Beginner lathe

[Hoggle]

Hi guys

I’ve been in the market for a lathe for a few years now. Now that I have the space I’ve been looking a bit more seriously. My options are a machine mart special (like the cheap mini lathes- or not so cheap) just to learn and develop to a bigger machine. Or start with a larger machine. I’ve seen a few dotted around at the £400 mark in very rundown but functional condition.

I’ve been watching various YT Chanels over the years and it’s a hobby if really like to learn.

Any suggestions for someone who’s never seen a lathe in the flesh before?

Thanks

 

[Screwdriver]

Can you say what your top ten "things to do" on a lathe might be? Do you have any particular wants/requirements?

 

[Matchless]

I started with a small yellow lathe / mill combo, name escapes me right now, but outgrew it within months, well I did have my fathers old ww2 lathe as well but that was very basic, I would recomend something with a screwcutting gearbox, depending on what your hobbies are, I love my 1954 Colchester Student.......

Really it depends on what you can see yourself machining in the future, not many people just go out to the shed to operate their lathe, you need to be making or mending something!

 

[Ali]

Bit of a trek (Wirral) but if you’ve really never seen a lathe in the flesh you’re welcome at mine for a brew and a look / play with my little Myford ML7.

 

[Hoggle]

So as you say generally mending things - which I suppose is as a hobby more than anything. I spend my time tinkering with cars or repairing a variety of items where the parts have become obsolete. So generally from those items I thought a lathe would be handy for things like making bolts fasteners, Replacing sliding pins for instance where plastic has been used causing a failure and metal would be more appropriate. So things like that really to start but something that’s got a bit of flexibility so I don’t put grow it really quickly!

The only thing I’ve noticed with the Clarke mini lathes is that eBay seems to be flooded with ones that have allegedly only been used once. Which makes me wonder whether someone’s used it once had difficulty due to poor performance and just given up.

Thanks Ali that’s really nice of you if you were a bit closer I’d snatch your hand off as I’ve looked at evening classes etc. and there seems to be nothing really available. Correct me if I’m wrong but Seems to be a learn by doing thing or experience handed down.

 

[Hoggle]

Just of note this one is fairly local for me

 

[Screwdriver]

For cars or motorcycles, the limiting factor for turning anything like a shaft or spindle, is the maximum bore size of the lathe spindle. It is hollow so that you can pass longer shafts/spindles through it. Smaller lathes like the Myford or cheapo Chinese stuff have tiny bores which makes it difficult to turn thicker stock. It would have to be short enough to fit in the length of your lathe and if you can't fit it in the chuck jaws, you'll be turning between centres (which is a bit of a chore).

That's why I went for a medium size Colchester Student. It has a 38mm bore so I can fit motorcycle spindles in it. It also means I can turn much longer lengths if the workpiece is much longer than the bed or so that I don't have to chop up stock just to fit. I would heartily recommend something like that because it also has screwcutting abilities, essential unless you want to buy a die for every thread you need to cut. It also has power cross feed which helps with larger diameter facing off, like you might do on a clutch/brake disk etc.

So it really comes down to workshop space - how much space are you going to dedicate to a lathe, plus accessibility: how easy/difficult is it to get a ton of machinery in there. Also, can your floor take it. Practical stuff like that.

The bonus is, smaller lathes like the Myford are MORE expensive because you DON'T need a van, lifting gear and a biggish shed to house it. A smaller, more portable lathe you can throw in the back of a car and carry upstairs, is more popular for those reasons. More popular and therefore more desirable.

The bonus is of course that a medium size workshop lathe, like the Colchester, can still (just about) be had for very reasonable money because they are so big and awkward. There is a correspondingly smaller market for them. In fact I would go as far as to say they are unbelievably cheap right now and in a few years will become vastly more expensive (and of course more valuable!).

 

[Morrisman]

I’m a turner by trade, and I always swore I’d never buy a lathe that couldnt swing a flywheel or a car brake drum..... but I did, and it’s a real pain.....

 

[addjunkie]

Space, how much do you have?
Budget, how big is it?
Access……..can you get some big chunk or metal to where you want it?
Do you want a project or a machine you can learn on…

Im on my 4th one as I bought the wrong thing first, machine mart blue thing, used and cheap, but not good at all. Then an old Warco 13/27 good machine, should have kept it, now making bits for a pink Triumph with the Diamond Mob. Then a myford very good but size limiting, now have a 14/40 imported thing from a training school, have had a complete trailer axle in it.

Boxford AUD is a good place to start or a myford ML7.

 

[Agroshield]

Write us a list of length, diameter and material you want to turn and space available in your workshop (and ease of access to that workshop). That will allow a more rational selection of machine. All the advice above is good in its own context, but may not be applicable to your situation.

 

[Edward Teach]

I’m a turner by trade, and I always swore I’d never buy a lathe that couldnt swing a flywheel or a car brake drum..... but I did, and it’s a real pain.....

This is what a friend in the trade has always said.

 

[Ali]

I’m a turner by trade, and I always swore I’d never buy a lathe that couldnt swing a flywheel or a car brake drum..... but I did, and it’s a real pain.....

But I’m guessing you would have had some training / apprenticeship as a turner, and a bloke in his garage alone familiarising himself with a new machine might be better off with something he’s less likely to hurt himself with to start. But yeah, wish I could swing a brake drum . Though I’ve had some fairly big parts on the Myford and don’t too often find the spindle bore a limiting factor. Even managed to skim a fork slider at one time.

 

[Matchless]

Just of note this one is fairly local for me

View attachment 334370 View attachment 334371

Is that an IXL Invicta? My Father had one...........

 

[Easywelder]

To carry on the thread, the last time I used a lathe was at school about 35 years ago, I mainly fabricate but I’m storing a Colchester student for some one and thinking I might just find a few uses for one and as I have plenty of space for one(or will have when I move into new workshop) then might be worth buying at the right price. I’ve watched a few videos and seems like it would be a reasonable place to start and its not like I would lose any money on it so why not. I don’t think there is a tailstock, is that a big downside, I guess used when turning down longer pieces?

 

[Hopefuldave]

To carry on the thread, the last time I used a lathe was at school about 35 years ago, I mainly fabricate but I’m storing a Colchester student for some one and thinking I might just find a few uses for one and as I have plenty of space for one(or will have when I move into new workshop) then might be worth buying at the right price. I’ve watched a few videos and seems like it would be a reasonable place to start and its not like I would lose any money on it so why not. I don’t think there is a tailstock, is that a big downside, I guess used when turning down longer pieces?

Turning longer pieces, and *very importantly*, when drilling a workpiece in the chuck, tapping the hole you've just drilled, centring a piece so you can drill/tap etc...

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Stupoty]

Just of note this one is fairly local for me

View attachment 334370 View attachment 334371

Looks nice , if it's a bargain price might be worth getting to learn with. (£250 or less snap it up, more than that requires more investigation of it)


If your buying an older lathe , try to get "ball bearings" not "plain bearings" , nothing against plain bearings just more faf to renew if they need to be.

Things that are very nice , (in general not this one specifically)
feed speed gear box.
Gear head for rpm change.
easy change chuck mount (I personaly am ok with threaded spindles).
power feed using a sloted power bar (or combined lead screw power bar).
gap bed for big flange plates etc.
lack of damage.
piles of accessories with it.

Stu

 

[brightspark]

just try and get a decent second hand one at the right price .not some old worn out one .theres no such thing as buying one to learn on unless its going for next to nothing and you cant afford better

 

[Stupoty]

just try and get a decent second hand one at the right price .not some old worn out one .theres no such thing as buying one to learn on unless its going for next to nothing and you cant afford better

I dunno , I feel I might have died if I hadn't had a smaller bench lathe first. Flatbelt drive is a bit more forgiving than gears and multiple vee belts

I wouldn't put somone off getting a half decent lath for less than £500 and replaceing with a better one later, most skills are transferable from lathe to lathe.

Guess it depends upon your current lathe knowledge.

Stu

 

[skotl]

I dunno , I feel I might have died if I hadn't had a smaller bench lathe first. Flatbelt drive is a bit more forgiving than gears and multiple vee belts

I wouldn't put somone off getting a half decent lath for less than £500 and replaceing with a better one later, most skills are transferable from lathe to lathe.

Guess it depends upon your current lathe knowledge.

Stu

Hard to argue, but I'd still suggest getting one as large as you can for the money you are willing to spend (bearing in mind that at the lower end of the market bigger is usually cheaper!).
And buying one without screwcutting abilities almost certainly means replacing it a few years down the line.

 

[Screwdriver]

But I’m guessing you would have had some training / apprenticeship as a turner, and a bloke in his garage alone familiarising himself with a new machine might be better off with something he’s less likely to hurt himself with to start. But yeah, wish I could swing a brake drum . Though I’ve had some fairly big parts on the Myford and don’t too often find the spindle bore a limiting factor. Even managed to skim a fork slider at one time

There is a lot to be said for that. These things can be dangerous. Every once in a while I'll catch myself wandering over to the lathe with long sleeve shirt or loose clothing. The temptation to just quickly nab a string of swarf which is just about to ruin your surface finish can be overwhelming.

I was lucky enough to endure an engineering apprenticeship a lifetime ago. True story, our instructor (Mr. Grossman) would gather us around a horizontal mill and throw a fresh bone under the cutter. This was to discourage anyone from fishing out swarf with their fingers. In one of those sessions, one of the students fainted and another threw up. Nobody ever lost a finger though...