Ward capstan lathe

[Glen Vassallo]

Hi all, I have been looking for a lathe for quite some time now and today I found a Ward capstan lathe for sale at a very good price. I would like to know if I could use a capstan lathe for general machining. Are there any disadvantages compared to an engine lathe? Thanks

 

[mikegt4]

A "capstan" or "turret" lathe is is used for repetitive production of duplicate parts generally machining the "end" of a part. Usually there is no provision for machining the "side" of the part therefore by design, they are not as versatile as a "conventional" lathe. For a first or only lathe it probably isn't a good choice.

That being said Ward seems to have a good reputation.