Tools for the aspiring saw builder

[drf256]

I had an Atlas 618 Lathe. Very simple and you could do a lot with it. Wasn't enough for my needs, so I upgraded to a good quality Chinese 8x16.

The HF lathe is a POS. Go to one of their stores and try one out. You can't turn it on there, but you can see just how small it is and how much slop there is in the entire unit. Not sure it's big enough to turn jugs on either.

FWIW, I think @Mastermind has an ENCO lathe that he spent many hours getting right before he used it.

 

[Mastermind]

That lathe is big enough to turn a few cylinders. I think Randy used one very similar for several years.

I started turning cylinders on a HF 7 x 14. Which is a 16" bed....Chinese maths. lol

It was ok for light work, but only light work. Too flimsy for anything but aluminum. Even cutting squish bands is tricky on it. Just too much flex in the compound. Once I got it dialed in pretty good, the guides on the cross slide broke.....and I had to start all over.

I had an Atlas 618 Lathe. Very simple and you could do a lot with it. Wasn't enough for my needs, so I upgraded to a good quality Chinese 8x16.

The HF lathe is a POS. Go to one of their stores and try one out. You can't turn it on there, but you can see just how small it is and how much slop there is in the entire unit. Not sure it's big enough to turn jugs on either.

FWIW, I think @Mastermind has an ENCO lathe that he spent many hours getting right before he used it.

Yep.....I got a Enco 9 x 20 now. It have been using it for several years. It needed the compound mount rebuilt before it was even usable. But, once that is done it is a fairly rigid tool. The four jaw that is supplied is junk, but the three jaw is usable. For 1200.00 it is a pretty good tool.

I've got a Skinner 4 Jaw that @thomas1 gave me that I love, I also got a nice collet set from him. Then I added a QCTP.....

 

[Genius]

I started turning cylinders on a HF 7 x 14. Which is a 16" bed....Chinese maths. lol

It was ok for light work, but only light work. Too flimsy for anything but aluminum. Even cutting squish bands is tricky on it. Just too much flex in the compound. Once I got it dialed in pretty good, the guides on the cross slide broke.....and I had to start all over.



Yep.....I got a Enco 9 x 20 now. It have been using it for several years. It needed the compound mount rebuilt before it was even usable. But, once that is done it is a fairly rigid tool. The four jaw that is supplied is junk, but the three jaw is usable. For 1200.00 it is a pretty good tool.

I've got a Skinner 4 Jaw that @thomas1 gave me that I love, I also got a nice collet set from him. Then I added a QCTP.....

For a cheap lathe that one ended up turning a lot of cylinders.

I know Dunlap put it through its paces after you turning cylinders

 

[Al Smith]

Some of those imported lathes do good and some of them aren't worth a pinch of coon chit .A good old made in the USA small lathe such as Logan,Southbend,Atlas, Monarch would be a better option if you can find one that isn't a piece of ragged out old cast iron for a reasonable price .They're out there just watch Craigslist

I found a couple small lathes once for a guy in Vancouver Island in Canada who was on another site .Me several thousand miles away lost in a giant corn field in the heart land.They were 40 miles away from him and cheap .

 

[Magic_Man]

What about the smaller Grizzly lathes ? Or are they the same as the harbor freight stuff ?

 

[Onan18]

What about the smaller Grizzly lathes ? Or are they the same as the harbor freight stuff ?

Grizzly is a pretty good Lathe for an import, they bought out South Bend and still build the 10K pretty much unchanged.

I have a Craftsman (Atlas) 101 that I picked up this past summer for a song and a dance, it is only a 6" swing but has the longer bed, good enough for most of what I need to do. But you guys know how it is, you look and look and look and you finally find something acceptable and then right after you buy it a smoking deal comes along. There is a 13" South Bend on craigslist right now with every accessory you could ever dream of for $2500.00

Joe

 

[mdavlee]

I have a grizzly 4000. It's turned a pile of cylinders. Terry had it before I got it.

 

[Al Smith]

Southbend made some darn good tool room quality lathes at one time Some with 3 phase multi speed motor windings or variable speed frequency type controllers .Most people are only familiar with the 9 or 10" older lathes .Fact I once made a 3 phase rotary phase converter for a guy that had a 13" multi winding machine.Later damned if he didn't sell it for 600 bucks and didn't even offer it to me .I'm over it, chit happens .

 

[Crzybowhntr]

I

Big Orange and don't you fergit it! Sister went to Pitt,son went to Penn State,other sister.....








WVU!

I'd like to know more about the sister that went to WVU!!! ......



Just kidding...

 

[Onan18]

Southbend made some darn good tool room quality lathes at one time Some with 3 phase multi speed motor windings or variable speed frequency type controllers .Most people are only familiar with the 9 or 10" older lathes .Fact I once made a 3 phase rotary phase converter for a guy that had a 13" multi winding machine.Later damned if he didn't sell it for 600 bucks and didn't even offer it to me .I'm over it, chit happens .

This 13" is three phase, it's a NICE machine.

Joe

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Well after a lot of shopping and researching I finally bit the bullet and just bought this kit plus a couple 3mm collets.

http://www.ccspecialtytoolstore.com/small-2-stroke-porting-kit-15sr-p/15srkit.htm

 

[Four Paws]

Well after a lot of shopping and researching I finally bit the bullet and just bought this kit plus a couple 3mm collets.

http://www.ccspecialtytoolstore.com/small-2-stroke-porting-kit-15sr-p/15srkit.htm

Share with us how you came to your decision after all the shopping around you did. What other options did you consider, and why did you choose against them.

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Share with us how you came to your decision after all the shopping around you did. What other options did you consider, and why did you choose against them.

I shopped around and looked at the grizzly flex shaft units. They seemed ok. I looked at just getting a foredom sr from eBay. The prices didn't seem very good especially with the shipping tacked on. Even if I got a foredom from eBay I would still want to get the RA. The RA is an expensive unit. I figured I'd check CC specialty kits. It was actually cheaper to get the kit from CC with the RA then it would of been to get the foredom from eBay and then get the RA from CC. I have talked with a couple other guys that port saws and both basically said that the kit from CC was my best option. So on the advice of those guys plus from everything I've seen and read here if finally just decided to get the kit.

 

[huskihl]

What about the smaller Grizzly lathes ? Or are they the same as the harbor freight stuff ?

I have a grizzly 4000. It's turned a pile of cylinders. Terry had it before I got it.

Mine is a Chicago Electric 9x20. I believe it is the exact same machine as Mike's grizzly. It works fine, and it only has a footprint of about 2'×3'. Found mine on CL last summer for $400. Bought a Shars 4 jaw and qctp for it as well

 

[mdavlee]

Mine is a Chicago Electric 9x20. I believe it is the exact same machine as Mike's grizzly. It works fine, and it only has a footprint of about 2'×3'. Found mine on CL last summer for $400. Bought a Shars 4 jaw and qctp for it as well

It may be. It's about 40"x20" total footprint. It's big enough to do cylinders but a 3120 cylinder kind of put a load on it.

 

[tree monkey]

this old worn out junk pile has served me well for what it is. $500.oo

 

[tree monkey]

hf junk, pretty limited to what you can do with it.no feed system, 3 speed belt drive on the lath, all to fast for steal, 4 speed belt drive on the mill.
bought it with no tooling or chuck new $175.oo

 

[tree monkey]

randy (mastermind) gave me this in a box, there were parts for the carriage that were broke or missing. I made the needed parts, it shows hope but needs a lot more work

 

[tree monkey]

picks this little thing up for $25.oo, it's near useless

 

[exSW]

The problem with lathes is there is so much I don't know.