I recently sold my lathe and mill. Since doing so I cannot believe how many times I wish I had a lathe for anything from turning necks to just making a bushing. Does anyone have any experience with one of the small bench lathes say 7" X 10"? Would one I be able to for instance cut threads to make a die body, or am I just dreaming. I do not have room for a real lathe.
Lathe remorse
- Thread starter Tom Bieri
- Start date
Rob Carnell
Member
Tom, I converted a 7x12 to CNC and it is really useful.
I now mostly only use my large lathe for chambering.
Here is a website I set up with a few videos as well:
www.cncprojects.net
Rob Carnell
Sydney, Australia
Last edited:
Mike Bryant
Active member
Pretty slick, Rob.
M
mks
Guest
The little lathes are way better than no lathe at all. I recommend a 7 x 12 or 14, not 7 x 10. With the short one, by the time you put a drill in a chuck in the tailstock you have little length left to do anything. Also, many do not have a carriage lock, so you will have to add one, which is simple enough to do. Haven't tried it, but I doubt the typical lathe is accurate enough for turning necks. After all, you are looking for +/- 0.0001" on necks, not +/- 0.001".
Keith
Keith
The new South bend heavy 10 is a table top size machine and a dam fine piece of equipment. I think they only weigh around 500lb. Maybe your wanting something a little smaller, but this machine will do everything. Very accurate as well!! Im in love with mine, and I plan to buy a second!! Lee
M
mks
Guest
I am talking about the 7" lathes in particular. I have tried turning necks on an even smaller Unimat, and it was marginal in power and definitely had too much runout.
J
Jonnyh
Guest
The Unimat will wipe the floor with the Chinese 7x10.
At least you can do something with a Unimat however under powered, the 7x10 is beyond belief useless an understatement unless turning wood or plastic small dia.
Bought one must be 8 years ago for late night work where running the work horse wasnt appreciated and taking to compliment the two lathes at work ie tumblers, firing pins etc monstrous mistake.
The 7x10 just has no torque latest board, running 2500rpm finger and thumb round chuck easily stopped and of course lower the speed the lower the torque. Three replacement boards then cut losses stayed hidden under a shelf for years.
Sold in the end with original grease on, the only thing I could use it for was powering a flap wheel no joke that bad.
That aside junk the variable speed may have some torque but still highly limited in flex they are what they are cheap.
At least you can do something with a Unimat however under powered, the 7x10 is beyond belief useless an understatement unless turning wood or plastic small dia.
Bought one must be 8 years ago for late night work where running the work horse wasnt appreciated and taking to compliment the two lathes at work ie tumblers, firing pins etc monstrous mistake.
The 7x10 just has no torque latest board, running 2500rpm finger and thumb round chuck easily stopped and of course lower the speed the lower the torque. Three replacement boards then cut losses stayed hidden under a shelf for years.
Sold in the end with original grease on, the only thing I could use it for was powering a flap wheel no joke that bad.
That aside junk the variable speed may have some torque but still highly limited in flex they are what they are cheap.
M
mks
Guest
Different Unimats. The one I am talking about is the "watchmakers" model SL1000, which is much smaller than the 7x10. I am not even sure it has the power to do case mouth trimming.
Rob that is a very cool setup the Optimum appears to have enough power to do small jobs with tool steel and must have very tight tolerances. Did your conversion give it the power and the tight tolerances? Was it capable out of the box to hold tolerances and have enough power for small jobs manually?
J
Jonnyh
Guest
The 7x10 I had with three new US boards fitted in as many weeks I doubt I could have done that. Older boards real problematic.
Seems the same will all variable speed lathes, they have no torque.
Wouldn't mind another one of these I last used in 98 the early Emco Compact 5cnc, not much more than a 7x10 but they are real heavy takes two to carry.
Anything with 1 1/2" bore your looking at minimum 600Kg with plenty of plastic and or aluminium fitted to it.
Even the 10" Clausing 4900 only has an 1 1/16" bore.
Really looking for 13" to get above 1 1/2" bore ie the Colchester Masters renamed Clausing model no? over there close on a tonne.
Most 11" are of the order 1 3/8" bore ie Harrison 11", 140, though the Harrison M300 still in production 45 years on has just over 1 1/2" bore, use one daily but its trick is the gearbox no need to swap change wheels around just dial in the pitch required whether metric or imperial much the same as Colchester/Clausing from Student onwards.
Rob Carnell
Member
Good question
I never really ran the lathe before I stripped it and did the CNC conversion, so I am not sure.
But now it cuts really well. I particularly like using it to cut threads, it is a breeze!
I would like a bit more power, so if I decide to do anything else, I will add a larger motor.
However, taking light cuts is not really an issue for me.
Rob.
I never really ran the lathe before I stripped it and did the CNC conversion, so I am not sure.
But now it cuts really well. I particularly like using it to cut threads, it is a breeze!
I would like a bit more power, so if I decide to do anything else, I will add a larger motor.
However, taking light cuts is not really an issue for me.
Rob.