Engineering lathe

[Tony.]

I have decided to invest in an engineering lathe for Kitless/ bespoke pens and am completely uninitiated with such equipment. Cutting threads has been too hit and miss on my record DML320. On good advice, I think the issue is the tail and headstock are not aligned and there appears no way of aligning the tailstock - it seems fixed.

I have trawled both used and ebay imports and have not been impressed.

I hear Warco produce decent lathes. I have 1K to spend (having sold my unused and dusty rowing machine).

Would I be able to do what I need to on the super mini lathe (link below). I don't imagine needing to do anything too heavy and does a DRO make much difference?

Warco Super Mini Lathe - Hobby Metalworking Small Bench Lathes
Warco WM 180 Lathe | Metalworking Small Bench Hobby Lathes WM180

Thanks in advance.

 

[21William]

I noticed that although more expensive and a lot heavier, the lathe in the second link is only 300mm between centres whilst the cheaper one is 350mm. I have an old Axminster lathe that’s 350mm between centres and it’s not exactly big. If you’re used to using a DRO then not having one could be an issue for you. I don’t have DRO’s on my mill or lathe. I would like them on my mill but I can’t justify the cost. I used a full size lathe sometimes at my old job but never used the DRO’s on it. Have a look at Engineering Tools | Lathe | Milling Machine | Model Engineering | arceurotrade.co.uk as well.

 

[alpha1]

Any one of the two lathes you list will work if you are only using it for pens. My Lathe is the same size as the Warco WM 180. I turn all my pens on it. I don,t use a wood lathe.

 

[Tony.]

Thanks Dave, thanks William,

I hadn't picked up that the distances between centres but I was certainly leaning towards the cheaper one adding DRO and keeping it below 900 quid. Thanks for the link I'll take a look.

 

[21William]

Any more questions don’t hesitate to ask, I’m sure someone on here can help.

 

[AllenN]

I have had excellent service from Arc so would suggest looking at their website as William suggests. It is also worth taking a look at the model engineering website forum where you will find a huge amount of discussion on small lathes. The home of Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop Magazines
You do need to budget for tooling as well so bare that in mind, it all adds up.

 

[Penpal]

Enjoy your choices, wise to invest in a metal lathe I love mine.

Peter.

 

[Dalboy]

For me personally I would go for the WM180 even though distance between centres is a little less. You could also make accessories for woodturning machines with it. It also has a slightly higher rated motor. As it is I am looking to buy the WM280v lathe have not decided if I want DRO or not but I will definitley have DRO on the mill when I order them both

 

[Dalboy]

Just an extra note the wm180 can cut both metric and imperial threads if you choose to single point cut them no matter which measurement system you choose the mini can only cut whatever the lathe measurements are show for example if a metric lathe is brought then only metric threads can be cut

 

[Tony.]

Thanks all,

I called Warco today to try and buy a lathe. They said they are out of stock for both the Super mini and WM180 and are unlikely to get any in stock until Late November with a back order of around 100 lathes that need fulfilling.

I was given the impression that supply is a real problem.

Recon I will need to go to plan B as suggested above - either a SIEG or Chester.

 

[Dalboy]

Thanks all,

I called Warco today to try and buy a lathe. They said they are out of stock for both the Super mini and WM180 and are unlikely to get any in stock until Late November with a back order of around 100 lathes that need fulfilling.

I was given the impression that supply is a real problem.

Recon I will need to go to plan B as suggested above - either a SIEG or Chester.

Yesterday I phoned Warco and ordered a lathe and a milling machine and they will both be with me in September so may be worth giving them another call. The lathe however was in stock but will not be delivered until the mill is in which suits me just great as I am having a new workshop at the end of August. How to spend plenty of money

 

[Tony.]

Cheers Derek, I decided to go for a Chester Db7 vs in the end. deliver last week. Looks great. Not a clue how to use it yet

 

[Dalboy]

Cheers Derek, I decided to go for a Chester Db7 vs in the end. deliver last week. Looks great. Not a clue how to use it yet

I know it is an old book but try and get a copy of "The Amateur's Lathe" by L. H. Sparey He uses an ML7 but all the theory is good in there like feeds and speeds grinding angles for the cutters and so much more I am reading it for the second time ready for when mine arrives.

 

[ValleyBoy]

Hi Tony

If you want an online resource that goes through everything you need to know as a beginner with a metal lathe then you could do a lot worse than watch the Blondihacks tutorials on YouTube. She has 20 videos, each around 10 minutes long and they are really excellent. If you watch them all while you await delivery then not only will you hit the ground running but you’ll also have time to acquire the other bits you’ll need (if not included with the lathe). I’ve added a link to the first lesson below.

Cheers
Ash

Metal Lathe Tutorial 1 : Theory - YouTube

 

[Tony.]

Thanks Derek, I’ll see if I can pick up a copy from eBay.

Thanks Ash, funnily enough I stumbled across Blondihacks earlier in the week. A really well presented, easily understood tutorial. Lots of useful information there.

 

[21William]

Just type “beginners metal lathe” in YouTube and you’ll get lots of helpful stuff.