Who's got lathes?
- Thread starter brats.n.harleys
- Start date
Rixter58
Well-known member
Should have added...I've got a Harding toolroom lathe. For you guys looking for a lathe or mill.....run a "Wanted To Buy" ad on CL. You might be surprised what pops up.
mlitt12345
Active member
TireTracks
Well-known member
How old is it? My dad's one is a 1937.
kmacht
Well-known member
I had one of those at one time. If you are looking for a fun project they can be converted to CNC pretty easily. Their size allows you to use pretty small stepper motors (150 oz/in or so) so you can do it fairly cheap as well.
Keith
Dragster Racer
Well-known member
I picked up a used mill and lathe when a factory I was working for closed. I use the lathe much more. The mill has the smaller taper, not the R8. The R8 is much easier to get collets etc for, but now that I have the collets, I am good to go with the one I have.
The mill is a Bridgeport, and the lathe is a Lantane.
The mill is a Bridgeport, and the lathe is a Lantane.
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
Get this kit for it. it is $175 and has everything you need to get started. A quick change tool post is a godsend! Shimming bits in the tool post that comes on these later gets old real fast.
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3534&category=
Here is a video of me showing the same kit for my 7X12 lathe:
A carriage stop and carriage lock also come in handy but you may have to make them.(plenty of plans on the web.)
Chris
mrbreezeet1
Banned
Wonder what is a good one for my Logan (10" swing) that would not be too expensive.
All but the chuck I have a few chucks.
All but the chuck I have a few chucks.
Get this kit for it. it is $175 and has everything you need to get started. A quick change tool post is a godsend! Shimming bits in the tool post that comes on these later gets old real fast.
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3534&category=
Here is a video of me showing the same kit for my 7X12 lathe:
A carriage stop and carriage lock also come in handy but you may have to make them.(plenty of plans on the web.)
Chris
I don't remember. I looked it up one time and found out but I don't remember what it was. I want to say it was a 40's. Here's what it looked like before I tore it down and painted it:
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
May need something bigger and stronger.
My mini lathe is relatively light duty when compared to a 10" Logan.
I mostly work small pieces of aluminum so it is more than good enough for me on my mini lathe.
Chris
John in OH
Well-known member
Somewhere out there on the web there is a mini-lathe users group. I don't recall the name or have any link to it, but it is full of neat ideas on how to make accessories for your mini-lathe, relatively simple upgrades, and projects. Search it out if you can find it as it is quite interesting and totally devoted to these small 7x10 / 8x12 lathes.
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
http://www.mini-lathe.com/Default.htm
Lots of stuff on the 7 inch. Your 8 inch is actually a newer model so there are not a lot of mods and accessories yet. Supposedly your lathe comes adjusted and ready to use out of the box. The 7x lathes require you to shim a couple things and make a few mods to make them accurate.
Chris.
Lots of stuff on the 7 inch. Your 8 inch is actually a newer model so there are not a lot of mods and accessories yet. Supposedly your lathe comes adjusted and ready to use out of the box. The 7x lathes require you to shim a couple things and make a few mods to make them accurate.
Chris.
mrbreezeet1
Banned
There is a yahoo one I think too.
This is the CnC one http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x24Mini-LatheCNC/
7x10minilathe · Home machinist's roundtable.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x10minilathe/
This is the CnC one http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x24Mini-LatheCNC/
7x10minilathe · Home machinist's roundtable.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x10minilathe/
mlitt12345
Active member
That sounds cool, I'm still a machinist noobie and still need to learn alot before I take the cnc plunge. In fact never have used a lathe before this one. I bought the South bend how to run a lathe 1942 edition paperback book and it has been a big help. Looks like it is starting to get addicting so far and thinking about getting a mill too.
Mike
mlitt12345
Active member
Get this kit for it. it is $175 and has everything you need to get started. A quick change tool post is a godsend! Shimming bits in the tool post that comes on these later gets old real fast.
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3534&category=
Here is a video of me showing the same kit for my 7X12 lathe:
A carriage stop and carriage lock also come in handy but you may have to make them.(plenty of plans on the web.)
Chris
I watched your youtube video and that quick change tool post is real nice. I have been shimming and it takes a while to change and set up different tooling. Was worried at first about buying the cheap chinese lathe but so far it is working very good and right out of the box it is pretty accurate. I still need to weld up a stand for it, its just sitting on my work bench not anchored down. Will have to check into the carriage stop/lock.
Mike
OP
brats.n.harleys
Well-known member
Alright guys. Need your thoughts. I've been searching CL everyday and dreaming about lathes. Lol. I honestly do not have the room or money for a 9" one. I found this 6" craftsman for 150 bucks (says it's pre WWII) I know that's way too small for most of you, but it will be used only for motorcycle parts (footpegs, grips, shift and brake pegs, and shaving lower fork tubes). I figure even when we move in a couple years and have a bigger garage, I should be able to sell it for what I paid for it if I decide to go bigger. I'm sure this won't do threading, but that's not a big deal. (right now). So do you think it's worth it to pick up as a first lathe?
I would'nt hesitate to buy it. Its better than nothing and will give you a machine to work with and do a few things on. No Doubt .. Get It !
On the 6" craftsman lathes there are a couple of different models. Some of the early ones had a very small and soft spindle prone to bending. I can't quote numbers but a bit of research will tell you which models to avoid.
lg
no neat sig line
lg
no neat sig line
I can't tell from the pictures if that lathe has a jackshaft between the motor and the lathe cone pulley. If not it will rut too fast for most work and much too fast for the bearings in that headstock. It looks too light to me for most work.
sam 8
Well-known member
Here is mine, nothing fancy but it is the first lathe I have touched in 40 years, so it will do.
I had a friend of the family come over a with the right tools and we spent a couple hours leveling it up. I am reading what I can and have plans to get him back over here to spend a couple hours playing with it to increase my comfort level a bit.
The "Fab area" in my shop.
It is a place I can go and forget everything, which makes it priceless...
I had a friend of the family come over a with the right tools and we spent a couple hours leveling it up. I am reading what I can and have plans to get him back over here to spend a couple hours playing with it to increase my comfort level a bit.
The "Fab area" in my shop.
It is a place I can go and forget everything, which makes it priceless...
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mrbreezeet1
Banned
John in OH
Well-known member
To each their own .... but, as others have implied, I'd pass on this one also. It will be just too frustrating to use for making "real" stuff.
Before I bought my Hendey and LeBlond, I had a 10 x 24 Logan, no quick-change gearbox and only a 3 jaw chuck, but it cost only $125 at an auction of a machine shop going out of business. Nice little lathe ... cleaned it up, made a few repairs, bought a few accessories, and gave it to my son.
I think you need to be more patient and keep looking around. There should be tons of good, older lathes in the Northern Indiana / Chicago area ... try checking the classified ads for machine shop auctions where the shop has gone belly-up .... my Logan, Hendey and LeBlond all came from shops that tanked in the Akron/Canton, OH, area. Or, there should be some used equipment dealers around Chicago. Just sit tight, keep saving your money, keep looking, and the right machine will show up sooner or later.
Patience is a virtue!
TireTracks
Well-known member
I don't remember. I looked it up one time and found out but I don't remember what it was. I want to say it was a 40's. Here's what it looked like before I tore it down and painted it:
Looks just like his, exept it's blue and has the rare full covers. edit- exept yours doesnt appear to have Power cross slides.
Alright guys. Need your thoughts. I've been searching CL everyday and dreaming about lathes. Lol. I honestly do not have the room or money for a 9" one. I found this 6" craftsman for 150 bucks (says it's pre WWII) I know that's way too small for most of you, but it will be used only for motorcycle parts (footpegs, grips, shift and brake pegs, and shaving lower fork tubes). I figure even when we move in a couple years and have a bigger garage, I should be able to sell it for what I paid for it if I decide to go bigger. I'm sure this won't do threading, but that's not a big deal. (right now). So do you think it's worth it to pick up as a first lathe?
edit-Never mind, kinda looks like a early atlas, yet doesnt at the same time. Been modified by someone. beware.
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OP
brats.n.harleys
Well-known member
when you say it'll just piss me off and wont be able to make "real" stuff, what do you mean? main things it would be used for is center drilling round stock to make bungs, foot pegs, and shift pegs. (been using a drill press to do em up until now) and shaving lower fork tubes, (which are aluminum) and it wouldn't be an everyday event, its just hobby.
Yes, they're very different. For one thing, that ones a smaller model. It's also plain bearing head rather than ball bearing like mine. Mine appears to be beefier in general as well. I'd guess that one is an earlier smaller version of mine.
It depends. There are a lot of variables when it comes to machine tools. An older machine can be worn in such a way that it's tough to get an accurate cut, even for an experienced operator. You'll get chatter and inaccurate cuts. I know you think what you're making is simple and doesnt require much of a machine, but even simple things require a lathe set up and working properly. The lathe you posted pictures of may be cheap, but if you have to spend a bunch of money having ways ground and replacing bearings, it won't be as cheap. And when you're done, you're still using a small light machine, you just have too much invested in it. Not to say the machine you're looking at is a bad deal, just laying out possible scenarios.
Also budget in for buying or building a solid bench for your lathe. I see them set up on wobbly benches all the time, and you just won't get good results like that. You'll need a machinists level to set it up, not a carpenters level, and you need it to be 100% dead solid. If there is any give to the table you can see an indicator on your work piece spin wildly just by leaning on one side of the table lightly.
I like my Atlas, and it does everything a hobbyist could ask. But it took a lot of set up, expensive bearings and fine tuning to get it that way. And I'm still not worth a damn at running it.
Oh yeah, find a well versed machinist friend who can show you how to use it. And budget in for a whole new set of tools. When you're doing delicate machine work, your tape measure and folding rule wont cut it. You're gonna need micrometers, calipers, depth mics, indicators, bases etc. Buying a lathe is just one tool, it's just the first of many tools you'll need. ;-)
OP
brats.n.harleys
Well-known member
thanks man. IF the guy emails me back about going to look at it tomorrow, i will definately want to see it run, and check for anything loose. i have a very sturdy bench where i would put it if i end up with it. i have a friend who is a machinist, that could come by and teach me the basics of it, and definately understand buying all the other accessories that go with owning one.
rickairmedic
Well-known member
Brats I picked up an old Craftsman 109 early this summer . I then picked up a quick change tool post and a decent chuck and a live center . I used it for a while this summer it was a 1949 year model . I ended up selling it and picking up a HF 7X10 off of CL for $150.00 and have been a happy camper since . The craftsman was a much new model than the one you are looking at but had many of the same issues you will run into with that one . My main gripe with it was there was no way to tell how much I was taking off of the part I was working on ( no dials ) . The POS HF unit actually has dials on it and I can tell how much I am taking off of it .
I would honestly agree with others to wait and save a little more for a better machine . I see coupons all the time for the little HF machine for $399.00 .
I will be picking up a decent larger American made lathe later this year but for now the little HF is doing the job that the little Craftsman couldnt .
Rick
I would honestly agree with others to wait and save a little more for a better machine . I see coupons all the time for the little HF machine for $399.00 .
I will be picking up a decent larger American made lathe later this year but for now the little HF is doing the job that the little Craftsman couldnt .
Rick
TireTracks
Well-known member
Remember check the spindle for play really well. It's going to have babbit bearings. Also remember, any old lathe is going to need to have almost everything oiled before you use it, every time you use it. The book for my atlas says 10w oil.
Tell your machinist friend what you want to do with a lathe and take him with you to look at that lathe. He can tell you if you should buy it. Without a three jaw chuck center drilling round stock will be a real PIA you'll need to dial in each piece every time in the 4 jaw. I don't think that little lathe is rigid enough to shave a lower fork tube and doing it with the manual feed would also be a PIA. I think that for what you want to do you need a more robust machine.
John in OH
Well-known member
Nitsuj pretty well summed up some of the problems that result in frustration and dissatisfaction. Light, older lathes often suffer from lack of bed rigidity, bearing wear, way wear, wear and looseness in the feed screws and carriage ways. These physical issues can cause chatter, inaccuracy, tool gouging, etc. Other lathe design issues found on older, lighter lathes ... as mentioned by others ... can be lack of dial markings, ******* tailstock and spindle tapers, change gears (or the lack of), and spindle speed changing features.
So even using a beater lathe for simple operations can be a PITA. There's nothing quite as satisfying in machine tool work as watching a good solid lathe make a smooth, accurate cut! I understand that we all have different objectives and expectations so maybe these problems wouldn't be an issue for you ... but they would drive me nuts!!
57JoeFoMoPar
Well-known member
You guys have some killer lathes, really impressive stuff.
When I was working with the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware, we had our run of the machine shop all day. I can't tell you how much I miss having a lathe and mill around when I'm working on my own projects. It's amazing how often you use them. UD has a big, new South Bend lathe with the infinite adjust for speed. It's incredible. But my personal favorite is a WWII surplus Clausing Colchester engine lathe that was retrofitted with a DRO. I cut my teeth with that machine before it had the DRO on it, and properly set up with the 6 jaw chuck and quick-release tooling, that machine was good for accuracy to .001" all day. That machine is built to last and will probably survive the next world war. I see them on eBay all the time for 2K-3K, which to me is a steal considering they're big enough to never have to upgrade.
The Bridgeport will be my next major tool purchase for sure, and I'll probably put a rotary table on it to get by, but there is no replacement for a nice lathe.
When I was working with the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware, we had our run of the machine shop all day. I can't tell you how much I miss having a lathe and mill around when I'm working on my own projects. It's amazing how often you use them. UD has a big, new South Bend lathe with the infinite adjust for speed. It's incredible. But my personal favorite is a WWII surplus Clausing Colchester engine lathe that was retrofitted with a DRO. I cut my teeth with that machine before it had the DRO on it, and properly set up with the 6 jaw chuck and quick-release tooling, that machine was good for accuracy to .001" all day. That machine is built to last and will probably survive the next world war. I see them on eBay all the time for 2K-3K, which to me is a steal considering they're big enough to never have to upgrade.
The Bridgeport will be my next major tool purchase for sure, and I'll probably put a rotary table on it to get by, but there is no replacement for a nice lathe.
bczygan
Well-known member
9A and Heavy 9 South Bend table top lathes.
the king crew
Active member
I picked my lathe up at a yard sale a couple of years ago. It is a Artisan Lathe from around the 30s. It is pretty rare but it is very complete. I rebuilt it this spring and it has already been helpful on a number of occasions. It can turn 11" dia x 16" lg and has a 1 7/16" through hole.
Lee
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Lee
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It looks to be made very light duty. That combined with the age of the machine would lead me to believe that the spindle bearings might be worn. If this is the case, when you try to use it to do an outside diameter cut it will chatter. It has a 4 jaw independent chuck. You will have to indicate your work in every time you use it. The machine is better than nothing but there are better deals out there. They will cost more but 4 times the money will buy you a 10 times more useable machine.
John in OH
Well-known member
Amen to that!!!
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
+1.
After you get a lathe you will want a mill and more tooling.
Chris
After you get a lathe you will want a mill and more tooling.
Chris