eoneuk Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 I would like some comments from forum members who have and use mini lathes for light tooling work -- such as the Chicago, Erie, Grizzly, or others. Pros and cons would be appreciated as well as value (features, functionality vs. cost). Thanks Ed
Carbon796 Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 What size/type of material and what type of stuff are you wanting to machine ?
dagabu Posted January 15, 2019 Posted January 15, 2019 I have had a HF 9x19 for a decade and use it all the time. No power cross feed makes it hard to use all day long and the belt drive can be a pain if you don't have another handy. It retailed for $700, they are no longer available. I don't think I would go any smaller since I cant drill out rocket tooling beyond #3 rammers due to the bed length. The crossfeed is also pretty loose, it's fine for aluminum but it chatters across steel and stainless due to bed movement. I am looking to buy a Bolton BT800 16X30 in the next 6 months so that I can work on larger projects and have a mill/drill handy. To repeat what Carbon is asking, " What size/type of material and what type of stuff are you wanting to machine ? " 1
eoneuk Posted January 16, 2019 Author Posted January 16, 2019 Got interested in trying something new -- for me. Would use it for making tooling for small rockets and other cored devices. Also, I have some interest in attempting to make simple miniature steam engines. Materials would be mainly aluminum and brass, maybe some steel. Ed
dagabu Posted January 16, 2019 Posted January 16, 2019 As long as you don't need perfect accuracy, a mini lathe would be fine for small tools. I don't think you would be happy with a small lathe for steel though, the cross slides are just too thin to give you accurate cuts.
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