Home Hobby Lathe For Turning Metal

I recently bought one from Chester Machine tools, (the Hobby Shop section) there was a good deal on a package with a drill chuck, 4 jaw chuck and revolving tail stock in the price.

They will turn well but you have to take small cuts and buy some decent cutting tools rather than the cheap set with the lathe.

Most of the small lathes seem to be made from the same castings, just painted and badged differently.

 

If all you need is a couple of wheel spacers it will be expensive!!

the chucks will do up to 3"/80mm bar but that size of steel (bright) bar aint cheap, unless you have a friend or work in industry?
Decent tip tools will be needed unless you have a bench grinder to sharpen HSS bits?
It all starts to mount up; I teach engineering in a college and can access lathes mills etc but if didn't would think twice about the outlay?

 

Have a try with the modern engineers forum.
A guy on the VMCC site got some excellent support from them.
https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/

 

You do get what you pay for, sometimes!

My dro cost as much as your looking to spend so dont expect too much.
Don't forget the machine is the tip of the iceberg but a 4 jaw chuck is imperative to dial out any runout discrepancy

Just buying the spacers from an engineering company may be a far cheaper option.

Mine below represents over a £4k investment just for the working lathe plus tooling.

 

Best option is to pick up something SH and a bit bigger as a lot of those small jobs struggle...i would love a nice new lathe with better speed control and screw cutting but i manage with my 100year old Drumond.

 

An estate sale of a former machinist may be a good place to start, all the accessories and tooling can easily exceed the lathe costs. I let my lathe and mill go several years ago, long story. Local college has industry sponsored and subsided lab. $125 per month to play with the state of the art machinery.

https://gocreate.com/why.php

 

If you have the room an old lathe would be a good starting point, check out local industrial auctions, but moving it will cost? will need a HIAB at least.

 

Yes Drummond round bed more info here http://www.lathes.co.uk/drummondroundbed/
Mine was given to me nearly fifty years ago by an engineer friend having a clear out and i have thought about leaving it or selling several times when moved or traveled but very glad i didn't,
Despite the chuck being knackered and having to center stuff with a rubber mallet and not move until i have finish the job its very good for stuff like spacers and i also make stuff for my hobby so its reasonably precise....when you learn a few tricks its surprising what you can do.

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/lathes/metal-turning-lathe-capstan-turret-lathe-herbert-2d/1362317371

 

If you are willing to move theres this, too.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/lathes/engineers-lathe/1360196516

 

Just be mindful that some of these don't have graduations on the screw collars so how much, say cut you are taking off for example, is a bit of a guess!!!!

 

What a great idea