Wedg1e
They call me Mr. Bodge-angles
- Messages
- 7,739
- Location
- Teesside, England
I started by buying a lathe that must have been 80 years old if it was a day; pile of bits, no stand, no manual, only a few changewheels and no bl**dy idea
Had to design and weld up a stand, figure out how to arrange the motor and countershaft, learn how to grind up toolbits, learn the hard way that cast iron has to be turned slowly and makes a hell of a mess, switch from Metric to Imperial units and back again... and after all that I still don't think I'd made anything.
I read Chris Heapy's site (now defunct) a LOT, plus various other internet articles... knowing what I know now I'd have bought a copy of The Amateur's Lathe years sooner than I did.
Eventually took the plunge and bought a 1972 Boxford AUD, then a couple of years of browsing Ebay later I got lathe envy and bought a Boxford VSL - the AUD sold for more than I'd paid so it was quite a cheap upgrade (although you don't REALLY need the Vari-speed it does have a larger bore spindle and a few other useful touches).
Two or three years after that I bought my Colchester Student and I would struggle to know which of the two to sell if I had to, even though I hardly use either.
One problem of having a lathe is you almost feel duty-bound to buy a milling machine to go with it...
Had to design and weld up a stand, figure out how to arrange the motor and countershaft, learn how to grind up toolbits, learn the hard way that cast iron has to be turned slowly and makes a hell of a mess, switch from Metric to Imperial units and back again... and after all that I still don't think I'd made anything.
I read Chris Heapy's site (now defunct) a LOT, plus various other internet articles... knowing what I know now I'd have bought a copy of The Amateur's Lathe years sooner than I did.
Eventually took the plunge and bought a 1972 Boxford AUD, then a couple of years of browsing Ebay later I got lathe envy and bought a Boxford VSL - the AUD sold for more than I'd paid so it was quite a cheap upgrade (although you don't REALLY need the Vari-speed it does have a larger bore spindle and a few other useful touches).
Two or three years after that I bought my Colchester Student and I would struggle to know which of the two to sell if I had to, even though I hardly use either.
One problem of having a lathe is you almost feel duty-bound to buy a milling machine to go with it...