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Which lathe should i get? Please help.

Ballistic

Plastic
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Location
oklahoma
I am in the market for 12x36 or 13x40 lathe. I will be doing rifle barrel work and the largest barrel i'd work on would be 34" long and 1.5" diameter. Can i work on a barrel this long on a 12x36" lathe? Is it worth the extra $$$ to move to the 13x40? The spindle bore is the other problem. Most in my price range of $2700 have spindle bores of 1 3/8 or 1 7/16. Can i modify the spindle bore that comes with the lathe to 1.500 or larger? Like i said my price range is around $2700 if you guys think i could get a better lathe for a few hundred more please recommend it. Thank you!
 
Ballistic,

I admit that I am pretty new to this sort of thing, but I think that a 13" swing by a 40" lathe may be a little on the large side unless you intend to do a LOT of barrel work. I should think that the heavier lathes would have a little less vibration and make smoother cuts.

Remember lots of work has been done in the past between centers and not through the head stock. I may be off base here but as I understand it, you could use a lathe dog, drive plate, and a steady rest to accurately ream chambers and never have the barrel through the head stock.

I think that you can buy a really nice, newer used 10" - 12" swing by 30" - 36" lathe with a lot of accessories in your price range. It is just a thought!

Virginia (who will always be learning) Jake
 








 
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