Small metal Lathes / IE 350 to 50W machines

[bikepete]

...an example = milling down a 40mmx100mm round solid bar of mild steel to 35mmx100mm, then cutting a round pocket in the center at one end ?

If this is a typical size job then IMO and if you have room you would be better off with something bigger than a C3. Just looked on Arc Euro and it only weighs 40 kg.

The job is within its size spec (I think - swing over cross-slide is not given) so you should be able to do it via loads of small cuts but the speed and sheer pleasure of doing the same job on say 400kg of secondhand proper industrial lathe is in a different league.

Something like a secondhand Boxford should cost much the same money and be a gazillion times stronger and more rigid. Loads on ebay, Gumtree, etc., choose one with all the tooling. May be a bit worn but for me, I'd live with that rather than try turning big lumps of steel on a wet noodle of a 40 kg machine. Info at e.g.

Boxford Lathes

IMO of course but the extra power and weight of a 'proper' lathe (and there are plenty of others apart from Boxford) is well worth the effort to get one moved...

Personally I'd get a three phase machine and power it on an inverter (smoother, gives you variable speed) but there are plenty of single phase motor Boxfords around if this isn't something you don't fancy tackling straight away.

If you've no space not an option perhaps but worth considering IMO.

Oh and interrupted cuts on square stock will show up the difference even more - don't think taking 40mm square steel to round on a C3 would be much fun (but would admit I've never owned one - but I did have a Myford for a while and that was bad enough - get heavier than that too for 40mm steel!)