Reloader's Lathe

[Charles Graff]

Most of us who are long term reloading addicts either have a lathe or want to have a lathe. Making tools or modifying store bought tools is a common task in the reloading shop. I bought this 1947 Logan some years back and it is used several times a week. It is a small lathe (9 X18), but is large enough for anything I want to do.

This morning I used it to shorten an Lyman M-type expanding plug that came in a set of Lyman dies for the 32 S&W Long/32 Magnum. The plug was so long it bulged the S&W long cases when run into the case far enough to hit the top step of the plug. A few minute with the lathe brought it to correct length.

I consider a lathe, drill press and bench grinder to be must have tools in a well equipped loading shop.

 

[Brad]

I never realized how handy a lathe could be until I got one. There is no end to the neat tools you can make or the things you can easily modify.

Mine is a bit bigger being a 12 x 36. Takes up a bit of space in the garage but my wife said to get something big enough that I would want to replace it in a few years. I listened.

 

[smokeywolf]

That's a sweet looking little lathe. What's the spindle bore I.D.? Will it accommodate a 5C collet?

 

[Charles Graff]

That's a sweet looking little lathe. What's the spindle bore I.D.? Will it accommodate a 5C collet?

The spindle bore will take 3C collets, but I have a collect chuck and 5C collets, but I seldom use them.

 

[Pistolero]

Interesting differences in style. I use my 5C collets probably 90% of the time.
I love getting the part centered quickly and easily.
Sheldon 56" lathe, a nice machine, but I think I will be getting something more
like Brad's some time, maybe this fall.

 

[smokeywolf]

When it comes to doing work on a part where concentricity is critical and either your I.D or O.D. is already established, bored soft jaws are your answer.

 

[Cherokee]

A lathe is really nice. I have found so many uses for it. Mine is one of those HF 7x10.

 

[Elkins45]

I have a 9 x 36 South Bend made sometime in the 30's. It's capable of more than its owner is. I have enjoyed learning to make M dies and push thru sizers, but I'm still chicken to thread the muzzle of a rifle barrel just yet. I want to shorten my 45-70 Handi to 16" and thread it for a can, but if I goof up it will cost me $200 because I will need to file for an SBR stamp in order to shorten it and try again.

Practice, practice, practice...

Helpful tip: I bought 10 feet of 7/8-14 threaded rod on sale from Grainger. It's nice to be able to make die bodies without having to turn to thread them.

 

[KHornet]

For those who are inclined to, and have the ability to use a lathe, you have my admiration. I have no inclination to run one, and would probably be dangerous to myself if I tried. Brad is doing some real nice work with his for the small amount of time he has had his, and turned out a couple of very nice pieces for me.

 

[L1A1Rocker]

I've got an old Atlas 12x36 along with a little Atlas horizontal milling machine. It's amazing what you find you can fix/make with a lathe. I once needed new bushings for the rear sway bar on my 95 Cougar. Ford only sold them as units for 70 bucks each. I bought a foot of glass filled nylon and tuned out new bushings that I pressed into the old parts.

 

[smokeywolf]

You can on occasion save some money on a project/purchase, but mostly what you get back from having a home machine shop is the knowledge that you did it yourself, nearly always to closer tolerances, oft times with better materials and like making better bullets, the knowledge that you didn't rely on someone else to produce a part that to you could have been better. You did it yourself and you did it to your standards and specs. How do you assign a value to that kind of satisfaction?

 

[Brad]

You can't beat that satisfaction.

I also find I am far more willing to play with various diameters of bullets because I can make multiple size dies. I would never spend the money to buy 20 new Star size dies but I was willing to buy a lathe and have the garage wired for 220 instead.

The expense isn't the issue. It is what smokeywolf said, it is the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Nothing can beat that satisfaction, particularly for a guy like me with zero previous experience running a lathe.