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Your Favorite Lathe and Why

BillSct

Hot Rolled
Joined
Feb 14, 2003
Location
Southeastern Connecticut
The recent thread satrted by DT's email correspondence and the subsequent discussion of L&S Hi-Turn lathes leads me to pose the question:

What's your favorite lathe and why?

Any takers?
 
I've run about 35 different lathes: 2 Hardinge toolroom lathes, assorted Monarchs and Clausings, a few Warner & Swaseys plus a number of others. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I really don't have a favorite. I do have a couple that I loathe, though. One is a Sharp 16x60. What a pos....Made in China. And a Lodge and Shipley oil country lathe. (That one was just worn out.) The L&S engine lathe in the shop where I am now is fantastic.
I own a Clausing 10x24 lathe that came out of a Baltimore City school shop. It's a nice machine. And my 14 1/2" SBL is pretty decent. It has taken some getting used to, though. I had never run a SBL until I bought it.
But, if I could get my hands on a Hardinge toolroom lathe for the small work....very solid and accurate. I would trade my South Bend for a nice Monarch or L&S engine lathe to move the metal off the parts I make....
 
Well, here goes.....

Clausing 5900 series (honorable mention to 4900 and 6900s) and I asterisk this specifically for home-shop machinists and not the general toolmaking world.

Why?
- Rigid (can't really quantify this except that it would bury a benchtop lathe in chips) and power to go along (2hp)
- 5C capable
- Hardened bedway doesn't wear fast
- real powerfeed (not using leadscrew)
- non-threaded spindle (LOO) for safe reversing
- reasonably portable for the average home shop (note: this is in direct opposition to rigidity)
- real (independent) taper attach (no undoing the cross-screw nut)
- quick-clamp tailstock
- decent new parts support
- high volume manufacture (lots of "junkyard parts")
- fine product of USA
- Price range of roughly $1000-2000 depending on condition and tooling

The weak point everyone knows about is the vari-drive, but what better excuse to get a VFD?!?!?! (or to drive the price down and fix it later on with your blossoming or well-developed machine repair skills).

Sure I lust after Monarch EEs and square head Clausing Colchester 15x50s but those would be a stretch for me in a number of ways: financial, shop space, and transportation.

And, I would probably truly only gain rigidity (and length for the 50") from the feature list above by having a "dream machine". What I'm saying is that the Clausing 5900 offers tremendous bang for your buck.
 
My favorite lathe is whichever one in the shop gets the job done.
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Les
 
I'm going to enjoy this thread!!! Perfect timing. I need to replace my 9C with something bigger (14X40ish) and faster. I just went to look at a newer used 14X40 Chinese lathe but couldn't force myself to buy it. Compared to my old SB it is a POS! Lottsa bells and whistles but the thing has hardly been used and the paint is ALL falling off, exposing lots of Bondo to smooth the castings....HMMMM...
 
For a 1- lathe to do it all, a Colchester 8000 series 17 x 80 squarehead, 1600 rpm, incha and metric threads, the perfect general purpose lathe. I currently own one.... The lathe I'd like to have for the perfect companion for smaller work that gets more difficult on the Colchester - a Monarch EE. I will have one someday, nothing equals the feel of a monarch but I have yet to try a Hardinge HLV-H. I probably can't afford the Hardinge tho....
 
On a philosophical note, MY favorite lathe is "my lathe," because you don't live close enough for me to use yours...

(Not intended to be facetious, just pointing out another perspective to your question)

Robert
 
'62 Monarch Model K 16x54
'42 SB 16x6' Toolmakers
'76 Logan 7500 8 Station Turret, Air actuated 5-C

These are what's currently on my shop floor. I have a softspot for the American Pacemakers though. I ran one early in my machining career, talk about power to remove metal!

Mike, Spokane, WA
 
Hi, Bill:

This is just my first comment.

I like the way this thread is unwinding so far.

I often wondered what ever happened to those American made Clausings. They were nice machines.

I am glad to see that they are not forgotten or overlooked by those who want a light, small but well made lathe.
 
Anything East European, look crap but built like brick s**thouses.
They have some novel and nice features and never compromised on quality where it counted. Remember they never had to buid to a price as they never had any competition.

John S.
 
So Jim, if I remember some of the stuff from the "millionth-of-an-inch thread" in the Monarch forum, don't you have an appreciation for a certain make of lathe that runs on plain sleeve bearings? Can I entice you to expand on this? To warm the waters I'll admit to having some cast iron in my basement that spent some time being worked over in Indiana years ago. I'll also confess to marrying a girl from Indianapolis. Lucky for me she's in better shape then the lathe.
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[This message has been edited by BillSct (edited 12-22-2003).]
 
I have grown partial to a mori seki(sp).We have a 1500 at work that I like to run.Inch metric threading,spindle reverse at appron,foot brake,nice rpm range.lots of power,mt5 tailstock,very ridged.I would buy one if I could find one for at home.
Good question to ask. Jim
 
My favorite is a 5914 Clausing. Ditto on what Matt said. I love the handy clutch/brake if you get in trouble, or to take quick measurements without stopping the motor.
 
dserigson,

Regarding:

Clausing 12x24 Variable Speed 5903 220 volt single phase $2495.00 (at lostcreekmachine)

"based on your 1000-2000 range, their price seems high. if you have the time can you tell me what your opinion is? I know prices vary by location."

This is just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't be hung up on the single phase lathe. (3 phase makes a significant number of shoppers sweat, and so if I may speak broadly, on this board you don't have to worry, because the knowledge is here to get past such inconveniences) The short bed is nice if you have a small shop and really don't need the extra bed space.

With only 1 chuck that I see in the photo on the 12x24, I'm thinking the $2495 a little steep. The 12x36 that lostcreek has for the same price with collet closer might be more my style. Of course condition is hard to judge in a digipic.

I'd also be willing to pay a little more for a machine I actually cut metal with, having firsthand ascertained the condition and tested out the vari-drive.

Otherwise my personal theory says that there should be some risk-reward phenomenon at work (i.e. the risk of knowing the condition AFTER it is fully paid for and has arrived in YOUR shop should be offset by a lower price).

Ironically there are several "perennial" 5900s on eBay that I've seen for about 6 months or so, with prices I deem way too high. I've done enough ebay finger pointing for a couple years in another post so I won't call out the specifics but I'd be somewhat shy of a high reserve price and a buy-it-now about $100 more. Seems like those are just bait out there to snag someone who hasn't done the research.

Another angle might be the delivery. If you can avoid shipping charges, then this again opens the price window.

Maybe better advice would come from those like DT who attend auctions regularly and can tell you more. Otherwise, I would look here...

http://www.locatoronline.com/locator/

This will tell you what other dealers nationwide are asking, and let you evaluate additional tooling thrown in to the package. (Search under Lathes, and L3000 engine lathes).

So, my post is somewhat obscure. I want you to be objective rather than providing a gung-ho convincing post that "broke the camel's back". Research eBay and the Locator above. Search google under "Clausing 5914" and other 59XX model numbers, phone the dealers where they are, and request photos. It's work but fun work.

Sorry for steering the thread OT. DOH!
-Matt
 
I am pleased with my Graziano sag 210. It is heavy yet light on the feel and deadly accurate. It has enough tooling to do most jobs, but it has no control therefore is not the most productive thing out there. When my new cnc lathe shows up I will have a new favorite. I quite getting attached to machines like I used to. Newer, younger, firmer more control is what I like now. Funny I used to like the older gals. No more used junk for me, these things are for making money, and I have no country of origin loyalty either.

God, listen to this, I have become morally and spiritually bankrupt again, might have to go to re-education camp. NOT!!
 








 
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