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Lathe advice

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:02 pm
by Alster370
Iv'e had my eye on the sieg c0 as its the only one I can afford but after looking around for a while I have read that their accuracy can vary because they are hand built and that they are not suitable for accurate, repeatable results. Is this true? Also are there any other lathes I could get for no more than ~£250? brand new? ( I am looking second hand also)

Thanks

Re: Lathe advice

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:17 pm
by jackssmirkingrevenge
Hand made bytheselovely people :D
Alster370 wrote:Also are there any other lathes I could get for no more than ~£250? brand new?
Buying a quality lathe second hand is probably a better idea.

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:38 pm
by jrrdw
Buying a quality lathe second hand is probably a better idea.
+1, you might even be able to get some tooling thrown in as part of a deal.

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:26 pm
by ramses
I agree. It will not be long before you're dissatisfied with a lathe that small, even if it did cut well.

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:35 pm
by jackssmirkingrevenge
ramses wrote:It will not be long before you're dissatisfied with a lathe that small, even if it did cut well.
Agreed, I'm glad LeMaudit pushed me towards the 17" Sherline... metaphorically of course, not slowly while it was running like in a Bond movie :D

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:43 pm
by jrrdw
Thread cleaned...Grrrrr :x

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:59 am
by Alster370
This one looks ok , not too far away either:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-Lathe-F ... 500wt_1156

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:13 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
Pretty, and British made - probably at a time when that actually meant something ;) looks like just the ticket if you can take it at 200 quid!

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:35 am
by Alster370
Il ask the family, if not i might beg for a lathe with a bigger bed :D . Cheapest one I could find, heard good things about the manufacturer too:

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/cobra_lathe.htm

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:48 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
Alster370 wrote:Il ask the family, if not i might beg for a lathe with a bigger bed :D
15" is good enough for most projects, I doubt you will need more unless you are planning on turning a new automobile shaft.
Cheapest one I could find, heard good things about the manufacturer too
It's a rebranded Sieg C1 - I would go for the second hand British model - it looks like it was made at a time when stuff was built to last :D 5 inches longer too.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:11 am
by Alster370
I thought it looked similar! :D And a meant a bigger bed compared to the c0 with its 5" bed. Il have a go at getting the flexispeed but If I cant i might leave it till Christmas. Gives me more time to get money to invest in a good quality lathe.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 7:00 am
by LovableAirGuns
Is it me or does everyone think about length?
You need to look at width too to see what size it can handle, width wize.
Swing over bed means centre to bed and swing over carriage means centre to carrriage.
Overall that lathe looks pretty good and you should go for it unless your looking for bigger.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 7:07 am
by Alster370
I dont think il be working on anything above 50mm, so even the baby cieg c0 could handle that. Depending on how much I could save id love to go for the cobra 3 in 1. You get a pillar drill, milling machine and a lathe for £460. Not Bad :D

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 7:25 am
by Crna Legija
Alster370 wrote:I dont think il be working on anything above 50mm, so even the baby cieg c0 could handle that. Depending on how much I could save id love to go for the cobra 3 in 1. You get a pillar drill, milling machine and a lathe for £460. Not Bad :D
looks like the a modded Sieg C1 that jsr posted, so i would be dubious about its precision and build quality, also milling attachments on good lathes arn't that good so.....

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 7:29 am
by inonickname
Alster370 wrote:I dont think il be working on anything above 50mm, so even the baby cieg c0 could handle that. Depending on how much I could save id love to go for the cobra 3 in 1. You get a pillar drill, milling machine and a lathe for £460. Not Bad :D
Don't... Lathe/mill combo machines are usually shit. Sherline make nice tools but I wouldn't buy any other combo.