Another mini lathe question

[MrWolf]

I have been toying with the idea of getting a metal lathe. Zero experience and a bad back and neck so I cannot spend a lot of time at it.

I keep getting a 25% off coupon from Harbor Freight for one item with basically no exceptions. I have mentioned getting them before but no idea how long they will keep sending them to me before they give up trying to get me back to buy. I know their stuff is mostly junk and will require a lot of cleaning up, etc. and will need upgrades.

The store near me only has the 7x10 in stock (must be in stock for coupon at store). I could get it for $563 ($750 less 25%). Little Machine Shop sells a16" bed extender for $220. I know there are other upgrades required. Guess my question, assuming I can convince myself I can take a lot of time doing the upgrade work, is would I be better off just getting a better machine as suggested in the recent table top lathe recommendation thread? I would be doing gunsmith related work primarily. Would the 7x even handle barrels?

Looking to make use of the coupon before it's no longer going to be offered to me. I could always find another use for it but I typically wait until the weather is better so I have to decide soon. I have been going back and forth on the lathe question in my head for a very long time now. I do not have to buy anything now, this is just an opportunity and we all know prices are not coming down anytime soon, if ever.

Thanks,

Ron

[zymguy]

No amount of money will take a harbor freight mini lathe to where itd be a good option for chambering a barrel. Even if you got it to fit youd still need more horsepower and rigidity. I think 10 inch swing is probably a good starting point . I put my coupon toward the buffing wheel

[Preacher Jim]

That HF lathe was what a young fellow here bought. It helped him do a few things but 6 months later it was replaced by a used craftsman metal lathe and at same price he paid for the HF.

[Reg]

Try to find an older used Logan. Very solid and lots of parts out there. Remember, you will spend as much or more for tooling. Then start to read and there are lots of You Tube videos out there so it’s education time and you never stop learning.

[Bent Ramrod]

Spend your coupon on the best Harbor Freight bench grinder that they offer. The one I got was large, yellow and comes with its own light. So far the only casualties have been the little plastic spark guards on the thing. I wear safety glasses instead.

It’s run like a top for easily the last 20 years and is indispensable for grinding lathe tools, which you will need to do. A lot. The little Black&Decker I had before that would slow down with any grinding pressure at all; this one doesn’t.

If you want to make small parts, a bench lathe like the Atlas 6” x 20” with milling attachments should do you well for occasional use. I’ve used mine since the 80s and have yet to damage any of “those pot metal gears” that generate so many mentions. On the other hand, I generally run it at the lowest speed and feed, and take 0.010” cuts (0.005” on a side) at maximum. They show up on Craig’s List and other places. You have to change the gears by hand, but you can reproduce any weird thread that the gun in question might have. You’re not going to need “production” here, anyway; for the amateur hobbyist, slow and steady is the way to go.

If you want to do rifle barrels, you’ll need a 36” travel lathe, preferably with a 1-1 2” hole through the headstock. I guess some of these could be called “bench lathes” but the bench needed would be pretty sizable. I’ve managed to thread a 20” barrel on my Atlas, by desperation measures, but it’s better to have the right tool, if you plan to do such jobs on a regular basis. The little Harbor Freight is way too small for that, although pistol barrels might work.

I’ve never used one of the little Harbor Freight lathes, but I believe they offer a 3-year guarantee at a small extra cost. This should ensure some leeway if you do break something on it. The only other Harbor Freight machine I’ve bought is their least expensive horizontal/vertical band saw, and, although it does have its quirks, it’s been reliable and well worth the price.

[MrWolf]

Kinda what I thought that it would not really handle what I would want to do. Craigslist and such is not really an option out here as we are pretty rural. Nearest decent city is 45 minutes away in Winchester, VA. which is basically my limit in driving before it starts getting painful. I already have a grinder with stand. I will probably have to get a new machine when the time comes, probably from Grizzly or such and have it shipped. I still have plenty of projects and was just thinking to use the coupon if feasible. Like everything else, cry once and get something that maybe my son would use someday.

Thanks folks.

Ron

[country gent]

I will say this I have the 7x10 here its size is limiting small spindle bore short bed. But its not the machine that makes the craftsman its the craftsman that makes the machine. Learning to use the machine take the play out and set up takes time. It dosnt take long to learn chips are sharp and hot. The little lathes have their place and can do amazing work in the right hands. A bigger heavier machine will do more faster but also costs more, is harder to move, and more dangerous if you make a mistake.
My 7 x 10 HF weighs roughly 60 lbs can be moved by hand and stored on a shelf. My 14/18 x 40 nardinni weighs 3500 lbs and requires a toe jack and skates to move. When we moved trhe big drill in (7500 lbs) the bill was $ 1600.00 and almost 6 hours work.

If you can find a little sheldon, Logan, atlas, South bend, evenb Harrison monarch, you will pay a little more and have a heavier machine. An uncle had a 6 X 18 sheldon lathe still had the small spindle bore but the machine also weighed a couple hundred pounds, took a couple men to move it.

Buy the mini get started and learn. If you like it and enjoy it upgrade the mini will still be handy when the new machine is set up or you need a part for what your making on it.

[jss227]

Check out the Vevor lathes on Amazon. I have the 210x800 (8.3x32 inch). I paid $900 for it a little over a year ago. The best part that I like is the thru bore is 1.6 inches, a lot bigger than most bench top lathes.

[rbuck351]

I have a 7x10 HF lathe that I converted to 7x14. The spindle bore is about 7/8" and to small for most barrels. The 14" bed is also to short to chamber anything but a pistol barrel. I have an atlas 10 x 36 to do the longer stuff but it also has a small spindle bore. I haven't seen the Vevor 210x800 but at that price and with a 1.6 spindle bore it sounds like a lot better lathe for barrel work.

[bimus]

I'm sure glad I did not get a mini lathe three years ago I almost did. I ended up with a 9 x 48 Southbend Junior the thru bore is only 7/8 there is plenty of room between centers 36 inches I found myself making a 16-inch UZI barrel and no way I could have done it without using the thru bore. My next lathe will be larger.

[uscra112]

I would not buy that Amazon lathe. At that price it is almost 100% certain that it will ship direct from China, with nit for quality control. You might wait a month or more to get it. After-sale support will be zero.

Having been in the machine tool rebuilding business for a dozen years I would warn that buying a used machine is risky unless you know how to evaluate spindle bearings, alignments, guideway and leadscrew wear, und-und-und. Many if not most sellers won't want you poring over the machine with test bars and dial indicators, either.

Personally, I have a South Bend 10" Heavy that I bought for barrel work. But I use my mini much more often, since most of what I do now is more conveniently done on the small machine. So decide up front whether barrel work is going to be in your mix. If not, then a mini is your best bet by far. Less space needed, less expensive tooling, easier installation & setup, etc. As a hobbyist, even at my peak I did only 2 or 3 barrels a year. For the 6-7 years before I bought the South Bend, I got a lot done to advance my hobby.

[jss227]

I would not buy that Amazon lathe. At that price it is almost 100% certain that it will ship direct from China, with nit for quality control. You might wait a month or more to get it. After-sale support will be zero.

It did ship from China, from the same factory as all the other mini lathes. The ways are hardened and true, plenty of aftermarket goodies, and everything lined up straight from the crate. As with any small lathe, take your time.

[country gent]

My little HF 7 x 10 takes some attention to detail and careful work but it will do .001 The clausing wanna be 12 x 40 and nardinni are much better and easier. but also much bigger heavier and powerful.
Its the craftsman using the machine that makes the quality of the parts.

When you get into the used industrial machines and even the bigger hobby machines you get into new issues of moving them, size area needed, cost of tooling, moving tooling, ( The 12" 4 jaw chuck for the nardinni weighs around 80 lbs.). But the 12 x 40 has a 1 1/2' spindle bore and the nardinnis is over 2" The bigger spindles and tapers tooling is more expensive. most of the Minis use a 5/16 square HSS tool costs about 2.00 my bigger lathes are 1/2 or 5/8 and 10-12.00 apiece.

For the person who wants to get their feet wet and make some small parts jewelry trinkets the minis are great. I would set the grandsons on my lap eye protection and we would make tops yo-yos and such. They had a ball. I had my son running a bridgeport at 9 years old cutting out his pine wood derby car. I borrowed a friends mill and we went there. My friend was watching and he got a big kick watching the son run the mill.

[lead chucker]

I have a 7x14 from little machine shop and like it. Its a good lathe to learn on and has served me well.
They also sell every part for it which is nice. I would love to have a bigger lathe but dont have room for one. Some day maybe. Learn on a small lathe and then decide if its for you and go from there. A lathe to me is quite useful and a lot of fun and lots of late nights making things. Been working on making a mini cannon with mine right now.

[zymguy]

I have a 7x14 from little machine shop and like it. Its a good lathe to learn on and has served me well.
They also sell every part for it which is nice. I would love to have a bigger lathe but dont have room for one. Some day maybe. Learn on a small lathe and then decide if its for you and go from there. A lathe to me is quite useful and a lot of fun and lots of late nights making things. Been working on making a mini cannon with mine right now.

I agree IF you want to learn on a lathe. many parts and many many lessons in the smaller lathes . However if you want to chamber and thread barrels thats pert near 1000 bucks id save for more lathe . Gritters rods , bushings , travel indicators , dial indicators , magnetic bases youll use on any lathe , could start there

[GregLaROCHE]

I started with a 7x14 mini lathe. Unfortunately, I bought the least expensive I could find, because it looked like they were made by the same manufacturer. Was I ever wrong! I learned a lot with it and now have a full size lathe, also from China. A 7x14 can do a lot, but get a good one.
Don’t forget that the lathe is only half the cost the other is the cost of the tools to be used with it.

By back isn’t as young as it once was. I do almost all of my lathe and mill work sitting on a tall stool. It makes all the difference in the world. I go 4-5 hours at a time, that I could never do if I had to be standing.

[nuclearcricket]

Pretty much all of the 7X lathes come out of the same factory, Seig I think. The 7x10 is so short you will have problems drilling holes as you run out of bed length. I have a 7x14 I got from MicroMark. I am happy with it for the most part. I have replaced the tool holder 2 times, the first one was ok the second is all steel and I am very happy with it.
I have adjusted the gibs several times, thats just normal wear, as the surfaces are not ground so they do wear. A good 7mm wrench is very handy when making the adjustments. I have replaced the spindle bearings with tapered roller bearings, made a world of difference. For most turning, boring, threading operations the lathe is pretty good. Mine is old enough it has the AC motor and when cutting coarse threads or threads on a large diameter at low rpm the lathe will bog a bit at the start of the cut. I have gotten used to it so I only take a .001 deep cut each pass. I went with the MM lathe because it came with English screws on the cross and compound.
One area where these lathes do king of lack is in parting off stock. Under an inch isn't pretty easy, but when you get up to the 2" plus range you will have problems with it chattering and stalling. It is lacking both on horse power and rigidity for steel that size. I have recently addressed that problem by buying a saw for when I need to work on stuff that big.
Something you really should have on hand with these little lathes is some very good Way lube. You will not use all that much of it so a pint will last quite a long time. One place it is very important to use a good quality lube is on the gear train for the lead screw. There are 2 gears that mount to a sleeve and ride on a stud. These would be gears B and C. Its important to keep lube on that stud. If not it will cause bad things to happen when you really don't want it to. Best advice is, you make a change to your gear train, a drop of oil is your very best friend. All but 2 of the gears in the train are plastic, my lathe is about 10 years old or so, stil have the original gears and non have any broken teeth.
For small work, these lathes can and will do a very good job.The may not be the fasted lathe to use on some projects but they will get the job done. They are a good lathe to learn on. If you can master things on these small lathes, the move up to something bigger will be much easier and hopefully you have made the bulk of your mistakes on the small lathe and carry lessons learned forward if or when you move up.
Sam

[country gent]

Theres a trick to sitting on a stool running machines, you dont actually sit with your feet up on a rung.Stand in front keep your feet on the floor and just rest on about 2-3" of the edge of the seat. Keep your back straight. this dosnt restrict reach or vision. But it still gives good support.

Most arnt going to jump straight to doing barrel work they will do little projects building confidence up, and deciding if they want to continue. Most will start with small projects making odds and end tooling for their machines and benches. The mini lathe is a good starting place you can learn the basics and principles make some nice things then if you upgrade you still have it for those times when a second machine is needed. When sleeving a bore I set up the part and bore it to size required and dept. Then go to the second lathe turn the bushing to press and length bore to with in .050 and then press in with tail stock on the 1 st machine then bore to size. this saves one set up.

Most new operators are scared of the 4 jaw chuck the mini with one will teach how useful it is. A journeyman can have a 4 jaw running with in .001 in 2 minutes or so with out breaking a sweat. Same with adjusting a tail stock to true or an angle. Here most minis have the adjustment underneath not on the sides.

What the person starting out needs to learn the most is work piece and tool holding. Its not always chuck it up and go. Then its speeds and feeds.
As I said most are afraid of the 4 jaw chuck and threading for a beginner is scary when you hit the half nut and it starts feeding at around .050 per revolution.

[uscra112]

One relatively easy project for the small lathe is custom dies for the Lubrisizer.

[GregLaROCHE]

The mini lathe forging may come from the same foundry, but different companies machine and assemble them. That’s where the quality control and prices come in.