How to Save Money When Buying lathe machine manufacturer

Buying a lathe is a big decision. A machine shop owner should consider the type of work they plan to do and future plans.

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What to Look For

The lathe is one of the more complex machinery available to home workshop owners, or industrial production shops. It is also one of the most expensive tools to purchase. This is due to the level of engineering that goes into this machine, which can create metal shapes with incredible precision and accuracy. It is no wonder that this tool is so sought after for making everything from aircraft parts to automobiles.

When shopping for a new lathe, there are a few essential factors that should be kept in mind. The first thing to consider is what you will be using the machine for. The size of the work that you will be doing is important as well. It may not be the final decision-maker, but it will help narrow down your options as you shop.

Other things to look at include the swing measurement and bed measurements. Swing is the maximum diameter of a workpiece that can be turned, and bed is the overall length of the lathe that you will be working with. Also be sure to check out the chuck, as this is what will hold your workpieces. Most lathes will have a chuck that can secure workpieces up to about 66 inches in diameter. Some chucks will even have a through-hole, which can allow longer barstock to extend into the back of the lathe.

You will also want to see if the lathe has a quick change gearbox. This makes it much easier to swap out the gears depending on what you are doing, and will save you a lot of time and frustration. The quality of the gears is another important factor; a good set will have little to no backlash and will run smoothly.

A final factor to consider is the power of the motor. The more torque a lathe can provide, the better it will be for things like screw and thread cutting. Many smaller lathes will use a brushed DC motor, but larger machines will likely have an AC induction or brushless DC motor. These are more efficient than a traditional brushed motor and provide more consistent power, especially at lower speeds where the most torque is needed.

Power

Most modern lathes are powered by a geared headstock. This is attached to a carriage for longitudinal movement and a cross slide for axial motion. The geared headstock drives a series of changeable gears, and this in turn provides plenty of power to the rotating spindle.

Depending on the type of work being done, you’ll need different types of accessories. For example, if you’re turning long shafts, you’ll need a steady rest. This bolts to the bed of the lathe and supports the shaft while you’re working on it. You’ll also need a live center and a dead center to hold the workpiece in place. For the tailstock, you’ll want a three-jaw or four-jaw chuck. You can also add a faceplate to work on larger pieces that cannot be held in the tailstock.

Another feature you’ll want in a lathe is speed control. This allows you to run the tool at the correct cutting speed for any diameter you’re working on. This can be manually done by changing belts on stepped pulleys or electronically with a rheostat similar to a light dimmer.

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Stability

Before purchasing a new lathe, machinists need to decide what type of work they will be doing with the tool. Lathes are divided into a few categories, including engine lathes and turret lathes for metalwork and woodworking lathes for other projects. When deciding what kind of lathe to purchase, shop owners must also consider the size and geometry of the parts they plan on producing. For example, if a project requires a long, slender shaft, it’s best to buy a lathe that can accommodate this length or consider an addition of a tailstock to the machine.

The basic two-axis lathe consists of the headstock with spindle, chuck for holding the part, carriage and cross-slide, and tool turret. If a project requires the part to be turned on an axis other than the headstock, then a mandrel can be used to hold it. A mandrel is a tapered axle that can be forced into the hole in the workpiece. This can be used for supporting the piece between centers or in a faceplate.

To ensure that a machined workpiece is accurate, the tool bits must be made from the correct material and ground to the proper angles. For example, a roughing tool should have a smaller radius than a finishing tool. In addition, the overall shape of a tool bit can affect the quality and performance of the cutting action.

Shops must always keep a good supply of spare parts and accessories on hand to make the most of their lathes. These include three- and four-jaw chucks, faceplates, live center, and various Morse taper adapters for the tailstock. They should also consider adding a collet chuck and a steady rest to their arsenal of lathe equipment. Lastly, it’s important to have enough power capacity for the lathe machine. If possible, a 220-volt, three-phase electrical system should be used. If not, a phase converter can be purchased to increase power capability.

Safety

A lathe is probably the most important machine tool in any shop. In fact, anything that involves moving or round parts probably has a part made by a lathe somewhere in its construction. This makes it a vital tool for the engineer to have, and one that requires careful consideration when buying.

First of all, the size of the workshop is a major factor in what type and size lathe to buy. There is little point in buying a large, expensive lathe that will only be used for small jobs. On the other hand, a smaller, cheaper machine might be left unattended and unused for long periods of time. In this case, the value of the machine may drop significantly in comparison to its original purchase price.

The next thing to consider is the headstock spindle and chuck. The spindle should be a good fit for the chuck and should not have any looseness. The condition of the chuck should also be considered, as this will affect how true the chuck will spin. In addition, the threads and bearing surfaces on both the spindle and chuck should be well-lubricated.

Finally, a steady rest should be included with the lathe to support shaft work and other longish pieces while turning. This should bolt to the bed and provide a solid mount for between centers work. It should be drilled through with a Morse taper for both live center and tailstock work.

There is no substitute for hands-on experience with a machine, so if you can find a used lathe at a garage sale or at an auction, try it out and see if it meets your needs. It is always better to do this than to be disappointed when you buy a machine that has a number of features that aren’t useful to you. In this way, you can avoid a costly mistake and get the best value for your money.

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I got my jig borer from CL (by chance and waiting), the BP from a buddy, the lathe from CL but drove 200 miles, T&C grinder from a fellow employee, the surface grinder by a used machine dealer (also drove 200 miles to inspect). Some regions of the US are severely lacking in machinery and the owners way over-price due to that lack. I would think (don't know) that NJ would have enough of an industrial base to have a lot of used machinery from closed shops. You have to be willing to simply search the internet "lathe for sale" ads. Yes it will pull in all sorts of useless ads but you learn to refine your search as well as learn pricing. You also have to be willing to wait, months-days-years sometimes or you'll over pay or get something you may regret purchasing. Have an ideal of how large a machine you want and the capabilities you'll need. No point buying a radial arm drill press when you need a jig borer and vise versa. Read/research several brands and models you're considering so you'll have a list of candidates, selecting just ONE machine will cost you in time and/or money. Ask questions, read all you can. In-depth analysis of various models at website below.

Well, without any specifics it is hard to offer any advice. It is easy to take a beat on an old or used machine. So, caution is job 1. That said, before you start looking educate yourself. What size machine? Bench top? Horne shop? Small light duty industrial? Small heavy duty industrial? A Bridgeport? An old heavy 10? Know what most of the similarly sized machines were that compare. Moving a lathe or a mill, even a small one, is a challenge. It certainly isn't going and picking up a piece of Ikea furniture. When you know what you are looking for or at least have an idea look at new ones online. That will give you an idea of going price and comparative features. Then when you see an older or used model you can at least judge if it is fairly priced. Tooling is in many cases worth as much or more than some small home machines cost. An Aloris quick change tool post could cost several hundred dollars depending on size of the machine so a lathe that has one and several holders would be a plus. Judge tooling as a parts list.

Anyway, get smart, know what you are looking at. Thanks for the advice, educating myself has been a long and slow going process. Really comes down to particulars on a machine.
I'm looking for a knee mill (Bridgeport 1) and ideally a cabinet lathe, maybe 9" or 10".
So far Ive come across some Bridgeports and South Bend 9 & 10" lathes.

Being that I'm not able to spend as much as I'd like, I'm looking for something I can add value to by cleaning and fixing it up within reason.

In terms of parts availability are SB heavy 10's and 9" model A, B something I should stay away from. Much of them are needing some parts (knobs, gears, potentially broken casting etc) ? Join Hobby-machinist.com. They have plenty of people who are willing and able to help you get something. They can tell you what to stay away from and what would be good for your purposes.

For your reference:
I have a Rong-Fu clone round column mill (fits on a bench top, but weighs 660 lbs) I bought at a used machinery place I found on CL. I paid $950 a few years ago. It came with a Kurt vise, too. Cleaned it up and it works great.

I bought a 12" x 18" Craftsman lathe for $400 at a yard sale. The bearings appeared to be messed up, but it just needed oil and adjustment. Cleaned it up and it works great.

Decide what you are going to make, what material you are machining, how much you are willing to spend, what space you have to place these machines in and how much you are willing and able to "fix" and go from there. Good luck and keep us posted. I have bought my equipment at auctions, from a friend who bought a farm, and a machinery dealer. The dealer was the easiest but also the most expensive way. If you want it quick, machinery dealer is your best option. If you're just browsing and looking, it's all about being at the right place right time.

My Clausing I bought for $250 at an auction. My Leblond lathe, Bridgeport M (which I later sold) and a loaded Kennedy's machinist toolbox for $.

One thing I overlooked on my Clausing was the lack of tooling cost me much more than the actual lathe, but I was new to machining. I bought the lathe very cheap but I probably spent at least another $500 on tooling. Finding a lathe or mill with tooling is much cheaper than a bare machine.

Thanks for the advice, educating myself has been a long and slow going process. Really comes down to particulars on a machine.
I'm looking for a knee mill (Bridgeport 1) and ideally a cabinet lathe, maybe 9" or 10".
So far Ive come across some Bridgeports and South Bend 9 & 10" lathes.

Being that I'm not able to spend as much as I'd like, I'm looking for something I can add value to by cleaning and fixing it up within reason.

In terms of parts availability are SB heavy 10's and 9" model A, B something I should stay away from. Much of them are needing some parts (knobs, gears, potentially broken casting etc) ?

I mainly rebuild metal lathes. So I’ve purchased them in just about every way you can imagine. The one word of advice I can offer is this: if you don’t buy a lathe (or mill, or whatever) at the right price, then you will never make enough money off of them when it is time to turn around and sell them. For your purposes a 9” or 10” lathe is a great place to start. You can make some useful parts on them while learning a great deal about how to operate them. And generally, a 9” or 10” lathe won’t kill you if you do something incredibly stupid. It may however break bones, induce horrifying lacerations, etc. So safety is a big priority when operating a lathe. NEVER wear gloves while running a lathe and ALWAYS wear eye protection. The 9” and 10” South Bend lathes are very popular for a good reason: they manufactured a huge number of these lathes over the years and parts are readily available on the used market, even today. They are fairly rigid for their size, and are an ideal size for the home shop. A 10” Logan lathe generally falls in the same category as the parts on it are often interchangeable with the Atlas and South Bend 10” lathes. I would avoid the Atlas lathes personally becuase the Logan and South Bend are more rigid designs. Tooling for these machines can get expensive quickly, so try to find a machine that comes with a variety of useful tooling if you can. It’s too bad you aren’t closer to upstate NY. I could set you up with a good machine. When I lived in Colorado both my mill and lathe came off craigslist. For whatever reason driving the 1 1/2 hours from Denver to Colorado springs was well worth the savings. Machines would go for more and get picked up quick in Denver, not so much in the springs. If you are willing to travel a couple hours better deals may be out there. There's also some huge machine tool dealers on the east coast with warehouses of machines, I can't remember the name off the top of my head. If you can't test run a machine under power be prepared for it to need everything and pay accordling.

Now that I live in a semi remote area of Alaska it's a machine tool desert, most are sold word of mouth and never hit the open market. If/ when I upgrade machines I'm going to look at precision matthews, they are decent quality import machines. New may or may not be a better option depending on what you want to do. If it's a hobbyist machine it probably doesn't pay off, if you are trying to make money spending 20 hours fixing an old beater get expensive when you consider an hourly rate of what the machine could be earning.