Aren’t most myfords sized at 3 1/2”? Different than with modern lathes – that quote swing rather than centre height?

Same with ER collets. Any lathe accommodate cope most ER collet chucks – one way or another – but they are not necessarily used with the maximum sized cutter they will hold. ER 32 goes down to 2mm, I think?

Lightweight seems to define mini lathes, more than anything else?

Likely small but not with the precision of a watchmaker’s lathe?

So, just a faddy description of a cheap and cheerful lightweight lathe that is only good enough for average precision and attractive to those with not much space and/or money?

I think that the term 'Mini-lathe' was originally coined to describe the Chinese mini-lathe, which was developed in 3 different Chinese factories from, I think. a Russian design…..the essential idea of this was a medium sized lathe somehow reduced in size.

So, while headstock and tailstock would accept relatively large tooling and decent sized chucks etc., the overall length kept the thing 'mini sized'……like a Smart car, ie., two ordinary size seats and normal steering wheel and windscreen giving the illusion of driving in a a normal car…which actually does not exist if you are unlucky enough to crash!

The original Chinese Mini-lathes had MT3/MT2 tapers and 4 inch(?) 3 jaw chuck with reasonable centre height….but would only accept workpieces less than 8 inches long. All for an apparently bargain price.

For the very small lathes – I'd use 'small lathe' rather than 'mini lathe'.

Neil

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Fascinating, but probably irrelevant, Fact:

The Pultra 17/xx was, and is, described as a Micro Lathe **LINK**

https://www.smartandbrownlathes.com/our-lathes/pultra-lathe/

MichaelG.

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Edited By Michael Gilligan on 05/08/2019 23:05:22

Well, not in the league of a Cowell’s?

They were, and still are, clearly aimed at the cheaper end of the market or for those that would otherwise have insufficient space or primarily first-time buyers. Great for getting into the hobby with a new lathe but not necessarily the lathe they finally settle on (although for some the minilathe might be their one and only size).

Sorry if you take offence, but they seemed to cover a particular niche right at the outset. True they have improved, but the modern minilathe is not the same as when they started, but the description has been marketed for decades, now – simply because it is a fad – just like myfords. Buy into the name because it has history?

I’m surprised some did not develop into something like ‘a compact hobbyist lathe’ for more up-marketing, but I suppose why fix it if it ain’t broke and people still envisage these ‘larger’ minilathes on the market as the same thing, even though larger capacity than the myford was.

There is no difference in how a mini lathe works….bu there is a hell of alot of difference in how many mini-lathe users view the comparison with the 'lathey crap' and the people who spout it…….

I used a chinese mini-lathe for 10 years and was told several times that what I wanted/needed was a Myford/boxford/cowells/etc…..what these experts did'nt know was that I also had a colchester Master in the workshop but the mini-lathe was my house lateh for relaxing late at night when i made my clock bits…….

………And I would'nt be too confident that you are well insulated from the nasty mini-lathes influence either…….the mini-lathe has had a MASSIVE impact on the model engineering hobby and has afected the products that suppliers carry along with attitudes to home machining in general.. Without the mini-lathe our world (actually YOUR world as I only make clocks) would be much reduced and you would be complaining even more………

My Optimum TU 150 3V could accurately be described as a mini lathe. Anything bigger, I would simply call a lathe. I am currently looking for something bigger but we do not have the large range of brands available in the UK.

Edited By Brian John on 06/08/2019 04:24:41

I'd say that's more-or-less it. Perhaps the Mini ceiling should be a bit lower – any lathe that can be carried by one reasonably strong person.

And I always thought a lathe carrier was something used for turning between centres!

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Going back to the original question, given that a typical 7x Mini Lathe has a 20mm spindle bore (significantly bigger than an ML7 for example), an ER32 collet chuck would seem to me to be a perfect match and much more useful than my ER25 one, or for that matter the tiny hole in the centre of the 80mm 3-jaw chuck supplied with the lathe.

Brian

If it was not for the "mini lathe" I would not have started this hobby when I retired. When I bought my Clarke CL300 about 11 years ago I carried it from the store and loaded it into my van. Then drove home and carried it into my workshop. No engine hoists, low loaders or any other heavy lifting gear required. Plug it into a 13 amp socket and away you go. I have been quite happy with it but then again I have no desire to build a 1/2 size traction engine.

It doesn't seem to matter what hobby one decides to do, there is always a certain amount of snobbery involved. I came across the same thing when I took up photography.