What Lathes do you use for gunsmithing?

trevj said:
Great machines, for their own purposes, but not great 'only' machines for a generalist gunsmith, I think.
I should also mention, having a smaller 'second' lathe, free to use for quick light jobs, can sure be handy!

The DSG lathes are massively heavy built machines that generally come with a huge long headstock spindle bore length, making a cat head at either end, only an option with very very long barrels. Some are actually longer through the headstock, than their between centers distance. Makes for a great heavy duty lathe spindle, not so much for gunsmithing.

The Hardinge is a great lathe for making small precision parts, but not a great generalist lathe either, as much as I lust after one.

I had a 10 inch Rockwell for a while, much lighter than the 11 inch model, more along the lines of an updated 9 or 10K South Bend.

We had a very new(ish) 13x40 Standard Modern at work, that the folks looked down their noses at because it wasn't a hulking big brute of a machine, but it was easy to use, and made good parts. I actually bid on it, and was out by a couple bucks (IIRC, just under $70) on my bid, so it went to someone else. IIRC, they replaced it with a slightly larger Colchester machine.

I have a Myford Super 7, that is pretty well tooled up, I have a essentially NOS Emco Super 11, sitting on a pallet awaiting some love and attention, and a 13x40 Colchester Master 2500, that is awaiting the install of a new motor (220v, in place of the original 550v) and VFD. <sigh> Too many toys, not enough shop! :)

If you gotta have a new lathe, I can't much help you, as I have not stayed very current there at all. If you can deal with a used machine, check out the lathes.co.uk website, as a reference source, to see what the various machines that get listed, amount to.

There is a decent looking LeBlond on Crown Assets right now, from the Halifax Dockyards. It looked about the right size, has the shorter headstock, allowing barrels through the headstock work, and may fit your needs.

Cheers
Trev
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Not a gunsmith but I have a Myford ML7 with a fair bit of tooling. It was old when I bought it in 1973.

Just re-crowned my friends Cooey 22. Would never part with the Myford.
 
Pluggy said:
Not a gunsmith but I have a Myford ML7 with a fair bit of tooling. It was old when I bought it in 1973.

Just re-crowned my friends Cooey 22. Would never part with the Myford.
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That's pretty much how I feel about mine.

It ain't the be-all to end all of lathes, but it is a nice size to have, and can do a LOT of what needs to be done.

Cheers
Trev
 
I'm not a gunsmith, but I've threaded a few barrels and chambered them on a machine that is turning 100 years old this year.

It might not be worth it's weight in scrap iron, it's noisy, it's slow, it's got a lot of wear and it leaks a lot of oil on the floor. But when I saw it, I had to have it. It will take a 16" swing, even more with the gap bed section removed, and I can get a 48" piece into it. If I were desperate, I could probably get another 6" length between centres.

It is, of course, a Southbend.

I would like a fancier machine, with digital readouts and higher spindle speeds. A spindle bore larger than 5/8" would be nice as well. But this bugger has been serving me well so far, and makes for a good learning experience.
 
Ive got a summit engine lathe with a 8 foot bed... seems to work good for any gu smithing ive done. Little overkill for sure.
 
ssapach said:
I'm not a gunsmith, but I've threaded a few barrels and chambered them on a machine that is turning 100 years old this year.

It might not be worth it's weight in scrap iron, it's noisy, it's slow, it's got a lot of wear and it leaks a lot of oil on the floor. But when I saw it, I had to have it. It will take a 16" swing, even more with the gap bed section removed, and I can get a 48" piece into it. If I were desperate, I could probably get another 6" length between centres.

It is, of course, a Southbend.

I would like a fancier machine, with digital readouts and higher spindle speeds. A spindle bore larger than 5/8" would be nice as well. But this bugger has been serving me well so far, and makes for a good learning experience.
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Even a worn machine can do nice accurate work if the machinist knows how to compensate for known issues. So I'm not at all surprised that you have gotten good results from the old iron.
 
BCRider said:
Even a worn machine can do nice accurate work if the machinist knows how to compensate for known issues. So I'm not at all surprised that you have gotten good results from the old iron.
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Amen.

The most worn and clapped out POS that is actually in the shop, is a better tool that the very nicest brochure picture in existence.

Gotta run what ya got!

Cheers
Trev
 
Hey guys, just been doing a lot of reading, YouTube review videos, and general forms to get educated on this topic. I've been keeping my eyes as suggested by others here on Kijiji, crown assets, and machine companies here in Ontario looking for a machine. I'm not quite ready to get one as I have some organizing / layout work to be done in my garage first, but that being said if one comes up I'll buy it and find a home for it until I can move it into its final position. Probably going to be atleast a 25-30k venture by the time I buy the lathe, mill, tooling for both, and of course gunsmithing gear. I'm doing this as a small part time business to build a clientele until I retire in 15 years and move into it full time. So that's what my plan is, at this point. Wifey is on board with the investment as she wants me to do a home based business instead of others I've considered that'd cause me to be away even more. So thank you to you all for your insightful suggestions, all have been looked at. I'm thinking realistically by the fall I should be pretty organized, if all goes well. I'll keep you all posted in my ventures and progress. Thanks again....

Scott
 
mike44325 said:
Ive got a summit engine lathe with a 8 foot bed... seems to work good for any gu smithing ive done. Little overkill for sure.
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I hear you on over kill. I have a Kingston with 4" through bore and 12 foot bed. Works good for the little bit of smithing I've done.

My 4 jaw chuck is massive so I made up a barrel holding jig using a piece of DOM tubing to clamp in the 3 jaw. Drilled and tapped 4 holes around the periphery on each end for clamping bolts. Basically, a double ended spider head.
 
DIGGER2 said:
Hey guys, just been doing a lot of reading, YouTube review videos, and general forms to get educated on this topic. I've been keeping my eyes as suggested by others here on Kijiji, crown assets, and machine companies here in Ontario looking for a machine. I'm not quite ready to get one as I have some organizing / layout work to be done in my garage first, but that being said if one comes up I'll buy it and find a home for it until I can move it into its final position. Probably going to be atleast a 25-30k venture by the time I buy the lathe, mill, tooling for both, and of course gunsmithing gear. I'm doing this as a small part time business to build a clientele until I retire in 15 years and move into it full time. So that's what my plan is, at this point. Wifey is on board with the investment as she wants me to do a home based business instead of others I've considered that'd cause me to be away even more. So thank you to you all for your insightful suggestions, all have been looked at. I'm thinking realistically by the fall I should be pretty organized, if all goes well. I'll keep you all posted in my ventures and progress. Thanks again....

Scott
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Scott you should seriously think about this , Doing this as a hobby with little down ,(used tooling) is ok.
Doing it as a business is a whole other thing, zoning, liability, licensing , strangers showing up at odd times, etc.
 
gaff said:
Scott you should seriously think about this , Doing this as a hobby with little down ,(used tooling) is ok.
Doing it as a business is a whole other thing, zoning, liability, licensing , strangers showing up at odd times, etc.
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Gaff, you offer some very valid points in your comment. I've briefly looked into the liability issues, licensing (which I believe is a small fee from the government), and I'll have to look into the residential zoning vs commercial with my local by law as this is a home based service business part time (no store front). The issue of being a drop in clinic will be very clear of being by appointment only. I work 3 shifts, so people showing up unannounced won't be tolerated. Like it or not that'll be the rules. I'm still covering all bases before jumping into this with both feet. Asking questions, researching, pricing of equipment etc is all part of the plan. With our vast knowledge here on CGN is why I post questions on here. You get information from people who've done it or have reasearched it that can bring info to the party. I've gotten the equipment thing sorted out I think, I'm just covering my bases with the business part of the venture like you've pointed out. You have to have everything laid out to ensure that it's a viable investment. Thanks for your post of info. Pmatuk nice setup btw!

Scott
 
Does anybody have the sharp 1440g ? Seems to be a nice solid little machine but it's pretty hard to tell just by looking at the brochure . 2" spindle bore d15 8" chucks,taper attachment,dro. Hmmmm
 
maddtrappr said:
Does anybody have the sharp 1440g ? Seems to be a nice solid little machine but it's pretty hard to tell just by looking at the brochure . 2" spindle bore d15 8" chucks,taper attachment,dro. Hmmmm
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Sharp is a few blocks from here and I know that machine well. Very good value. I prefer cast to the floor, but I am picky. The 1440g comes with a lot of tooling and a DRO.
 
I'm running a colchester master that roled off the line in January of 1950. It's a 13x36" lathe with a 1.35" spindle bore. It does the job but I'll admit I'm looking for something a bit newer with a quick change gear box.

I won't complain though I paid like $600 for my lathe and it came with a ton of tooling. Having an old manual lathe in my shop is 10x better then when I didnt have one at all.
 
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