SpudFiles

A wood lathe has no carriage. You rest tools on a rest and hold them with your hands. A metal lathe has the bits clamped, they also turn at much slower rates.

Do research, you are not ready to get a lathe if you dont know.

Ok, I understand now. I thought they would have different bed builds, but I understand now. Would it be smart to get a wood lathe and use metal on it? Or would I be asking for trouble?

Precision, accuracy, mounting options, tools. There's a massive difference, a wood lathe can never do the job of a metal lathe.


That's a wood lathe.


Here's a metal lathe.


And here's an improvised wood lathe.

Edit: You can use metal in a wood lathe, but only for polishing the surface, otherwise it's trouble.

And the tools need to be mounted in a metal lathe, they're handheld in a wood lathe.

Metal lathes are a science, wood lathes an art.

warhead052 wrote:Like I said, I do but I don't. I kind of want an xbox, but at the same time I want a lathe. Its 50/50 for me, because I can either get really good at video games which will lead no where but alot of online glory, or get really good at machining which will lead to possibly a job and glory of being able to produce fine products.

My next newbie question, whats the difference between a metal and a wood lathe?

In a wood lathe you generally hold the cutting tool manually against a rest. In a metal lathe you turn various knobs and levers to move the cutting tool/s. Metal lathes also have scales on the knobs and other bits so you can go 'right, I'll cut left a bit more by 0.5mm'
So they are more accurate, way more accurate. And also more expensive and probably require more maintenance too.

EDIT: damn I got ninja'd

EDIT2: wait, ninja'd by half an hour. I am slow.

Ok, well I suppose I should buy a very cheap wood lathe, practice on that and get good at cutting wood and setting the speeds and what not, and save up for a metal lathe. I think my neighbor has a wood lathe, I dunno, I will find out though.

Personally? I think you should go get an xbox. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem cut out for precise machine work in the slightest. I'm sure your friend would be happy to help you out if you needed a part made for a cannon.

You won't learn much by using a wood lathe first, the basic concept is the same, but otherwise they're worlds apart.

Using a wood lathe well would take more practice as everything you do is by eye, a metal lathe is as I said, a science. And the speeds are completely different too.

If you can, ask a machine shop if you can watch for a while, get an idea of what happens, if you show an interest and learn a few things about lathes, I'm sure they won't mind at all.

I'm completely with inonickname here

inonickname wrote:Personally? I think you should go get an xbox. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem cut out for precise machine work in the slightest. I'm sure your friend would be happy to help you out if you needed a part made for a cannon.

Problem, he is younger than me, and has little experience with the lathe, very little. I would probably have more experience on my first run on it than him, seeing as I am pretty much a jack of all trades.

warhead052 wrote:

inonickname wrote:Personally? I think you should go get an xbox. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem cut out for precise machine work in the slightest. I'm sure your friend would be happy to help you out if you needed a part made for a cannon.

Problem, he is younger than me, and has little experience with the lathe, very little. I would probably have more experience on my first run on it than him, seeing as I am pretty much a jack of all trades.

Don't be too confident- given your [obviously] younger age I'm going to guess you aren't *actually* a jack of all trades. Becoming very proficient with precise machining isn't something you pick up overnight. You might be able to pick something up, but there's a lot of little things that you wont even pick up for years.

Consider getting someone who's experienced to teach you the ropes. That should show you if you really want to go with a lathe. Be aware that you'll immediately aim to higher things when you own one. I know that for me at least improvised air cannons lost a lot of appeal.

Just curious...why does your ~12-13 year old friend own a lathe?

inonickname wrote: Just curious...why does your ~12-13 year old friend own a lathe?

It's probably his dads.
Just like I'm using 'my' iPad now. Haha.
Anyway, isn't 'your' stuff legally your parents until your 16 or whatever?

I'd get the xbox, and see if you can use a lathe at some place. You don't want to spend that much money and the get bored of the hobby and have nothing to make on it.

Don't get an xbox.

get this.

It's less than $300, builds into a variety of configurations, might not be the strongest tool in the world and you won't be making stuff out of titanium just yet, but it's appropriate for your age and skill level.

That's pretty cool. For the price I would question it's quality though. Although I'm not the one buying it. Haha
I guess as long as it is looked after it should be fine.

warhead052 wrote:

inonickname wrote:Personally? I think you should go get an xbox. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem cut out for precise machine work in the slightest. I'm sure your friend would be happy to help you out if you needed a part made for a cannon.

Problem, he is younger than me, and has little experience with the lathe, very little. I would probably have more experience on my first run on it than him, seeing as I am pretty much a jack of all trades.

do NOT open link if you dont like blood
idk if you have seen this its what happens when shit goes wrong with a full size lathe, are you sure your up to using your mates lathe.

sure you think you know whats going on, but the guy dead in the pic is probably a machinist with years of experience of under his belt and still fuked up.