Metal lathe I wish...!

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robutacion

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Aug 6, 2009
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6,514
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Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Hi folks,

How many time have you guys/gals wished you had a small metal lathe..? I can say that trough the years I can't remember all the times I had to use a hand or bench drill or even the wood lathe to make some metal/brass/aluminium part that is needed, many of which you can not buy so they have to be handmade.

When I say handmade, doesn't mean that mechanic tools aren't used, in most case are and certainly make life a lot easier and in occasions with the correct shapes and dimensions that are very difficult to match by hand/with a file.

I have certainly used my wood lathe to turn metal things that were on the very edge of crazy, impossible or damn dangerous, nothing too dramatic has ever happened but many of the attempts were a complete failure due to equipment unsuitability regardless of what I did and in those cases I have no choice than to take it to an engineers place to have it done and pay crazy charges.

More and more I see myself needing a small metal lathe and while I can't afford one, I consider other "things" that I may have that would allow a swap/exchange with someone that has one of these lathes and that have no use for, so far I haven't found anyone so, I have been looking for someone local that has one and that I can use to make a couple of very delicate parts for my air rifle that I need done sooner rather than later.

I know that many of you have these small metal lathes but you guys are too far away, my hope is that someone on here/IAP is from my "side of the pond" and be close enough to offer me the opportunity to come and use your metal lathe and have these parts done or indeed, have an unused mini lathe that we could make a deal or something like that.

Metal lathe models here in Australia may be a little different than those found in the USA but apart from that, what brand/size mini metal lathe would you guys recommend as a reliable machine...?

Most of what I do with metal is small, from gun parts to small parts repairs, I don't need anything too fancy and or too technical, I have a bench for a mini machine but no metal lathe tools/cutters, etc, a second-hand one with a good assortment of tools and parts would be marvelous, do you guys know of anything like that...???:biggrin:

Let's hope someone will come up with something...!

Cheers
George
 
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MSpringer

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Apr 18, 2018
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Alabama
Im looking for one right now. I want to turn pool cue joint protectors and would like a mandrel similar to a bottle stopper mandrel. The problem is that 2 piece cues usually have odd threads that aren't in most tap and die sets and buying them from cue maker suppliers is pricey. Id love to just make them myself.
 

Woodster Will

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Aug 25, 2017
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Dorset, UK
The only problem with buying a metal lathe is that you soon find out that you need his best mate the Milling Machine! :biggrin:

I like making my own tools and reckon I use the mill more than the lathe.
 

robutacion

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Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
The only problem with buying a metal lathe is that you soon find out that you need his best mate the Milling Machine! :biggrin:

I like making my own tools and reckon I use the mill more than the lathe.

Yeah, that doesn't surprise me at all, I have improvised milling mockups that rarely work, I have a CNC 60x40 with lots of tools, cuts, etc, but quite honestly I don't really know how to use it to create something I have designed, I only learn to cut patterns in wood that are sold in files with all sorts of images, apart from that, no idea, I would be more than happy to swap the damn thing with a fair mini lathe, I have about AU$4.000 on my CNC setup, I haven't touched it for about 18 months, a project that never worked out for me...!:mad:

Cheers
George
 

Paul in OKC

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Joined
Jul 26, 2004
Messages
3,089
Location
Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Im looking for one right now. I want to turn pool cue joint protectors and would like a mandrel similar to a bottle stopper mandrel. The problem is that 2 piece cues usually have odd threads that aren't in most tap and die sets and buying them from cue maker suppliers is pricey. Id love to just make them myself.

Did a bunch of those for a guy a few years ago. Actually used a HF 7x10. Made the threaded arbors at work. Yep, different threads.
 

KBs Pensnmore

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Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
834
Location
Murray Bridge 5253 Australia
Hi George, if you do find something, make sure it's not a 7 X 12 Seig or any variants of it. They run plastic gears, a puny belt that gets chewed out often, as well as the drive pulleys. I had one for a while till my brother wanted it back, along with a mini mill, damn near got a speeding ticket getting them back to him.
The mini mill runs the same plastic gears, and is just as much trouble.
Have a look on METALWORK - Machinery, Equipment, MARKET
METALWORK - Machinery, Equipment, MARKET, There is a Myford ML7 on there for $1200, and has a large range of goodies with it, including an unused milling table that fits onto the tool post. Well worth the money for it.
I'm heading off to Sydney in a couple of weeks, to pick up a machine for myself, and can pick that up for you if its what you want?
Kryn
 

robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Hi George, if you do find something, make sure it's not a 7 X 12 Seig or any variants of it. They run plastic gears, a puny belt that gets chewed out often, as well as the drive pulleys. I had one for a while till my brother wanted it back, along with a mini mill, damn near got a speeding ticket getting them back to him.
The mini mill runs the same plastic gears, and is just as much trouble.
Have a look on METALWORK - Machinery, Equipment, MARKET
METALWORK - Machinery, Equipment, MARKET, There is a Myford ML7 on there for $1200, and has a large range of goodies with it, including an unused milling table that fits onto the tool post. Well worth the money for it.
I'm heading off to Sydney in a couple of weeks, to pick up a machine for myself, and can pick that up for you if its what you want?
Kryn

G'day Kryn,

Thanks for the link and suggestions, is always good to know what to get even though we may not know what we want :biggrin:

I'm not ready for such an expenditure and the freight costs to get it up here, I was hoping to find something within driving distance that for shouldn't be more than 100km or so, hate driving now...!:mad:

I appreciate your willingness to help out, is most kind of you.

Cheers
George
 
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