A new Lathe?

[user 1618]

Hi All,

In my welcome post i asked about the size of lathe for machining engines on. the chain of very helpfull responces seemed to point to the bigger the better.

As there are now so many imports that all appear to be the same albeit painted different colours and with different names on i came across this supplier in the UK.

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/db11_variable_speed_lathe.htm

Does anyone know this supplier or their equipment. I know someone who has one of their milling machines but not a lathe. Also i hope it would be big enough. ;D

Alternately there is the second hand market, but you never quite know its full history, or am i paranoid? ???

kind regards

 

[tmuir]

Unless you plan on make 2 inch scale TEs or the like that should be big enough.
Sorry I don't know anything about the brand but it does look nice.

 

[cfellows]

Nice lathe. That size should carry you well into the future.

I personally am not afraid of the used market. As long as all the castings are sound and pieces are present, most things can be fixed if need be.

It's relatively easy to check wear on the ways, which is usually the biggest problem, particularly near the headstock. If the ways are worn badly, it can only be fixed by having the ways reground. Not a huge problem, but could be expensive. I had the ways reground on a Logan 11" lathe 12 years ago and it cost me $300 USD. Of course, I only paid $100 USD for the lathe so it was still a good deal. Factor that into the price.

You can also check spindle alignment pretty easily. If the machine has ball or tapered roller bearings, alignment can usually be fixed by shimming the headstock where it fastens to the bed. I would be wary of older lathes that have babbitt (white metal split bearings). If these need to be replaced, it can be a problem if you're not experienced. The old ones need to be torn out and new ones need to be cast into place, then line bored.

You can also usually tell how well a machine has been taken care of just by looking at it. You might also score a lot of nice accessories and tooling on a used lathe. Price is the big determiner.

Chuck

 

[bearcar1]

Welcome PW, wEc1. Decent used lathes and such can be obtained on the used market but the buyer needs to 'have done his homework' beforehand. Knowing what to look for as far as wear and precision is a must. Also a bit of patience is involved in the process as with anything else used, the specimens that are being offered range from little used to POS boat anchors. Even new machines, other than some hefty price tags sometimes, do not equate into accuracy and convenience for the operator. Common tooling also becomes paramount when selecting a machine. Sure one can pick up a huge machine for pennies on the dollar but then when it comes time for tooling, it is an oddball size and is like chickens teeth to acquire. I do not know anything about the brand of machine you listed but am just saying that good machines that have been taken care of are available on the market, it just takes time to weed out the crappy ones. I have a 10" SB lathe and in my opinion it is at time a bit too large for model work. A 6" would probably suit my needs but I feel comfortable in knowing I have the extra capacity. Purchasing machines is similar to buying a car, do your homework, set price limitation and go from there. Sorry I could not offer more but do hope that you are successful in finding machine that suits your purposes.

BC1
Jim

 

[Kermit]

Looks like the grizzly 10" model only the power button position is different

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-x-22-Bench-Top-Metal-Lathe/G0602

I just noticed the free shipping on the grizzly model. That would be a nice one to get were one on the other side of the pond. No Gear Changes with that one it seems...

And Welcome to the forums PeeWee,
Kermit

 

[CrewCab]

imho Chester are generally well regarded, their machines are popular and a lot of the UK members on here have them. I had a 9x20 which I bought second hand, it was a still is actually a good machine and I was happy with it, however I was offered a second hand Boxford at a good price so I bought that, and I have to admit it is better. The DB11V seems a very nice piece of kit. One point depending how quickly you want a lathe, Chester will no doubt be at the Midlands Engineering Exhibition in October, you can usually negotiate a good deal at the shows.

CC

 

[rickharris]

I bought my lathe from them - a rather further down the market conquest lathe However the company were very good. Quick to answer questions Efficient and quick to supply. Their forum appears to uphold this opinion as well.

Be warned the deliverer will (or did for me) put the crate down on the drive and that was it. Your lathe will be a bit heavier so have some means to move it to where it will live.

Had I had the spare money and the ability to persuade SWMBO I should spend it I would have gone bigger.

The DB-11 looks nice I saw it at an exhibition when I was deciding what to get.

 

[user 1618]

Thank you for the replies, luckily i am in no great hurry as i still have to finish the modifications to the workshop. I will certainly look at whats on offer at the show in October.

SWMBO is even offering to Buy me a mill as long a i pay for the lathe and the workshop mods woohoo1. the catch was an engagement ring and a wedding. stickpoke

 

[Jasonb]

I have the slightly better spec Warco version WM280V-F. Its gerenally said that the Warco stuff has a better build quality but their prices tend to be a little higher than Chesters. If you are in the area Warco have an open day soon and usually discount all their items and they will also be at the Bristol show this comming weekend

If you can go the extra then the power cross feed is a nice feature to have, I would not want a lathe without it now.

Similar lathes Can be bought on e-bay but check what you get with them as I don't think they come with steadys or a 4 jaw chuck. RDG also do this lathe with cross feed and Engineers Toolroom do it without.

Pete on here has just bought one through the Canadian importer thats built by Weiss and his also has the milling attachment.

Jason

Edit worth reading a few of teh posts on Chesters forum as well

 

[zeeprogrammer]

SWMBO is even offering to Buy me a mill as long a i pay for the lathe and the workshop mods. the catch was an engagement ring and a wedding.

Sounds like a deal. Try negotiating for some tooling too.
It's too late for me.

 

[pete]

PeeWee,
If I were you I would pay very close attention to whatever Jason has to say. When I was originaly looking at importing this lathe from Warco in the U.K. I PMed Jason about likes/dislikes and his responce made up my mind to buy this lathe. Unfortunatley due to a major shop reorganization my lathe is still not off the floor and operational BUT!!! That said I've done some accuracy checking against the factory supplied test certificate with some VERY expensive Mitutoyo Digital indicator/ Micrometers and would not hesitate to buy another lathe/mill of this type. I fully expect my test results to get a lot better once this lathe/mill are bolted down and leveled properly. If your buget will stand the extra money or even if you have to save for awhile then really try and get the 280V-F lathe, Once my lathe is mounted and fully tested against the factory test certificate I'll be posting pictures and test results for anyone interested. If you would like to email me with any further questions or you need pictures then feel free to do so.

Pete

 

[rake60]

I like the look of it myself.
The reverse tumbler on the lead screw is a great feature!
The only negative I see is the Interlocked Chuck Guard.
I'd be defeating that the very first day. That is not a safety
feature. It is hiding things you need to be seeing.

Rick

 

[pete]

Rake60,
Have to agree with you about the interlocked guard, I'll be deleating mine first chance I get, I fully realize the manufacturer is protecting themselves from lawsuits but it's impossible to protect a moron from themselves. I also think guards give people a false sense of security and then they'll do things with the assumtion that their fully protected.

Pete

 

[Jasonb]

Its not a tumbler reverse unfortunately, up for londitudinal feed, down for cross feed. The Fwd/Rev for feed is one of the three levers at the front and can't be changes while running.

The other problem with the chuck guard is that it stops the carrage getting close enough to the work when using the faceplate. Two allen screws sort it out and I just put it back on if there is a job thats throwing a lot of muck out.

Jason

 

[user 1618]

I have had a look at the data sheet and looks like it has good functionality and general specs. I will have to have a good chat with them at the midlands show. Long term the extra pennies could be money well spent, after all i do not intend to buy another one for a very long time so need to get it right first time.

 

[Tin Falcon]

PW IIRC you have a little starter hobby lathe?
Does that have too many limitations to start on?
That chester looks like a decent lathe probly a SEIG variant.
Tin

 

[Jasonb]

There is one error is the Warco spec sheet, the lowest speed is 50rpm though mine indicated down to 42rpm. which is a reasonable speed for threading.

The error was caused by whoever designed the catalogue coppy & pasting the speeds from the belt driven version.

Jason

 

[user 1618]

HI Tin,
You are correct a 3 1/2" Faircut that's been stored for at least 20 years. I am having it checked professionally in the next few weeks.

From what i can work out its bearings may need replacing,a possible reground and it defiantly needs a new motor. but my biggest concern is that the handles feel very sloppy. Until its checked i am looking into other possibilities and to see whats on the market and at what price.
My main concern is what route is the most cost affective longterm which would also include tooling for the relevant machine.

Either option i think i am going to need a few lot of the finest single malt scotland has to offer :

 

[Stan]

Peewee: I agree with te other comments on the Chester lathe. However, if I was buying a new lathe with that large a swing, I would look for a lathe with a larger hole through the spindle (hopefully 50% larger). It is so much easier to stick piece in the chuck and work close to the chuck, compared to putting it on a tailstock center and working close to the tailstock. Here is a comparable size swing from Grizzly and it has about 38 mm hole through the spindle
http://www.grizzlyindustrial.com/products/12-x-37-Belt-Drive-Gap-Bed-Lathe/G9249

 

[CrewCab]

Stan, I think that lathe is the next step up, "Crusader" at this side of the pond. To be fair, for the extra money and considering the additional features, such as 2 axis dro etc it's a worthy contender .............. depends on budget really, but dam good point :bow:

CC