# metal lathe



## Smitty37 (Aug 3, 2011)

Hi, What kind of learning curve is there for learning to use a metal lathe?  I would be using it mostly for pens and bushings. 

I am not all thumbs, have a pretty good understanding of machinery in general, and have used a wood lathe only for pen making.  

What kind of self-study materials are available - videos, books, tutorials etc?

What are some decent models that will not require me to refinance my home to pay for.....like under $700 or so.

Thank you.


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## alphageek (Aug 3, 2011)

I don't have one... but there is a TON of info here:  http://www.mini-lathe.com/


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## dogcatcher (Aug 3, 2011)

Look around your area for a local hobby lathe users group.  Start by joining the Yahoo mini lathes forum, ask if there is anyone willing to help you get started.  A mentor will shorten the learning curve by years.  Also consider looking at vintage lathes, like the Atlas and Craftsman 6x18 sizes.  A good mentor might know of a local one for sale, or will be able to tell you what to look for and what to avoid.


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## BRobbins629 (Aug 3, 2011)

Almost any of the 7 x 12s are prefect for pens. About 4 years ago I bought the Cummins because it had the most accessories and never looked back.  Don't go smaller than 12" length.  The little more it costs than the 10" is put to good use for drill chucks and die holders.  Little machine shop sells some good videos, but you tube will probably have some good stuff as well.  While there are some techniques like threading that may require a little training, you should be able to make a pen or bushings within a few hours of turning it on.  If you can find a local friend that has one, just an hour or so of questions will get you started.  Its downhill from there.


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## workinforwood (Aug 4, 2011)

Its real simple once you learn what controls what. In no time you start to think that wood lathe is wasting space. I wouldn't buy anything with less than a 2 foot bed. The extra money is worth it, makes drilling easier and lots of room to push tail out of your way. Start shooting steroids...lathes are heavy! Mine is 1200 lbs. Just the dead center alone is 20 lbs. I just bought a little 6" vise 85 lbs! And the vice $500...good tooling isn't cheap.
To make bushings I would go cnc for production repeatability..unless they are for personal use only. If retailing bushings, the cost to go cnc is more than justified. I would recommend a used swiss screw machine..it'll do production and spit the bushings out several per hour while you do other stuff at same time


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## cnirenberg (Aug 4, 2011)

Smitty,
It's fairly simple.  There are a  few things to remember.  I was fortunate enough to know someone who had a 7x and he showed me how to use it.  Hands on learning is the best. When he was ready to upgrade to a larger machine, I ended up buying the older one.  You learn more as you go.  LMS has a bunch of videos you can buy, or Utube, but I do not know if all those chuckleheads know what they are doing either.  You get what you pay for I guess.  I have collected a bunch of PDF's, shoot me PM if interested.


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## bruce119 (Aug 4, 2011)

I love my mini 7x12 that's all I use for pens and more. I find it much easier and faster to turn pens then a wood lathe. You have complete control over speed 0-2500 at a spin of a nob and reverse at a flip of a switch. Use the tool post and a bit to get to round fast then put on a wood rest and turn with a wood tool. couple extra things you will need a metal lathe's head stock has a 3MT as a wood lath is 2MT so you will need a 3MT to 2MT reducer I have a couple. An extra tool post holder so you can set one up with metal cutting bits and another so you leave your wood tool rest on so you don't have to keep unscrewing it. Changing tool post is fast and easy. All the parts and inf. you need is at Little Machine Shop. Another great source is the Yahoo group "7x12minilathe" very active well monitored group with tons of information in the files. Another great thing about a mini metal is you set in on a bench pull up a chair and start turning get off your feet.

Good Luck have fun
Bruce


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## SGM Retired (Aug 4, 2011)

So what about the Grizzly combo mini lathes that have the drill press on them. As a starter lathe is it bad to start cheap? Is there a Grizzly model that would do good on small item pen turner and bushing maker?  Thanks for the info above. 
Gary


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## mtgrizzly52 (Aug 4, 2011)

Smitty,

I'm like you, in need of knowledge on how to use the smaller metal lathes. I found this website when I started to turn on the wood lathe and it has provided me with a wealth of information. 

It is a video rental site that deals not in current run entertainment videos, but videos for crafts, machining, wood working, cars etc. 

The cost of the rental of the videos is small compared to what you get, and even better than having to buy them. I just ordered a couple of their videos last night on basic metal lathe operations and on how to cut threads. I can't wait to get the movies, and they are the same ones being sold by the Little Machine Shop for $35.00 or more per DVD.

The site address is: http://smartflix.com/

Rick (mtgrizzly52)


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## Chthulhu (Aug 4, 2011)

SGM Retired said:


> So what about the Grizzly combo mini lathes that have the drill press on them. As a starter lathe is it bad to start cheap? Is there a Grizzly model that would do good on small item pen turner and bushing maker?  Thanks for the info above.
> Gary



The lathe+mill combo machines tend to be very sloppy, or so I've read. Any of the 7x lathes from China will almost certainly need some tuning and tweaking to make them acceptably accurate, but they definitely will do the job.

One big difference from using a wood lathe is in your work habits: a metal lathe's ways must be kept lubricated, so whenever you're going to turn wood you need to cover the ways (once your tool rest is in place, you don't move the saddle much), and then clean up thoroughly afterward to keep wood dust out of the slides. It will absorb the way oil and gum things up quickly if you don't, and you'll have to dismantle quite a bit of hardware in order to clean it out.

Wood dust is also highly abrasive vs. cast iron, so cleaning it out is imperative to protect your investment.

Mine is a Little Machine Shop 4100 which is a version of the SIEG SC-2 300 from China. The high-torque brushless DC motor is very quiet, and the lack of intermediate gears also helps a lot with that. With some accessories and tooling, I paid just over $1,000 for mine.


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## mredburn (Aug 4, 2011)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sherline-4400-3...506?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5645735402


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## Haynie (Aug 4, 2011)

Lots of videos on You Tube but I agree that a person showing you is worth a lot more.


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## Chthulhu (Aug 4, 2011)

mredburn said:


> http://cgi.ebay.com/Sherline-4400-3...506?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5645735402



Sherline makes beautiful machines, far more precise and delicate than needed for making pens. If you're ever in the San Diego area, Sherline's factory is in Vista (almost Carlsbad), and a visit to the Craftsmanship Museum is a must! It was formerly located in Sherline's building, but has since moved a short distance away to its own building:

http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/

That's the kind of stuff that can be done with a Sherline.


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## EarlD (Aug 16, 2011)

Smitty, I've been considering a metal lathe for a couple of months now.  Last night I settled on the Micro Mark 7 x 16 and placed the order.  Wohoo!  Got some LeRoi Elegants on the way to try it out on.  

EarlD


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## bruce119 (Aug 16, 2011)

L.M.S. has a close-out sale on the mini
 
*HERE*

Tomorrow is the last day and if you have the extra $$ you can add anything to the order for the same freight charge.​ 

.


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## Chthulhu (Aug 16, 2011)

bruce119 said:


> L.M.S. has a close-out sale on the mini
> 
> HERE
> 
> Tomorrow is the last day and if you have the extra $$ you can add anything to the order for the same freight charge.​


​ 
That's also based on the SIEG SC-2, but it's not LMS's own machine: this is a lot they picked up that was meant for another vendor. It's a good price, regardless.

Their own version is here: http://littlemachineshop.com/4100


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## BKelley (Aug 16, 2011)

I have the Grizzly 7 X 12 and do 99% of my pens on it.  You can get the Grizzly and all the attachments you need for pens and bushings for $750-$800.  Don't spend a lot on accessories until you play with the lathe for a while.  After you learn the basics, you can expand into accessories and attachments.  Several companies market a 7 x 12  lathe but all of them are out of China made by Sieg and except for paint color are just about the same.  Good luck.

Ben


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## SteveWatson (Sep 3, 2011)

I have a small 7 metal lathe and I started turning pens on it.  All I needed to buy was a shaft and a special live center to stop having to use the brass nut,  and to fabricate a tool rest.  I stopped using the metal lathe because I found the pressure from the chisel was a bit much for my slide but the speed control is excellent on a metal lathe.  The three jaw chuck worked fine for holding the shaft.  But you need to check your lathe size...My metal lathe is a 2T and so is my wood lathe.  The wood lathe blows away the mini metal lathe in power though.


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## Hess (Sep 3, 2011)

i went with the bigger 10 x 22  not one problem  but like wood lathes you have to get certain tooling

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-x-22-Bench-Top-Metal-Lathe/G0602


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## holmqer (Sep 4, 2011)

SGM Retired said:


> So what about the Grizzly combo mini lathes that have the drill press on them. As a starter lathe is it bad to start cheap? Is there a Grizzly model that would do good on small item pen turner and bushing maker?  Thanks for the info above.
> Gary



The G0516 is a re-branded Seig M6 which combines two Seig machines in one, the C6 lathe and the X2 mill. So you get a 10x lathe with a mini mill. I don't know how the rigidity of the lathe compound compares to that of the X2 table, but each of the basic machines are decent hobby machinist equipment.

I have not researched the other combo machines that Grizzly sells.


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## spilperson (Sep 5, 2011)

I use a larger 12x36 from Bolton Hardware, which is just a chinese import. I really like it, but it cost about 2.5x your budget. If you want to stay in the 7x range, I have heard good things about the Sherline and Micro Mark mentioned above, but have no experience with them.

I also vote against the lathe/mill combos, unless you are absolutely 100% sure you will only do occasional milling. If that is the case, it is nice to have around, but it has another tooling cost and learning curve. I am in the process of setting up a mill in my garage.

Do budget for tooling. 

Learning curve for basics was not bad at all, if you are a handy person don't sweat it.


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## Smitty37 (Sep 6, 2011)

*Thanks everyone*

Thank you for all the input.  You've been a great help and I have decided to stay with a small wood lathe.


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