Advice on what to buy.....

[Me.]

Hi

I have an amount of money to buy either a lathe or a mill - I can't afford both.

What would you recommend and what would the pros and cons of one against the other....

Sorry but I had a can of worms and I wanted to open it.....

All advice greatly received.

Ta

 

[Milkybars]

It really does depend on what you intend to make/create/do ??

 

[Fazerruss]

Buy a lathe and a vertical slide then you can do a bit of milling too.

 

[Me.]

Ahh that's a point - as much as I can with whatever I buy..... Im into motor cycle repairs so head skimming and rebores maybe....

I think what I'm asking is what can you do the most on - the Mill or the lathe...

 

[Fazerruss]

I would say lathe. You can even skim a head in a lathe by bolting to a face plate if the lathe has enough swing.

Very useful machines. I have 2 and a mill!

 

[Munkul]

Lathes are incredibly versatile - so often you need things machined round and true, but less often you need things milled out - generally you can find a workaround, or do things to a lower accuracy with cutting, drilling, welding etc.

Even simple things like adaptor spigots and bushes, pins etc.

I really miss my uncle's one that I had access to - all sold up now.

I'll be buying a lathe next year (spent too much money on things this year already).

 

[pod70]

I would say a lathe and I use mine for all sorts of spacers and making special fixings etc on my motorbikes. Realistically if you're looking at a home or small milling machine, you are going to struggle with the accuracy required for rebores and head skimming. Even though I now have a decent sized milling machine, I leave that sort of thing to the experts as I definitely don't have the skills

 

[Dr.Al]

Definitely get a lathe before a mill. I have both and I wouldn't want to be without a mill, but I'd be much more upset to lose the lathe.

With a four jaw independent chuck you can do a lot of basic milling operations; with a faceplate and/or a vertical slide you can do even more. Just think about how big the things you're likely to machine will be and, if you're expecting to do milling-in-the-lathe, bigger is definitely better. I bought a vertical slide for my first lathe (a little Chinese Sieg SC2 from Axminster); it was next to useless as the machine wasn't stiff enough and it would lean-in towards the chuck as a result of the cutting forces from the spiral flutes of the milling cutter. By the time I got my 30 year old big lathe (Harrison M250), I already had a small milling machine, but I expect the Harrison would cope with small milling jobs perfectly well.

There are lots of guide with suggestions for criteria for choosing a lathe. Clickspring (youtube channel) has one, I've got one on my website and there's one on lathes.co.uk (although it seems to be written from the point of view of wanting you to buy a Myford or similar: I've never had a need for an actual backgear but lathes.co.uk lists it as essential). Read as many as you can and make your own decisions.

Obviously if all you're going to be doing is working with big plate material, drilling / boring holes and milling slots, then go for a milling machine. I'd be very surprised if you don't enjoy lathe work more than mill work though!

 

[dobbslc]

Get a lathe first! As above you can do basic milling on a lathe.
I have a Chester lathe/mill combination machine and it's it's ok but not great.
I've done some nice work for my bike on it but I'm sure a decent British built lathe would be easier to get a better job out of.
Here it is.

I've posted these pics before but here's some brake disc spacers I made for the Cafe racer.

This is the first thing I ever made on it, a gear lever peg for my mates Triumph T595.

But be careful as once you start you can't stop......

 

[Screwdriver]

lathe first for bike stuff. Ideally you want one with a large enough internal bore to be able to fit a bike spindle or axle. It's called the spindle bore and less than an inch will be a pita. The Myford little thing is a brilliant device but you soon get tired of not being able to fit a decent size length of stock into the chuck.

The spindle bore on my Colchester is about 1.5 inch iirc and it's a reasonable size compared to the size and cost of the machine. Bearings become exponentially more expensive the bigger they get. You'll be looking at a lathe that sort of size for a lot of bike specific stuff. Most of the time you'll be knocking up spacers, washers, cutting down bolts or making up bolts. On the odd occasion you might need to make a solid part, like a handlebar riser, it's surprising just what you can turn on a lathe using a good size four jaw chuck. Cubes are super easy for example...

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I have an amount of money to buy either a lathe or a mill

Quantify this, please

And welcome aboard - as you see ^^ this a friendly place with LOTS of knowledge & advice so never be afraid to ask. One you get organised, pics will be demanded - they're almost obligatory here.

 

[Spark plug]

It used to be often said that a lathe is the only machine tool that can be used to replicate its self.

Now although this isn’t 100% accurate it’s a good approximation of the versatility of the lathe.

 

[grim_d]

Absolutely a lathe first. But beware...it's a disease.

 

[R-D-R]

Definitely lathe, I went through this last year. The lathe was the right choice and simple milling operations are entirely possible even for a complete novice like me.

As others say, it’s a slippery slope once you start!

 

[RichardM]

5 axis cnc milling machine

 

[slim_boy_fat]

5 axis cnc milling machine

Behave!

 

[Me.]

Quantify this, please

And welcome aboard - as you see ^^ this a friendly place with LOTS of knowledge & advice so never be afraid to ask. One you get organised, pics will be demanded - they're almost obligatory here.

I have approx £2,000 max to spend - Evil bay is a bad place..... I could just about stretch to a Mill and a Lathe - If no body out bids me..... So much choice and a few nice things.

Pics will be forth coming once i'm set up and turned/milled my first part.

If there are any one out there looking to off load a Lathe or Mill I would be grateful if you would let me know....

 

[Spark plug]

I would concentrate on one thing at a time, don’t go getting two heaps just because you can. Also you need to consider the cost of tooling.

 

[Me.]

Thanks - that is good advice - Tooling - id not forgotten that and I'm looking at that in that price as well - Obviously that is a big expense, I take it the advice would be to buy new ? or is 2nd hand tooling considered to be ok ?

 

[Burdekin]

I have approx £2,000 max to spend - Evil bay is a bad place..... I could just about stretch to a Mill and a Lathe - If no body out bids me..... So much choice and a few nice things.

Pics will be forth coming once i'm set up and turned/milled my first part.

If there are any one out there looking to off load a Lathe or Mill I would be grateful if you would let me know....

Don't rush, get a machine in good condition, complete and preferably with tooling. VFDs have made 3 phase equipment available for home use now so the price of equipment has gone up.

Really nice machines are out there and you want one of those. You want to see it and check it over in the flesh first. I'd get a lathe first but if a really nice mill comes up go for it.

I don't know what size stuff you are after but I have a Harrison universal mill and they are really great quality.