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WANTED: Good quality small(ish) lathe. 12x24 - 13x40 etc...

aarongough

Stainless
Joined
Oct 27, 2014
Location
Toronto, Canada
Hey All,
I am looking for a decent small lathe to use for prototype work in my small shop. Floor space is at a premium so I'm looking for something that is sturdy but compact.

I have owned a couple of import lathes and don't wish to go that route again. I would prefer to spend time restoring fixing a decent older machine, rather than 'restoring' a shitty brand new one :D

Ideal specs:
10x20 - 13x30"
1.5" spindle bore
Gearbox for power feed and threads. Would prefer metric and imperial threads without change gear, but I'm flexible on that.
Electrical: flexible. I can do a motor swap, run off VFD, or run off 3 phase with no issues.

Price: Ideally sub $3k. I'm fine with a project.

Thanks in advance!
-Aaron
 
Aaron... do the right thing... make as much floor space as you can, and sneak a Monarch 10EE in there. Fit it with a VFD, and you'll never, ever, EVER wish you'd done otherwise. ;-)
 
Aaron... do the right thing... make as much floor space as you can, and sneak a Monarch 10EE in there. Fit it with a VFD, and you'll never, ever, EVER wish you'd done otherwise. ;-)

If you want to sell me a 10EE for under $3k I'll happily accept Dave! :D

I have a real hankering for a Colchester Chipmaster. Love the look of that little lathe and it's a perfect size... I had a line on one a couple of years ago and passed over it. Shouldn't have done that!
 
Please disregard the following if the lathe will used for roughing or low tolerance work.

Yea, I've got to side with Dave on this one. I owned a pretty nice Emco Super 11 (right around the size you need) that did the job for 5+ years. I replaced that machine with a 10ee a few years ago (roughly 7k shipped) and was kicking myself for not making the investment sooner. If there is any wiggle room to wait and save up for the nicer machine definitely do it. The initial quality built into the Monarchs, Hardinges, Schaublins, etc pays itself off immediately (to a point obviously) when you are holding high tolerances or chasing a surface finish.
 
I think you can get a 10EE for $3k that works! Might take some time, but if you’re willing to address the common areas that need attention, you will have an unbelievable machine.

I think the MG drive is “easier” to troubleshoot, and there is pages upon pages of instruction on them here.

If you jump in with total naivety like me, the stress of “what was I thinking” will drive your anxiety into emergency mode, and that means (in my case) life cannot progress until this thing WORKS!

This does NOT mean it will be a big challenge; just stating MY amateur experiences.

My first 10EE cost me $3k in 2014 and after only oil system refurbish, taper attachment bearings/service, and new exciter brushes.........It was chewing up both my 13” South Bend and my Schaublin, spitting cast iron after every few chews. NO COMPARISON. And threading is like a dream!
 
A little above your budget, but there is a Smart & Brown listed a little lower on the page that is even on your side of the border.
 
A little above your budget, but there is a Smart & Brown listed a little lower on the page that is even on your side of the border.

you didn't specify USD or Canadian dollar but if your budget can handle it, the S and B is a fine machine. Parts are hard to find and sourcing them from UK is expensive so the price isn't as bad as you might hope. Little fixes on a lathe can add up.

The S and B is a very good candidate for a motor and vfd conversion which has been done on that machine. The 3.6-1 clutch reduction and 8-1 back gear allow lots of low end benefits and running up to 2500-3000 at the top end is easily done. I've been down the rabbit hole of a cheap up front cost lathe with issues and it takes a lot of time and money to sort stuff out. I've learned a lot but the pay for my time is nil. Dave
 
I have a LeBlond Regal 13 x 40 that I haven't used in a few years. It isn't a servo shift model it has manual shift. The serial numbers say it was made in late 1957, it doesn't look that old. It has a chip tray, 6 and 8 inch 3 jaw chucks, and a 10 inch 4 jaw chuck, The 8 inch chuck I bought new and never used. It has a follow rest, a steady rest and an Aloris type tool holder. It also includes a LeBlond taper device. This machine was never used in production, I bought it out of a machine shop school about 20 years ago. The problem would be that it is over your budget, Cutting through all the bargaining my bottom dollar is $4500. Let me know if you are interested, I was about to list it for sale. It is located about 60 miles north of Dallas Texas.
 
I have a LeBlond Regal 13 x 40 that I haven't used in a few years. It isn't a servo shift model it has manual shift. The serial numbers say it was made in late 1957, it doesn't look that old. It has a chip tray, 6 and 8 inch 3 jaw chucks, and a 10 inch 4 jaw chuck, The 8 inch chuck I bought new and never used. It has a follow rest, a steady rest and an Aloris type tool holder. It also includes a LeBlond taper device. This machine was never used in production, I bought it out of a machine shop school about 20 years ago. The problem would be that it is over your budget, Cutting through all the bargaining my bottom dollar is $4500. Let me know if you are interested, I was about to list it for sale. It is located about 60 miles north of Dallas Texas.

OP is in CANADA, are you including free delivery?
 
Check your messages.

I did, no new messages show up. Message me if you need something.

OP is in CANADA, are you including free delivery?

You made a funny,.....But seriously no. I drove 1400 miles and picked it up when I bought it.


That looks a lot like mine, but mine is a little longer. That model is also servo shift, some love that others hate it because of problems it causes when it isn't working well. Mine is manual shift, I never minded manual shift. It is so straight forward, and it works every time.
 
Aaron I have a Standard Modern Lathe 13x40 here but the spindle bore on these are only 1 3/8".
You may be hard pressed to get 1.5" bore in a small lathe.
If you are where I think you are you are maybe 1hr. away. You can come have a look anytime.
Dave
 
Don't know if they were sold North of the Border, if it was me I'd look for a Webb, the one I had was a copy of Takasawa TSL-800.
 
You love the look of the lathe? Who cares what a lathe looks like?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

All other things being equal, you're telling me you'd choose a lathe that looks like the Nardini, over a lathe that looks like the Monarch??



I think there's plenty of room for 'beauty' in industrial design and it's something that's neglected far too often these days...

That aside: the Colchester Chipmaster has a reputation for being a fantastic lathe, so the fact it looks awesome is just a plus.
 
Aaron there’s a Colchester Student (or whatever the nearly identical model was) on Kijiji for $2500 IIRC.

Yeah I've messaged that guy a couple of times and no response... The ad is still up though so who knows what's going on there!

Just over a week ago I missed out on a Colchester Student in decent condition for $600. Guy went radio silent for a day and then sold it to someone else for $750. I told him afterward I would have paid a hell of a lot more than that, guy had no idea what he was selling. :nutter:
 








 
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