# Which metal working lathe do you have?



## alexkuzn

I am on the market  for a metalworking lathe(to compliment my Powermatic 3520B)
What metalworking lathes are popular among pen turners?

Any advise is appreciated.

What do you think about LatheMaster 8x14 lathe?
www.lathemaster.com


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## dgscott

I have an Enco 7x10. When they have a 20% off sale (pretty frequent), it's only $399. It's pretty small, but the only things I turn are front sections for pens, so it suits me fine.
Doug


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## BRobbins629

I use and have used a Cummins 7 x 12 for virtually all the pens I have made in the last few years. I am very happy with it and it has done more than I expected. It is certainly a value buy. A few times I wish it was a little bigger (not for pens) but then again with space at a premium in my shop it works well. If I get another it will probably have easier gear change capability for threading and the next larger size, but meanwhile it serves all my needs.


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## hilltopper46

I have a Harbor Freight 9x20.  I thought it would be fun to have and make all the modifications for that are listed on the internet, but when I got to turning pens I never really got around to it.

IMHO, I think the 7x(various lengths) are a better choice.  If I were buying today I would look seriously at the Micro-Mark as it comes with features and tuning that you do yourself or pay to add onto other brands.


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## ldb2000

I have a HF 7X10 that I bought on sale and had a discount coupon for bringing my final cost to $249 . If it hadn't been for price I was planning on getting the Microlux 7X14 , it seems like a very capable lathe .


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## smitty

I have the 7x10 HF.  I didn't get as good as deal as Butch I have $300 in mine.  It will do what I want it to do.  The fun part to me is the fine tuning of the metal lathe.


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## NewLondon88

Taig


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## mredburn

sherline 4400


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## wolftat

I bought the Grizzly G9972Z 11" x 26" Bench Lathe w/ Gearbox , but found it was a bit big for my 10x12 shop and a friend of mine gave me his still in the box Grizzly mini lathe and that fits much better. The bigger lathe was donated/loaned to a school.


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## me2cyclops

1940's atlas 12",
1960's atlas 10",
7 x 12 asian (crap),
Taig
if you want precision buy a taig or sherline if you need something bigger look for an old used lathe ... if you need a $300 doorstop by a 7 x whatever.
I have made LOTS of mods to make the 7x12 somewhat useable and after much much work it's a slightly better piece of crap


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## Texatdurango

Yang SML 12


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## Angelo49

1939 Clausing 12"
1953 South Bend 10K
HF 12x36 for the pens
Angelo


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## KenV

Taig --

Dream -- old Southbend 6 inch  (sold under Craftman label also) from 50's --


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## holmqer

Micro Mark 7x14


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## jhs494

1935 South Bend 9" x 3'


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## titan2

I have a Clark 7 _x_ 12



Barney


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## txbob

Taig

txbob


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## dogcatcher

1972 Atlas


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## hilltopper46

Texatdurango said:


> Yang SML 12



Now in addition to everything else I have lathe envy. :biggrin::tongue:


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## NI Joe

cnc'd Taig


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## ldb2000

Some food for thought Alex . The "Crap" 7X lathes are not as bad as some people think , take a look at some of the steam engines and sterling cycle engines that are made with these lathes . If they are PROPERLY adjusted they are capable of some amazingly precise work . Their cheap price make them well suited for small shops and the savings can be used for all the extras that can make these lathes some of the most versatile metal working lathes you can buy . The larger lathes are nice and if you are running a machine shop an old Southbend would be the preferred lathe but in most of our shops these lathes are being used for making things like bushings and other small metal parts . A 7X or 8X is more then enough lathe for doing what we are doing making pens .
One other thing to remember , for people like myself and others here a Southbend or Atlas lathe take up allot of floor space that most of us don't have . My shop is 8'X10' and crammed in there are a wood lathe , 14" band saw , Router table , a radial arm saw , a workbench , a couple of cabinets , a pantograph engraving machine and my little "Crap" 7X10 metal lathe along with pen blanks and flatwork wood and and a mid sized craftsman tool box and .... the list goes on and on , there's just not enough room for a Big lathe that at most sees use about 3 percent (if that much) of the time I'm in here .
Don't fall for the tool envy and waste allot of money on a lathe that will be used as a place to store things when it's not in use . Buy what you can afford and learn how to use it properly and use the savings for far more useful tools and supplies .

Take a look at what can be done with the 7X lathes here http://littlemachineshop.com/gallery/photos.php


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## Daniel

Homier Speedway 7X12. After buying it I did find out that better deals can be found in the 9X20 lathes. That is they can be found at good but higher prices but that includes many of the extras you will  most likely end up adding after the fact with the smaller lathes. so $300 or so in lathe and $500 or more in accessories and I have the same thing with smaller lathe that I could have had for maybe $900 on a larger lathe. I am still happy with what I have and the piece meal costs suited my needs. but it was not the smartest way to spend the money when all is said and done.


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## toolcrazy

holmqer said:


> Micro Mark 7x14



Same here, Micro Mark Microlux 7x14, Nice lathe.


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## me2cyclops

it is true that great work CAN be done on a 7x lathe just as great work can be done on a bow lathe or a pole lathe but why work harder than you have to?
after owning several different lathes I would rather spend time "using" a machine than "adjusting" a poorly built one, and for about the same $$ and size an old 6" craftsman or new taig will be a smoother easier to operate machine.
not trying to start a tool war just trying to keep someone from buying problems when they could buy something better


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## workinforwood

I'm not using it yet, but have a 12x30 gear head lathe by Bolton hardware..yea, it's chinese but it is a big heavy monster that seems to be quite stout.  I bought it quite cheap on ebay and the shipping was free.  The service seems to be really good too.  I just bought some cutters and some bar stock..more ebay.  I just opened a package of brass, bought 4 brass rods, 5/16x48" for $20.  That tube was heavy!  

So many people with metal lathes, we should have a forum here for that.  What to buy..how to use it, tips, techniques, modification discussions etc etc..there's so much to discuss on using a metal lathe with pens.  Put me down for a vote and I'll start asking the questions!


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## cnirenberg

workinforwood said:


> I'm not using it yet, but have a 12x30 gear head lathe by Bolton hardware..yea, it's chinese but it is a big heavy monster that seems to be quite stout.  I bought it quite cheap on ebay and the shipping was free.  The service seems to be really good too.  I just bought some cutters and some bar stock..more ebay.  I just opened a package of brass, bought 4 brass rods, 5/16x48" for $20.  That tube was heavy!
> 
> So many people with metal lathes, we should have a forum here for that.  What to buy..how to use it, tips, techniques, modification discussions etc etc..there's so much to discuss on using a metal lathe with pens.  Put me down for a vote and I'll start asking the questions!



Jeff,
That is a pretty good idea.  It would save the time bouncing from one site to another to figure it all out.  Aren't you glad that you graciously stepped up and offerred to head this endeavor up?  You're a good man Charlie Brown.


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## Texatdurango

cnirenberg said:


> Jeff,
> That is a pretty good idea. It would save the time bouncing from one site to another to figure it all out. Aren't you glad that you graciously stepped up and offerred to head this endeavor up? You're a good man Charlie Brown.


 
I agree.  When I thought the IAP was in need of an advanced pen making forum I just wrote down my reasoning and sent it to Jeff and a week later we had the forum!  So... today is tuesday, if you prepared your case and sent it to Jeff today we could probably have the forum in place by Monday!

My opinion is that there wouldn't be enough discussion to warrant a forum though.  About all I ever see posted about metal lathes is.... "I'm looking for a lathe, what do you have or which is the best?"  And all those threads do is turn into debates over the small machines versus the larger machines and people defending the machines they bought and finally the original poster says all he has to spend is $140... then the thread dies! 

It would be interesting to see what others think of such a forum though, I could be totally wrong.


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## Kaspar

ldb2000 said:


> ... If it hadn't been for price I was planning on getting the Microlux 7X14 , it seems like a very capable lathe .



That's what I ended up getting.  I've been truing it in the last several weeks.   Did the chuck jaws today, in fact.  I'm very satisfied so far.

Now my dream lathe would be this one.


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## cnirenberg

Texatdurango said:


> I agree.  When I thought the IAP was in need of an advanced pen making forum I just wrote down my reasoning and sent it to Jeff and a week later we had the forum!  So... today is tuesday, if you prepared your case and sent it to Jeff today we could probably have the forum in place by Monday!
> 
> My opinion is that there wouldn't be enough discussion to warrant a forum though.  About all I ever see posted about metal lathes is.... "I'm looking for a lathe, what do you have or which is the best?"  And all those threads do is turn into debates over the small machines versus the larger machines and people defending the machines they bought and finally the original poster says all he has to spend is $140... then the thread dies!
> 
> It would be interesting to see what others think of such a forum though, I could be totally wrong.



George,
I'm about to get a metal lathe.  Shhhhh don't tell the wife....So I checked into the Mini-lathe site and followed into the Yahoo groups etc.  Most of the discussion there is on politics.  Frustrating.  I agree with you, if we had enough folks here who would warrant a discussion, a forum would be cool.  It's hard enough turning by hand to  keep up with what's all going on.  PS your lathe would cause one to have a bit of lathe-envy, lathe on.


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## j.d.sackett

i have 3 metal lathes. a chinese 7x, a southbend 9x and a grizzly 12x. lathemaster sell some pretty nice stuff, but i wouldnt pay that much for an 8" machine. my 7x get used a lot, but i have tweeked it a bunch. the thing i like most is the variable speed. mostly i use it for threading. if you havnt ever used a lathe i would go for the 7x. they're cheap, with a little adjusting will cut within a thou over 10", and they dont have enough power to really hurt you too bad if you screw up, and you will. whatever you buy, you're going to enjoy it. playing with machine tools is a lot of fun. regards, j.d.


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## Chuck Key

cnirenberg said:


> George,
> Most of the discussion there is on politics. Frustrating.


 

Try this group instead.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x12minilathe/


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## workinforwood

Maybe Jeff will do a poll on the need for expanding into another forum topic.  I personally think the need is growing.  Certain people are inspiring many..not just the guys with the fancy metal like Steve, but there's some plastic guys like Brian Gray or Bruce Robbins.  The two materials are somewhat related as far as ways to machine it...if that makes sense to you guys at all.  I have tons of questions, I am reading all the time and soon I'll be able to put myself to the test...definitely within a couple more months.  I have a lot of my tooling now and have been accessorizing.  I'm starting now to save up for center bits and drill bits and I'll be off to the races...or the hospital..either way works for me!


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## Kaspar

Truthfully, it might not be a busy forum, but it would, I think, be very informative. There are people here with a great deal of expertise, it seems.  I've had questions I might have asked here, but went elsewhere to find answers.  They can be found, but none of the places I saw speak specifically to pen turning with a metal lathe.  If it was a place where we could discuss metals lathes, accessories, and the techniques appertaining thereto, I think that would be a great addition to the site.

Also, milling machines might be included.  I intend to get one next year because I think it might be a more efficient and accurate way to do segmenting.


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## workinforwood

Tell you one thing's for sure...I could ask all my questions in a forum and Steve and Jim's PM boxes won't have to be so full!  Albeit..I do have some of the dumbest questions..but I have always been of the mindset that it's dumber to pretend to know and not ask than to ask and have the real answer while people laugh at you.  Anytime you step into something new, it's like going back to being a baby.

I'd go with something like "metalworking" perhaps.  Encompass the lathes, mills and general bending and shaping of materials.  People complain about store bought clips..we can make our own, discuss it, share idea's and what to do what not to do.  Failure is the road to success.


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## Daniel

To me a metal lathe is a lot like learning to get good pictures. It is a completely different skill that needs to be learned, supported, talked about yeah yeah yeah. A forum for just metal lathes sounds like a good idea. certainly when you consider how many members are going into making your own (fill the Blank) type work. turning pens is moving more and more into the need to operate a metal lathe. Not to mention that they come up in conversation more and more often for whatever reason.


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## BRobbins629

Could be a sub forum in tools - just like the Pen Wizard which only gets occasional posts, yet its easy to find specific information on that tool when you want it.


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## cnirenberg

Chuck Key said:


> Try this group instead.
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x12minilathe/



John,
Agree.  I like this one much better.


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## cnirenberg

I think it would be a nice addition to the site, it is a natural progression almost.


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## alexkuzn

I've been researching and seems that Grizzly 10x22 G0602 is a better lathe for me. 
It is a bigger and for metalworking bigger and heavier is always better if you have space. It has good reviews. Costs $1000 with free delivery.


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## Jim Smith

I have an Emco Compact 5 which came with a nifty milling machine.  It's probably 15 years old but it had never been used and still had the shrink wrap on most of the tools etc.   It looks like this one, but it also came with the mounting tray.  Great little lathe - compact but very accurate. 









I would love to have a separate metal lathe section here on IAP.  I've tried some of the mini metal lathe sites, but many of those guys are machinists that quickly go over my head with their knowledge.

Jim Smith


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## workinforwood

Jim Smith said:


> I would love to have a separate metal lathe section here on IAP.  I've tried some of the mini metal lathe sites, but many of those guys are machinists that quickly go over my head with their knowledge.
> 
> Jim Smith



Dude am I with you there!  I joined a metal shop in your garage type forum myself.  Some guy was talking about backlash and adjusting it and his q axis over his y and z to the x with a quill doing something or other and he was going to modify a part to do something but there was a bolt of somesort already there to do what he wanted but couldnt' get to it to take him from .0008 to .0001 ...:question::question::question:

Only thing I know is that if my wife tells me something, I say "yes dear" but I am not actually listening and the backlash will be coming soon!


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## BRobbins629

Jeff - you don't have to worry about backlash until we start the CNC forum.  Then you'd better know what it is.


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## Kaspar

alexkuzn said:


> I've been researching and seems that Grizzly 10x22 G0602 is a better lathe for me.
> It is a bigger and for metalworking bigger and heavier is always better if you have space. It has good reviews. Costs $1000 with free delivery.



I would have gotten the 9 x 19 or that if I had the room.  I live in the same city as one of their warehouse / showrooms so the free delivery would have been useless to me, but I've seen them up close and they're fine looking machines.


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## jbmauser

I cut my first pens on my little Unimat lathe then went out and bought a used Craftsman/Rigid lathe.  I hunted for a old Craftsman Lathe and bought a Dunlop Craftsman that needs to much $$ to bring it up for use, Bent spindle and trashed chuck.  So for $339 out the door with tax and all I have hauled a 7X10 Harbor Freight lathe home.  I plan on turning a new shaft on the Dunlop as soon as I get "me and the tool in line".  Best of luck,  JB


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## j.d.sackett

better start saving your pennies alex. the machines are just the start. then comes the "man, if i had one of those i could this". or "WOW, thats a cool looking boring bar". "i need to bore a hole thats X big. need something to get a good measurement with". its a slippery slope buddy, but fun. i dont even like to think about what i have tied up in stuff just to measure cuts with, not counting the all the tooling and home made gizmos to make other gizmos. i have lots of gizmos, then you get into the doodads. have several of those too, lol. sometimes i even make something useful. regards, j.d.


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## j.d.sackett

workinforwood said:


> Dude am I with you there! I joined a metal shop in your garage type forum myself. Some guy was talking about backlash and adjusting it and his q axis over his y and z to the x with a quill doing something or other and he was going to modify a part to do something but there was a bolt of somesort already there to do what he wanted but couldnt' get to it to take him from .0008 to .0001 ...:question::question::question:
> thats ok, keep at it and pretty soon you'll know exactly what they mean. by then, it's too late, you're hooked. regards, j.d.


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## alexkuzn

Damn... I am developing an acute case of tool addiction. My wife may never forgive this forum. 

This lathe looks incredibly good for the price. 
http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM-1127-VF.html


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## Daniel

Here is a serious question/ Suggestion/ topic, for just such a separate forum. I woudl really like to use my 7X12 lathe to turn pens. this means a sturdy quality tool rest. I have the attempted version that you can buy that mounts in the tool carriage that you can get from Little Machine Shop. But it is a poor attempt at best. does anyone have a mod that works well or know of a way to mount a tool rest to or next to the machine so that hand turning tools can be used. If not are any of you tool making types up tot the task of dreaming one up. I was thinking of some sort of base that will replace the tool holder with a rest that can be adjusted up and down by at least a little bit. even a half inch would be good.


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## BRobbins629

Daniel said:


> Here is a serious question/ Suggestion/ topic, for just such a separate forum. I woudl really like to use my 7X12 lathe to turn pens. this means a sturdy quality tool rest. I have the attempted version that you can buy that mounts in the tool carriage that you can get from Little Machine Shop. But it is a poor attempt at best. does anyone have a mod that works well or know of a way to mount a tool rest to or next to the machine so that hand turning tools can be used. If not are any of you tool making types up tot the task of dreaming one up. I was thinking of some sort of base that will replace the tool holder with a rest that can be adjusted up and down by at least a little bit. even a half inch would be good.


If you have a quick change tool post, you can change the height easily and quickly.  I just use a round steel bar mounted in a tool holder.  I ground some flats on one end so its a little more stable.  Also have the LMS one that I never use.


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## cnirenberg

BRobbins629 said:


> If you have a quick change tool post, you can change the height easily and quickly.  I just use a round steel bar mounted in a tool holder.  I ground some flats on one end so its a little more stable.  Also have the LMS one that I never use.


Bruce can you post some pics of the setup?


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## BRobbins629

cnirenberg said:


> Bruce can you post some pics of the setup?


Couldn't find my bar, but you could also use one of the HF punches as I did in the photos.  Principle is the same.


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## BigShed

Man, that's what I call lateral thinking!

I have had a hand turning toolrest on my "todo" list ever since I got my 9x20 metal lathe.

I have had my QCTP almost as long and it never occurred to me to use the boring bar tool holder (or a standard tool holder for that matter) for this purpose.

I can cross one item of my "todo" list, thank you.

I have a Steelmaster 9x20 metal lathe with electronic variable speed, also an X2 Mini Mill


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## TurnedAround

I would wholeheartedly support a metalwork section. I'm a once a week penturner since Oct. 08 and have found that the lathe is about a third of my cost so far. I also have been exploring/researching getting a metal lathe and have about 50 bookmarks for it. About 90% of the info is for serious metal turning. (engine blocks and the likes) Even with the 7 X xx sites it really doesn't apply to pens. I want one for bushings and pen parts and precision wood turning. (I don't have a lot of experience in general wood turning either.) I have a pretty extensive wood shop (30 years) and can think of other uses for the metal lathe as well. Besides the wood working and then pens, I also wanted to collect wood species. (857 so far) As if these hobbies weren't enough I started making microscopic slides of these species. That started small also in Sept 07. (first photo) And of course, that went nuts. (second photo) I'm sure that metal turning will do the same._ "So much time, so little money"_ I'm looking at a 9 X 20 lathe and a separate mill, at this time. What started as a $800, 3-in-1 is now $2000 with only basic tooling.

So yeah, let's do it!


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## Mike of the North

If you are new to metal lathes here is some info that may help.
http://www.americanmachinetools.com/how_to_use_a_lathe.htm
http://www.wewilliams.net/SBLibrary.htm


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## TurnedAround

Cool old stuff. Thanks!


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## randyrls

To add to the QCTP idea;  Most of them come with a "Boring bar holder".  It accepts a 3/8", or 5/8", or 3/4" boring bar.  A short bar of HSS or transfer punch will work just as well though..


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## dalemcginnis

workinforwood said:


> Dude am I with you there!  I joined a metal shop in your garage type forum myself.  Some guy was talking about backlash and adjusting it and his q axis over his y and z to the x with a quill doing something or other and he was going to modify a part to do something but there was a bolt of somesort already there to do what he wanted but couldnt' get to it to take him from .0008 to .0001 ...:question::question::question:



You mean like this guy? http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/805619-post6766.html  :biggrin:


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## HSTurning

I have been thinking about a metal lathe for a while.  I just want better fit then the wood lathes I have offer.  There is a Clarke 7x for sale down the street new in the box for $600 but it it the same as the mircomark (something like that) HF and 2 others so I would rather save the money if I was going to get a 7x and get the HF but I have been thinking of getting something larger just so I don't think "wow the 7x is way to small, I wish I had a bigger lathe".  I have been watching CL for months but I have no idea what I want but if I see a deal I'll be able to jump on it.
Having another forum to read about it would help.


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## Texatdurango

I may be out in left field here but aren't some of you going about this the wrong way?

When I decided on which wood lathe to get I had an idea of what I wanted it for, and that was to turn pen blanks, bottle stoppers and small bowls and goblets. Once I established my needs I then went shopping for a lathe to meet my needs and am sure most folks here did basically the same thing.

But, when I hear folks talking about metal lathes, I don't hear things like.... "I need a lathe to do certain pitch threading, the capacity to turn an object 15" long when mounted in a 3 jaw chuck, variable speed, enough power to cut stainless at a certain speed/feed, etc. 

Instead I see more along the lines of... "Well, I wanted a 9x machine but the 7x's are a lot cheaper so I think I'll go with one of those instead!" And to make matters worse, those who already have the smaller lathes chime in with the typical... "I love mine!" like that means something or "it does everything, just look at the neat stuff some people make...!"

Not throwing rocks at anyone, I'm just curious why some of you guys want metal lathes and what you think they will do for you? Perhaps their is a notion that they will do magical things a wood lathe won't.


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## NewLondon88

HSTurning said:


> There is a Clarke 7x for sale down the street new in the box for $600



if that's the guy who is advertising every day on CL, watch out for him.
there's lots of complaints.


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## HSTurning

NewLondon88 said:


> if that's the guy who is advertising every day on CL, watch out for him.
> there's lots of complaints.


It is.  It's actually a store that sells used tools.  Its 5 min from my house.  I have been in a few times.  Prices are way to high on everything in the store.  Dewalt scroll saws for $300 beat, I mean beat beat.  $350-375 for one that looked ok.  They do have some cool old tools that you don't see often.  Like a 18-22" skill saw.  So I drop in once in a while, just to see whats new.


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## BigShed

Texatdurango said:


> I may be out in left field here but aren't some of you going about this the wrong way?
> 
> When I decided on which wood lathe to get I had an idea of what I wanted it for, and that was to turn pen blanks, bottle stoppers and small bowls and goblets. Once I established my needs I then went shopping for a lathe to meet my needs and am sure most folks here did basically the same thing.
> 
> But, when I hear folks talking about metal lathes, I don't hear things like.... "I need a lathe to do certain pitch threading, the capacity to turn an object 15" long when mounted in a 3 jaw chuck, variable speed, enough power to cut stainless at a certain speed/feed, etc.
> 
> Instead I see more along the lines of... "Well, I wanted a 9x machine but the 7x's are a lot cheaper so I think I'll go with one of those instead!" And to make matters worse, those who already have the smaller lathes chime in with the typical... "I love mine!" like that means something or "it does everything, just look at the neat stuff some people make...!"
> 
> Not throwing rocks at anyone, I'm just curious why some of you guys want metal lathes and what you think they will do for you? Perhaps their is a notion that they will do magical things a wood lathe won't.



George, you make a valid point there. For the most part I knew what I wanted to do with a metal lathe and one of my fairly firm requirements was variable speed. That was one of the reasons I had originally selected a 7x mini metal lathe. Had been doing heaps of reading on the net on all things to with small metal lathes and also looked at the 9x20 type lathes. When I came across a electronic variable speed 9x20 that also had a camlock tailstock (another of my requirements) I decided to go for it.

One can do all the research in the world however but when you have never used one of these machines before you don't really know what they are capable of.

This was clearly demonstrated when I went through the selection process for a mill, eventually decided that an X2 Mini Mill would do everything I wanted to do, so I bought one in preference to a bigger mill (eg X3).

Then when you get the machine set up and you start using it, you get all sorts of other ideas along the lines of "oh if it can do this, I wonder if it can do that?" Long story short, I am now looking for a bigger mill, as I am sure I would have been looking for a bigger lathe if I had gone for the 7x.

Old story, you can turn little things on a big(ger) lathe, you can't turn big things on a small lathe.


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## workinforwood

I bought my metal lathe because I want to do threading.  Cut my own, not tap and die.  The jet mini can't do it.  There's no way I can set it up for that unless I create or contract out for some expensive remodeling of the machine, and mount a larger motor on it.  I bought a machine far larger than I needed too, but you never know when you might need the extra length and width and if that day comes and you don't have it, then you are screwed.


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## chris99210

The Micro-Mark 7 x 14 sure looks nice.  I recently received a notice that it's currently on sale for $519.95 (a $120 savings over the normal price).  You have to use coupon code W77 at checkout and the sale is only good until noon on Wednesday or while supplies last.  Yeesh, I sound like a salesman for them!!


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## Russianwolf

I agree with George. I've seen some saying that they want a metal lathe because they can't get the fit they are looking for in a wood lathe. Well, a metal lathe isn't necessarily the answer. When I got my first lathe, the bed was cracked and repaired. I knew it flexed a bit, but I was just starting out and the lathe cost $100. I learned more working with that lathe in how to set up and keep tools sharp because if I didn't I'd apply too much force and the flex would come in to play.

When I bought my Griz, it wasn't perfect. But I learned very quickly where the problem lay and was able to adjust it to get the fit on pens that I do now. Now if I can get great fit on my pens with a lathe that some have described as "one of the worse wood lathes on the planet" (as some call all the Griz wood lathes), then why can't you? I'm not special.

The common thing I've seen in all the thread on metal lathes is, the 7x machine are really capable BUT THEY NEED TO BE TUNED. So if you can't tune your wood to get good results, what makes you think tuning the metal lathe will be any easier?

Another difference I've sen in the two conversations. Most people recommend getting the largest/best lathe for what you may eventually decide to make on wood lathes, "If you can afford it get a PM 3520B instead of the jet Mini. Yes, both are nice, and you may only be making pens now, but you'll want to turn a bowl some day." But when people start talking about metal lathes around here, they never seem to think beyond the pens in recommendations.

Now, I'm not the most knowledgeable person on metal lathes. Or wood lathes for that matter. I've looked into the metal machines once or twice before and didn't pull the trigger because the price and the money I had available. Now I'm back in the looking stage as I think I'll have the funds soon. But I'm not looking for a pen only machine, I'm looking for a machine that will allow me to branch out. Heck, I've looked at a couple that I thought "how the H E double hocky sticks will I get that monster into my shop through a Bilco door?" Hopefully I'll have the funds set aside soon and can actually make the dicision.


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## NewLondon88

Russianwolf said:


> Heck, I've looked at a couple that I thought "how the H E double hocky sticks will I get that monster into my shop through a Bilco door?" Hopefully I'll have the funds set aside soon and can actually make the dicision.



Yeah.. those doors can get expensive.. :tongue:


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## snyiper

A metal lathe for me is what limits what I can do. If I have a small lathe I can turn small items bushings,nibs and spacers. If I have a larger lathe that will thread and accept a boring bar I can do even more plus what the smaller lathe can do, now do I need it bigger?  No not really but if I can get bigger at a good price why not? A wood lathe kind of limits you to wood or light metals so you choose what you are going to work on a Metal lathe sets your limits as to what you can do on a larger scale.


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## themartaman

*Metal Lathe*

Clarke from Tractor Supply when they were getting rid of them. Less than $200. Larry


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## alexkuzn

I have finally bit the bullet and ordered PM1236 plus DRO
No more skiprat can torture me with pictures of turning awesome pens on his metalworking lathe


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## rjwolfe3

That would be freaking awesome to own. But you think for that price they could throw in some of the tooling for free, lol. At least the shipping is free, that thing weighs a lot.


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## ldb2000

If all I needed to make Skiprat quality pens was that lathe , I would buy two !!! :biggrin:
Good luck with your new lathe :highfive:


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## alexkuzn

ldb2000 said:


> If all I needed to make Skiprat quality pens was that lathe , I would buy two !!! :biggrin:



I did not say it was all that needed. 
There is a common concept that a "newbie" does not need good equipment and only when he reaches some level of proficiency he is "qualified" for good equipment. 

Totally wrong concept, if you ask me. A beginner needs good equipment even more than a seasoned pro.   
It is another question if it makes sense for a beginner to invest in better equipment. In most cases probably not. 

In my opinion the only positive side of starting with crappy tools is that you learn to appreciate quality tools. Ask me how I know


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## Texatdurango

alexkuzn said:


> I did not say it was all that needed.
> There is a common concept that a "newbie" does not need good equipment and only when he reaches some level of proficiency he is "qualified" for good equipment.
> 
> *Totally wrong concept, if you ask me*. A beginner needs good equipment even more than a seasoned pro.
> It is another question if it makes sense for a beginner to invest in better equipment. In most cases probably not.
> 
> In my opinion the only positive side of starting with crappy tools is that you learn to appreciate quality tools. Ask me how I know


 
Very true.  I had a very good friend who thought very much like me... if he wanted something he bought it!  He didn't think... "Will I use this enough to justify the purchase" or "Am I good enough to utilize the capabilities of the machine".

I hope you have lots of fun learning how to drive that baby!  I wish I had gotten a better lathe now that I am starting to do more threading on the lathe and having to change gears every time I want to change a thread pitch.  My hands look like I'm a grease monkey!


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