Mini lathe

[rcx132]

As i understand it brushless motors need electronic controller to keep them going. Depending on the quality of the electronics brushless motors dont produce torque at very low speed. If you stall some of the brushless motors the electronics can get damaged.

They are quieter and produce more power than old DC motors they are also less wasteful of electricity.

Brushless seems to be the way forward.

Having a local dealer may sort out the broken from the factory machines, and theres a chance they will respond if you need help.

I thought low torque is one of the big advantages of brushless and is why the brushless mini lathe doesn't need a two speed gearbox. The speed controller switches off the motor if you stall it. I think you'll regret not going brushless, you get a constant speed as it's speed controlled and doing away with the gearbox makes things sweet and simple. Also all the up to date models now only come in brushless.

 

[Misterg]

I have found a local dealer

The reviews on the Amazon one are mixed... It seems if there is a problem, you are required to pay for return postage - that is one advantage of a local dealer!

You need to make sure you have some money left for tooling - a turning tool, a parting tool, a few centre drills & a tailstock chuck to start with. Your local dealer *might* be prepared to do a deal on these if you buy the lathe. (There's much more that you might need - 4 jaw chuck, quick change toolpost, etc. - I ended up spending about half the cost of the lathe again on various tooling in the first few months ).

The cheapest tooling is high speed steel (HSS) but you need to learn how to grind these. It isn't difficult, but it is another variable in the learning curve. I highly recommend the polished carbide inserts for these little lathes - they are silver in colour and sold for aluminium, but work well in brass and steel, too (at the modest depths of cut that you need to use on these lathes). I suggest that you choose one type of insert and buy 10mm tooling holders to suit - I use CCGT060204 (from carbide-direct on ebay) because I already had a tool holder - a useful tooling holder for general turning is the SCLCR1010H06. You can get boring bars that take the same inserts. The very common yellow carbide CCMT inserts will fit the same holder, but are not as good. They need more power to cut and don't give anywhere near as good a finish, and there are a lot of very poor quality ones around - you usually get a couple free with the tool holders on ebay. I would avoid the 'set of turning tools' that is often included (ones with brazed carbide tips).

Don't rush into anything, but please let us know how you get on

(Thank you for the very kind comments too! )

 

[willie.macleod]

The forum doesn´t let me edit my last post. I have found a local dealer and the lathes are much more better loking (In quality terms).

They are more expensives, but I think it worth

HBM 180V - Tecnomáquinas - Máquina-Herramienta y Accesorios

TECMA 180V

tecnomaquinas.es

That machine looks the same as the Warco WM180. The good news is that it is in a different league to the smaller 7x14 machine you linked to earlier in terms of build quality and capability, one workshop I use has both machines side by side - for a few hundred euros it is well worth the upgrade. Remember if you decide to go for a 4 jaw chuck you will need a dial test indicator and stand as well. I'd add a drill chuck+arbor, centre drills, knurling tool, parting tool, boring bar, die holder set as well to your order as well as the quick change tool posts/holders and whatever style of turning tools you go for. DRO to go on the wish list for later!

 

[Robert1998]

Thank you for all your answers.

....

Of course, is the less I could do!

...

I thought I had it!! haha. How much it cost a brushless motor and a driver for the motor toput in that lathe? I have looked up in the internet for 600w brushless motor but thereare a lot. from30€ to 300€. I don´t have idea.

...

Yes yes, I´ll be carefull and I´ll make a lot of research before purchasing it. And yes, i´m savin around 400/500€ to acesories.

And no kind coments, it is the truht, some time ago my GF said that forums were dead and I have showed her that. It nice to have all this help/advice. And all of you are being very patient with all my newbie questions and my english... haha

...

Yes, the good thing is that is a spanish store and I will be able to ask for all that accesories.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

And all of you are being very patient with all my newbie questions and my english... haha

Nothing wrong with your English

 

[Sean]

It's better than my Spanish that's for sure!

 

[rcx132]

I thought I had it!! haha. How much it cost a brushless motor and a driver for the motor toput in that lathe? I have looked up in the internet for 600w brushless motor but thereare a lot. from30€ to 300€. I don´t have idea.

It wont be cheap, direct from China speed controller for my eBike was £50, I suspect similar price for the mini lathe. I paid £750 for my brushless mini lathe with the longer bed, made by Sieg.

 

[Robert1998]

Thanks for your answers.

Every time you speak, the prices goes higher haha. No no, it´s a joke, I really appreciate all you advice and your help.

Ok, I think I have found the good one. The WEISS 180V. (I think is the same as a WARCO, more popular in the UK)

These are the specs WEISS WBL180 (In english). It costs 1113€ (962£) including shipping. Is from a spanish dealer and it has brushless motor, tapered bearings and metal gears.

What do you think for a beginner?

Thank you.

 

[My Old Landy]

Looks like a good choice and should suit your needs

 

[Dr.Al]

Thanks for your answers.

Every time you speak, the prices goes higher haha. No no, it´s a joke, I really appreciate all you advice and your help.

Ok, I think I have found the good one. The WEISS 180V. (I think is the same as a WARCO, more popular in the UK)

These are the specs WEISS WBL180 (In english). It costs 1113€ (962£) including shipping. Is from a spanish dealer and it has brushless motor, tapered bearings and metal gears.

What do you think for a beginner?

Thank you.

It looks like a good example of the so-called 7×12 lathe size. If you're going to go for that size of Chinese lathe (as I did when I started) it's probably about as good as you'll get from what I can tell from the spec sheet. Just bear in mind that with a lathe that small, you may well grow out of it quite quickly. I bought mine not knowing whether I would enjoy metalwork at all (having never done it before) but within a year I was wishing I had gone for the next size up (e.g. this one, which is a massive step up in capability). In the end I held off for quite a few years and then got a second-hand big floor-standing lathe, which is in a completely different league to either, but I completely understand you not wanting to go there.

Brushless motor and tapered bearings are a very good thing, but I'm not convinced that (in a lathe of that size) metal gears is that big a deal. I presume that's talking about change gears, which don't get that much use and are most likely to fail because you've done something wrong - in that case it's cheaper to replace a plastic gear than it is to replace the leadscrew or whatever else failed instead of the gear. I used the 80/20/80/20 plastic gears on my mini-lathe pretty much every time I used it (for general turning power feed) and there was very little sign of wear on the plastic gears when it was finally retired.

 

[Robert1998]

Thanks for your asnwers. And one question, because is the same than a WARCO...

Has WARCO good reputation in UK? I mean at hobby level

 

[My Old Landy]

Thanks for your asnwers. And one question, because is the same than a WARCO...

Has WARCO good reputation in UK? I mean at hobby level

It has a better reputation than most suppliers. I think the customer service is better than just buying from ebay or the like.

 

[Robert1998]

It has a better reputation than most suppliers. I think the customer service is better than just buying from ebay or the like.

Nice! Thank you.

And the quality of the machine is OK for a beginner?

 

[My Old Landy]

Nice! Thank you.

And the quality of the machine is OK for a beginner?

I would say yes, as they have easy speed control etc. Once you have out grown it, you can sell it on and get something bigger/better.

 

[Robert1998]

Thank you!

 

[Robert1998]

I bought it. When I have tried it, I´ll tell you my experiences.

Thank you again for all your help

 

[Sean]

I bought it. When I have tried it, I´ll tell you my experiences.

Thank you again for all your help

which one?
I got the Amazon one ...its more a kit of parts, to be dismantled cleaned re assembled and adjusted properly, than a working out the box type thing! re doing the gibs and trying to centre the no name chuck, which at the moment runs out by 0.07mm ( seems to be just the one jaw thats a problem). spindle is 0.01mm. Tailstock binds so thats next weeks project then on to de burring the gears and getting the headstock adjusted.

yeah i know you shouldnt have to but making shonky stuff work better is what i like doing so im quite happy!

 

[rcx132]

Ok, check it properly. Theres a YouTube video showing full mini lathe rebuild and how to check and adjust all parts. Guy was sold a mini lathe that was a mash of reject parts but he managed to save it.

 

[Agroshield]

...trying to centre the no name chuck, which at the moment runs out by 0.07mm

If that is a non-name three jaw chuck, the runout is acceptable. Expected runout for a 3-jaw is often noted as 0.001"-0.003" and yours is within that range.

It would also be wise to check runout at a number of different holding diameters and seeing if there is any pattern before fettling it.

 

[Robert1998]

Thanks for your answers

which one?
I got the Amazon one ...its more a kit of parts, to be dismantled cleaned re assembled and adjusted properly, than a working out the box type thing! re doing the gibs and trying to centre the no name chuck, which at the moment runs out by 0.07mm ( seems to be just the one jaw thats a problem). spindle is 0.01mm. Tailstock binds so thats next weeks project then on to de burring the gears and getting the headstock adjusted.

yeah i know you shouldnt have to but making shonky stuff work better is what i like doing so im quite happy!

Thw WEISS WBL 180. I think is the same than a Warco 180.

The weiss has brushless motor, tampered bearings and metal gears. I don´t have idea abput how to check if is properly adjusted, so I bought this one. 1.113€ (Including shippings).

Ok, check it properly. Theres a YouTube video showing full mini lathe rebuild and how to check and adjust all parts. Guy was sold a mini lathe that was a mash of reject parts but he managed to save it.

Could you link me this video? Please! It would be very worthy for me, as I said, I don´t have idea about wether the lathe is OK or not.

Thank you