American/English minilathe manufacturing

The ubiquitous mini-lathes coming out of the Middle Kingdom generate a real love-hate relationship. People love them because they are affordable, whilst others hate them for being ‘Chinese junk.’ A whole industry supplying tooling and improvements has sprung up.
Does anyone know how many are sold here and in Europe/UK annually?
I am not trying to be a smart-alec, but when I first saw a picture of a Sherline, my immediate comment was – ‘that’s a cleaned-up Unimat.’ My thoughts for the Taig were similar.
Other than patriotism and the fact that the machines are probably ready to run out of the box, who chooses a Sherline/Taig over the mini-lathe?
Neither the Sherline nor the Taig are cheap, so is there a reason no-one here(in the US) or even in the UK has tried to build a lathe to compete with the mini-lathes? Little Machine Shop has a line of its own which I assume were designed here to address all the faults of the Siegs, but I am sure Chou-en-Lai’s grandson is building them.
What makes Sherline/Taig viable here but not an improved mini-lathe?

You want a quality lathe the size, made in NA, check out Levin. They are very nice. Of course you can get a trunk load of sherlines for the price, but its sort of like comparing a southbend to a HLV or 10ee. As for Unimat, the Unimat 3 with V ways was a capable little machine for the size, of course not made anymore, but they were never taken that seriously as the spindle didn't take a collet. If it had take say 10mm collets it might have been the affordable alternative for watch/clock type work.

Its a good point though, they're selling a ton of those POS mini lathes. Something better quality and more solid than the Sherline but not at the Levin level might sell

Wasn't John Stevenson doing similar work with milling machines ?

I work for a company that got a DoD contract to make parts for up-armoring Humvee's during the mid-2000's. The fray in the sandbox.

We made thousands of parts on a Sherline lathe, nearly all simple hinge pins, or reworking of same.

It worked, and was profitable. Machine was bolted to a steel plate that we'd C-clamp to the end of a L&S that was like 18 feet between centers, but never used near that C-to-C distance. We had a quick change TP, tools set up very repeatable, maybe 60 second cycle times. 2 guys working off the same lathe bed, at the same time.

It worked, and was profitable. That little Sherline paid itself off within the first couple days.

Small machines have their place.

Cowells still make lathes, excellent reputation. http://www.cowells.com/index.htm

For an example of what Sherline's are capable of: Luiz Ally
- YouTube . This would apply to Taig machines as well.

As with the Unimat 3, if you stay within the machine's capabilities they work very well out of the box.

ER16 collet adapters are availabe or easy to make. The Taig has an option to have an ER16 spindle so less overhang.

gwelo62 said:

What makes Sherline/Taig viable here but not an improved mini-lathe?

Click to expand...

The markets are so different that "hobby" vs "industrial" is only a hint.

Put another way, as a person who has in-depth understanding of the similarities and differences of the machines?

You are being "too logical" in attempting the comparison!

The actual buyers of Sherline/Taig vs Levin or other classical/legacy "instrument" lathes or "production" lathes are marching to the beat of different drummers entirely.

Meanwhile a Piper has led the children off in another direction.

Taig/Sherline, Levin or any other surviving "instrument" lathe or "production" lathe, all are in the work envelope size and capability range of even "desktop" CNC that can be as much mill as lathe - or more than "both".

There's the the game changer that has already taken away most of the "industrial" market as a percentage.

Re-purposing Taig/Sherline - or just their heads or some neat and handy accessory positioners - as solvers of the problem of the moment is clever and useful work. But it does not a large market make, nor even a consistent and predictable small market. Too many alternatives. Too much ingenuity in the same space and time that can do "stuff" in many other ways, and seldom has time to waste.

Hobby market? Not one that operates on "logic" in the first place. Long-running daydreams and instant-gratification impulse purchase, rather.

Anyone remember the "mood ring" craze? How about these guys:

Fidget spinner - Wikipedia

Some among us don't even want to THINK about this crapola,

Even so, these crazes clock orders of magnitude more revenue than whole sectors of the machine-tool industry are able to do.

If being "too logical" becomes too frustrating?

Perhaps you need a fidget spi.. never mind... I think there is a "Yo Yo" up in the attic..

These Serlines are cool machines yet I have not met anyone who owned one whether they be a Machinist who bought one for personal use or a fellow who is a shop owner. They can get very expensive tooling them up. Little Machine shop has very interesting offerings and a individual buyer could easily want a $15,000.00 machine once they add up their preferances. I do think these outfits make a fair living selling them.

Check out Smithy’s machines also for manual machines. Smithy Lathe Mill Combo| SMITHY- Original 3-in-1 & Still The Best

Besides the ones we have mentioned there are the full size Tormach machines offered and these look really fun. Thermite they are something usually a person who is in business would buy and the basic ones can get into some real money. Size and storage for a full size machine is important and I could see the appeal of having a small machine.

Thee is indeed "always" a way of earning a decent living off the back of a "niche market" - large or small. The Son of a recently deceased friend had a pat explanation - because a detailed one took too long to convey - as to how his Dad made a good living.

"He does well selling things that nobody wants."

And it was true, statistically.

But all he needed was ONE buyer every month or so out of 7 billion souls who was willing to pay more than ten thousand US for an original 1931 poster-advert for a famous automobile, cigarette, or beverage, and his bills were paid.

No point in cutting the price to ten dollars. "Nobody wants" was not an empty term.

Only that ONE collector - or the high-fee decorator of a "period correct" expensive restaurant - was even INTERESTED in any given year.

And.... in order to SERVE that market? He had climate conditioned WAREHOUSES full of old magazines and posters.

One of his lesser priced and more "active" products? A magazine.

Published the month of YOUR birth. S'truth, even that was borderline "nobody wants".

My point is that "there is always a way" to earn a crust, even if "nobody wants" to believe it is possible. But... "That, an INDUSTRY not make, does. Grasshopper!"