OT-Lathes, metal working and wood working, need help...

[awp101]

Need a hand on picking out a lathe. I want to work metal AND wood. Can you do both on the same machine?

Thanks!

[Ray Newman]

Been more than a few yeras since I worked a lathe. & more information will be helpful.

The cost of a lathe generally depends -- in part -- on:

--The length of the bed, which determines how long the work you want to turn is/can be.

--The swing, which determines the diameter you can turn over the bed.

-- Some soft metals -- brass, aluminum, etc. -- can be turned on some wood lathes.

Quality tooling, 3 jaw chucks, etc., aren't inexpensive.

[awp101]

I'll do me best but I'm kind of flying blind here.

Nothing longer than a rifle barrel (say 20-24") and probably a lot shorter for the wood. Diameter of 1" maybe?

I'd like to find a machine that can do both for under 1K or if need be one of each for under 1K total. Does that sound reasonable?

[Andrew]

I'd like to find a machine that can do both for under 1K or if need be one of each for under 1K total. Does that sound reasonable?

Maybe. You should go to http://www.grizzlyimports.com and look at their lathes. The bottom dollar one is a 7"x12" for $525. For the size you stated, this guy should do you very nicely and is actually at your price range. I wouldn't mind having one, that's for sure.

[kirkwood]

Wood lathes aren't suitable for metal work because they typically just come with a tool rest. They can't do threading and indexing very precise work. It is possible to modify a metal lathe to do wood turning by making a tool rest. I personally would get 2 separate lathes unless you have a space problem. A good place to shop for old lathes is at state property auctions.

[awp101]

Maybe. You should go to http://www.grizzlyimports.com and look at their lathes. The bottom dollar one is a 7"x12" for $525. For the size you stated, this guy should do you very nicely and is actually at your price range. I wouldn't mind having one, that's for sure.

Thanks, that looks interesting!

This one has been suggested on another board:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=45861

[Hobie]

Somebody here on the forum uses a Smithy... There used to be a product called the Unimat. I don't think the Unimat is made now. There are all the import lathes. Also, there is a machinist forum with a gunsmithing subforum.

[JerryB]

Hobie was the Unimat and the Shopsmith the same?

[Andrew]

Hobie was the Unimat and the Shopsmith the same?

No. The Shopsmith is a mutli-tool woodworking machine and the Unimat is a rudimentary mini lathe for basic turning jobs.

Shopsmith

Unimat

[GANJIRO]

Wood lathes aren't suitable for metal work because they typically just come with a tool rest. They can't do threading and indexing very precise work. It is possible to modify a metal lathe to do wood turning by making a tool rest. I personally would get 2 separate lathes unless you have a space problem. A good place to shop for old lathes is at state property auctions.

Amen to kirkwood, If you have to get just one lathe a metal lathe turns wood much better than a wood lathe would metal but either way you're compromising. As suggested get both type starting with the one you need most. I've been turning wood for 12 years and I would never consider turning metal with it.

[20cows]

I have HF 9x20. It does have some short-comings, but most can be fixed by parts you ccan make on the lathe.

These websites are invaluable.

http://www.bedair.org/9x20.html

http://www.mini-lathe.com/

I like it.

[perry owens]

As far as I know all the 7 x 12 mini-lathes available in the USA are made in the same factory in China (Seig), so you can make your choice on price and/or color. If you can find one made by Real Bull they have a reputation for better quality than Seig.
If you want to do barrel work, depending on what you want to do you might be limited by what will go through the spindle hole, usually 3/4in maximum. lathes are like guns - once you have one you find a load of must-have accessories for them. The most useful one I have is a vertical milling attachment. http://www.littlemachineshop.com/
is a great site for tooling and info on mini-lathes. I machine plastics on mine but I wouldn't insult it by chucking a piece of wood in it. For $1k I am sure you could get a mini-lathe and a woodturning lathe. Don't forget to get a bench grinder as well or your turning tools will be short-lived.
Perry Owens

[salvo]

awp101, I have a Smithy it works very well for my needs. It has a lathe, mill and drill press in one. I just use it as a lathe & mill and bought a separate drill press because changing out the mill head to drill chuck is a pain in the but. Going from lathe to mill is a snap though.

[Old Ironsights]

What I want is a small footprint programable screw machine that will take up to .50 round stock...

that doesn't cost as much as my house.

[KCSO]

I started with an old 6" Atlas and currentlyy use a South Bend 10". In between I have used a Smithy 3 in 1 and a Grizzly 12"/ I also have a Delta woood lathe. Bona Fides out of the way here goes... You don't want to try and use one lathe for metal and wood except in the most limited circumstance. Woood is turned at much higher speeds than metal and metal lathes are not designed to run at high speed. In addition wood dust will rust the heck out of a lathe in short order. You will get real tired real soon of scrubbig wood dust from the innards of your metal lathe. They did make a wood conversion set for both the Atlas and the South Bend metal lathes but each came with a warning to clean and not to run at high spped for extended use. The nice thing is that once you have a metaal lathe you can make a wood lathe from scrap iron real easy.

Now on to metal lathes. For gunsmithing you need to decide how big of a project you intend to do. IIf you face and thread muzzleloading barrles 40" long you might need a longer bed than if you are working on a 45 ACP. A Smithy 3 in 1 is a usefull tool for the hobbiest but not if you want to do business. The set up time changing from drill to mill to lathe eats up all the profit. In addition change gear lathes are good for a hobbiest but not for someone in business. The ability to go from threading to turning by moving a lever is a big help. You allso need to decide how much threading you want to do as a lot of the cheaper China lathes are not good at holding a thread. I have a friend who saved his old Logan when he bought a new JJet just because the Loogan held a better thread. For the balance of gun and parts work anything over a 9X20 with a 1" hoole through the headstock will do most all you need. I would like a larger hole through the headstock on my Sough bend but it makes such clean cuts and threads so nicely that i will probably heep it forever. The bad news is that a used South Bend will cost more than 3 China jobs and a rebuilt S/B is over $20,000. If I had to buy a new metal lathe tomorrow I would probably go with the Grizzly Gunsmiith Special.

[Andrew]

Wood is turned at much higher speeds than metal and metal lathes are not designed to run at high speed. In addition wood dust will rust the heck out of a lathe in short order. You will get real tired real soon of scrubbig wood dust from the innards of your metal lathe. .....The nice thing is that once you have a metal lathe you can make a wood lathe from scrap iron real easy.

Hmm, I had never thought of the wood dust. That is very true, dust gets everywhere and collects moisture. And the building a wood lathe with the metal lathe is a good one.

[O.S.O.K.]

Andrew, I'm thinking along the same lines and based on Salvo's experience, I'm planning on going with the appropriate sized Smithy. They've been around for a long time and there many on the used equipment market, so you can get a good piece of equipment for much less than $1000 - but they are around that brand new now!

[awp101]

Thanks all! All I want is something to do minor hobby stuff with. For example, the wood lathe would be for turning blanks for knife handles, etc. The metal lathe would be used for small jobs I might run across in the house, for the car, maybe crowning or threading on occasion, not as a living or even a side job.

If I ever hit the lottery, then I'm buying a warehouse down the street and having the big boy CNC stuff brought in.

Hey, I could afford it along with the classes to use it!

[marlinman93]

Wood lathes don't work for metal, but metal lathes can be darn good for wood. I use a plate with a piece of pipe welded to the back and turned round in my metal lathe for projects that need wood turning. I have numerous holes drilled in the plate and just screw a block of wood to the plate and chuck it into my metal lathe's chuck. I have a steady rest that fits the tool rest on my metal lathe, and makes it easier to turn wood.
After I'm done it takes about 30 minutes to vacuum up the wood shavings, remove the wood attachments, and I'm back to metal working. I've ejust got a cheap Chinese metal lathe and mill, but they do OK for most of my projects. When I retire and have more time, I'll sell them and get something a bit better.