Metal Workers: Advice on a mini metal mill/lathe

[Zofryer]

I'm kinda getting very serious about this habit, and I'm considering going much further with design. As much as I like Magic Sculpt, I want to design things that survive a 20 foot drop. I've been looking at this:

5" x 7" Mini Combo Lathe/Mill at Bolton Hardware

Anybody used this one? If not, what have you used and what do you recommend?

Thanks In Advance

 

[Ataki]

I'm not very familiar with these small "tabletop" setups, but it does seem a bit low on power. It may do the job just fine for aluminum or soft steel, but don't expect alot of precision, and make small cuts, with multiple passes. Just take your time..It will help. When it comes to machine tools, you very often get exactly what you pay for.

 

[Zofryer]

I'm not very familiar with these small "tabletop" setups, but it does seem a bit low on power. It may do the job just fine for aluminum...

I'd be working entirely in aluminum. Thanks!

 

[Ataki]

I'd be working entirely in aluminum. Thanks!

Should be good, just remember to go slow, make shallow cuts and watch the piece close..Aluminum is softer then you think when you set a tool to it, and it really sucks to dig a bit in and stall the machine, ruining the piece you were just about to finish. (Don't ask how I know )

 

[Carlos49]

Zofryer: Man you are getting serious ... I've been looking at the same thing..LOL

 

[Zben504]

I'm a machinist by trade, defintitely check to see if you can put a collet attachment on that lathe. It'll help keep your part spin true, and it'll make your life a lot easier if your just trying a lathe for the first time.

 

[CanyonRunner]

I'm a machinist by trade, defintitely check to see if you can put a collet attachment on that lathe. It'll help keep your part spin true, and it'll make your life a lot easier if your just trying a lathe for the first time.

I'm guessing item "G" in the picture is for attaching collets?? It doesn't look like any collets come with the lathe though.

Zofryer:

I'm not a machinist, but I do own a 16" x 105" lathe. (a very old one) . I am a Farmer, and this lathe has saved me a lot of money in parts over the years.

The description doesn't really give enough information. Some things that I question are:

1- Distance between centers:7". I know a small lathe is what you want, but 7" is just not much room...What if you want to put a drill bit in the tailstock?

2- Spindle Speeds: 5(560-2500 RPM). A minimum speed of 560 rpm is fine for aluminum, in fact you will probably want to use an even faster speed for turning aluminum, but for cutting threads, 560 is going to seem REALLY fast. You are going to have to engage and disengage the the long feed at precisely the right time for 6 or 8 reps (as the threads get deeper)...560 is going to make you real nervous . I like to cut threads at 150 to 200 rpm.

3- Tailstok (not my spelling) quill travel: 7/10". 7/10 of an inch? Not gonna be able to drill anything from the tailstock. This is only for setting a center.

Mill/Drill Specifications:

1- Spindle to Table Distance(Min-Max): 5"-7". Not sure if this means that the total vertical drill/mill spindle travel is only two inches?

Jeez...seems like I'm pickin' on the poor thing now...just some things to think about. I do think it would be fun to play around with.

Oh, and no matter how big of a machine you get, it will be too small for the second job you want to do with it.

 

[tfbncc]

Hi, this is my first post here. I've been lurking and reading up on e-cigs. I owned and used a mini lathe and mill for the last 5 years and I thought my experience would be helpful.

I would advise against a combination lathe/mill. Especially one that is this small. You will find your work space crowded by the overhanging mill head. And for the type of work you are planning on doing, you will find out that 7" between centers will probably be too short. While the distance between centers may be 7", the distance that you can move the truck and saddle (the assembly that moves along the track holding your tools) will be very limited as the truck tends to either be blocked by the tailstock or gets too close to the spinning chuck. And things will get real exciting if you contact the truck with the chuck at 1200 rpm, even with a low power motor. Check out some of the 7" x 12" mini lathes sold by Harbor Freight Tools, Grizzly, Micro Mark, and on Ebay (They are all made by the same factory in China, Xieg) so the name doesn't really matter. Also, be aware that once you buy a lathe and/or milling machine, the price of tooling and accessories may equal or exceed the original price of the machine. They are a very addictive hobby. If you are not budget limited, Taig and Sherline are American made tools with outstanding reputations for longevity and accuracy. I owned a Taig lathe and loved it. Also the Taig comes standard with a drilling tailstock instead of a screw tailstock so it works well as a horizontal boring machine.

Hope this helps.
Ray

 

[sio2]

I'm an artist who uses a fair amount of machining in my work. I work on a 9x20 grizzly, and it is ok. I've been fairly happy with it. Unfortunately I couldn't fit a Southbend in my Brooklyn apartment.

I'll echo Rays point, dual purpose machines aren't usually that good at either purpose. 7" between centers is very, very small. In fact I think I have a jewelers lathe that is slightly bigger than that, and that thing is tiny. 7x12's or 7x14's are decent machines and you will be much happier with one of those. Once you get one picked out, a great site to get some attachments and accessories is littlemachineshop.com. Their service is really excellent. I use my drill press for light machining. Not nearly as good as a mill, but it is rare that I need one.

 

[jeffakamax]

I've got a SMITHY at home. For the $, they work damn well. It's not a Briggeport by any means, but it does well for its size.

Edit: The mill head swings out of the way as not to encumber the lathe.

 

[Zofryer]

Thanks for the input guys. This gave me the information I needed to continue research. It's the kind of thing I'll spend a few months on before getting something. I'm still collecting "unique feature" mods people are selling first. Nothing beats having a working example to determine the value of a given feature. Once I know what features appeal to me, I'm going to eventually make my take on an indestructible, feature rich, hand crafted beauty.

PS: I still have one more Magic Sculpt mod in me, and I'll be doing either video or pictures to show exactly how I make it. This will be a slight departure from the ErgoLump, but the fabrication steps will work for any weird shape you want to make.