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Looking to buy a replacement lathe, need suggestions.

Subw00er

Plastic
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Background:
As a hobby, I have a small but capable home machine shop. I am looking to improve my lathe. I currently use a mx 8x14 Chinese lathe.. I got it off ebay so its one of those lathes clearly built from all the reject parts that didn't make the cut for Grizzly or whatever. It was a wreck when it came and I had to tear it down and fix a lot of things, but that's ok. It only cost me about $600. It actually works pretty well now, but it loses calibration pretty quickly, and the ways are garbage; the cross slide either rocks or I cant move the slide all the way to the tail due to bad casting tolerances, the tail stock is not capable of going on center.. This time around I know more about what I want and have some more cash to spend.
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Usage:
I primarily make rings, and metal parts for my bike, but its been mostly brass for now. I'd like to have a little more soft steel part capability, but I'll still be working with mostly soft materials (plastic, brass, aluminum, wood).
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Requirements:
  • ~$1-2K budget (used ok)
  • ~8" diameter swing +/-1" is fine.
  • Power feed, slower the better. I'd love to have one that was REALLY slow for smooth cuts
  • Looking for precision. Will prioritize accuracy of smaller parts like rings over being able to take huge cuts.
  • Don't need a huge bed, but I can fit about a 3'-6' length on my current bench. Smaller is much preferred as my counter space is precious.
  • Ideally its a bench type. Cant support a really heavy cabinet lathe. I have to bring it down stairs with a corner and my shop is small.
  • Solid feel and quality feel controls. Don't want chinese junk this go around. I'd rather go a bit older than buy a new grizzly.
  • A slow speed chuck option, I work on slow speeds mostly, and often do a lot of hand sanding for my ring work. I dont need that sucker spinning like a turbine!
  • I have a lot of smallish OXA tooling, so I'd like to be able to fit that on the new lathe.
Pluses:
  • reversing is nice but not necessary
  • quick TPI change knob vs gears
  • I have a really nice 2MT tailstock Tegara chuck and centers I'd like to reuse too.
  • quiet is nice; belt drive ok
  • power cross feed would be great, but not needed.
  • metric scales
Word of mouth sent me to see a local c.1983 Myford super 7 lathe for sale which I gather is pretty rare to find in the states. I researched, and it appeared to be EXACTLY what I was looking for (except the extended bed, dont really want that), but the excellent condition as listed was far from it - missing the switch assembly, noisy motor, missing some small parts like the feet and chuck key, collet adapter (did include a little collet set though), surface rust on ways and many other components, paint issues here and there, and a very tight turning collet.. it needed a total overhaul really, but honestly, overall was not horrible.. I've seen much worse. It would be doable for me to fix, and maybe even fun, but for the $3500 the guy was asking, I felt it very overpriced and hard to rationalize. You can get new refurbished ones from the UK for a bit more. I think ~$2K might be more realistic based on my research (thoughts?). I don't think he will discount it that much though, maybe $3K, so its a no starter! I did LOVE the look and feel of the controls though, and the features and size. The cross slide and chuck had zero play.
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What are some comps to the Super 7? Wabeco d4000? Schaublin? Boxford? 9" South Bend (are newish ones chinese?), Emco compact? I'd love some suggestions for specific models to watch out for and cross shop. Thanks for any help in my adventure!
 
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While you're looking, build a bigger bench.
Everyone wants smaller lathes. Anything properly advertised is likely overpriced. Tell all your friends what you are looking for. Someone knows someone, who knows someone who has an old, under-used lathe in the garage they would be happy to sell for what they paid 20-30 years ago.
Add Rockwell to your list.
Good finish comes from matching speed, feed, material, and tool geometry. Slow and patient rarely produces good finish.
 
step up to a takisawa , webb/cadillac/yam, 14" . the extra inch of swing
results in massive capacity. you might pay less than some crapped-out Logan
or atlas that was shit in the first place. south bends are fine, but
you need to know what you're looking for. the ancient ones suck- and every
model-engineer wants the bench 8-12" swing models. a 14-1/2" or 16 sells
for 1/2 what a ten inch model goes for. just get one made after 1950's.

the emco maximat is a nice machine . there's an 10 and 13 , i believe.
kind of home-hobby/science lab, for 6k$-10k $ though.
 
Look at Standard-Modern lathes, made in Canada, military and schools have lots of them. They come in 10" and 12" swing and are bench lathes, see them on auctions from time to time, might have to up your budget another K, and be willing to roadtrip.

The Webb/Yam/Cadillacs are nice, but would not want to move one down a flight of stairs.
 
Though I have more then one functioning Monarch ee lathes, I can make acceptable parts on an Atlas lathe, any time!
I have a Dachshund, its never mind the dog, watch out for the the owner.
njmMAsZ.jpg
 
you are cracking again termite! Cant take the strain, your response shows your weakness.
termite, you are addicted to posting on this forum, you cant stop, you made this forum your entire life, protecting it by forcing anyone that questions you out.
Then you attacked me, and stalked me, so, I am going to continue to shit down your fucking neck,
Anyone can join in too, I have plenty more for the likes of the termite!!!
 
The crucial point.... I'm trying to imagine it.

It is actually only difficult if in a leased or rented space that heavily restricts your preparation and execution to a good plan..

Otherwise, either "find the experts"... or become one ... and JFDI.

That said, wrong lathe entirely for what the OP is doing.

If one needed but finger-ring capability, smallest footprint could be a Burke or Hardinge min-horizontal MILLING machine set up as a short-axis "Tee" LATHE.

Best part of that?

- small old horizontal mills are cheaper than dirt, can be moved in a passenger car, broken down, or an SUV/Van in one-piece.

- the cubic space wanted is nearly all VERTICAL, easily "garaged" in a corner ... or a closet between active use cycles.

- they can operate on caster wheels, no big deal as to being leveled,

- One ends-up with a milling-machine outta the deal when a nicer lathe for larger work finally IS located.

"Win-Win" is that?
 
Look at Standard-Modern lathes, made in Canada, military and schools have lots of them. They come in 10" and 12" swing and are bench lathes, see them on auctions from time to time, might have to up your budget another K, and be willing to roadtrip.

The Webb/Yam/Cadillacs are nice, but would not want to move one down a flight of stairs.

Down is the easy part

Up, that is another story
 
Down is the easy part

Up, that is another story

LOL! Cue the Mark Twain skit:

"I spied a man trapped in the second story of a burning building shouting for help."

"I spied a length of rope lying on the ground."

"Thinking quickly, I tossed one end of it up to the trapped man."

"Here, tie the end of the rope around your waist.


"I shall lower you to the ground!"


What use is a lathe as cannot stand an 8-foot free-fall and hard landing, anyway?

:)
 
........ you might pay less than some crapped-out Logan
or atlas that was shit in the first place. south bends are fine, but
you need to know what you're looking for. .........

Bullshit.

An atlas is an LSO. You can use one, but why?

Either a Logan OR Southbend is a usable machine that was at least made to work, all cast iron and no pot metal.. They are totally equivalent. Neither one in the lower size range is "industrial", which is what you are really talking about.

Either of them, in 11" or larger, is fine and reasonably "industrial", but the OP isn't looking for that.

He says "bench lathe", and the size range is 8" to 10", bed length in total 3' to 6'. The implication is that he isn't wanting to move 2500 lb down the stairs (just like every other hobby person).

For what the OP wants, Logan, Southbend, smaller Sheldon, etc would work. Any of them if in decent shape, will do what he wants, all of them should get to the 40 RPM area as he asks, and any of them should work to a thou all day long.

He's talking BRASS, and thinking he wants better performance for mild steel, aluminum etc.... Even the Atlas would do that, and it is pot metal crap.

It's no use telling him to get a much larger machine, he hasn't room for it, and does not need the capabilities. I agree that somewhere in the 14" size is the best all-purpose machine, but he is not going to fit that in the shop.
 
you are cracking again termite! Cant take the strain, your response shows your weakness.
termite, you are addicted to posting on this forum, you cant stop, you made this forum your entire life, protecting it by forcing anyone that questions you out.
Then you attacked me, and stalked me, so, I am going to continue to shit down your fucking neck,
Anyone can join in too, I have plenty more for the likes of the termite!!!

Uhm...."termite" didn't post ahead of you.

Your spewing post is post #9
"Termite's" very first post in this thread is post #10,
and qty (24) minutes after yours.

Please try and keep up.
 
For what the OP wants, Logan, Southbend, smaller Sheldon, etc would work.

Having had the use of BOTH, and from brand-new, I preferred the Logan over the SB. Just less FUSS to go do sumthin', then clean up.

A Rockwell is better than either, a Sheldon better yet.

The PROBLEM is... SB's can be found off the back of highest and longest volume production. But are usually over-priced, AND in dodgy worn-soft-bed condition, even so.

Logan made a lot, given Montgomery-Ward sold them whilst Sears-Roebuck sold @las (and freakin Dunlap before that..). Most are GONE though.

Sheldons are rare and always WERE lower-volume. Pink Unicorn scarce?

EASIER, actually to find a Hardinge "production" lathe and add goodies onto it. He needs no threading. But most are worn to flinders. They were MEANT to be run balls to the walls to coin money, pay for their own regular replacements with money to spare.

A Wade could be found for a fraction the price of a Hardinge. Not as many made. Not as many folks recognize it as of equal value to a same-size Hardinge, maybe even a skosh BETTER? Rivett? YOU know how likely (NOT!) it is to find one of those rare birds!

Even so.. most of this is "academic" if the OP cannot do a DIY rebuild.

No "new" machine is in his budget even with a zero added to the right side.
 
It wack a troll day!
termite you have never made a single thing on any machine, or you would have displayed it by now.
You recommending any lathe is a joke! Get back on the Monarch forum where you are protected, and tell everyone from there you are an expert,
Got it brain boy?
 
For the OP: Myford lathes are more expensive because myford owners think they're the best lathe ever. You can find an equivalent machine without the myford badge for much less.
 
The nicest reasonable lathe I’ve seen in a basement is a Boxford VSL. L00 spindle with something like 1.25” bore, 10” swing and 30” between centers. And no back surgery needed to get it into or out of a basement.

Also helped someone get a 14x40 Chinese lathe into a basement. I’m not helping him get it out!

L7
 








 
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