Mini Lathe Harbor Freight Question

[bangerjim]

The small lathes would not exist if there wasn’t a market for them...............or the lack of money!


More power to those that can squeeze their machining needs into a small room and out of small power tools. I have over 1,500+ SQFT of shop space between my 2 shops and it is full of power and hand tools and multiple work benches. But I also have friends that run their small tool operations (model making) literally out of a double door closet in their bedroom!!!! Everything stores & folds away to make room for the next tool operation needed. Reminds me of the old ShopSmith I started out with over 45+ years ago. Bought it and ALL the attachments ever made for it for $65 at a garage sale. Changing tool set-ups took more time & work than making the actual project itself. That is why I made it a goal/vow 40 years ago to have individual separate stationary tools for each and ever step of a project (metal & wood)....and the space to put & use them in.

But whatever it takes to keep a person happy is good! Very good.

I know I am happy.

Happy Machining!

banger

[Jeff Michel]

I have had smaller lathes and still have a Myford Super 7 and use it occasionally, and yes they do have place, especially if your just getting started . I think that before you shell out your money on a HF (Chinese) unit, you might consider a Sherline, compact, powerful for their size and there is a ton of accessories available. Made in the US as well and that doesn't hurt either. They are so cute, I've almost impulsed bought one half a dozen times, but I need another lathe like another hole in the head (five currently). You might find out that a little one will do everything you need done but as other people have warned, it does get under your skin and as your interest and your skill increases, the need for a bigger lathe or a milling machine will become your newest obsession. Good luck with your hunt.

[bangerjim]

There is a difference between that ChiCom stuff HF peddles and your Myford! I have both and the Myford is a BIG lathe in a small package. Built like their larger brothers, they have all the rigidity, accuracy, and capability only in a smaller footprint and capacity. The fit-n-feel-n-finish of the Myford reigns supreme over any ChiCom garbage except the big high-end lathes they make over there.

[Traffer]

There is a difference between that ChiCom stuff HF peddles and your Myford! I have both and the Myford is a BIG lathe in a small package. Built like their larger brothers, they have all the rigidity, accuracy, and capability only in a smaller footprint and capacity. The fit-n-feel-n-finish of the Myford reigns supreme over any ChiCom garbage except the big high-end lathes they make over there.

There is a guy on youtube who has a myford and a 7x mini. Half the stuff he makes on the myford is mods for the mini. I think that's funny. That's the way hobbies are though. Like making bird houses. I know people who make them that would pay people to take them so they would have room to make more. It's just fun. But I don't have to tell reloaders that.

[Ozark mike]

This is the absolute smallest i would go and that i recommend. Since i dont think i can post a link just google this

Grizzly G0768 - 8" x 16" Variable-Speed Benchtop Lathe

[Traffer]

Gentlemen, for your viewing consideration. One thing I will say is that the quality of Chinese Mini lathes VARY a great deal. This is one of the really bad ones. It is not a Harbor Freight unit. They all look the same and probably had the beds and major castings made in the same place. But after that. There is a huge difference in quality. My HF looks very similar with only a different switch setup and power button. But mine worked well out of the box. Screws were tight and things were put together correctly. It still needed the bevy of mods.
But this video will testify to just about every argument FOR and AGAINST these things. There is another guy who modded his to run CNC. But he uses language that will get me suspended so I can't post his videos. I think this one is safe:

[bangerjim]

Remember——————-a metal lathe is the only machine tool that can make most parts and accessories for ITSELF! I restored most of the parts on an old 12” craftsman back gear screw cutting lathe using the lathe itself. Only thing I could not make was the lead screw which I touched up with a square needle file. This thing was a horrible pile of junk when given to me. My 1st metal lathe 47 years ago. Sold it years later for $850 and in almost 100% new condition! Had to buy 5 gears from Craftsman back in the day when they actually sold real tools and parts. Today I could easily cut all those needed gears on my milling machines.

[Ozark mike]

You can cut gears and lead screws on a lathe. need an indexer for the gears

[bangerjim]

You can cut gears and lead screws on a lathe. need an indexer for the gears

Yes, you can, but a poor man's (somewhat inaccurate) way of doing it. Back then I did not possess the sets of index plates or the several index tables/indexers I now have. I cut gears now with a CNC indexer on a milling machine the way it should be done for accuracy and precision. Years ago I cut a special metric gear for my SB tool room lathe so I could cut a special metric thread for restoration project on the lathe it was to be used on! Used a indexer on the head stock. Should have just bought it and saved myself a lot of headaches! (These days, if I can buy something I need already made, I just do it.)

A LONG lead screw with precision cut ACME square threads is a bit more tricky on an old clunker lathe that could hardly take a clean path from head to tail stock! That's why I cleaned the old one up and waited to order one. Not that expensive from Clausing/Craftsman back 40+ years ago.

For most lathe operations you really do not need the lead screw. I rarely use power feeds and power cross feeds, unless it is a l-o-n-g finishing cut. But threading definitely does require a lead screw. I never use power when threading...built a manual handle adapter for the head-stock and just take it slow and easy for perfect threads every time.

A metal lathe lathe is the most valuable tool one could have in a machine shop.

[Mr_Sheesh]

bangerjim - "a metal lathe is the only machine tool that can make most parts and accessories for ITSELF!" - If you include the modern 3d metal sintering printers, and the filament deposition ones, not quite true, but still mostly true

I need to move so I can have a place to work (I seem to remember that it's called a "shop"?) Apartment life bites. I am envious of you folks' machine tools here, plus the rest of your shops' contents LOL

[bangerjim]

I don't really consider 3D printers as machine tools, even though I have one. Prints the odd off part I need out of plastic, but I know there ones that cost as much as a house that do metal and they are becoming more prevalent in industry. I have done several recent webinars from 3D printer companies on the subject.....very interesting where tech is going!

The 3D digital files are what are a PITA for most but AutoCad-ish engineers. And the slow speed is a killer.

Here's hoping you can find more space!

[McFred]

there is a 8 x 16 lathe with a 1.5 bore on fleabay...not sure how solid, but would be suitable for a lot of smaller jobs. there are several sites that go into improving the chi com defects, so some work, and alittle more money, and you have a servicable lathe...according to them. i am planning to get one, so i'll try to remember to let everyone know when i do, probably a few months from now.

Like many ChiCom mini lathes, Those 8 x 16s are a bit of a project, but not too bad once it's cleaned, straightened up/modded:

http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/vi...?f=10&t=139536

And nearly a Ø1.5" spindle bore when means the short(er) bed is less of an issue when working on centers. Add an AXA tool post and some ER collet capability and it gets even nicer.

[bangerjim]

One thing nobody has mentioned is quick change gears! A bit out of the price range of those cheap ChiCom mini's but well worth the upgrade to a decent machine. I ran a manual back gear change lathe for years and always longed for a QCG lathe. Then I ran into my gently used SB tool room lathe! OMG what a dream. No more digging thru a drawer to find the right gears, looking up the gears needed, positioning them on the spider, and then aligning them and hoping I got the right gears in the right position. Then cleaning off all the grease mess on my hands!!!!!

With QCG lathe, if I want to cut 14TPI, I just move 2 levers and............there it is!. Same with feed speeds, need 0.002"/rev, just move the two levers and bingo! Granted you are looking at a bunch more money new, but it is nice to know what to look for in used tools.

Just some advice for the wise tool shopper.

[Traffer]

One thing nobody has mentioned is quick change gears! A bit out of the price range of those cheap ChiCom mini's but well worth the upgrade to a decent machine. I ran a manual back gear change lathe for years and always longed for a QCG lathe. Then I ran into my gently used SB tool room lathe! OMG what a dream. No more digging thru a drawer to find the right gears, looking up the gears needed, positioning them on the spider, and then aligning them and hoping I got the right gears in the right position. Then cleaning off all the grease mess on my hands!!!!!

With QCG lathe, if I want to cut 14TPI, I just move 2 levers and............there it is!. Same with feed speeds, need 0.002"/rev, just move the two levers and bingo! Granted you are looking at a bunch more money new, but it is nice to know what to look for in used tools.

Just some advice for the wise tool shopper.

You may find this interesting...

[bangerjim]

Interesting concept for techies, but I know there is a lot of drive power needed to move the carriage assembly up and down the ways and I would not trust precision threading to a stepper motor and processor trying to drive it accurately. Even that little mini lathe requires a bit of power to move the carriage! And with non-precision ways, the problem compounds itself.

Thanks for the link. Very interesting.

[Traffer]

Sorry for all the videos. Watching videos is about all I can do nowadays. In response to Bangerjim...He did go to a servo instead of a stepper for more power (I think that's correct) . This guy is truly a wiz kid. He makes these control setups and sells them now. Lot's of folks have gone to electronic lead screws now. He has many videos on just this project.

[Tokarev]

You cannot thread barrels in one pass on a 8x12 lathe. You need multiple passes. In order to do multiple passes, you need a thread indicator that actually works. If your lathe has it and you tested and proved that it works, power to you.

[bangerjim]

Right!!!! You NEVER cut threads in one pass, even on a big beefy machine. Unless you want rough mangled threads. Power threading on a lathe is a learned/developed skill. And you MUST have an accurate threading dial with minimum hysteresis.

I have been threading on a lathe for over 40 years. It is easy and fun......if you know what you are doing. And especially if you have a quick change gear lathe! Practice makes perfect. Always practice on a same-size scrap if you are new at the game B4 ruining your project.

banger

[Tokarev]

Yes, you can actually cut nice threads in "one" pass, if you have a beefy lathe and proper tools.
In production, it is done in one rough pass and another smooth pass. No one can afford multiple passes these days.
But it just does not work with hobby lathes. Probably on aluminum, but never on steel.

[bangerjim]

In production ,it is done in one rough pass and another smooth pass.

That count equals TWO passes in my book! HA....ha! On smaller lathes you can generally get by with 3 or 4 passes and then a finish pass. We are not talking production environments in our little home shops here, so let's just say you should not cut threads in one pass. It all depends on the depth/number of threads and the quality you want to end up with. Cutting a 4/40 thread is a whole lot different than cutting a 1-8 or 1½-6 and larger thread.