tools.
Anyway, this lathe is unknown to me, off the cuff opinion is to buy it, I wouldn't expect to do threads with it as it looks like the gears have been modified. I would also expect that the 3 jaw chuck is work out. Not a big deal, you can get a chicom 3 jaw pretty cheap and use the back plate off the chuck that came with the lathe. I only mention that because although you can and should be comfortable with using a 4 jaw chuck, it is usually more than a newbie wants to deal with when a 3 jaw is easier/quicker.
If there is any tooling with the lathe or around, it, try to get it, things like wrenches, cutters, drill bits etc.
Looking again at it, that is a gap bed lathe and might be worth a little more, when you remove the part of the ways as shown in the first picture, you can swing a larger sized part than normal. I think that $300 is cheap enough to get into it to even see if you want a lathe, worst case you just clean it up and get a motor on it and probably sell it for more than you paid for it.
Anyway, this lathe is unknown to me, off the cuff opinion is to buy it, I wouldn't expect to do threads with it as it looks like the gears have been modified. I would also expect that the 3 jaw chuck is work out. Not a big deal, you can get a chicom 3 jaw pretty cheap and use the back plate off the chuck that came with the lathe. I only mention that because although you can and should be comfortable with using a 4 jaw chuck, it is usually more than a newbie wants to deal with when a 3 jaw is easier/quicker.
If there is any tooling with the lathe or around, it, try to get it, things like wrenches, cutters, drill bits etc.
Looking again at it, that is a gap bed lathe and might be worth a little more, when you remove the part of the ways as shown in the first picture, you can swing a larger sized part than normal. I think that $300 is cheap enough to get into it to even see if you want a lathe, worst case you just clean it up and get a motor on it and probably sell it for more than you paid for it.