SpudFiles

can anybody help me in the search of a decent metal working lathe and the budget is £300

Did you do any research?

I wouldn't mind seeing a lathe buyers' guide, that would be good.

ebay.co.uk

ok i have been scouring the internet and ebay for lathes and im considering some micro lathes are they any good for steel and aluminium

Any lathe will cut anything, speed and feed are the critical factors.

I really suggest you read a good book on lathes, go to a library and look for machining and/or metalwork.

Zeus wrote:Any lathe will cut anything, speed and feed are the critical factors.

I really suggest you read a good book on lathes, go to a library and look for machining and/or metalwork.

ill have a look at the local library for a good book on metalwork although my dad is a machinist he is too busy to make stuff at work so said he will buy me a lathe to work on at home

Zeus wrote:I wouldn't mind seeing a lathe buyers' guide, that would be good.

www.lathes.co.uk/page2.html

are they any good for steel and aluminium

Aluminum, maybe, steel, probably not. Especially at fairly large diameters. The length is very restrictive, because you must also fit the drill bit and drill chuck into that length. They also lack screw-cutting capability (like Sherline), which I find very valuable.

The smallest import lathe I would suggest is a 7x12 mini lathe.

any lathe will cut anything, speed and feed are the critical factors.

Honestly, no. Even excluding exotic metals like titanium and hardened HSS. Some of the smaller lathes have motors so small that they will stall out even with correct speed, feed, tool geometry, coolant, etc. They often lack enough rigidity, so you will apply more and more pressure, until the tool finally grabs, elastically deforms the lathe (and maybe the workpiece) and stalls the lathe.

Unimate builds the only micro-lathe that is any good and they are few and far between. I would save until you can get at least a 7 X 10 with tooling. Nothing smaller then that...

ooooh kaay so im better buying a medium sized lathe that's not to big but affordable


unimat db200 mini lathe ?

Goats spudz wrote:ooooh kaay so im better buying a medium sized lathe that's not to big but affordable


unimat db200 mini lathe ?

http://www.lathes.co.uk/unimat/

For the record, I've heard that the new Unimat machines are horrible.

ramses wrote:For the record, I've heard that the new Unimat machines are horrible.

Yeah I recall them being in discussion when JSR was looking for a lathe. The verdict was that they were bad

ramses wrote:For the record, I've heard that the new Unimat machines are horrible.

The link I put up is the real Unimate Lathe. The little modular system like presented in JSR's thread stole the name and they are total junk! The trademark and or copyright must have expired...

http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/lathe-a ... 23243.html

all here.