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I am new to metalworking and am looking to buy a lathe. I'm wondering how large (read, expensive) a unit I need. What I will be machining are parts for scientific work, generally from copper or aluminum stock, 2-4 inches in diameter. Rarely, I might need soft iron.
Is a "mini lathe" suitable for this? Is there a good brand I should be looking at?
Thanks
Eric
mn1247, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun Forum since Aug 2014.
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(09-08-2014, 11:05 AM)mn1247 Wrote: I am new to metalworking and am looking to buy a lathe. I'm wondering how large (read, expensive) a unit I need. What I will be machining are parts for scientific work, generally from copper or aluminum stock, 2-4 inches in diameter. Rarely, I might need soft iron.
Is a "mini lathe" suitable for this? Is there a good brand I should be looking at?
Thanks
Eric
Eric,
to the forum.
A mini lathe will easily handle what you need to do. Grizzly seems to get the most thumbs up for fit and finish. They stock a lot of replacement parts which is a big plus.
Ed
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While a mini-lathe should be able to handle those diameters, the length of the parts matters too! The small lathes are often limited to 12" between centers, much shorter when using a chuck to hold the work.
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09-10-2014, 08:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-10-2014, 08:45 PM by Dr Stan.)
A few questions. Is this to be paid for from your funds, or will an organization (company, school, etc) be footing the bill?
In either case what is your budget? Keep in mind a machine tool typically does not come equipped with things like cutting tools and work holding devices. Figure at least another 2 or 3 thousand dollars for a minimum of tooling. Even more if you want to have DRO's (Digital Read Outs). Keep in mind cutting tools are consumables and will need to be replaced.
What sort of tolerances do you expect to hold?
Is there anyone who can help you learn how to operate the lathe?
Do you know how to maintain equipment, both preventative and break down maintenance?
Is there a nearby technical school that offers machining? If so can you arrange to take the classes?
On edit: A Chinese mini-lathe may well suit your initial needs and if you have a serious (read totaling out bent spindle) crash your loss is minimized. However do not expect high performance nor a long life from these machines. (I know I'll get flack over that opinion). Keep in mind "ya get whatca payfer".
