Seems that the bench top lathes made by Grizzly, Harbor Freight, Micro-Mark etc. are all made by the same company in China.
Mini Lathe Comparison (http://littlemachineshop.com/info/minilathe_compare.php)
Same with the Mini Mill ..
Mini Mill Comparison (http://littlemachineshop.com/Info/minimill_compare.php)
Lots of good info on this website ..
reference articles (http://littlemachineshop.com/Reference/reference.php)
These guys evidently are targeting the bench top machinist .. of which I IS one. Cool.
Ed,
interested in this as I want to purchase a mini lathe before the year end , however can't get any of your links to work :(
This is a site - which may be the one you are referring to, that I have found very useful www.mini-lathe.com somewhere on here he explains that there actual two different plants in China producing these machines
They work now. Dang it .. Stoopid URLs
Hi Ed
before you take the plunge to buy a small lathe consider the work you intend to do with it and the precision expected.
having assisted a number of people who bought a cheap Chinese lathe after they discovered that the tolerances were so poor that work in small scale model building was not possible it is clear to me that you get what you pay for, which in most instances is total rubbish.
with 25 years use of the Toyo / Proxxon 230 lathe I suggest that you have a close look at the Proxxon PD230 machine. I know that it is relatively expensive, however it is a precision machine that will give you many years of service at a level unheard of in the low costs Chinese machines. The Proxxon 230 is manufactured in Japan to commercial machine standards.
In my studio I use 5 serious Proxxon machines including 2 lathes and 3 milling machines, which I would not replace at any cost.
If it's precision work you are looking for and miminum frustration or breakdowns of the electronics don't go the Chines route.
if you want to keep your cost down I recommend that you take a close look at the Taig lathe. Not as accurate as the Proxxon, but great value for money, made in the USA. A standard Taig lathe with an ER16 collet spindle will cost you around $500 if you shop around. Take a look at Nick Carter's Taig site for more details.
hope this helps
Bernard
Bernard,
Thanks. I actually found that website following a thread on a Yahoo group where they were talking about that very subject - that the Chinese machines were not accurate enough. The link was to replacement precision gears to help remedy that problem for those who have already purchased the machines. I had looked at the Micro-Mart machines of course - who doesn't .. and had seen references to the Grizzly machines and of the Harbor Freight models. I found it interesting that they were all the same machine more or less.
I'll check out the Porxxon PD230. As you guessed I'm looking at lathes. I'm all in favor of Proxxon .. I bought a Proxxon MF 70 Micro Mill a couple weeks ago.
Ed:
Bernard is right on the money. Stay away from the cheap chinese machines. You'd probably be able to do more precise work with an old electric drill clamped to a table top. A lesson I learned a long time ago is that a poor man can't afford cheap tools.
Paul
Hey don't forget about the USA made Taig company: http://www.taigtools.com/mlathe.html (http://www.taigtools.com/mlathe.html)
I want one of their mills when I get a bit more dough. It's not slick looking but they are very functional.
John
Please pay close attention to Bernard's post. He and Paul are experts on tools. Tools are one area where you get what you pay for. Better to buy nothing than an unsatisfactory tool. -- Russ
If you are in for the long haul, get a quality US or German made lathe. Better yet, get one that is supported by ready to run CNC add-on hardware. CNC gear has become relatively inexpensive. Basically you'll have a robot who works for free, never complains and does incredibly precise work. It will pay for itself when you need several small, perfectly identical turnings, a pain to do with the hand wheels unless you are a skilled machinist.
How do Sherline and Unimat compare among these lathes?
Phil
When I worked as a machinist years ago our shop had a German lathe. It could cut just about every thread ever invented. Funny thing is that everyone preferred using the old WWII era Monarch lathes. Never ran a CNC lathe. Ran a 45-ton CNC mill in Houston .. give you an idea how long ago THAT was .. the program was punched out to a paper tape similar to what the teletype used. Still remember the time the programmer reversed the steps for the drill and reamer ... ha.
I have a Sherline lathe and also have the milling column.
I am pleased with it, although some risers for larger work are in the future.
That is the other thing I like; plenty of tools and very versatile.
I'm by no means a machinist but I'm sure you've seen what I can do as a novice.
-Marty
Quote from: lab-dad on August 19, 2010, 07:55:00 AM
I have a Sherline lathe and also have the milling column.
I am pleased with it, although some risers for larger work are in the future.
That is the other thing I like; plenty of tools and very versatile.
I'm by no means a machinist but I'm sure you've seen what I can do as a novice.
-Marty
Indeed Marty,
I appreciate the info on the Sherline. I'm taking a look at this one tomorrow. He has a Unimat with a bunch of extras as well. This one has me wondering with the B&D drive.
$250.00 for this one,
Philip
Philip:
It's almost impossible to assess a machine from a picture, but based on the photo, it would appear that it hasn't been that well maintained which is a red flag with any piece of machinery, especially something that you intend to use for any sort of precision work. It could all just be cosmetic, dust and corrosion. The real test of course is how it performs. The simplest and most revealing test is to turn a long piece of cylindrical stock (as long a piece as the lathe will hold between centers) and check for consistency of finish and diametric dimension over the length of stock.
Paul
Quote from: Roughboy on August 19, 2010, 08:28:41 PM
Philip:
It's almost impossible to assess a machine from a picture, but based on the photo, it would appear that it hasn't been that well maintained which is a red flag with any piece of machinery, especially something that you intend to use for any sort of precision work. It could all just be cosmetic, dust and corrosion. The real test of course is how it performs. The simplest and most revealing test is to turn a long piece of cylindrical stock (as long a piece as the lathe will hold between centers) and check for consistency of finish and diametric dimension over the length of stock.
Paul
Paul,
I'll check it out. I'm leary of that big motor and the status of the old motor. :-\ The owner still hasn't scheduled a showing.
thanks, appreciate the info!
Philip
I have experience with the Chinese machines.....unfortunately. After struggling with them for several years I gave up and sold it all to a man more interested in 1:1 automotive work....at a huge loss. I did have some success making a few parts for my R/C hobby, but they were useless for scale modeling. I may save up my pennies and get a Sherline set up some day. I'm personally very hesitant to buy a used machine. If you are not experienced with machining it's much better to buy new, that way you know the machine is in good condition and functioning correctly. If you don't know much about machining and buy a used machine and then struggle with it you don't know if it's your lack of experience or a problem with the machine, and if you decide it's a problem with the machine it's unlikely you'll be able to resolve it on your own.
David
Philip
if you are looking at Sherline I would suggest that instead you focus on Taig for 2 reasons, including far superior basic construction (read long term accuracy) and operational simplicity. Sherline have endeavoured to match Taig, but as result have managed to turn it into a Mickey Mouse machine.
Taking into account the new price for a Taig lathe don't bother with a second hand Sherline or new Chinese lathe. If buying second hand it is important that it be a high quality German unit where the pervious owner would have (most likely) been sympathetic to the machine, unlike the Sherline in the photograph which clearly illustrates the lack of care and a useless motor.
Taig also offer a Bosch (German) motor on their lathe together with a ER16 spindle (an absolute MUST have) If you go to Carter's web site he offers an even better speed control module for this precision motor.
In summary: Proxxon is the pack leader by a long way, Taig is a good US made alternative; buy new even if more basic machine; buy Taig in preference to Sherline. (Taig is used in the aero industry, which is a great reference)
Also keep in mind that the Proxxon 230 comes complete with full thread cutting capacity, which is NOT available on Taig & Sherline as standard.
Hope this helps
Bernard
Quote from: narrowgauger on August 23, 2010, 04:14:30 PM
In summary: Proxxon is the pack leader by a long way, Taig is a good US made alternative; buy new even if more basic machine; buy Taig in preference to Sherline. (Taig is used in the aero industry, which is a great reference)
Also keep in mind that the Proxxon 230 comes complete with full thread cutting capacity, which is NOT available on Taig & Sherline as standard.
Hope this helps
Bernard
Bernard, you dont have any tips for fine-tuning the Proxxon 230? Or links to sites with maintenance information?
I am afraid I have not been very kind to my 230, and it needs some adjustments in places.
-Haavard
PS: I googled around a bit for the taig, and these links might be of interest:
http://lathes.jrbentley.com/taig.html (http://lathes.jrbentley.com/taig.html)
This set-up might be overkill for modellers, but it looks kond of cool:
http://microscope.modelengines.info/taigmicroscope.html (http://microscope.modelengines.info/taigmicroscope.html)