I just received a Central Machinery mini metal lathe 7"x10". It was a father day gift from my wonderful daughters and my awesome wife. MY goal is to make kitless ballpoints and fountain pens. I know that the fountain pens I own purchased from other folks use a blank that is 9" to 12" long. So before I clean this thing up and wipe all the shipping grease off, will this lathe work? worried about the DBC (distance between centers, learned this from everyone's advice on this forum to get the Pen Turners Bible, thank you for that). It is not to late for me to return this for a 7"x12" or 14". Also if you do recommend changing the lathe, I would like to stay under $900 for the lathe, so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know so I can get started on this awesome adventure. Thank You in advance, Rick
Worried about my distance between center
- Thread starter rglass88
- Start date
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My opinion .... given your stated goals, you will be frustrated with a 7 x 10.
Sticking with the "same general category" of lathes I would recommend a 7 x 14.
Here's a link .... if you can believe the stated Ebay price .... well under $900 for the lathe .... required accessories extra.
Sticking with the "same general category" of lathes I would recommend a 7 x 14.
Here's a link .... if you can believe the stated Ebay price .... well under $900 for the lathe .... required accessories extra.
7"x14" Mini Metal Lathe Precision Metalworking DIY Processing Variable Speed | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 7"x14" Mini Metal Lathe Precision Metalworking DIY Processing Variable Speed at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.ca
Dalecamino
Local Chapter Leader
I agree with Mal. Take that 7x10 back while you can. I really appreciate my 7x16 Littlemachineshop.com has a nice one.
littlemachineshop.com
Of course it's above your price preference but it is a longer lathe.. Micromark.com also sells these lathes. Here you go! Just above your price.
www.micromark.com
One other thing..you can make a kitless pen with a 7" blank.
HiTorque 7x16 Mini Lathe | Mini Lathes for Sale
This HiTorque 7x16 Mini Lathe has the most power and the most torque in its class. Shop this powerful mini lathe for sale at LittleMachineShop today!
Of course it's above your price preference but it is a longer lathe.. Micromark.com also sells these lathes. Here you go! Just above your price.
MicroLux® 7x16 Mini Lathe
DetailsThe MicroLux® 7 x 16 Mini LatheThe only "TRUE INCH" machine of its kind on the market!A Micro-Mark Exclusive; the only “True Inch” machine of its kindPowerful brushless 500-watt motor with reversable switchCreate fine finishes on turnings up to 7 inches in diameter and 16 inches in...
One other thing..you can make a kitless pen with a 7" blank.
Another issue comes to mind .... that is, how do you actually measure how long the lathe bed is .... between which two points ?
I would think there should be a standard way to measure ..... but I really don't know if the various companies all agree.
For example .... do you take the headstock chuck off, and remove the tailstock completely and then measure the length of the rails ?
Honestly, I do not actually know whether my lathe ( which is of the Sieg style much like "yours" ) is regarded as 14" or 16".
One thing that I DO KNOW is that I would not want it to be any shorter than it actually is !!
I would buy the longest that I can afford .... within reason !
One important thing is to have enough room to be able to mount a blank between centers and turn it round.
Obviously, to turn a 7" long blank as mentioned by Chuck, you need more room than if you were turning a "standard" 5" long blank.
Lots of kitless pen designs can make good use of a 7" long blank, or even an 8" long blank ... and you just MIGHT want to round the whole blank in one mounting on your lathe without first cutting. . Blank patterning changes when you start the rounding process. . So the best cutting point could change also.
One other VERY important thing is to have enough room to drill the axial hole in your blank ON THE LATHE.
There can be several considerations .... such as which headstock chuck do you use ... and ... which tailstock chuck do you use. And drill length.
I often drill axial blank holes that are 4.5" long, or even a little more.
You want a lathe length that offers you more than one fixed option for undertaking these operations.
You will eventually want to do it in a way which is different from the first plan you came up with ..... you want flexibility as you progress.
I would think there should be a standard way to measure ..... but I really don't know if the various companies all agree.
For example .... do you take the headstock chuck off, and remove the tailstock completely and then measure the length of the rails ?
Honestly, I do not actually know whether my lathe ( which is of the Sieg style much like "yours" ) is regarded as 14" or 16".
One thing that I DO KNOW is that I would not want it to be any shorter than it actually is !!
I would buy the longest that I can afford .... within reason !
One important thing is to have enough room to be able to mount a blank between centers and turn it round.
Obviously, to turn a 7" long blank as mentioned by Chuck, you need more room than if you were turning a "standard" 5" long blank.
Lots of kitless pen designs can make good use of a 7" long blank, or even an 8" long blank ... and you just MIGHT want to round the whole blank in one mounting on your lathe without first cutting. . Blank patterning changes when you start the rounding process. . So the best cutting point could change also.
One other VERY important thing is to have enough room to drill the axial hole in your blank ON THE LATHE.
There can be several considerations .... such as which headstock chuck do you use ... and ... which tailstock chuck do you use. And drill length.
I often drill axial blank holes that are 4.5" long, or even a little more.
You want a lathe length that offers you more than one fixed option for undertaking these operations.
You will eventually want to do it in a way which is different from the first plan you came up with ..... you want flexibility as you progress.
monophoto
Member
I haven't done an exhaustive survey, but all of the specifications that I have looked at in detail state the length of the bedways.
Which is all well and good, except for the fact that when you actually use the lathe, you are likely going to have a fixing of some sort on the headstock - eg, a mandrel, chuck or faceplate. And it isn't entirely clear that the specified bed length allows for the actual footprint of the tailstock and the length of a live center in the tailstock.
My experience is that as a practical matter, you can subtract 5-6" from the specified bedways length to arrive at the actual maximum spindle length that a lathe can handle.
Likewise, the specified throw of most lathes is twice the physical space between the centerline of the headstock and the top of the bedways. But again, that's subject to interpretation - if you move the banjo close to the headstock, you automatically subtract 1 - 1 1/2" from measured distance between spindle and bedways, so the actual working throw is likely to be 2-3" less than specified.
My lathe is nominally a 12x16", but as a practical matter, the longest spindle I can turn is more like 12-13", and the largest diameter is around 10".
But lathe manufacturers aren't the only ones to play this game. Back in the day, lawnmowers and snowblowers had horsepower ratings? The manufacturers figured out ways to finesse those ratings to the point where they no longer had any practical meaning, so today we only know the displacement - which doesn't help purchasers very much. And then there are the TV makers - who insist on measuring screens diagonally, and with no real standardization on aspect ratio, so the only option purchasers have is to take a tape measure into Best Buy to actually measure the size of one before buying. This is a fresh pet peeve since I just went through that hassle this past weekend.
But to Rick's original question - my concern is that I'm not sure that a Central Machinery lathe is precise enough to meet his objective of making kitless pens. It's probably possible to turn and assemble pen kits on that lathe, but kitless pens require great precision when drilling and tapping, and that's something that mini- and mid- wood-turning lathes have a problem doing. I have a Turncrafter which I think is far superior to Central Machinery (and that costs much more). I know that some people have been able to do kitless pens on the same model I have, but after using mine for a few years, I think attempting that kind of precision work would be very frustrating.
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bmachin
Member
Of course it's possible to make really well done kitless pens on a 7x10 Central Machinery (Harbor Freight) metal lathe! Just take a look at some of the work that More4dan has done in both metal and various plastics.
While bigger is almost always better, it is also always more expensive, and in terms of quality the the Central Machinery is near the bottom of the Sieg 7x scale with the Miicromark and LMS being significant steps up.
Still, Danny has proven that you can make excellent pens on the CM 7x10.
Bill
PS: FWIW, my first metal lathe was the 7x16 Micromark and I was always very happy with it although I have since upgraded to a 12x36 precision Matthews.
While bigger is almost always better, it is also always more expensive, and in terms of quality the the Central Machinery is near the bottom of the Sieg 7x scale with the Miicromark and LMS being significant steps up.
Still, Danny has proven that you can make excellent pens on the CM 7x10.
Bill
PS: FWIW, my first metal lathe was the 7x16 Micromark and I was always very happy with it although I have since upgraded to a 12x36 precision Matthews.
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bmachin
Member
Mal,
Basically, envision moving the tailstock as far to the right as possible and install dead centers in the spindle taper and the quill with the quill backed out as much as possible. The distance between the points of the dead centers should be what the advertised length is.
Bill
@bmachin
Thank you, Bill ..... that gives us all something concrete to go on !! .
. Very reasonable suggestion .
Not that I am facing decisions of this nature every day ..... I just like to have some solid criteria on which to base considerations & decisions .
It's amazing how often these " little things " crop up !
I'll try this very soon ... if I can find 2 appropriate dead centers ... and finally be able to quantify the specs of my lathe !!
Thank you, Bill ..... that gives us all something concrete to go on !! .
. Very reasonable suggestion .Not that I am facing decisions of this nature every day ..... I just like to have some solid criteria on which to base considerations & decisions .
It's amazing how often these " little things " crop up !
I'll try this very soon ... if I can find 2 appropriate dead centers ... and finally be able to quantify the specs of my lathe !!
darrin1200
Member
@rglass88 First, I woulld profusely thank the your wife and kids. If I was you though, I would return the small lathe and put the money toward either the Hitorque 7x16 or the Microlux. While you can make kitless pens on any lathe, you will likely, more often,feel the frustration of struggling to find a work around for a simple task that only needs a few more inches. Quite often you will find that a collet chuck, a drill bit and a drill chuck, will exceed you bed capacity. The other critical dimension, is the spindle through hole. That is the key to using the 7-9" blanks. You will need a minimum of 3/4". Usually they are just a hair over that. Neither Central machinery ones from harbour freight, state the spindle siz. But with an MT2 headstock taper, I am sure it won't be sufficient.
The other consideration, is quality. The Harbour freight model is questionable. It might be ok, or can be tweeted with a bit of work an tinkering. But more likely will be out out a few thou in multiple directions. From experience, I can tell you the frustration of .004-.005" backlash in a cross slide. It makes it impossible to get consistent cuts.
You will be far better served spending the extra now.
Just my 2 cents.
The other consideration, is quality. The Harbour freight model is questionable. It might be ok, or can be tweeted with a bit of work an tinkering. But more likely will be out out a few thou in multiple directions. From experience, I can tell you the frustration of .004-.005" backlash in a cross slide. It makes it impossible to get consistent cuts.
You will be far better served spending the extra now.
Just my 2 cents.