Which Basic Lathe

Printable View

04-07-2011
graysclassics

Which Basic Lathe

Sorry for such a stupid sounding question and I guess it has been asked thousands of times before?

I havent worked a lathe for 34 years... I will make up some small parts for classic cars and bikes and the like but I would really like to have a cheap screwcutting lathe, preferably single phase.

It would need to have a hollow headstock spindle of around 20mm or thereabouts so I can put round stock through. I would then cut a thread to 1/2"x20 unf (usually) although a metric option would be nice as well.

It wouldn't need to have a quick gearbox, (although it would be nice) changewheels would be ok as its not going to get a lot of use.

Any questions and suggestions would be very welcome before I waste my money on a load of old toot....
06-07-2011
Jonathan

Re: Which Basic Lathe

I recently got a Colchester Student lathe and it's excellent. About £500 on eBay at the moment. As good as the Harrison M250/M300's at school as far as I can tell...plenty of options for thread cutting and the spindle bore is about 40mm, can't remember exactly but it's plenty.
It's not the easiest of things to get in your garage/shed though since it's very very heavy. Any good lathe will be very very heavy though...

I did have a Sieg C3 mini-lathe, 20mm spindle bore... I wouldn't recommend it. It's a toy compared to what I have now.
06-07-2011
graysclassics

Re: Which Basic Lathe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan

I recently got a Colchester Student lathe and it's excellent. About £500 on eBay at the moment. As good as the Harrison M250/M300's at school as far as I can tell...plenty of options for thread cutting and the spindle bore is about 40mm, can't remember exactly but it's plenty.
It's not the easiest of things to get in your garage/shed though since it's very very heavy. Any good lathe will be very very heavy though...

I did have a Sieg C3 mini-lathe, 20mm spindle bore... I wouldn't recommend it. It's a toy compared to what I have now.

Don't want a TOY.... I love tools, not toys, thats why I am asking those that know... many thanks. I am looking at a colchester student as I reckoned on it being perfect but the seller on fleabay does not answer any of my questions and has poor feedback, it may be a pile of poo.... :whistling: