Bench top lathe

[JSH]

I know, I know, go bigger.
I have access to a larger lathe and mill, with gents that know how to run them.
I am just looking at the bench tops to use at home. I have brought this up before,cold weather seems to bring up some back burner projects.
My major projects would include lube sizer dies. Have read threads here and there on the subject.
I am looking at the grizzly line of machines. Anyone have any hands on input on them?
I chased some of the "9's" around. This part of the country they must not be as common as they sure bring big money at the auctions I have went too. Yes, they are made in the US of A,but the thing being is how were they treated the last 50 years.
I can buy a grizzly with a bunch of tooling,for what these bring. Or a lathe and a mill with a dab of tooling.
I have visited several of the lathe forums and read a lot. Looking for some hands on input with these smaller lathes.
I have looked at the little machine shop lathes and they seem to be a chunk of money more than the grizzly. Are they worth the extra?
Jeff

 

[Brad]

One of the big pieces of advice I got when looking at lathes was to avoid some of the old American lathes. I think it was Buckshot who asked if I wanted a lathe or a project.
If you have someone who knows what tomlook for and can go with you used isn't a bad way to go. I don't so I avoid used as I didn't want something with ways so worn I would be fighting it.
Here is a bench top model from the place I got my lathe from.
http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM1030.html
Mine is a bigger floor model but their customer service is good.

Grizzly certainly has a following. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them based on what I have heard.

It can be an agonizing decision.

 

[smokeywolf]

Brad obviously did his homework on smallish hobby lathes. I've been machining for most of 35 years. Of the Asian made lathes, Precision Mathews is one of the better (by a pretty good margin) semi-commercial or pro-sumer lathes.

If your budget can stand it and taking into account that you need to hold some money back for tooling, the PM-1228VF-LB offers substantial advantage over the 10" swing model; spindle bore being perhaps the biggest.

 

[JSH]

One other reason and a major one is, it has to fit through the front door. Then down the basement stairs. Thus a benchtop or one small enough I don't have to tear it clear down.

Brad, that was pretty much the same advice I was given. A brand new one will have its issues to work out as well. Hopefully they are easily corrected.

Being I am interested in lube dies, I want one that will work with collet chucks.

I also have a brain storm for some dies for a Dillon SDB that they don't offer

 

[Brad]

I was looking at a collet chuck but someone convinced me otherwise. I want a new 3 jaw with removable softjaws. Bore the softjaw to fit the lube die being made and have at it. With a shoulder in the rear of the jaws it set the depth too.

SDB dies are gonna be a neat project.

 

[JSH]

I just looked at the link above. I had looked earlier this year. The power cross feed is nice.
Looked through my grizzly catalog and didn't see that.
The other thing about grizzly is I can run down there. Makes for a nice day trip. Also a good excuse to go eat at Lambert's, the home of throw'd rolls.
It would save me on freight. Along with being able to look over the exact one I am buying. Down side is the show room. I bounce around in there like a little kid in a candy store. Then there is the scratch and dent department.
I passed on one of their bigger bench tops a couple of years ago and have regretted it ever since.
I will have more questions I am sure lol.
Thanks gents.
Jeff

 

[Brad]

The showroom is overload. Stopped there a year ago. Just not right having having those machines screaming to go home with you.
Saving on freight is a good thing.

 

[Will]

If anybody wants to practice I need a .4325 sizer die lol

 

[Intheshop]

Location,location,

I love hearing folks recommending this or that pce of "old arn".The one glowing item oft missed is where are you located.

Here in the Va. mnts,pickins are slim for machinery.Oh we have decent industrial base,but the equipment is wore slap out by the time it's on the selling block.

So,if shopping used....cash in hand,trailer lights working,and you better know what you're looking at.You can also network with guys on the net.

One guy,from years ago had a neat way.He'd ride his motorcycle,which was enjoyable.....go search out particular pces he was interested in.Slap down a pile of cash,then go rent a U-haul.Strap bike and equipment in back.....and whistle Dixie all the way home.

Cash,travel,awareness.....and PATIENCE.

If you were local,I could "probably" dig up just about anything equipment related.The more you're "in it"....the easier it gets.Think about your early attempts at handloading/casting.Compared to where you are now.Getting machined up is almost exactly the same.Very best of luck,BW.

 

[Intheshop]

Further,irrespective of new OR used.....

RIGGING,can almost be seen as an art form.And words don't do it justice.It's like working around big ag equipment or const equipment.Don't be a statistic.

In wood working circles McFeely is a screw supplier of note.It's all corporate now.But me and the ole man were heavy hitters back when Bill(McFeely) opened his shop here."Dad" liked him.I was impressed as well.

Bill died pinned up against a brick wall by a 2 ton pce of equipment they were offloading.

Start getting straps,pinch bars,pipe rollers,jacks,chain hoists,etc,etc READY.Get your head straight on these moves.Safe,slow,and methodical with everyone on the same page.

I've made some fantastic "finds" over the years buying equipment dumped during mishandling.You have been warned(said nicely).

 

[Brad]

I paid someone to get my lathe off the truck and on the stand. Wasn't cheap but I don't have the equipment to handle 1000 pounds of iron safely. Best money I spent in my opinion.

 

[Intheshop]

"Here,hold my beer".....famous last words.

Heavy iron is a back breakin,finger crushing endeavor.Our 15" Bridgeport RT weighs a cpl hundred #s.You just don't move any of this chit without a plan.

 

[Pistolero]

Going to sell my Sheldon lathe soon, if anyone reasonably near the KC area is interested.
11" with 36" between centers (56" bed) everything works fine, with collet puller. I moved
it myself, but I have a two ton engine crane that made it a breeze. Took the lathe off of
the stand and moved it that way, still two pretty heavy pieces, but doable. Hardest
part was getting it up the stairs from my friend's basement. Bolted it to a couple
of 10 ft oak 6x6s with angles like skis sawn on the front and pulled it up the stairs
with a rope on a truck, redirected with a pulley. Same for the base, but two men
to keep it from tipping. Think everything through and keep people clear, don't
crunch any body parts.

Oddly enough, my father independently bought the EXACT same model of Sheldon lathe, not nearly in
as good shape as mine, and I sold it to a guy from WVA (it was in central Virginia),
I loaded the whole thing onto his trailer using a come-along to the rafters. He had
good strong ratchet straps and we rigged it really solid, and off he went.

Good luck finding a lathe. I found a BenchMaster small knee mill and it has taught me
a whole lot about milling while I have made a lot of actually useful parts, too. You will
enjoy it.

Actually, come to think of it, I have a second lathe to sell, South Bend 11" shorter bed, older lathe for sale. It isn't
nearly as nice as the Sheldon but for $600 you could learn a lot. It works fine, QC thread, too, just
more old fashioned.

Bill

 

[smokeywolf]

My father had a Sheldon, but old and bare bones model. Flat leather belt drive and no quick change gear box.
Sheldon had a good reputation.

 

[freebullet]

Bill
I'd be interested in specifics on your available lathes.

I have not owned one and would like something I could grow/learn into. Something small enough for little jobs like star dies but, large enough for barrel work...?

Feel free to school me a bit here if you like. Price & specs on each would be helpful. Can do privately if prefered.

 

[JSH]

Bill pm sent.

 

[Pistolero]

I am not sure on the Sheldon, but probably about $2000 with collets and puller, BX Aloris type (China) quick change wedge-type
tool post and original lantern toolpost and many forged tool holders, two tailstock chucks, 3 jaw and 4 jaw chucks,
and faceplate, dogs, one dead center, various cutters, knurler and wrenches. 5C collets and puller. All the threads in the QC box
work fine, US thread only, can add a couple gears to do metric, lathe has no issues, although I have never taken the time to properly
adjust the tailstock to center, mostly do not turn between centers, smaller parts in collets is my most common work. On nice
factory steel stand with drawers, multispeed V-belt underdrive, back gear, auto axial feed without using the threading half nut (saves
wear on thrding nut) and power cross feed, both on hand clutch on apron. Threading dial. I have owned for 7-8 yrs, used in a friend's shop
for previous 15 yrs or so. Nice old lathe, ready to cut parts the day you set it up. 11" throw, 36" between centers, 56" bed.
It was new about late 50s, owned by a gunsmith, I knew his son, just missed it to my friend, but he always let me use it
whenever I wanted until he finally traded up to a HUGE South Bend 13" (15"?) in near mint condition. I am third owner, the owner
before me is SUPER careful with his equipment, to the point that I razz him all the time about taking TOO good care of it, but
we both know I don't really mean it. There is a really wonderful Sheldon group on Yahoo run by one of the retired engineers
from Sheldon who knows EVERYTHING about them. Excellent, super knowledgable support group. I have catalogue and
original manual, etc. Really quality, stiff lathe, with no issues at all, other than adjusting the tailstock to center properly, it seems
slightly off, but drills fine, which is about all I use it for so never took the time. A real machinist will no doubt laugh at me on
that, but I am still learning myself, never got the correct 'round tuit'. Do not lock in on
the $2000, an expert friend is helping me to go thru what I have and set a price, his first rough
est was "at least two grand, but what tooling do you have?" and he hasn't yet been over
to help me set a firm price.

The other is an older (1920s?) 11" South Bend, top flat belt drive, open sheaves, multispeed. More like 24" between centers,
not sure, will measure if interested. It has a well made home-made square tool post, works nicely, but not quick change.
Broken back gear, some spares as I was working on that, but need one more gear. Probably findable, but didn't need the
back gear much, and could use the Sheldon if I needed that slow RPM, so sort of dropped it. On super heavy duty home made
steel stand made of two 4" C channels and 3/8 solid top, steel 2" heavy legs with adjusters on the bottom. One drawer in
stand. I want $600 for that one, again, running fine, all QC gears work and I have threaded with it many times. Big 4 jaw and
slightly smaller 3 jaw chucks included. Mostly use the 4 jaw on that one. I have a separate front side handwheel collet puller for
that one, needs an adapter made, not a big deal but again, the Sheldon short circuited that project. Not included, but is for sale,
will need to figure a price, but this one can be set up for 5C collets pretty easily. I think it has a faceplate, but never used it, so not 100%
without looking.

Bill

 

[freebullet]

What do you imagine the Sheldon weighs?

Don't know about JSH but, the 600$ unit would be outside my knowledge base to track down parts for & complete.

No rush on setting a firm price on that but, please let me know when you do. I'll be needing to settle up end of year taxes first.

 

[Intheshop]

This is a slight tangent on rigging.

A "touch" hillbilly but the ease and beauty that functions from them is top drawer.A masons,"Safeway" scaffold with appropriate 6x6's on top....chainhoist to machine...will lift pretty much any homeshop size machine off a truck or trailer.

Couple 4 or 5 foot bucks high.Needs to be high enough for chain fall clearance.Anyhoo,you can leave one side brace off,PU truck fits in nicely.Pick up machine,drive truck out,lower machine.

We have a loading dock,but besides that,the above is probably my favorite for expediting moves.You can take them with you for remote,"barn finds".Rental units,but they're so handy,buying them (used from rental joint) makes sense.We have a huge pile for the business,and abuse them far worse on the job.

The Sheldon sounds like a winner!Be safe,BW

Edit;by changing brace length you vary the spread length.

 

[Pistolero]

The South Bend is ready to cut parts and thread as it stands, only the back gear, which is like "low range" in a
4x4 is not working. Need to buy one gear and put it on a shaft, simple job if you have the gear. I never needed
the low speeds/high torque for my work, so I didn't bother.

I will try to get my friend over to help me look and set a sensible price for the Sheldon.

Bill