suggestions for lathe

[jeremy schmidt]

i plan to buy a lathe to make my own gokart parts, model railroad parts, etc. just wondering what you think is the best kind for me. my budget is $1200-$2000 and it must weigh less than 700 lb. i think i want about a 10x20. no china!

[machinist@large]

Originally Posted by jeremy schmidt

i plan to buy a lathe to make my own gokart parts, model railroad parts, etc. just wondering what you think is the best kind for me. my budget is $1200-$2000 and it must weigh less than 700 lb. i think i want about a 10x20. no china!

Good luck on the "NO CHINA" thing. Sherline and Taig are about the only ones making manual lathes in the U.S., and those are table top models. For the price range you listed, pretty much your only choice for new is China. How much machining experience do you have? If you are just starting out, I'd recommend hooking up with someone who has some experience before you start shopping for used ones.

Don't get me wrong, good used machines are around; it's just that, like alot of things, you have to know what you're looking at. And, unfortunately, looking at a couple of pics shot with a phone won't help me (or anyone else,) tell that it's a good one. Then you have the parts issue; for a lot of old machines, there are no parts available. So if you do find one that you're interested in, but it doesn't run, DON'T BUY IT.

This would be a lot simpler if you were looking for a milling machine; I'd just tell you to go buy a Bridgeport. They are still building them new, and they haven't changed the design since the 1970'S.

[jeremy schmidt]

what about bolton hardware's lathe? i like the quality i see in the pics, it most likely china, but really... i'll almost for sure have to settle for china.www.boltonhardware.com

[machinist@large]

Originally Posted by jeremy schmidt

what about bolton hardware's lathe? i like the quality i see in the pics, it most likely china, but really... i'll almost for sure have to settle for china.www.boltonhardware.com

Looks decent. I'm not familiar with Bolton, but that's not saying anything. Here's the thing; when they decide to import something, they often have a choice as to the quality level they bring in. What's often more important is the customer support they give you after the sale. Having said that, the spec sheet looks pretty good.

Have you looked at Grizzly or Enco? I've had customers who swore by their customer support.

www.grizzly.com and www.use-enco.com

[jeremy schmidt]

we have a local machinery dealer that my brother, a machinist, has done a lot of dealings with. good place to get used stuff. i plan to go there tomorrow.

[pipehack]

Look for an older Craftsman/Atlas, Clausing or Hardinge lathe. They are always on Craigslist. Wish I had the room for one. Not too many ChiCom tools I would buy. Never a lathe or welder. My $.02 . What's your location-ish?

[pipehack]

Oops.... Forgot Logan too..

[machinist@large]

Originally Posted by pipehack

Look for an older Craftsman/Atlas, Clausing or Hardinge lathe. They are always on Craigslist. Wish I had the room for one. Not too many ChiCom tools I would buy. Never a lathe or welder. My $.02 . What's your location-ish?

Nice idea, but when it comes to used machinery, if you can't inspect the machine in question IN PERSON you are just flat out gambling. Not saying you can't get a good one, just that it's a real crap shoot.

Jeremy, hearing that your brother is an experienced machinist and has a good repore with the dealer in question is excellent. "Means you're not groping your way in the dark.

The old Atlas/ Craftsman (Atlas was the mfr.) were very nice machines when they were new, and you can still find good ones today. (Same goes for Logan, Le Blond and South Bend) The problem is that, in most cases, they haven't been built since the 1960's. The only way to get parts (other than bolts and some bearings) is to find someone who is parting one out of get them made. I say "the old Atlas" because the name is is now part of the holdings of a larger group that also includes Clausing and Colchester. Come to think of it, parts are getting thin on the ground for the old Clausing's even though they were built into the early 1980'S.
Colchester carries commonly used parts here in the States; non common, if available, generally have to come from from the factory in England.

The only manual Haringe models that really have any support is the production speed lathes (factory & aftermarket) they do not have threading capabilities. All their new machines are CNC and are built in their factory in Taiwan. Mills too, including the Bridgeport line of manual knee mills.

Now, Atlas, Clausing and Colchester are still having manual lathes (and other machines) built to their specifications by factories around the world; lathes in Taiwan and China. There are others that are importing from that part of the world as well that are bringing in decent stuff, but I won't bore you with it here.

A machine shop of your own can be a great thing; problem is, if a machine tool is wrong, the parts, if available , can be astronomical in price. It's a whole lot easier to buy a good one in the first place.

[pipehack]

Wow... That is something I wasn't aware of. You're right. The cost could of repairing could really hurt you. Kinda pointless to rebuild something when you want to build something else. The bubble was busted with me seeing I always look for a smaller Cman lathe even though that's a little hard to sneak into the garage and pull it out in a couple of months and say... "What do you mean honey.. I've had this thing forever."

[machinist@large]

Originally Posted by pipehack

Wow... That is something I wasn't aware of. You're right. The cost could of repairing could really hurt you. Kinda pointless to rebuild something when you want to build something else. The bubble was busted with me seeing I always look for a smaller Cman lathe even though that's a little hard to sneak into the garage and pull it out in a couple of months and say... "What do you mean honey.. I've had this thing forever."

Yeah, it sucks. I'm speaking for myself as well when I pass this info along; I've got more than one orphan in my personal shop. I've had to break that message to a lot of customers over the last 15 years that they would be money ahead to go looking for something else when I can't get parts. I'd rather have them pissed at me for telling them the truth that for leading the astray.

[jeremy schmidt]

The machineyr deaeler i was talking about has an old south bend for $1750. my brother looked at it and he sayed it looked ok for what i plan to do with it. i havce not yet seen it, maybe tomorrow.