Mini Lathe Reviews Please

[GW8IZR]

Its often the case on this forum that unless you have an ancient machine the size of a house taking a 3ph supply and Pickfords to shift it you cant make anything.. thats the nature of the beast and its all well meant advice, meantime there are an army of model makers and men in sheds turning out cracking work on hobby machines and this lad will be just the same.

He will learn a lot and most likely have no problems at all, it might do him forever, he might outgrow it, he might loose interest altogether - we are all mainly in that camp. Importantly he hasn't had the frustration of waiting ages for 'the right machine' to turn up and that could be a big factor in the parents decision process.

I have a couple of lathes, a big rusty Colchester and a little immaculate Boxford, someone on here mentioned that my Boxford was not much good.. funny but I've always found it to be me thats the limiting factor.

 

[optima21]

when I got my lathe I was limited with the space I had as my workshop was a 5ft x 5ft shed. I had a workbench running the length of the shed with a bench drill and vice mounted on it. and another next to the door that was 30" long,and thats where the lathe had to go. I was advised at the time that I should have got a boxford or myford,but they just wouldn't have fit in the space available. Every now and again I do think I could do with getting a biggger lathe, but so far I've managed with what Ive got. when I got my lathe 25 years ago, I was only wanting to do smaller bits of model engineering.

here's the 1" scale model steam lorry I started building about a year after I got the lathe (its now been in a cupboard for 20 years and I'll get it finished one day )

All the work on this was done just using the lathe as I didnt have my milling machine then. there arn't any castings used it it, all the parts have been machined from solid or fabricated by silver soldering and then machining afterwards. just for scale the flywheel is 2" diameter. the crankshaft was one of those items that was a challenge to make as it started off as a 1 1/4" diameter steel bar. the milling was done using a vertical slide on the lathe.

ultimately it depends on what you want to build, if you want to build big things, it helps to start off with a big machine, but if you only want to make smaller things a smaller machine has more feel when you're using it.

 

[addjunkie]

Nice i lack the patience for such things, but always had a hankering to build a steam launch, dunno why, maybe when I retire.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Ho Hum, hopefully it will work out good for the lad.
I did not notice which lathe you 'recomended', what are they getting him Steve?

The one in the picture on my opening post, hopefully it works out well..for him and me

 

[zx9]

The one in the picture on my opening post, hopefully it works out well..for him and me

Sorry Steve, my bad I had to re read your post (all the words this time )

 

[Richard.]

when I got my lathe I was limited with the space I had as my workshop was a 5ft x 5ft shed. I had a workbench running the length of the shed with a bench drill and vice mounted on it. and another next to the door that was 30" long,and thats where the lathe had to go. I was advised at the time that I should have got a boxford or myford,but they just wouldn't have fit in the space available. Every now and again I do think I could do with getting a biggger lathe, but so far I've managed with what Ive got. when I got my lathe 25 years ago, I was only wanting to do smaller bits of model engineering.

here's the 1" scale model steam lorry I started building about a year after I got the lathe (its now been in a cupboard for 20 years and I'll get it finished one day )

All the work on this was done just using the lathe as I didnt have my milling machine then. there arn't any castings used it it, all the parts have been machined from solid or fabricated by silver soldering and then machining afterwards. just for scale the flywheel is 2" diameter. the crankshaft was one of those items that was a challenge to make as it started off as a 1 1/4" diameter steel bar. the milling was done using a vertical slide on the lathe.

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ultimately it depends on what you want to build, if you want to build big things, it helps to start off with a big machine, but if you only want to make smaller things a smaller machine has more feel when you're using it.

I very much do have the patients for such things just not the skills. We need to cross paths.

 

[Pete.]

Those little lathes are ok so long as you know what you're buying and what to expect from them. If all you want to do is tiny work, a tiny lathe is ideal. The main fault is not the size but the quality, to get the best out of them you have to keep on top of the adjustments and fettling.

 

[gaz1]

optimas other builds

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/...ool-post-for-a-small-lathe.52932/#post-615348

heres another post you would like steve

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/nice-little-steam-engine.51832/

 

[Richard.]

Those little lathes are ok so long as you know what you're buying and what to expect from them. If all you want to do is tiny work, a tiny lathe is ideal. The main fault is not the size but the quality, to get the best out of them you have to keep on top of the adjustments and fettling.

I would say it goes the same as cheap tig welders. Arc stability, striking accuracy, lack of functions or lack of range yet in capable skilled hands they can put out lovely results.