Which lathe?

I am sure I should be aware of the Optimum lathe but am not. It does not feature in Tony Griffiths's archives (www.lathe.co.uk). Is it a modern day Adept?

JA

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Now justly infamous ... based on Brian's experience.

MichaelG.

I always like "What Lathe?" threads, it is a useful in exercise in airing ones prejudices. However, until we know what the OP wishes to make, how much space he has, how much money, how much other kit (a Mill .e.g.) - how can we possibly make any judgement? I wouldn't use a Colchester for watchmaking or a Myford for refurbishing a Centurian tank.

I suspect that many people start out, like I did, just wanting a lathe without any real plan as to what I was going to do with it. I started with an old Zyto because that's what came along. At least if you start small it is easier to sell the old lathe and get something which is relevant to whatever home engineering route you choose to take.

Rod

Thanks again everyone for the comments,

in answer to Roderick's post, I have around 3-4k available and interms of what I would like to be doing is just projects I guess and anything that takes my fancy. It will go in my garage which is warm and dry so no problems there.

Taking an earlier comment about WARCO lathes into account, I had a look at their website today and found the lathe that I think is referred to, the GH1236 with DRO for 3k ish.. Also close to it is the GH1322 but the price with DRO pushes it towards the 3.5k area. It appears well specced with a good number of accessories. What are the views on quality though. It is from the far east but a lot of stuff is at the moment.

Would the more experienced folk here recommend a metric or imperial lathe?

thanks

gareth

I should have been aware of the Optimum lathe having followed the thread on Brian's lathe. The one thing I ignored was the make! It was just a Chinese lathe.

JA

With a DRO fitted metric/imperial does not come into it quite so much as you can have either at the press of a button. Where the DRO can't help is with screwcutting, if you see yourself more likely to be cutting metric threads then go with a metric lathe which will have a metric leadscrew, if more imperial pitches then go for an imperial machine. But like I have said before I may only screwcut once or twice a yesr so its not an issue for me. Same applied to turning large diameters and a bit of a loss in power on the variable speed machines, I only do a couple of large diameters a year so can live with it.

The far eastern machines in these price brackets are not finished to the same standards as more expensive ones but I have found both my mill and lathe can produce good work even if they are a bit rough around the edges. I (touch wood) have had very little trouble from either machine.

J

The choice of Metric vs Imperial:

I was told in 1967 when I served my apprenticeship to start thinking and buying Metric tackle.

WRONG - when I semi retired 3 1/2 years ago we were still working in both metric and imperial alongside of each other. It's been like that all through my engineering life.

The choice really is down to what you intend to do. If you have any contact with USA items or old British stuff them imperial is advantageous. All else will be Metric. The Stuart beam engine I am almost at the end of is all imperial. I have no experience with any other kits available but others on here will advise.

At the moment I only have a metric Boxford which I hope to replace shortly. I personally also like the Warco lathes from all the imports, but I have only had British lathes before. My last lathe when I had the room was a Colchester Master. My choice will more than likely be another ex British machine like the Bantum 2000 or even something like the Boxford 330 toolroom lathe like what's running on EBay at the moment.

I served my time In the toolroom on lathes such as Hardinge HLV, the Monarch 10EE and DSG toolroom lathes.

If you buy a new machine make sure it's one that can cope with both metric and imperial threads if you intend doing any screwcutting.

DRO will sort anything else for you as it's just one button to switch between either. With your budget DRO for me is a MUST HAVE.

I've had a Warco GH1330 (long bed version of the 1322) for about 5 years now and I honestly cannot fault it. There are a few minor criticisms I could raise but these are more to do with the way I work than of the machine itself or a quality issue.

I removed the leadscrew covers as these limit the travel of the carriage especially close to the headstock and make using a faceplate a bit restrictive. I've recently changed the motor for a 3 phase with inverter setup. Although not necessary, it is an improvement having the variable speed as I now change gear ranges less often.

Imperial or metric - it makes no difference other than to what you are used to. Both of my machines are imperial as is the mill but that is just because that is what I am used to. If the lathe has DRO fitted then switching between the two is easy and makes the choice pretty academic.

If you are able to it would be worth getting to Warco's showroom and having a look at the machines in the flesh

It's funny how that problem often comes along Rod. It sometimes does seem to waking up one day and wanting a lathe. I'd guess you obtained a much better idea of what it's all about and what you need via the Zyto.

John

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Brian's lathe seem to get on a lot better once some one noticed that the lead screw didn't line up with the bed. That had caused a lot of problems. How that happened is a mystery. Some chance that the lathe had been changed at one end of the lead screw or maybe the wrong part had been fitted. Personally I feel that anyone who sells them should give these lathes at least a bit of check over. On this one if the saddle was adjusted it was rather stiff in places as it was forcing the lead screw to bend - that resulted in so much force being used at the handle that the parts pushed out.

One of the problems with Chinese lathes is that they produce models to suite price brackets so an Opti Baby bears little resemblance to say an Opti Mini lathe and so it goes on up the range on all of them who ever makes them. Doesn't really matter what people think about them but at some price break industry are buying and using them. Another aspect of that is many models state hobby use, not suitable for continuous use etc. Hobby in practice can result in some one spending a high proportion of their free time using them. It seems some can take that.

One claim Opti make on one model is that they do season the bed. Unique as far as I am aware. They also make statements about the bearings they use. It might turn out that an Opti mini lathes are fine. It might not. Who knows, no one until they actually buy one same with other brands. Same for the next model up etc but it's pretty clear that they do get industrial at some point well past what people might want to spend.

John

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Nigel, my apologies I confused the power of the Triumph and Master lathes. Both nice machines to work.

"Myford Super 7 (with gearbox and power cross feed), a Harrison M250/M300 or later at the right price and an equivalent Colchester."

A huge range there and no obvious reason why. If you have the space for anything bigger than a Myford then why wouldn't you choose it.

Many decades ago I was denigrated by a workmate for us choosing a Boxford rather than a Myford. At the time neither my father nor I could afford anything else. But the work that lathe took on over the years was way ahead of anything I could have ever ever handled on a Myford. A bigger lathe or a gapped bed that could have handled brake disc skimming would have been nice in the past but I can easily cope without.

After messing with changewheels for years I now find the gearbox I retrofitted essential, not for screwcutting but for quickly adjusting feedrates. Power longitudinal and cross feed is also a must have for me. Far better this doesn't have the potential to cause leadscrew wear as some implementations do (yes you Myford)

Another essential is a quick change toolpost (arc euro etc) . The 4 way toolpost that cost me a fortune back in the 1980's is really only fit for the bin. Horrible things designed by a masochist. The age of shimming tools long consigned to history. Same with the vertical milling attachment, for the Boxford it cost a lot of money, and it was used quite a bit for small jobs but it's never ever a substitute for a proper genuinely rigid milling machine.

So unless I was limited to a very tiny shed and model making a Myford in any form would never be on my list, the likes of the M250/300 would always be on the list.

Edited By Martin 100 on 18/02/2016 22:23:00

Edited By Martin 100 on 18/02/2016 22:27:06

I did the same. I did a fair bit of restoration on it 30 years ago, and it has had various tweaking since. Since I took this photo, it has had a quick change tool post installed - I must take some more photos! It does not usually look this clean.

I still keep it despite having fully expected to replace it when I got my Warco WM250; in fact I would not be without it!. I find it very useful, often when I don't wish (or I am to lazy) to change the chuck or other setup on the Warco. The chuck runout is (finally) also significantly better at around or under 0.001", so useful on smaller stuff (noting the maximum diameter up the spindle is 10mm, with 1MT fitting).

There is an impressive example on fleabay at the moment, ref 262286370917, updated complete with 3-phase variable speed drive.

Good luck with whatever you choose, although I doubt you will go for the Zyto!

Martin

To be honest Metric or Imperial should be a major question but is rarely answered or addressed.

Until someone, or most persons, makes a very firm decision to go Metric this will never be resolved. I feel that those who are designing models now should only consider Metric (and I am almost 70).

JA

If I remember correctly some / all Zyto's were made in Germany to save money and equipped with a change wheel cover marked made in good old GB, that part was.

John

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Again, thanks to all for the comments, they have all been very useful.

I did call Warco and spoke to a gentleman by the name of Roger whi I note has been mentioned in a number of posts. I too found him very helpful and knowledgeable. I will try and get to their open day in March as has been suggested by other posters. That means I will have to venture across the bridge into foreign climes!

Gareth