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Help!

Ozmaniac

Plastic
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Location
Lubbock
Hi Guys,

I could dearly use some advice as I have a new addiction, after discovering This Old Tony's Youtube Channel, also a fan of Abom79 and those two British genius crazy folk at Bad Obsession Motorsport and Project Binky. All these have led me to dearly wanting to buy a lathe, but I'm a total novice, like ground zero novice other than my buddy letting me loose for a while on his Grizzly. I'm a physical therapist and I invent tools to make jobs more ergonomically friendly for workers in big industry. I don't intend to manufacture products, only prototypes for someone else to possibly make if they have merit.

I'm a typical guy, so the bigger and badder a lathe looks the more I want it, lol. but I have a limited budget and am trying to keep hold of my senses. From my early research on your wonderful forum, I've learned that the Chinese stuff should be avoided, some of the Taiwanese stuff is ok, older American stuff is good, and the German Swiss and Austrian stuff is basically Machinist pornography! I just today found Gavintoob's channel on Youtube and he had high praise for the Precision Matthews ultraprecision models, but seems to had almost a sponsorship from them, so I wonder if there is any bias. They look nice, but prices escalate quickly with accessories.

A local machine tool company has some enormous lathes for sale, and the only one that would fit in my garage is a Hardinge HVL.....it isn't the HVL-H you guys seem to praise so highly, and has minimal accessories. One question would be the difference between the HVL and HVL-H models, and are these special Hardinge lathes or are all their models considered very good.

My most resent two finds are a Hardinge SuperPrecision early 80's model in Phoenix, AZ, and a Logan 1940-2 in about 5 hours from me. You guys seem to like the Logans, but all your threads top out at values of around $1500 with accessories, and this guy wants $4k for this 1940-2, but it has a lot of accessories and a cabinet to store the accessories. Does this seem excessively high to you guys? I really have no idea whether to get a shiny new Taiwanese either PrecisionMatthews, Grizzly, or Baileigh, or an older American one. Any and all advice much appreciated. I guess I'd like some guidance on the value of that Logan 1940-2 most urgently.

Thank you in advance.

Kym
 
First - you need to have a descriptive title for a thread. "Help" isn't. "Help choosing a lathe" might be. "Help finding a lathe in Texas, willing to travel 600 miles" would be better.

Even Scott Logan would agree that $4K is too much for a Logan. With a bunch of accessories I don't see it hitting $2500 anywhere but in the southwest where we both live (basically a machinery desert).

My advise would be to find a local TechShop (I know, they're gone, but there might be something similar) or community college machining class giving access to machinery. You might find that what you really need is fabrication gear instead of turning, milling more than turning, etc. Having some guided exposure to machinery might save a finger or an arm and will likely save you some money.
 
So what is it with most Texans on this site that refuse to add a location besides Texas? You know its a pretty damn big state, and its hard to help out without knowing what city, ain't nobody going to find you just by listing a city.

If you are in the Houston area you should have a decent selection of machines to choose from, but you need to make it a twice daily search on CL and be ready to jump in truck and go, the "deals" typically last about 24 hours max, the listings that run for weeks are typically the dreamers.

If you are in central Tx area, ie SA to Austin, I might be able to help with inspection, moving, and instruction to get you up and running.
 
Agree with rke[pler. $1,500-2,500 would get you a decently outfitted Logan, at least here in the NE.

$4k seems too high, even in a machinery desert...but only you can say what you would pay to have lathe-in-hand.

Agree as well with dalmationgirl61 that 2x daily CL search and ready to transact instantly with cash is the best way to go. A month of doing so in the NE would get you options in that price range. Presumably longer in TX...but you Texans seem to think nothing of a four hour drive...
 
Kristi,
Still here, or back from?? The winter in McGill colder than you expected? :D:D:D:D

I think it was warmer in Nv this year, at least the house was:D. Back for a few months, trying to sift out the jewels from the junk and fill another trailer to go west. Rationalized the trip by picking up another machine on the way thru NM, hope its a hot enough item to flip quickly:D
 
Actually, I'm from a little further South and West of Kalifornia….as in Australia, but been living here in Texas for 27 years almost.
 
It may amuse you that I drove 3 hours to work today, and 3 hours home.....at 75mph the whole way....210 miles each direction. west Texas is sparse, lol. Thanks for the advice on price. I'm a total novice, and that's just the deal, I don't know what I should pay to have a lathe in hand. (how many lathes in a bush is that worth?...;-)….I know the exchange rate for birds in hands vs bushes, but no idea on lathes. I'm guessing CL stands for Craig's List? That's actually where I found this Logan.
 
Sorry, I'd only been on the forum for about 30 minutes when I posted that...just getting a feel for the place. I'm in Lubbock, I worked way up in Dalhart today, and the Logan was in ABQ. I'd read in other threads about Logans being worth $600 to $1500 with equipment, but those were about 9 and 10" models, and this is an 11", so i'm trying to get a feel for how values go up based on size, etc. Thanks for the offer on inspection, moving, and instruction. I hope to come to San Antonio in a week or two to meet with my engineer who is certifying my ideas. If you did snag a lathe on your last trip, I'd be happy to look at it.
 
Thanks for your concern for my wellbeing and safety. I have a buddy with a 11x37" Grizzly, who has coached me some, and let me use his for a few hours. I'm hooked, it's mesmerizing. Lubbock Machine Tool Co. is closing down and selling tons, (literally and figuratively) on machines, mostly huge equipment....I think he has one lathe with a 55" swing and a 25ft bed. I found a Jet VS1 knee mill there that I have bought, and picked up a millermatic 252 welder, a small Wilton 5x7 bandsaw, rotary table, a couple of vices, an old Niagara Sheet metal bar folder, a cutmaster 42 plasma cutter and random other pieces. I enjoy making things. So I'm set up to make squarish things, but I also want to be able to make round things.
 
Please !

READ ! this site for a couple of days.

Everything you've asked about, has been hashed out and discussed 50 times before.

LEARN ! Where, when, and how TO post.
 
Thank you for the warm welcome Digger Doug and sorry if my posts offended you. I'll stay off your forum, and I hope you never need urgent Physical Therapy advice. Bye!
 
Thank you for the warm welcome Digger Doug and sorry if my posts offended you. I'll stay off your forum, and I hope you never need urgent Physical Therapy advice. Bye!

I'm not trying to offend you, just guide you. Actually providing...wait for it "help"

I did say "Please"

BUt you can't seem to see that.

And it's apparent you can't see much.
 








 
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