Help me choose a lathe to suit my hobby

My 2p worth. Do try to get over to Arc Euro if you possibly can - they will go out of their way to help you.

Before I bought a lathe, I considered many different makes and concluded that Proxxon lathes are really glorified, overpriced toys that IMHO aren't capable of any serious work. I had a Sherline with many accessories for a while, but found it quite limiting for the type of work that I wanted to do. I also had a Hobbymat MD65 for a while - this was a more capable lathe, though I felt that the bed design was somewhat lacking, so I sold that. I then bought my present lathe which is an Emco Compact 8 - I was lucky in that I managed to find a little used one in good condition for a reasonable price. I'm very pleased with its accuracy and capabilities, it really only lacks the ready availability of certain accessories. I wouldn't normally recommend you buy a used lathe without some experience behind you, or a friend with you who does have that experience. If you buy new, then you at least get some form of warranty. Good luck in your quest!

Hello Michael G

You are quite right my preference is to buy new as I am not sure I know enough to evaluate and test a second hand machine

Checked the BCA mill but out of my price range

Thanks fir all the tips and advice much appreciated

Cheers

Andrew

Hello Ketan

Thanks for your suggestions I will try and visit your shop as I do intend to see the mill and large before I make a purchase

I am planning to visit the Midlands Show in October and there is another show in London which I will also visit

I don't think the Proxxon are worth the money

I have been studying and reading up on Shetland and although more expensive they will do everything required for static scale modelling - but they are limited in the engineering side that I mentioned at the start of this thread. I would like to make a number of the projects in the "complete lathe course" and the complete mill course as I think these are good wys to gain experence and revive old skill that have been dormant for many years

As mentioned st the beginning of the post lathe and milling was part of my apprenticeship and I am not a total novice but I would still classify myself as a beginner

Cheers

Andrew

Hello Dave

Thank you for a very informative narrative I think I could manage half of what you listed and I must say I do like the Warco VM280 I think it's a very good package for the money

I think I have read enough now to realise that there is a quality difference between WARCO and say a Shetland and that the Warco should be considered a part assembled kit that requires finishing off by the owner. I can do some of this and I think the tests covered in the "complete lathework book are all quite easy to to

I have managed to restore a few motorcycles and I do have a mechanic background so I am not too worried if I need to fix a few things or make improvements and adjustments. My expectations have certainly be well aligned by the feedback on this discussion

Thanks for all the really useful info which I have coped out and filed away in my workshop book

Cheers

Andrew

Hello Gordon

Thanks for really useful feedback. I too concur that the Proxxon is to expensive for what it does the Sherline is a much better and cheaper option

Encourage is also very nice but might be out of my price range I need to check them out though. How did you find the Emco?

I have downloaded all the Sherline brochures and privelust so gonna do some maths and see what it will cost me. Need to get a number of accessories at the start eg chucks steadies etc. Let's see how that turns out

Cheers

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

I am about to say things which are going to sound controversial.

You state: 'I have been studying and reading up on Shetland and although more expensive they will do everything required for static scale modelling - but they are limited in the engineering side that I mentioned at the start of this thread. I would like to make a number of the projects in the "complete lathe course" and the complete mill course as I think these are good wys to gain experence and revive old skill that have been dormant for many years'

You state: 'I think I have read enough now to realise that there is a quality difference between WARCO and say a Shetland and that the Warco should be considered a part assembled kit that requires finishing off by the owner. I can do some of this and I think the tests covered in the "complete lathework book are all quite easy to to'

** If you want to make things which are in Workshop Practice Books WPS34 - lathe and 35 - Mill, well and good. Using them as a very loose guide - okay, but you will need to avoid using them as a 'matter of fact' point of reference or strictly 'A Complete Course'. This would be wrong due to the relevance of such books if applied strictly to modern day hobby lathes and mills. I say this with respect to the author of the said books. Tied into this, to consider a Warco or any other metal working lathe to be a part assembled kit that requires finishing off by the owner - is again a wrong conclusion. Such machines do the job which they are made for, out of the box. If/how/when you choose to adjust/fettle them to meet your precision requirements, that is up to you, and it should be based on knowledge and experience.

I know what I have said above will be meet with disagreement in some cases, but I stand by what I have said.

Ketan at ARC.

I have to chime in here,. I think Ketan has understated the point a bit.

The 'part assembled kit' is an easy criticism to say and repeat, but it really is very far from the truth.

A lathe is more like an electric guitar than an electronic keyboard. Both should and will work out of the box, but you won't ever need to open up the keyboard and adjust it. Straight out of the box that new guitar will be way out of tune and the action may resemble a cheese grater. As you learn to play your guitar and develop your own style and approach you might adjust the action. You might change the strings to suit you and as result need to change the intonation and adjust the truss rod. You may want to adjust the pickups. You might swap out knobs or potentiometers, rewire the switches or even fit new or additional pickups.

Does any of this mean the original guitar was substandard or a 'kit of parts'? Of course not.

In just the same way, the imported hobby lathes of today, if bought from a reputable source, WILL work out of the box, subject to some modest assembly (such as fitting handles removed so they don't get damaged in transit) and a quick going over to check all is secure and that the movements are shake free and without binding.

Interesting the Sherline (I assume you mean Sherline not Shetland) lathes are an exception to this as they do come dis-assembled into smaller units, requiring to to fit (typically) motor, speed control and cross-slide yourself. Of course an advantage of this is it makes you more aware of the various adjustments needed to set up the lathe.

One of the problems is that the purchasers of cheaper imports tend to be beginners. Things simply needing adjustment are perceived as 'problems'. An experienced purchaser of a top end lathe wouldn't dream of using it before at least checking such adjustments, and will put them right almost without thinking about it, so they never get raised as problems.

Ultimately the large volume of imported entry level machines reflects large numbers of inexperienced entry-level users. One of the roles of a forum like this and magazines like MEW is to make sure these users realise that most of the issues with a new machine are down to two things - lack of experience and the different circumstances and approach of every user.

I think you should take Ketan's advice and visit a supplier and seek some advice and look at machines of various sizes first hand. Could you choose which of two guitars will suit you best by looking at pictures and reading their specs?

Neil

Hello Ketan

Thank you for your feedback and pints well made. I don't intend to buy anything before seeing the real deal and at least spoken to the supplier. Once I see the machines in "the flesh" I can make up my own mind about what I would like to spend my hard earned money on. I have been saving for a long time so I want to make an informed choice. It's one of the reasons for starting this thread.

It is reassuring to know that the machines will work out of the box. I think the checking your lathe exercises in WPS34 are a good start to making sure your machine is right and also getting to grips with the hobby.

Cheers

Andrew

Hello Neil

The guitar analogy is a good one and point made. I have absolutely no intention of buying anything without seeing the machine in the flesh and meeting the suppliers, but practically I can't see everything so I do need to do some shortlisting. I am planning to visit the Midlands (Oct) and London (2018) Shows to see as much variety as I can. I will most likely have to make a couple of supplier trips as well.

But the support I have received from this forum has been invaluable as I have found out which makes I simply can't afford, I have had reassurance from users on models I am interested in so my shortlist is already getting more refined. I will most likely buy new that way I can get support from a supplier as I am not sure I could judge a second hand machine adequately

I have subscribed to MEW as I now know that a few relevant reviews are in the pipeline.

I have a checklist of adjustments should I choose to do them (I may do some but not all)

So my quest continues - I have been saving for these machines for a long time and studying all my options is part of the fun and learning the hobby.

At the end of the day, my models will reflect my skill set. I could buy the perfect lathe or mill but that does not mean I can use them to their max capacity because I don't have the skill set yet. Like the model Harley Davidson fuel tank which is to 1:6 scale that I posted earlier in this thread is custom painted with a very simple single action airbrush illustrates the point. Basic tools in the hand of an expert produce good results yet the most amazing tools in the hands of a beginner will not necessarily produce the same results.

The support and advise I have received is most welcome and much appreciated THANK YOU EVERYONE

Cheers

Andrew

Yep - what comes out yer shed is 100 times more important than whatcha got in there...

> Basic tools in the hand of an expert produce good results yet the most amazing tools in the hands of a beginner will not necessarily produce the same results.

Very true.

Neil

Hi Andrew,

Doing up old bikes automatically means you're a much better mechanic than I am. I bet if you had a lathe to play with you would soon have the tweaks I listed mastered. Nothing I mentioned is difficult once you have a little experience. And even if you get stuck the forum is REALLY helpful.

Sorry if I've got you seeing the Warco as 'a part assembled kit'. I know what you mean but that description is several shades too harsh. If mine had been as bad as a 'part assembled kit', I'd have sent it back!

In comparison buying second-hand can plunge you into much deeper water. Fixing a warped bed, changing bearings, correcting worn or damaged ways, trueing up the headstock and tailstock alignments and debugging faulty electrics are all much harder to deal with than anything you might find on a new Far Eastern machine with a UK warranty. That said there are newcomers who've successfully got into the hobby by doing up a wreck. As you will know from doing up bikes, marvellous things can be done by begineers with time and determination.

Dave

Hello Dave

No need to apologise the "kit" phrase has caused a bit of a stir but wasn't intended that way. What I meant was in term of my own expectations I now know what to expect and will most likely be very pleased with a Warco should that be my final choice. With all the feedback I now know that little tweets and checks I should do myself and not pester the supplier. This for me was an important piece of info and your check list very useful.

I have used an airbrush for years and years and never had a problem yet friend really struggle to come to grips with the airbrush - with any skill if you keep at it you do eventually master it

I can't wait to get turning thanks for all the cracking good advice

Cheers

Andrew

A few posts back I referred to some of the mini lathe as a kit, and have later explained what I meant by the statement. However this view was not universally appreciated and not intended to cause any offence. However it niggled me where I got the idea from. So having just returned from Colombia I checked the recent books I was reading and discovered where the "kit" idea came from, the kit idea was obtained from some of the recommended reading material that I have been reading

The Mini Lathe by David Fenner states on page 15 "humorists used to comment that Chineese lathes were OK if you treated them as a kit of parts. It seems there is still an element of truth in that view, at least as regards the " Factory Assembled" condition"

However before anyone gets upset I think it's fair to say that things in the industry have moved on and changed quite a bit since Fenner published his book in 2008. But it has been reprinted in 2010, 2012 and 2015 so it is clearly a popular book and does carry an element of authority with it, so when a well published author like Fenner confirms that there is an element of truth that the Far East mini lathe can be akin to a "kit" us lessor informed beginners do take the author at his word

Perhaps it is time for an updated mini lathe book that reflects the current status of the mini lathe and the options for new model engineers. These books while not the gospel are an invaluable source of projects and leaning for the beginner

So how about it MEW - what about an updated book on the mini lathe that provides the insight on buying, setting up and using the modern lathe from the Far East.

Cheers

Andrew

The Mini-lathe by Neil Wyatt

Thanks for the link, bought the book right away should arrive early next week

Cheers

Andrew

Saved my embarrassment, thanks Rod

Neil

Hi Andrew,

I wasn't offended or upset by the word 'kit'. I was much more worried that I'd misled you. I've been in your position and know how difficult it is to get a balanced view of hobby lathes off the web, or anywhere else! All I can say is when I finally bought a mini-lathe (from a reputable UK source) I was pleasantly surprised.

Whatever you buy, please come on the forum and tell us honestly what you think of it and why. Good or bad, people will be interested.

Dave

.

Andrew,

Also be aware that there is a retailer of 'mini lathes' (who happens to advertise on this site) that also sells various upgrade kits for them that amongst other things aid in rigidity and overall feel of use.

However as you are seemingly only going to be machining plastics and aluminium the 'as supplied' machine will most probably be more than capable of your requirements.

Nick