I think it's not a coincidence that many machines which are primarily classed as lathes have equipment available for them that enables milling – whereas I don't think I've ever seen or heard of a turning attachment for a mill. A workholder as versatile as a 3- or 4-jaw chuck spinning on a milling arbor is not easy to think of as practical.

Through much of the 70s, I was a machinist for pay (before drifting off into a long diversion into MRP computer systems), and I spent as much time milling as I did turning, so I don't think I've much of a prejudicial axe to grind in favour of the lathe.

But many or most models and a good proportion of other machined gadgetry involves rotating components in bearings, so the lathe seems to me indispensable unless you happen to be able to use buyable standard parts for what you want to make.

I've been using a lathe with a vertical slide for milling for nearly 20 years now, and I've not yet found myself deadlocked on any milling or jig-boring op due to the small capacity of the milling setup. The one area I'd like to address but can't at present is helical milling and gear-cutting – dividing head work – and that's what might make me buy a mill in future.

But I can't see as I could get rid of the lathe.

It's an interesting question! I started powered metalwork with a pillar drill when a milling machine would have been a better buy. Later my lathe impressed me with the wonderful things it could do, and then disappointed me grievously because so many jobs need a mill. Only now I've got both am I truly happy. Depends on the type of work you do, but I reckon quite a few model makers would be better off starting with a milling machine.

Dave

shaper…

Well – I can't "turn" on my shapers TG – but I can certainly make things round with them – it just takes a while!

Regards,

IanT

I was just thinking of my last visit to Portsmouth Naval Dockyard (as a tourist that is, I’m certainly no old salt)….. All the preserved ships had a lathe on board. Naval vessels had (and still have) to be able to make running repairs at sea, independent of assistance from other ships or ports. On the submarine HMS Alliance, the sole machine tool on board (and located in the engine room) was a Drummond M-Type lathe. I expect that was fairly typical of any small vessel.

HMS Belfast, on the other hand, has a very well-equipped workshop…..

I think it would depend on the size of machine. A larger lathe would give you good rigidity and travel for a vertical slide on which to mount pieces to mill, a 7" mini lathe is a little to limiting in rigidity and travel. A vertical mill from a mini mill, Sieg SX2 type can be used with a bit of ingenuity to turn small parts, either rotating in the spindle or mounted on a rotary table. I have both an SX2 mill and an SC3 lathe but find it easier to turn bigger diameters on the mill due to power limitations of the lathe. Now if only I had a Bridgeport and a Colchester!!

Lathe.

Because I enjoy turning more than milling.

Simples.

Neil

P.S. when I nuked the motor on my mini lathe I turned two pulleys on my mill so that I could get the lathe working with an old Hoover motor. First job on the lathe – four more pulleys!

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 04/10/2018 19:16:12

A lathe is pretty much as close to a universal machine as you are likely to get, especially with a few accessories. I bought my first small lathe with a milling attachment. The down side of that is the time you waste converting from one to the other, but it saves a few bucks for the beginner and time is not really of the essence.

It is actually possible to shape round objects, if you equip the machine for shaping between centres. This also enables interesting jobs like making things that are only round part of the way around…I made some blanks for eccentric straps like that. On the other hand, the shaper can't make things that are round up to a shoulder very easily

John

Definitely a lathe. I've never had a mill at home and rarely wished that I did. Even many professional workshops will have a lathe in a corner somewhere but no milling machine. You can do some milling in the lathe if needed. But very difficult to do lathing in the mill with any great ease or success. And no screwcutting, which I consider to be indispensable.

I spent an interesting year with a Yorks based company making precision microwave components, many of which had cylindrical and coaxial cavities. Their extensive CNC machine shop was largely equipped with machining centres which were essentially milling machines. As I remember, the only lathe there was a little Unimat on a shelf for the very occasional non-critical job. I remarked to the manager at the time I was surprised, he said that the machining centres could do everything they needed.

I have turned components on my CNC mill, and if you look here there's a good description from a professional machinist of using a mill for turning.

So much depends on the type of work you do. If the job requires the tool to be spun, then you're better off with a milling machine. If the job requires the work to be spun then you're better off with a lathe. At the end of the day, you should use the most appropriate tool for the job.

Fitting a milling vice allows milling to be done on a lathe which is a very good thing. Unfortunately the conversion makes a tiny wobbly mill compared with a real one. Nonetheless, when space is limited, it makes the lathe that bit more general purpose than a milling machine. Job done? No – it all goes wrong for the lathe the instant the work won't fit on the machine. In milling mode a lathe is constrained by swing and saddle travel, and – because the cutting forces are at unexpected angles – it's not very rigid. In comparison the table of a milling machine of the same weight has much larger capacity and travel and the machine much stiffer.

If you've got space and money buy a lathe and a milling machine. If your hobby calls for drilling and filing rather than turning you're better off with a milling machine. Even so turning is such good fun…

Dave