What lathes are everyone using for smith work

Fargone4sure said:
95% of the time i use my collet chuck. As accurate as a 4 jaw, but faster. Moreover it grips better than a 4 jaw, and you can hold threaded parts without damaging them. I only use the 4 jaw for larger pieces. But i agree with you that once you learn the proper way to adjust them, 4 jaw is really simple, and quite fast. I can't remember the last time i even used a 3 jaw, they just aren't accurate enough for what i do.
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Collet chucks are great especially for production work but they don't grip harder than a 4 jaw. I have had endmillls pull out of collet chucks especially under heavy feeds.
 
Mike Webb said:
Collet chucks are great especially for production work but they don't grip harder than a 4 jaw. I have had endmillls pull out of collet chucks especially under heavy feeds.
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If you are pulling a mill out of a collet, you are either using the completely wrong collet system, or, you are pushing WAY too hard. Or both.

Lots of holders out there for Weldon type end mills (the ones with the notch for a set screw) and a bunch of holders that use ER series collets, which are pretty cheap and available, and are like as not one of the most common now, of the tool holding collet systems, as opposed to being a work holding collet like the 5C series.
 
I much prefer Weldon shank. Using a 3/4 inch ripper (roughing endmill, if you prefer) in a standard collet they will creep downward at even moderate feeds in my experience. Yours may be different.
 
Mike Webb said:
I much prefer Weldon shank. Using a 3/4 inch ripper (roughing endmill, if you prefer) in a standard collet they will creep downward at even moderate feeds in my experience. Yours may be different.
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I can see under those kind of loads where a cutter would creap in a collet. Both my mill and lathe are the biggest i could get and stay with 110volt. But neither generates the power to pull work or tools in the er32 collets.
 
I run 2 machines. A Smithy 13" x 24" Granite Industrial combo for light work. And a South Korean Challenger 14"x 40" for heavier work such as chambering. I've equipped both machines with DRO's (digital read out). My Challenger is also equipped with a sine bar for tapering, a spider on the outboard end and a cat tail on the chuck side. For my Smithy, I've replaced the Chinese spindle bearings with SKF bearings with a C3 internal clearance. I've made my own tooling so that I could make wickedly small parts such as firing pins. On a side note, I also run a stock duplicating machine and a surface grinder. :)
 
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I can only imagine the toys like u-all have. I did recontour a 8x57 on a drill press once. It takes a but of time, lots of coffee breaks.
 
I had an old (1978) Southbend 10K metric lathe. I decided to sell it and buy a new one. The problem with old lathes is that you can buy an old lathe to work ON, or buy a new lathe to work WITH.

I got a Precision Mathews 10x30.

I setup some basic criteria for selecting a lathe.

My limitations:
-115V power only
-Length of bed - 22+ inches (prefer 28-30")
-Price approx. $4000
-Lowest RPM less than 100
-10+ inch swing
-must fit in my garage shop space (22" depth area due to attic access)

Here's the thread on a machine tool forum that discusses my options:

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/canadian-shipping-costs-estimate.65071/#post-541446

When I pulled the trigger, I had to get it shipped up from the US, and my initial guestimate of around $4100 was pretty close, the price to my door was $4222. Here's the thread detailing that process:

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/canadian-importation-not-too-painful.67180/

I will note, I did self-clearance, which saved me a bunch of money.

Once I got the lathe delivered, I installed it in the garage:

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm-1030v-has-landed.67355/#post-564091

I've been able to produce a few things with it - I built an AA Extension leg for my 1919A4 Browning so you can fire it standing up now.

It can do precision work as well - I made a set of 10-40 bolts for my uncle a couple of weeks ago.

The question really is, what work do you want to be able to do on your lathe?

Do you have 220V power available?

Do you anticipate needing to thread things often? Do you need a Quick Change Gear Box for threading, or are you OK with manual gear changes?

What swing do you need? Is 10" enough? 11"? 12"? 14"? Do you need a gap-bed lathe?

What floor is it going on? Is it a wood floor? Concrete? How much weight can the floor hold?

Are you doing hobby levels of work, or production levels? Will you spin metal for 2 hours a day, or 12 hours a day?

All factors to consider...but it primarily comes down to - WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAKE WITH IT?
 
They guys online that started the incessant chant of "old American iron is best", mostly live in the North East States, where the industrial base and small businesses were such that there became a LOT of decent condition machines to pick and choose from, at prices that would make guys that live elsewhere, tear up, just a little.

Such an abundance of cheap pickings, will obviously flavour your views, aside from the obvious jingoism.

I have seen a LOT of totally clapped out old machines by good makers, being flogged for far more than they were worth, because they were made by a desirable name. And yeah, you WILL have to make your hobby, that of fixing the lathe, if you want it to become a decent machine.
On the other hand, if you happened across one in good shape at a reasonable price, consider whether you want a lathe that was built to a standard to be used for actual work, and sold for the price equal to a decent family car, or a lathe built to be able to sell for about what the wheels on that car are worth.
One way or another, it has been my observation, you end up having to do a few evenings work, at the very least, whether it is a new machine in a crate, or a used one dragged in. In the case of a Chinese hobby machine, it amounts to knocking it apart, cleaning the sand and corrosion preventative goop out and knocking down the sharp edges off the whole thing. On a used machine it will usually entail a thorough cleaning, and a general inspection of the various parts for wear, to see what or if, any of them will be needing further attention.

Either way you go, the lathe on your bench, no matter how clapped out, is still better than the best lathe brochure picture out there.

I will suggest tracking down the essay "In (modest) Praise of Clunkers" as required reading, for those that are stuck on 'perfect' is the only good enough tool. It might give you something to think about. It was written by a machine tool dealer, about his customers, who were all looking for that 'perfect' machine.
 
trevj said:
They guys online that started the incessant chant of "old American iron is best", mostly live in the North East States, where the industrial base and small businesses were such that there became a LOT of decent condition machines to pick and choose from, at prices that would make guys that live elsewhere, tear up, just a little.

Such an abundance of cheap pickings, will obviously flavour your views, aside from the obvious jingoism.

I have seen a LOT of totally clapped out old machines by good makers, being flogged for far more than they were worth, because they were made by a desirable name. And yeah, you WILL have to make your hobby, that of fixing the lathe, if you want it to become a decent machine.
On the other hand, if you happened across one in good shape at a reasonable price, consider whether you want a lathe that was built to a standard to be used for actual work, and sold for the price equal to a decent family car, or a lathe built to be able to sell for about what the wheels on that car are worth.
One way or another, it has been my observation, you end up having to do a few evenings work, at the very least, whether it is a new machine in a crate, or a used one dragged in. In the case of a Chinese hobby machine, it amounts to knocking it apart, cleaning the sand and corrosion preventative goop out and knocking down the sharp edges off the whole thing. On a used machine it will usually entail a thorough cleaning, and a general inspection of the various parts for wear, to see what or if, any of them will be needing further attention.

Either way you go, the lathe on your bench, no matter how clapped out, is still better than the best lathe brochure picture out there.

I will suggest tracking down the essay "In (modest) Praise of Clunkers" as required reading, for those that are stuck on 'perfect' is the only good enough tool. It might give you something to think about. It was written by a machine tool dealer, about his customers, who were all looking for that 'perfect' machine.
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I came to the same conclusion about Ontario. Wide industrial base and manufacturing businesses. good selection and lathes were priced at a fraction of similar machines here.

Grizz
 
Oh oh , better watch out ! Next Gubern-ment priority will be these nasty terrorist machines. You can make anything with those machines, beware . I know soon you will need a GUBERNMENT license ( for a fee of course ) to own these terrorist making machines
 
Runnin a Takang/Jet brand mod TK-101 10x24 lathe an a Modern C0636A 14x40. Also have a Bridgeport knee mill that seems to get lots of use.
Are there better machines ya probably but these work just fine an have never let me down.
 
buckaroo said:
Runnin a Takang/Jet brand mod TK-101 10x24 lathe an a Modern C0636A 14x40. Also have a Bridgeport knee mill that seems to get lots of use.
Are there better machines ya probably but these work just fine an have never let me down.
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Yeah, like I said, the lathe you have, is better than any picture of the most perfect one! The machine itself is a small part of the equation, the guy standing in front of it is the larger part, and once you understand the machine's limitations and work with them, you can accomplish what you must. It was a frequent cry of the learning apprentices. "This lathe sucks, that one works better!". And they still couldn't make it work on that lathe... Until they got their own skills and headspace working correctly.

ESTRADA said:
Oh oh , better watch out ! Next Gubern-ment priority will be these nasty terrorist machines. You can make anything with those machines, beware . I know soon you will need a GUBERNMENT license ( for a fee of course ) to own these terrorist making machines
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There are a few of the Mid-East Countries where that is and has been the case for some time now. IIRC, Kuwait was one, maybe still is. Coincidentally, after the Iraqi's rolled through there and then subsequently got pummeled further into the stone age, the numbers of weapons recovered was commented upon, as being disproportionately low. It was suggested that many of them were tucked away for potential use, if such were to happen again. Sometimes whole populations can and do learn, even if it's not exactly what their 'leaders' wish them to.

It's a fools errand. The motivated will always be able to access what they want or need, and it doesn't take much to build a firearm that will work safely enough, while walking down the plumbing aisle at Home Depot.

That we are not awash with illegal home made firearms, pretty much spells out the real risk of them being any sort of threat to the populace's safety.

The whole poo show over the threat of 3D printed guns pretty much spells out how the so called authorities see the picture.
 
trevj said:
Yeah, like I said, the lathe you have, is better than any picture of the most perfect one! The machine itself is a small part of the equation, the guy standing in front of it is the larger part, and once you understand the machine's limitations and work with them, you can accomplish what you must. It was a frequent cry of the learning apprentices. "This lathe sucks, that one works better!". And they still couldn't make it work on that lathe... Until they got their own skills and headspace working correctly.



There are a few of the Mid-East Countries where that is and has been the case for some time now. IIRC, Kuwait was one, maybe still is. Coincidentally, after the Iraqi's rolled through there and then subsequently got pummeled further into the stone age, the numbers of weapons recovered was commented upon, as being disproportionately low. It was suggested that many of them were tucked away for potential use, if such were to happen again. Sometimes whole populations can and do learn, even if it's not exactly what their 'leaders' wish them to.

It's a fools errand. The motivated will always be able to access what they want or need, and it doesn't take much to build a firearm that will work safely enough, while walking down the plumbing aisle at Home Depot.

That we are not awash with illegal home made firearms, pretty much spells out the real risk of them being any sort of threat to the populace's safety.

The whole poo show over the threat of 3D printed guns pretty much spells out how the so called authorities see the picture.
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Nice to meet a non-retarded person here ! Stock up on stock, drawings and manuals and those little hard to make items.
Freedom is gonna need us one day
 
ESTRADA said:
Oh oh , better watch out ! Next Gubern-ment priority will be these nasty terrorist machines. You can make anything with those machines, beware . I know soon you will need a GUBERNMENT license ( for a fee of course ) to own these terrorist making machines
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Given our diminished manufacturing capacity, we ever have a serious conflict, they'll be coming for ours. :)


Grizz
 
ESTRADA said:
Nice to meet a non-retarded person here ! Stock up on stock, drawings and manuals and those little hard to make items.
Freedom is gonna need us one day
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'Freedom', is probably gonna get better use out of the guy with a couple Haas CNC machines in his shop. Just sayin'.

But I like to not be stuck waiting on someone else when I need or want something. Having the ability to make the pieces I need or want, without having to beaver away for hours at a time with files, priceless! :)

For whatever reason, metal has always 'fit' better with me than woodwork has, else I likely would be one of the wood shop types. Instead, it's been casting, blacksmithing, machining, and a couple other related hobbies, all essentially revolving around some form of metalworking.

I knew it was getting a bit out of hand, when I bought a pallet dolly, to move stuff around in my garage...LOL!
 
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