Show Us Your Lathe

deere_x475guy · Nov 12, 2007

Man has it been fun looking through everyones lathes and shops. I could spend all day looking at this stuff....

Here is my current lathe. I started out with a 7 x 10 mini and sold it to add money to get a 9 x 20. Sold that to get money to get the 13 x 40 I have now. I am actually planning on getting another 7 x 10 after the first of the year to do the very small parts that the higher speed will help.

rake60 · Nov 12, 2007

Nice machine Bob!

I find myself thinking of buying a mini lathe again to supplement my shop.
Same as you stated, I started out small and gradually got bigger.
Spinning a 1/8" rod at 300 feet per minute would require a speed of
9168RPM. I'm not about to spin a 7" chuck that speed!
Not MY 7" chuck anyway. :lol:

Harbor Freight has a 4 X 5" Micro Lathe listed in their current catalog.
I need to get to get to their local retail store and give it a good looking
over to see what it could be turned into.

Rick

deere_x475guy · Nov 12, 2007

Thanks Rake, I just downloaded the manual for that little guy. No mention of the taper in the tailstock that I could find. I imagine it is a mt1. Let me know what you think of it if you get a chance to see it first hand.

1Kenny · Nov 12, 2007

I would also like to know what your thoughts on it Rake.

rake60 · Nov 12, 2007

Well the Wife is wanting to go Christmas shopping to Altoona PA.
There's a Harbor Freight store there.
Just because I'm patient husband I'll allow her all the time she desires.
I'll stay out of her shopping frenzy ways by spending the day at
Harbor Freight...
Perhaps I take both the back seats out of her mini van the night before.
Just in case SHE over shops. :wink: :lol:

Rick

shred · Nov 13, 2007

rake60 said:
Nice machine Bob!

I find myself thinking of buying a mini lathe again to supplement my shop.
Same as you stated, I started out small and gradually got bigger.
Spinning a 1/8" rod at 300 feet per minute would require a speed of
9168RPM. I'm not about to spin a 7" chuck that speed!
Not MY 7" chuck anyway. :lol:

Harbor Freight has a 4 X 5" Micro Lathe listed in their current catalog.
I need to get to get to their local retail store and give it a good looking
over to see what it could be turned into.

Rick

If that's the same HF microlathe I saw one day at the HF store (I go past one on my way home every day.. :shock: ) , I wasn't very impressed, though that one looks less plasticky than what I remember. Another to check out is the Taig.. small and ~$150 for the basic kit. The headstock is good to 10K RPM. A 3" chuck is about as big as can fit. http://www.cartertools.com is the place to go for those.

cfellows · Nov 13, 2007

shred said:
rake60 said:

Rick

Click to expand...

Another to check out is the Taig.. small and ~$150 for the basic kit. The headstock is good to 10K RPM. A 3" chuck is about as big as can fit. http://www.cartertools.com is the place to go for those.

I bought a Taig brand new with most of the tooling. Haven't used it much but it is incredibly accurate.

Chuck

cfellows · Nov 13, 2007

Here's a picture of my 1952 Logan 11 1/2" lathe. I bought it in Fort Worth Texas about 15 years ago for $100. I completely rebuilt it, including a $300 regrind of the lathe bed (OK, so the lathe has a few miles on it since the rebuild!).

I added 1.5hp DC motor with a variac for speed control. I also converted the flat belt headstock pulley to a 3/8" pitch timing pully. I made the headstock pully and included a 24 hole indexer. There is no back gear, but the DC motor provides a enough torque at low speeds that I don't really need it.

I also added a DC gear motor onto the tail end of the leadscrew so I have infinitly variable carriage feed and cross-slide feed.

I have a new headstock for it that lets me mount the motor underneath the lathe instead of on top. One day I'll get around to fitting the new headstock and I may add a counter shaft to allow different gear ratios in addition to the variable speed motor.

Chuck

gt2ride · Nov 13, 2007

This is lathe #7 it is a 6in craftsman . I think I will just collect lathes. I use to collect JD tractors. They got to big so I went to garden tractors. The barn is full so it is time to move to something else. It is going to be my new hobby.

John · Nov 14, 2007

My Sieg C3 7x14 mini lathe. Marketed under many brand names around the world. Really amazed at the quality for price this lathe delivers. Seems very accurate. This one is marked as metric although the dials have inch markings as well, the gear set is to cut metric threads.

Have added a quick release handle on the tailstock.

John

Rog02 · Dec 24, 2007

Here is my latest restoration.

A Model 109-21270 Craftsman/AA/Dunlap 6"X12". I was offered this one from my great uncle's estate and since it is like the first lathe I was allowed to touch as a kid I jumped on it.

I dismantled the lathe, stripped it to bare castings and refinished. The engine turned aluminum trim was rather knackered so I made new pieces and re-assembled everything.

After a few initial test cuts it became clear that the little lathe needed some help in the speed control department so I added a variable speed drive built from treadmill components. Treadmills can be had for free on Craiglist frequently or purchased cheaply in thrift stores (that's a Pram Shop to you Bog). I gave $20 USD for the one I utilised for this project. The mount and frame was shop built from some 2"X1"X3/16" rectangular tubing I had in the drop box and some 1/4" CRS plate from the same source.

All in all the lathe has been a project of convenience and has taken about a year for me to get to this stage. I am in the process of tuning it right now and tooling it as nothing from my Clausing will work on this little one.

rake60 · Dec 24, 2007

Great old lathe Roger.

It's nice to see them kept in action.
The fact that it holds family history makes it even better!

Nicely Done!

Rick

wareagle · Dec 24, 2007

Very nice restoration! The fact that this was your first experience with a lathe makes it very special. Thanks for sharing!!!

Spin Doctor · Jan 2, 2008

Well, there's a Jet 9x20 (we all know what they look like. An Elgin split bed turret lathe that I plan on using for a small wood lathe. IMO most wood lathes spindles are POS. Then I have my "project" lathe. A PM 1027 that I am going to modify substancially. New spindle with integral 5C collets, reversing dog clutch system, quick retract on the compound, electronically variable feeds and a number of other things. Right now the headstock is off and the rest of the lathe tore down for moving. A Hardinge or Monarch it ain't but then I don't think I could get a 10EE in the basement

The Elgin on moving day

The "project" lathe prior to removing the spindle

Powder keg · Jan 2, 2008

AAAAGGG! Put that lid back on there. I just got done making new gears for my lathe. I still loose sleep over that one. A friend made some and they lasted a few months. I figured that I could mess them up that bad and gave it a shot. Now, there not to bad to do. Now that I can fake my way through it:O)

Sounds like fun, Wes

BobWarfield · Jan 2, 2008

What a delightfully entertaining thread!

Here is my Lathemaster 9x30:

It has served me well and seems a cut above a lot of the complaints about Chinese lathes. I made a few changes that have really improved it for me. A QCTP and a DC treadmill motor being the most important.

I'm in the process of converting it to CNC, a project that has dragged on nearly forever and still isn't done!

Here are a few shots of the CNC stuff.

The Rube Goldberg panel and electronics for the lathe:

Leadscrew step motor mounted:

Cross slide is nearly ready to mount. I still have various things to fuss with to finish.

Cheers,

BW

j king · Jan 2, 2008

Hi Bob.Looks like your coming along with the lathe conversion. I bought a BP boss that I am going to do a pc conversion on as soon as I get time.(and knowledge!)I dont have ANY prior experience at cnc.I am always amazed at the stuff guys like you do.Cool stuff.Take care.
Jim

PS. I am finishing a power draw bar that I copied off your site.Hope to have it done this week if I get a couple of things to finish it.

j king · Jan 2, 2008

Heck I may as well show my lathes while I'm here.

Mine is about the same year as Macona's It is a 10 EE monarch .The other is a Monarch series 50. It is a 16x54.

cfellows · Jan 2, 2008

I'm speechless!

Chuck

BobWarfield · Jan 2, 2008

j. king, you get my vote for home shop machinist stud of the century!

Two gorgeous Monarch lathes, but wait, there's more:

- My all tiime favorite shop from my "Home Shop Hall of Fame" series: http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookbook/CCHallOfFame4.html.

- The coolest little collet chuck I ever have seen. I bought a set of planetary transmission gears to make my own, but haven't gotten to it yet.

I hope you'll publish more of your work. I've never come across anything but the collet chuck so far.

Signed,

Bob "Green With Envy" Warfield

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