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12" engine lathe, Metalik, mfd Pazardjik, Bulgaria? Feedback sought.

shaggy

Hot Rolled
Joined
Sep 29, 2010
Location
Oakland CA
Correction to heading: Maker/brand of this lathe is ZMM Metalik, Bulgaria.

Just learning about a prospective lathe in my area that looks very promising. Owner inherited it from his father-in-law, an ex-Lockheed machinist, out of his home workshop. Comes with the works - 3 and 4-jaw, faceplate, fixed and traveling steady rests, Jacobs TS chuck, Aloris toolpost w/ multiple holders, new carbide insert tooling, even some unused spare parts. Motor looks like 2.5 hp. Asking price for lot is 1700-
Not sure of much else yet, but will have more pics and get to see it tomorrow. Photo below, will post more when available.
Any feedback on this class of machine, and tips in checking it out would be greatly appreciated.

--thanks!
Dave
 

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Just learning about a prospective lathe in my area that looks very promising. Owner inherited it from his father-in-law, an ex-Lockheed machinist, out of his home workshop. Comes with the works - 3 and 4-jaw, faceplate, Aloris toolpost w/ multiple holders, new carbide insert tooling, even some unused spare parts. Motor looks like 4HP. Asking price is 1700-
Not sure of much else yet, but am being sent more pics and will get to see it tomorrow. Photo below, will post more when available.
Any feedback on this class of machine, and tips in checking it out would be greatly appreciated.

--thanks!
Dave

"Prospective lathe"? Well.. "too late". They missed the chance.

If the cheap parts actually fit together, probably "lowest-end" of the "Taiwanese generic" sold under a dozen or so brand names.

If the cheap parts have NOT been fitted as well, then MAINLAND Chinese generic, sold under 3 or 4 dozen brand names. Your own choice of name included if you will make a bulk purchase of one or more and pay the set-up fee for the labels.

These are all over Asia in tiny shops and garages where we would have had @las, Logan, or South Bend for repairing motors, pumps, agri/constructon, or fishing fleet mechanical goods.

One step up from Harbour Freight, one step down from Grisley, IOW.

AKA "LSO" A Lathe Shaped Object.

Not PM's meat. Not "industrial grade", suited to revenue production tasking, regardless of national origin.

Actually banned from discussion on PM as hobby-grade junque. Hobbyists have these. Go to where they hang-out. You'll get more and more useful help and sooner... because they DO have them.
 
WTF? Did you read what I wrote above? It was made in Bulgaria, and bought and used by an ex-Lockheed machinist.

I know you know things I don't, but maybe you could use a geography lesson?

Or maybe you're right, and the guy just liked putting Aloris QCTPs on cheap junk :rolleyes5:
 
More pics below.
 

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What? Did you read what I wrote above? It's made in Bulgaria, and was bought and used by an ex-Lockheed machinist.

Of course, you know things I don't, but maybe you could use a geography lesson?

Lots of people know things neither one of us knows. Some are not hard to find.
Just look more better FIRST, ye shall find, might not be so arrogant?

I need no road maps nor GPS to drive all over Europe, East included. BTDTGTTS.

Same thing. It's a cheap lathe built by and for light duty use by poor folk in third-world. Mass market, low end for OTHER poor folk in third-world, regardless of whom the PO was employed by.

Bulgars knew how to build good lathes and DID so. This just isn't one of them any more than a local copy of a Bic cigarette lighter is a Victor cutting torch.

Explain please the narrow skinny carriage, tall shakey TS, and how it is any different from a Piss-is-on-yah Matthews out of Asia?

Europe had HUNDREDS of makers of better built lathes, MANY from (former) Soviet bloc nations or Sputniks.

This one is an entry into the cheap Chicom market. It may even have been imported for Eastern European BRANDING, much as present-day "Hardinge", Bridgeport", and "South Bend" . made a looong way from Indiana... are.

Just cheaper.

It is what it is. "Wishing" and posturing won't make it a better lathe.

Any major-outlet McDonald's franchisee could have more total staff headcount than that Bulgarian "maker" had under factory roof. if-even they HAD a "factory" rather than a bay and a half under shared roofspace of an SOE "co-op" making all manner of other shite as well.

How much do you suppose they could accomplish on slender resources when the regional center is only home to 70,000 people, most in mining, agro, trading, and timbering activity. Money is scarce, has been for a LONG time, and where are they NOW that you can even get spare parts?

Or was it only branding imported Chinese lathes back when that one shipped?

The "recent" ZMM-Metalik firm only had a piddling tiny annual turnover.

They don't "live there" any more:

https://www.dnb.com/business-direct...est_ead.686abb9b67345996734be6678e776694.html

https://www.dnb.com/business-direct...ve_eood.b90637cc937a2f3a43dc01bdd48953e1.html

And the <domain>.<tld> they used for a website has gone dark, long-since and is up for resale?

Buy THAT if you like the name!

Orphaned websites are waaay cheaper to operate than orphaned machine-tools!!

:D
 
Somewhere in your tirade, I'm sure there are some good points ;)

I have a pretty good feel for quality, so after tomorrow's hands-on, maybe we'll be more in agreement.
 
Somewhere in that tirade, I'm sure there are some good points ;)

"Lecture" you mean. The lathe is an orphan. The only question is where it was ACTUALLY born. The foundry that cast it was probably not in the village on the label.

:D

Bluntly, get off your ass and use google before you open a "project" over Old Iron.

Zoominfo ZMM-Metalik

Find information faster.

HOME - ZMM Bulgaria


Appear foolish slower.

NEWS AND EVENTS - ZMM Bulgaria

Machinist... meet professional information guru... Some even say "industrial technology spy".

But that was only ever a side-effect.

It was actually the money, the people, and their communications being tracked.

Everybody has to be good at SOMETHING..
 
As a matter of fact, I did Google it. (I found all those links, but this lathe was built ca 1980).

Which is another reason even I could tell it wasn't Chinese-made :)
 
As a matter of fact, I did Google it.

Which is another reason *I* could tell it wasn't Chinese-made :)

We still do not know that to be true.

D'you have the LEAST idea how many firms, MAJOR US included, are dependent on major components or even entire products they IMPORT, commission-only, then house-brand?

There are stock motor-vehicle dealers with more investment in equipment and far greater trained staff capacity and a high multiple of the financial turnover of that tiny firm in the back woods of a minor Bulgarian province.

You can have a lathe as is a near TWIN to it, yet today, ordered from China, and with decently crafted cast metal badges with .... YOUR OWN name on them.

It's what SEVERAL makers in China DO. Annnnd they have direct competition in Taiwan, even so! Surely you didn't think the USA was the ONLY place to loose local craft jobs to cheaper imports? East bloc had inefficient SOE's badly run, as were in sorry positions to compete even once Communist Governments were removed.

Enter the Merchants and traders. Those don't NEED a large factory nor filthy to operate money-losing Iron foundry and costly pattern shops. Buy it. Brand it. Mark it up, and market it instead.

Here's one as has been good enough at it, for long enough, to be able to sell under their OWN name, too, But "not only":

Engine Lathes – Eisen Machinery Inc
 
Yes, I'm aware of the extent of offshore manufacture used by even the big names, but to whatever degree that may matter in this case, I still don't get your offhanded condemnation of this particular machine, on sight but with actual origin unknown, as unfit even to be discussed, on the same level as the worst piece of Chinese garbage.

I worked alongside an older German journeyman machinist back in the early 1980s who was put onto a brand-new lathe I believe similar to this one, by our penny-pinching boss. He grumbled about it for awhile, but soon adapted and made it 'his own', and from then on I think he was quite happy with it.

OK, so I made an own-goal there. It was a means to an end, I realize, as this machine might well be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on board with wanting to own the best quality machinery possible. The question is, life being short and resources limited, how long am I willing to wait for the 'ideal' machine to come along? In my neighborhood at least, 'good' old iron doesn't grow on trees!
 
Yes, I'm aware of the extent of offshore manufacture used by even the big names, but to whatever degree that may matter in this case, I still don't get your offhanded condemnation of this particular machine, on sight but with actual origin unknown, as unfit even to be discussed, on the same level as the worst piece of Chinese garbage.
Waddyah figure.

All 3 of the firm's employees were making lathes?

Or ordering them from China and dealing with shipping and billing?
 
Your links don't lead to the same company.

The lathe I'm looking at was made 40 years ago.

The company you refer to as having 3 employees (in your first link) probably has nothing at all to do with the original company that made or sold this lathe.

Your second link directs to a different company w/ a slightly different name that looks a better match, and in fact still lists a similar machine to this lathe in their 'universal' lathe section.
 
You should not givetoo much value to the writings of Thermite
He just loves to write and always disagrees

If the lathe is working properly and not to much wear 1700USD is a fair price Cheap perhaps even
If it is 1980 made I doubt it is chinese And even if it was Chinese at that time even Chinese lathes were not too bad
They did not commit themselves yet to concor the world with economics and lathes were made for inland production Not to sabotage US production :)

Peter
 
Dave,
I strongly concur in ignoring Bill (Thermite). Lately he behaves even worse than usual and his favorite sport is derailing threads and get people mad.

Regarding the lathe, I cannot say much. However, the few pictures you posted hint to decent attention to details, which is generally indicative of good manufacturing.

One thing to make sure is to check if it is a metric or an imperial machine, mostly for the leadscrew, since you're going to do quite some threading.

Paolo
 
Thanks very much Peter and Paolo, I appreciate your input.

The lathe obviously is/was not in the top bracket for desirability, and it's unlikely I will end up buying it. Given the previous ownership, I was curious and thought that it might be worth further evaluation. It will at least have been a learning experience.
 
Another thread trashed by the troll, and it will only get worse!

That is a nice design, that was copied by a maker in Japan probably in the 60 or 70s. I would expect this to be the original, thanks for sharing this.
The made in Japan version, was Jets top of the line tool room lathe in the late 70s, maybe early 80s, and was a bit too expensive for the market they already had, it seems. Just remembered that....
 
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The lathe obviously is/was not in the top bracket for desirability, and it's unlikely I will end up buying it. Given the previous ownership, I was curious and thought that it might be worth further evaluation. It will at least have been a learning experience.

True of even the best of goods. Even so - how many "cycles" can one find time and funds to chase?

Generally fewer needed if the experience and research of others is leveraged to start higher up the ladder.

As you seem to have just now done, and probably not for the first time.

Good on Yah!

Simple at a glance check:

Is the width of the carriage, left to right extremes, right about twice the swing?

If so, look deeper.

- Designer/builder gave due consideration to sufficient load-bearing area for stable cuts and low rate of wear for long life. You may have a winner.

If not, look elsewhere.

- Enduring accuracy was not in plan. nor metal, either one. Can't NOT lose.

Failures, you don't even have to look for. They tend to volunteer.
 
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