Should you really get the biggest lathe possible?

This question is a bit like buying a car. There will always be occasions you could do with a bigger one but something overly big can be a disadvantage all the time you don't need a bigger one.

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Thanks for the thoughts, Ian.

I think I know where I'm headed with my own 'special' ... my comments yesterday were more by way of "market analysis".

MichaelG.

What is the difference between a vertical lathe and a horizontal borer? Just interested.

> What is the difference between a vertical lathe and a horizontal borer?

90 degrees!

Neil

Horizontal borer has the cutting tool turning on a horizontal spindle and the work moves on a flat table, a bit like turning the head of your mill 90degrees or holding work on the lathe cross slide and a tool in the spindle

A horizontal lathe has the work turning on a vertical spindle and the tool moves against the work

So as Out Editor says the difference is 90 gdegrees

Edited By JasonB on 08/12/2014 16:54:53

Hello all, Kearns &Co, lovely borers by all accounts, sadly no more. Oh well, at least Ive another picture for my tool porn collection .

David Colwill, on your DSG, do you have the gubbins for the auto feed trip ?. Had a near miss on mine recently , because the feed and screwcutting levers are very close together, I almost had a crash grabbing the wrong one !!. I cobbled up an adjustable stop to hit the feed rod that sticks out its hole on engagement, works a treat to a few tenths every time. Ive since modified the bar adding "rule" marks for better adjustment Here is a pic with a bit of luck. Cheers.

At one time I attended evening classes at our local college where they had a number of large lathes, mainly Colchester Mascots. Because each session was only 2 hours duration, I would try for a machine which was set up with a chuck to suit my task. On some occasions, I had to change the chuck, what a job. Even then as a young man, I felt the strain of lifting such a large lump of metal so when a new college was built about 25 years ago and the chance came to purchase one of the Colchesters, I declined an the basis that with old age, strength decreases and I could well see myself doing time in the hernia ward.

JasonB- That has started even more brain fade, what you are showing as a horizontal lathe is what I know as a horizontal borer. I had a mate who worked one, years ago, he was very skilled and did specialist work and he called it a borer. It does not really matter of course, I was just wondering.

I suppose if he was only turning the inside of a part then you could class it as a borer, but as they will turn the outside and face work thats hardly boring

Jason- Inside and outside, last job I can remember ( 40 yrs ago ?) it was the mould for large plastic sphere halves , about 1 mter dia. with a center piece.leaving about 10mm gap. Invoved inside and outside spherical, flanges and bolt pitching. All to a very good finish and by hand, ie. no CNC. These sort of machines were common in my youth. Unless I.ve been dreaming, wouldn't be surprised!

Hi Roger

My DSG doesn't have the auto trip but I do like your arrangement. That's another thing on the to do list

Many thanks.

David.

In the photo above,the blue machine,it is known as a vertical borer,or vertical boring mill, or in some countries a vertical lathe. the big advantage is the job can be loaded onto the rotating table far more easily than securing it to the faceplate of a large lathe,also it can be set central without struggling with clamps at the same time ,set it central first then clamp it down, also the borers can be built far larger than a lathe, modern vertical borers as per photo are set into the ground so the table is level with the ground ,easier to work on and set up,a lot of that machine is below ground on a very expensive concrete pit.