Lathes for port work advice needed.

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One can find them on various auction sites other than ebay for a decent rate. Sometimes you can get crates of tooling from the same auction for a few hundred dollars. Get the collets and collet closers.
 
Interesting you meantion Hardinge. I was at the machine shop and asked them if they or knew someone who had a bench top lathe and they mentioned getting Hardinge

Sounds like I should hold out for a good deal on a older 9” lathe or bigger.
 
I would stay away from chinese machinery after all the horror stories and long threads on some of the machinist sites Im on.

I have a 13x36 colchester in my shop. It rolled off the assembly line in dec of 1950, its ugly and well used but it does most jobs that I need it do without any issue.

A southbend, clausing, colchester or atlas can be had for a reasonble price and will last you the rest of your life.

I look at the Chinese machines like they are the big box store chainsaws and southbends and the rest I mentioned like they are pro logger saws.

A good lathe is an investment and will last a lifetime. A cheap chinese lathe is a headache and will last as long as the plastic gear trains hold up.
 
There's some really good german, swiss, czech, and english lathes kicking around. The farm has a Dean Smith and Grace toolroom lathe we picked up. 17x48. Weighs almost 3 tons. Paid $3k for it. Still want a hardinge to do small stuff though.
 
huskihl said:
Which is 2000+ saws for Mastermind...
Click to expand...

Sure maybe his has lasted that long but if your going to spend money on a lathe and like posted above you need a 9" swing or more buying a used american or european lathe is money better spent in my oppinion.
 
I agreed the better investment is a quality American made lathe. But I’m still tempted to go Chinese. It’ll only get used to cut maybe two-four cylinders a month. There’s a 12” atlas not far from me for $800 but the tooling it comes with is minimal and no change gears. Reviews I’ve read on those lathes isn’t the greatest either. Ill save some pennies and see what pops up locally.
 
Yotaismygame said:
I agreed the better investment is a quality American made lathe. But I’m still tempted to go Chinese. It’ll only get used to cut maybe two-four cylinders a month. There’s a 12” atlas not far from me for $800 but the tooling it comes with is minimal and no change gears. Reviews I’ve read on those lathes isn’t the greatest either. Ill save some pennies and see what pops up locally.
Click to expand...

It took me a year to find my lathe, I'm glad I waited as I got a more ridgid, high quality machine for less money then buying a new chinese lathe.

A good southbend or atlas is a good place to start.

My colchester is a bit bigger then I originally needed but thats been great as I've rarely not been able to make a part on it. Ive cut disk brakes, worked on rifle barrels and cut chainsaw cylinders all with one machine.
 
I don’t want to wait too long. For one I’m not sure how long this chainsaw fad will last. I tend to get obsessed with hobbies for short periods of time. But who knows... also the sooner I get to cutting my own cylinders the sooner I stop paying someone else to do it.

Good advice guys. Really appreciate it!
 
Yotaismygame said:
I don’t want to wait too long. For one I’m not sure how long this chainsaw fad will last. I tend to get obsessed with hobbies for short periods of time. But who knows... also the sooner I get to cutting my own cylinders the sooner I stop paying someone else to do it.

Good advice guys. Really appreciate it!
Click to expand...

Im like that to, that why Im saying to buy a good machine so that you can use it for other things not just chainsaws..

I started with machining as a hobby, then gunsmithing, now chainsaw cylinders.

1 lathe has worked for 3 hobbies.
 
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for a proper lathe. Too bad Jim decided not to sell his south bend. It’s right in my budget range, size, and he’s not far from me.
 
Hobbies do change but don’t sell off the stuff I tend to go full circle back to it.
A lathe is as accurate as the bench it’s mounted on. The older castiron machine tools are built with seasoned castings, the newer machines aren’t seasoned there’s additives put in the castiron so they season quicker not like the castings left outside years ago in the weather/rain to season.

Way oil,,,Mobil vactra #2 way oil.
 
I agree with Huskybill that the lathe is only as accurate as it's leveled (My lathes being too big for a bench, the bench part is moot to me), however, weight tends to keep vibrations down. Vibrations cause scalping in the cut that can lead to other issues down the line.
 
Old American/British iron>new Chinese when it comes to machines.

I know you said you’ve read all the threads here, but make sure you’ve read this one, lots of good information. https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/cutting-cylinder-bases.327708/page-2

Atlas machines are okay machines, not very heavy or solid, that one is missing a fair bit of stuff and you will need a four jaw chuck to do chainsaw stuff.
 

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