Lathes

[USMC615]

It's probably your dickering wif the wiring on dem planes. They fly up and cause all sorts of interference and *s-worde.

 

[Al Smith]

Your picture ain't showing up some reason Al.

Let me try this then .I did a copy _paste from another forum because I could not find it on my giant Blackwater hard drive . That thing is huge and has the stuff from 4 previous computers on it and it's not even close to being full .

 

[Stump Shot]

I've this gizmo that can go in a drill chuck on the tailstock, steadiness assured. Relatively affordable depending where you find it. Works good, I think that Doc Al @drf256 might have something similar.


Woohoo, it worked this time.

 

[Al Smith]

I think they call that gizmo a wabler .I've got something similar called "the last word" made by Starrett . I've never used it and found it from an ex navy guy on a forum I will never access again .However it does not have that much reach .,Having said that not to sound like a smart azz but you have to have the tail stock set dead nutz .On the Monarch 10 EE which is down at this moment in 18" it was less than 4 ten thou according to the cut . That thing could cut threads on a darning needle if I could see that well .

 

[drf256]

I've this gizmo that can go in a drill chuck on the tailstock, steadiness assured. Relatively affordable depending where you find it. Works good, I think that Doc Al @drf256 might have something similar.
View attachment 259089

Woohoo, it worked this time.

Yup Steve, same one.

@Moparmyway turned me on to it. It was sub-$75 if I recall correctly. Randy MM uses an American made long reach version thats quite pricey.

Pretty sure it’s called a coaxial indicator.

 

[mdavlee]

Yup Steve, same one.

@Moparmyway turned me on to it. It was sub-$75 if I recall correctly. Randy MM uses an American made long reach version thats quite pricey.

Pretty sure it’s called a coaxial indicator.

That was what I had as well.

 

[blades]

Yep Co- axe indicator, very handy at times.

 

[Rotty781]

Lathes are similar to chainsaws. Once you start by purchasing one you just gotta have more. I have three working metal lathes and a fourth small collector piece that is small enough to be a wall hanger. I am an old retired machinist and have a small machine shop in the back yard to play in.

View of about 1/3 of the shop:

9x24 South Bend made in 1907. Was my Dad's, I hauled it from the Georgia Coast all the way up here to Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

Two Jets, a 13x36 belt drive foreground, a 14x40 gear head Jet with Enco badge background.

"Smoking" Nothing smells better in a Machine Shop than hot cutting oil.

A couple of mills in the shop also, 10x54 Jet below:

Opening up a Solex for more air flow

Opening up a M700 for longer cartridges

That is a very impressive shop. Well done sir

 

[AVB]

Hope I not butting in here.

I am thinking about buying the Grizzly G0765 lathe here doing metric threading and knurling and wonder if anyone has use it before.

 

[blades]

Dosen't have the best reviews. Lathes Mils Tables saws and other such equipment - Mass is your friend. Grizzy has some decent stuff this is not one of them though and very likely if you dig around you find the same unit for less. One thing that Griz does seem to be good at is having parts for their units with in reason of course as the models change with the seasons. Typical with chi-com sourced equipment. One thing I can guarantee is that the chi-com motors are not very good. That style of unit has a specific motor-big bucks to replace if it can be found or sourced. better to get a unit that the motor is mounted independent of the unit- ( offset- belt drive).

 

[Al Smith]

It just depends on how deep your pockets are and being at the right place at the right time .In the middle of Kansas in a wheat field that seems endless a good used lathe for a reasonable price might be like looking for a hens tooth .In the northern part of Ohio maybe not so bad to locate .A 50 year old South Bend or Atlas will out last a brand new Grizzley plus you can find parts for because they made millions .The way they are made if they get sloppy you can dial them back in and chucks and so forth interchange .
I once found a lathe for a guy on an island off the coast of Washington state and I'm around 2500- 3000 miles away on Craigs list .
Just keep in mind if you buy one bald headed meaning no chucks tooling etc. in might cost more to tool it up than the price of the lathe .

 

[AVB]

Al, That is my problem as my pockets are not too deep but the machinist I am using now is now passing 72 and is thinking about retiring. Most my machine work very light but he advise to get with a fairly good size motor. The HFT unit is the same as the unit just below the Grizzly model I posted basically a 1/3 HP vs the 3/4 HP on the one I looking at. I also figured getting parts for HFT unit would be difficult.

Plus the unit will probably do just as much time sitting idle as my drill and hydraulic presses do but when I need them they are very handy.

And I understand tooling tools are extra expense. I do know my drill press chuck will work as it is a MT3 taper that I would drilling out shafts.

 

[Nutball]

I'd go with one of their bigger models which are still cheaply priced. I wish I did since I basically overpaid for my blue version. $2700 I think is what I paid with a few tools and accessories.

 

[Rotty781]

15 to go

 

[Al Smith]

Just as a suggestion on a cheapy is one with a 3 phase motor because the average person has no idea what a rotary phase converter is .These are very simple to make .It's not rocket science and they are 92% efficient if they are wired correctly .--just saying, it is an option .
You want top of the line then you are talking about a Hardinge or a Monarch 10" EE .Usually a lot of money and the drive systems will befuddle the average person because they befuddle me .
As I've said many times a 9 or 10" Southbend or Atlas is plenty good enough for the average garage tinkerer .A Logan perhaps which have a snow mobile type drive system allowing for instant spindles speeds .
I've got an antique Bowes and Emmes 20" by 48" pre 1920 .It's fine to turn the brake drum on a dump truck but not too good for close work .Damned thing weighs about 8,000 pounds .It usually runs a 12" three jaw but I have an 18" 4 jaw I can't even lift any more .

 

[blades]

Only problem with real old iron is that it can be a can of worms to get set up correctly due to wear and tear.

 

[Al Smith]

To a point but on say a Southbend or for example a Bridgeport milling machine there are lots of adjustments build into them .These things were built to last almost forever .In my library of books covering just about everything I've got the specs on how to correct for acquired slop due to wear .On the Monarch for example all I've had to do is tweak the tail stock a tad bit .In about 18" it's got less then a thou taper .

 

[blades]

tail stock- most of the wear will be in the ways mostly in the first 10 or so inches in front of the chuck- only solution for that is to have the ways scraped true again- $$$

 

[Bryan Marks]

So if I wanted to buy a bench top lathe for saw work what size should I get. 9”x19” ? I wouldn’t mind doing rifle barrels for precision rifle also up to 27/28” so I think that moves me out of the bench top but just for saws what should I get? Thanks in advance I know it’s a loaded question with variables but for squish and cutting bases.

 

[Al Smith]

Old barn find lathes are about like a barn find Harley or a model A Ford .They are out there you just have to find them .
A story on that from some island off Washington state on a forum I forgot .Any how this guy was looking for a decent lathe ,said he could not find one .Some grease monkey in Ohio found him 4 or 5 on that same island by using Craigs List --BTW it only took me about a half hour on the 'puter around 2500-3000 miles away .
As for me with the Bowes and Emmes cannon barrel lathe that was used during WW2 before I got it and the Monarch 10"EE one of the best ever made I don't need any more .What I need to do is install the new solid state DC drive unit in it so I can use it again .