Metal Lathe Advice

[Timebandit]

Need some help. I have a small metal lathe( Central Machinery 7x14) That is about 20 years old and just isnt big enough to do much. Cant even drill a hole on the thing because the bed is to short.

So i have 2 machines in mind. Both are Grizzly and about the same size. Slightly different horse power, spindle hole size, just a few small things. The big plus on one it that it has a Mill attached to it. Now i have also been wanting a Mill but that is another 5-6 hundred and then the space that it takes up. This is a nice combo unit.

Which one would you buy if you could get one and why? Pros/Cons?

Any advice is welcome

Thanks

Justin

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

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Combo-Lathe-w-Milling-Attachment/G0516

 

[MarkD]

I recently picked up a used G4015Z Combo Lathe/Mill at the Grizzly tent sale. I am still waiting on tooling so I can't report on it yet. I'm hoping it will work for the things I want to make.
The G0516 looks pretty cool but I didn't want to spend that much money. I got a great deal on the G4015Z so I couldn't pass it up.

 

[Rounder]

If it were me, I would go with the combo. Only $230 more but I am sure you would have to buy more tools for the mill part. The mill really gives you alot more options on designing things. The lathe does round very well, but you can do flat stuff on the mill. The spindle bore is slightly larger on the lathe only but I would give up the 1/4" for the mill. The only other requirement I would see is that you would have to invite the old man over to use the thing on a very regular basis. You would actually probably need to store it at the old fart's house for safe keeping. I'm just sayin!

 

[Timebandit]

LOL! How did i know that was coming!:tongue: I like it only being a couple hundred more for the one with the mill, and it actually comes quite a bit. It comes with

• 5" 3-jaw chuck
• 5" 4-jaw chuck
• 8-1/2" faceplate
• Cross slide table
• 12 Change gears
• Drill chuck with arbor
• 2 dead centers
• 4-way turret tool post
• Quick change tool post
• Quick change collet set
• Eye shields
• Forward / reverse switch with emergency stop
• Milling vise

Has a regular tool post and a quick change tool post. I really like that. So it looks like just buying a few bits would at least get me started right away. Im not going to be going crazy with it right away anyway, just have a few things in mind I really like the larger spindle bore on the lathe and the extra horse power, but man, there is a mill attached to the other one, and ive got a few ideas that i could really use that on.

Any other advice?

If it were me, I would go with the combo. Only $230 more but I am sure you would have to buy more tools for the mill part. The mill really gives you alot more options on designing things. The lathe does round very well, but you can do flat stuff on the mill. The spindle bore is slightly larger on the lathe only but I would give up the 1/4" for the mill. The only other requirement I would see is that you would have to invite the old man over to use the thing on a very regular basis. You would actually probably need to store it at the old fart's house for safe keeping. I'm just sayin!

 

[randyrls]

You can easily put $200-300 (or more) in tooling. You will need end mills and HSS tool steel cutting bits. Try to standardize on one HSS bit size.

A good idea is to visit YAHOO groups and join some of the milling and lathe groups there. You will find a wealth of information on general metal milling and lathe work.

 

[bradbn4]

G0602 - good lathe from everything that I have read about it. There is a yahoo ground that talks about this lathe.

Depends on the size of the items you plan on working with. Bushing size - maybe I would consider the combo hardware. Ask Johnny C&C about this question - I think he has owned / used the G0602 lathe.

 

[workinforwood]

I would never buy the combo. The mill is very limited as it can't move the lath spindle gets in way. Don't think u can chuck in lathe and then mill part because the part will not likely be where u want it..its just something that is always in your way and to hit your head on.

You spend extra $250 for mill but for another 250 u can have seperate one with open sliding tables to work from.

 

[Hess]

I have the lathe it handles anything you throw at it.

That mill on the conbo is very small and I know of gears breaking on then as some our fiber rather than steel

I chosse to get the lathe and mill sep with the 2 of them there is not much I cant make if I just knew how lol

I will tell you the lathe is bullet poof and has done well you just not getting that much with that small mill

 

[randyrls]

So i have 2 machines in mind. Both are Grizzly and about the same size. Slightly different horse power, spindle hole size, just a few small things. The big plus on one it that it has a Mill attached to it. Now i have also been wanting a Mill but that is another 5-6 hundred and then the space that it takes up. This is a nice combo unit.

Justin; The combo machine milling attachment is just an X2 mini-mill attached to the lathe. If space is an issue, you can mount these side by side or at right angles to each other on the same table.

If you get that one, you can later purchase a separate base unit and table for the mill.

Little Machine Shop (LMS) has these, but out-of-stock right now. Contact Chris at LMS. He is a super nice guy to deal with. You might also want to check out the GrizHFminimill group on YAHOO.