In my quest to own every power tool ever invented, I'm looking for a decent metal lathe that won't break the bank. Of course, one thing has lead to another (read: 3X the price) and now a lathe/milling machine seems the way to go. I'm requesting comments and advice from anyone in-the-know... what questions to ask, what to look for, what to avoid, what accessories are must-have's. Between restoring a 37' sailboat (1987) and two Alfa Spiders ('78, '88), as well as a neighbour whose building a KR2 airplane, I figure there will be plenty of opportunity to utilize such a machine.
Here's what I was originally looking at: http://www.busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/pict ... TEM=B1979C
...and here's where I'm at now: http://www.busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/pict ... ITEM=B2229
Note that the prices are in Canadian dollars and the items are in-stock locally so there's no shipping charges. (Anyone notice that I didn't specify the MAKE of my sailboat?)
Metal lathe/milling machine...
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Curmudgeon
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JetStream
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I find that the combination mill/lathes are very difficult to work with. Nothing has as much travel as you'd like and then if there is enough travel, the "stuff" is in the way. For a lathe, I have a Clausing 10" that does everything I need for a hobbyist / proto shop. For a mill, I have a chinese mill/drill that I'll pitch into the ocean at the first opportunity. I think the only way you get a tool to do the job, is to buy the right tool in the first place. Auctions and so forth will bring you the real tools you want, at a price about where you would be to buy the combination new tool. As a bonus, many times at auction, you can get a whole set of collets or an extra 4 jaw chuck just thrown in with the kaboodle. Anyway, that is my opinion and I think that is what you asked for. Good luck.
Bruce
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feetup
- Almost a Finish Carpenter
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Lathe/mill
I have yet to find a multi purpose machine that does any of the purposes well. Take the shopsmith as an example. It's not a good saw nor a good lathe, nor a good drill press, and when you want to drill it will be set up to saw, etc.
The trouble with lathe/ mill combinations is always capacity, and rigidity. Lathes require rigidity in only one axis, unless you are referring to a very heavy machine and you are single pointing an internal blind thread in reverse with the tool upside down in the holder. (A rather odd trick that only a few machinists seem to know) The apron of a lathe rides on the ways in such a manor that tool post pressure is forcing the apron down on to the "V" of the ways effectively removing any "lash" or slop. A milling machine utilises dovetail style ways with adjustable "gibs" to remove any play in the bed. When vertical mills are used the gibs are tightened right down to stop the inevitable vibration and chatter which results from the cutter alternately trying to push the work back then pull it forward as it cuts in an arc relative to the line of travel. If dovetail style ways are used on a lathe, the adjustable gibs must be set up fairly tight to remove any play, making the apron so stiff to move that there is much strain on the feed mechanism and half nuts and the manual feed becomes very dificult to use. The Smithies and copies all use dovetail style ways which are by neccesity narrow hence not rigid. The only successful use of dovetail ways on a lathe to my knowledge was on the English Myford ML 10, which was more of a clockmakers lathe.
For a hobbyist building small locomotives or model boats this would work, but to refit a boat there is very little that would fit. Machine tools inevitably get used to perform work beyond their capacity but if you are working with tools that aren't even sufficient to take a decent cut within their capacity, well...
I don't know what your financial situation is, but IMHO you may be better off to spend a little bit more then you are able to on a decent lathe. If you find a lathe with a "T" slotted cross slide you can clamp work to an angle block which is in turn clamped to the cross slide and perform 2 axis milling operations with a fly cutter or an end mill chucked in the three jaw chuck. There are also vertical slides that can be clamped to the cross slide enabling you to do 3 axis milling operations. Granted the lathe makes a poor milling machine, but it does make a good lathe.
There is a line of relatively inexpensive lathes made off shore that are definately not production machines but are not too bad if you are not in a hurry and not always pushing the envelope as machinists are prone to do.
The machine shop in the plant where I work recently bought a 14" X 40" lathe (off shore) as an apprentice/toolroom machine and it's really not too bad. I have used it on a couple of my own projects that my own lathe would not chuck and have nothing major to dislike about it.
If you are looking at a lathe for boat stuff, and all other things are equal, go for the larger spindle bore every time.
Just my opinions, but I have spent many hours at a lathe and milling machine over the years.
Above all else, have fun.
Feetup
The trouble with lathe/ mill combinations is always capacity, and rigidity. Lathes require rigidity in only one axis, unless you are referring to a very heavy machine and you are single pointing an internal blind thread in reverse with the tool upside down in the holder. (A rather odd trick that only a few machinists seem to know) The apron of a lathe rides on the ways in such a manor that tool post pressure is forcing the apron down on to the "V" of the ways effectively removing any "lash" or slop. A milling machine utilises dovetail style ways with adjustable "gibs" to remove any play in the bed. When vertical mills are used the gibs are tightened right down to stop the inevitable vibration and chatter which results from the cutter alternately trying to push the work back then pull it forward as it cuts in an arc relative to the line of travel. If dovetail style ways are used on a lathe, the adjustable gibs must be set up fairly tight to remove any play, making the apron so stiff to move that there is much strain on the feed mechanism and half nuts and the manual feed becomes very dificult to use. The Smithies and copies all use dovetail style ways which are by neccesity narrow hence not rigid. The only successful use of dovetail ways on a lathe to my knowledge was on the English Myford ML 10, which was more of a clockmakers lathe.
For a hobbyist building small locomotives or model boats this would work, but to refit a boat there is very little that would fit. Machine tools inevitably get used to perform work beyond their capacity but if you are working with tools that aren't even sufficient to take a decent cut within their capacity, well...
I don't know what your financial situation is, but IMHO you may be better off to spend a little bit more then you are able to on a decent lathe. If you find a lathe with a "T" slotted cross slide you can clamp work to an angle block which is in turn clamped to the cross slide and perform 2 axis milling operations with a fly cutter or an end mill chucked in the three jaw chuck. There are also vertical slides that can be clamped to the cross slide enabling you to do 3 axis milling operations. Granted the lathe makes a poor milling machine, but it does make a good lathe.
There is a line of relatively inexpensive lathes made off shore that are definately not production machines but are not too bad if you are not in a hurry and not always pushing the envelope as machinists are prone to do.
The machine shop in the plant where I work recently bought a 14" X 40" lathe (off shore) as an apprentice/toolroom machine and it's really not too bad. I have used it on a couple of my own projects that my own lathe would not chuck and have nothing major to dislike about it.
If you are looking at a lathe for boat stuff, and all other things are equal, go for the larger spindle bore every time.
Just my opinions, but I have spent many hours at a lathe and milling machine over the years.
Above all else, have fun.
Feetup