My new lathe and first product
- Thread starter svt-40
- Start date
Now you are in real trouble. That's just how my addiction got started, on a little lathe like that.
Now I am up to a 9" Southbend with a 4' bed and a new milling machine and latest a new rotary table and dividing head and on it goes..........
The machine hobby is more expensive than the gun hobby. I enjoy it very much though, good luck with your projects. There is lots of good advice on here if you are starting out in maching like me. Some deals on tools too.
Now I am up to a 9" Southbend with a 4' bed and a new milling machine and latest a new rotary table and dividing head and on it goes..........
The machine hobby is more expensive than the gun hobby. I enjoy it very much though, good luck with your projects. There is lots of good advice on here if you are starting out in maching like me. Some deals on tools too.
Well, I am divided on this.
I dreamed of my own lathe since I finished metalworking trade class at grade 8. I had a chance to work on a range from specially designed school lathes approx. 8x18" to a huge (for a school!) war trophy by Krupps, approx. 20x50".
As for the quality, it honestly sucks. Precision is a missing word from the manufacturer's lexicon. One of the gauges gets stuck around 10-20 mark in right-to-left motion and I have to figure out where to put a washer to free it up. There is quite a bit of play in the support. I could not figure how to turn the top of support. You can see graduation just below the parting off tool in the top picture, but how to free up and turn is is a mistery to me. The manual only has an exploded view of the machine...
I bought this one purposely along with same size wood lathe, to let my kids master machinning and wood spinning. They are very interested and can't wait to start. If I went one model up, I'd had to put it into the garage which would be very inconvenient. This baby is probably only 80-90 lb and I can carry it around, does not need a stand too...
I dreamed of my own lathe since I finished metalworking trade class at grade 8. I had a chance to work on a range from specially designed school lathes approx. 8x18" to a huge (for a school!) war trophy by Krupps, approx. 20x50".
As for the quality, it honestly sucks. Precision is a missing word from the manufacturer's lexicon. One of the gauges gets stuck around 10-20 mark in right-to-left motion and I have to figure out where to put a washer to free it up. There is quite a bit of play in the support. I could not figure how to turn the top of support. You can see graduation just below the parting off tool in the top picture, but how to free up and turn is is a mistery to me. The manual only has an exploded view of the machine...
I bought this one purposely along with same size wood lathe, to let my kids master machinning and wood spinning. They are very interested and can't wait to start. If I went one model up, I'd had to put it into the garage which would be very inconvenient. This baby is probably only 80-90 lb and I can carry it around, does not need a stand too...
- Location
- Somewhere west of Fort Garry
svt-40 said:Well, I am divided on this.
...
As for the quality, it honestly sucks. Precision is a missing word from the manufacturer's lexicon. One of the gauges gets stuck around 10-20 mark in right-to-left motion and I have to figure out where to put a washer to free it up. There is quite a bit of play in the support. I could not figure how to turn the top of support. You can see graduation just below the parting off tool in the top picture, but how to free up and turn is is a mistery to me. The manual only has an exploded view of the machine...
...
Ditto. I have its slightly bigger brother, the 10x18 lathe (Model B2227L), and it is marginal. I've had a great deal of trouble with the drive spindle bearings (I will soon be ordering my third set...), and the accuracy suffers. I have to work at it to get .001" tolerance most of the time.
I've had to repair a couple areas of the machine, because of low quality materials (tho possibly my own fault at times
). Still, "you get what you pay for" applies, I guess. For an entry-level hobby machine, they aren't "that" bad, but... if a fella could wait long enough, and save long enough, it would be more worthwhile to get a higher quality US or Canadian made lathe.Jim
This is how it starts. I first got a lathe, then a metal bandsaw, then a milling machine, welder, heattreat furnace, and I'm starting to sand cast my own parts. Eventually I will be able to make anything!
Just wait. One day you will wakeup in a daze and say "but it only started with a little lathe".
Just wait. One day you will wakeup in a daze and say "but it only started with a little lathe".
Prices from Busy Bee Tools. Not a recomendation but as a reference.
http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/product10?&NMCLASS=00164&NSBCLASS=00269&NETID=1353281013061194105
I paid $1700 locally (Winnipeg) in 1998 for the CT039 priced at $1299 at Busy Bee.
http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/product10?&NMCLASS=00164&NSBCLASS=00269&NETID=1353281013061194105
I paid $1700 locally (Winnipeg) in 1998 for the CT039 priced at $1299 at Busy Bee.
Last edited:
So far I worked only on SS (just made a 7.62x54R case length gauge) and it does its job pretty well if amount of removed stock is minimal. As soon as I tried to go deeper than prolly 0.01 the support took a dive as if there was play, but for the life of me I could not figure where that play came from. It's like the whole thing bends...
svt-40 said:So far I worked only on SS (just made a 7.62x54R case length gauge) and it does its job pretty well if amount of removed stock is minimal. As soon as I tried to go deeper than prolly 0.01 the support took a dive as if there was play, but for the life of me I could not figure where that play came from. It's like the whole thing bends...
Try something other than SS. Do you get the same thing with mild steel? SS can be hard to cut.
Unless you got a good atleast semi-industrial machine scrap the carbide, you wont get anywhere, HSS is MUCH better for cutting.
Watch the screws on that machine I'm willing to bet they are metric not inch, most machines coming from SE Asia are metric machines with inch dials. That can be throwing you off as well. Damn metric system when will people learn!
Alot of them have a 1mm pitch screw which will throw off your measurements. 1 millimeter = 0.03937 inch So for each ".040" turn on the dial your losing about .0006 in reality. With a one inch part your trying to turn you just lost .015!!!!
Dimitri
Watch the screws on that machine I'm willing to bet they are metric not inch, most machines coming from SE Asia are metric machines with inch dials. That can be throwing you off as well. Damn metric system when will people learn!
Alot of them have a 1mm pitch screw which will throw off your measurements. 1 millimeter = 0.03937 inch
So for each ".040" turn on the dial your losing about .0006 in reality. With a one inch part your trying to turn you just lost .015!!!! Dimitri
I am one of those who should not have tools but wound up with a unimat 3.
I just love it. I have made 455 webley brass, 22 Jgr. brass, case mouth expanders,trimmer pilots,punches,turned down the dia. of sight posts and just have made some shorter legs for a harris bipod. I can not seem to leave the the thing alone. I am sure you will enjoy yours.
I just love it. I have made 455 webley brass, 22 Jgr. brass, case mouth expanders,trimmer pilots,punches,turned down the dia. of sight posts and just have made some shorter legs for a harris bipod. I can not seem to leave the the thing alone. I am sure you will enjoy yours.
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
I just got the milling arm for my sherline 4400,
I have only been playing around making cuts so far, but damn it's fun making chips!
First real project will probably be a little cannon.
NS
I have only been playing around making cuts so far, but damn it's fun making chips!
First real project will probably be a little cannon.
NS
Yes, I am using carbide indexing tools. This set was a waste of money. The heads swivel by themselves and no amount of tightening can fix that. I will try to return them and buy regular steel tools.
Tried cast iron, Al and brass with the same result re toolhead tilting. If I pressed on the support with my palm, it would not tilt, but there is no free play. Something is giving in and I bet those are the bars beneath the support that hold it to the frame. They look like cheap rolled steel.
Another annoyance is the small diameter of the hole in the spindle. Can't really work on long stock larger than probably 1/2".
Tried cast iron, Al and brass with the same result re toolhead tilting. If I pressed on the support with my palm, it would not tilt, but there is no free play. Something is giving in and I bet those are the bars beneath the support that hold it to the frame. They look like cheap rolled steel.
Another annoyance is the small diameter of the hole in the spindle. Can't really work on long stock larger than probably 1/2".
I'm not familiar with your lathe, but on most machines, the compound - the top slide which carries the toolpost - is held in position by socket head screws that got in horizontally through the cross slide below. Loosen these, and the compound should rotate. Slack them off, and the compound can be lifted right off the lathe. Your cutoff tool in its holder is hanging out from the toolpost quite a way, this could cause vibration & chatter. As suggested, you may be better off with HS tools, rather than carbide. Or reserve the carbide for harder materials when HS doesn't work well. One advantage of HS for small shop use is that tools can be ground to shape as necessary. More versatile. With a small lathe, the less tools hang out from the toolpost, and the better supported they are, the less chatter, flex and vibration you'll get. I suppose that this is true for all lathes.
