Getting started with a lathe?

Hi all,

After watching some youtube videos from this guy, I'm just fascinated by what he was able to make with a lathe at home. I know there will probably be a steep learning curve but I'm really interested to learn. I have zero experience with machining, I'm a software developer as a professional. I'm also into radio control cars so learning a bit of machining will definitely be complementing to my Radio-Control hobby.

JohnnyQ9
- YouTube

Are you there lathe out there that are worth it for less than $1000? Where should I begin? I checked out Princess Auto(Harbor Freigh equivalent) and they have a small mini lathe but I'm not sure if it's for any precision work.

Is there such thing as aftermarket support for these machines that I should look out for? If that's the case then it's better to buy a brand name?

In before the lock.

Best you ask around on hobby shop sites. Don't waste time and money of HF Chinese JUNK. Might as well piss your money down a rat hole. Look for a 9" South Bend. They are all over the place, fine for what you are doing and parts/support will be there forever......Bob

Once in a while I stop by HF for things like disposable paint brushes and gloves. While there I like to amuse myself by spinning the hand wheels on the sloppy "precision lathe". Always good for a laugh.

Go to the lathes.uk site and read Tony's write up on buying a lathe.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/page2.html

They do sell a small assortment of "left hand" drill bits.

Dubious quality, but handy that they are open on sunday.....

Don't waste your time on the cheap new lathes. Start a search for a used Southbend, Rockwell, or Logan machine. There are lots of other brand names that are worthy. Check out Tony's site above for more complete descriptions. Find yourself a copy of L.H. Sparey's book, "The Amateur's Lathe". It will fill in the blanks in your idea of lathe work. Good Luck, and Regards, Clark

digger doug said:

They do sell a small assortment of "left hand" drill bits.

Dubious quality, but handy that they are open on sunday.....

Click to expand...

One time I bought a cheap set of drills there intending to use them for rough work like drilling plaster. The tips were actually ground backwards, so that they rubbed instead of cut. I reground a couple on the bench grinder but gave up completely after they snapped in normal use.

I thought it was smart getting a box of 10 #2 Philips bits on the cheap until the tips shattered on first use with an impact driver.

"Dubious quality" is a gross understatement.

I bought the left hand set from them to drill a broken 3/8 bolt from a exhaust manifold. Using a 5/16 bit that wouldn't cut I noticed the spiral flute had turned itself straight!!! I threw the set in the scrap pile and finished with an old set of Cleveland rh bits.
Anything mechanical that they sell is POS be wary!

Agreed on the 9" south bend. I am a student that sometimes teaches other students basic lathe operations. We have a little south bend that is well past its prime, but it is just so much fun for small parts and isn't nearly as intimidating as the bigger lathes.

We could do a whole thread on HF. I've seen the drills that untwist. Even their shop rags are bad. A friend of mine bought a box of 100 shop rags and they kept catching fire any time he welded in the area. One spark was all it took. It was so bad he threw them out. Years later, we were welding in his basement and smelled smoke. One of the HF rags had lain under a bottom shelf all that time. Our clothes were taking the same sparks close up from head to toe without the slightest concern.

OTOH when I was in China I saw mini "smithy" type mills for 800 yuan which was under $100 at the time. They weren't for export, it was a street shop for locals. If you are a lifelong hobbyist you know exactly what you can and can't do with something like that and how to modify it to suit. Sure it's junk but the last laugh goes to the clever tinker who builds something cool out of junk. Like a friend of mine who painted custom bikes with canned spray paint from the hardware store. They were jaw dropping. He probably got as much fun watching peoples face when he showed them the empty cans, as actually painting the bike. (He's also a goldsmith.)

For a newbie, get something tight, straight and rigid or it won't be any fun. Also please don't buy children shitty telescopes and microscopes for Christmas, it will turn off all interest in astronomy.