Chinese Lathes

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

…

Lathes don't moan if you ignore them for a period

Lathes don't complain if they don't get serviced as often as they should

Lathes don't get headaches

Lathes are ready to perform immediately after power on

Oh I don't know! At this operators age, close to 71, what with spinal arthritis, hiatus hernia, kidney stone that is awaiting removal … all the above apply in reverse context… …

George.

[Niels AbildgaardParticipant @nielsabildgaard33719]

My two inexpensive Chinese lathes have been excellent for their price, although I'm only making clocks….If the Chinese makers and their importers are watching this thread then can I make a plea that they think about the difference in size between Chinese and European fingers!…….Changing chucks (on the small lathes) spoils an otherwise happy day due to getting your fingers onto the bastard nuts without dropping them down the back of the machine, or worse….. I know that the bolted chuck methd is cheap to make and safe etc but it would not be too difficult to design the tin around the headstocks to allow finger space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first operation on a Weiss Machinery 250 lathe was to turn 4 mm away on the backside of flange.

I have a very precise and invaluable MC3 testbar and the misserable deed made no difference before or after .

Runout on far end less or equal to 0.005mm.

Chuck changing is less than 150 seconds

 

 

Edited By Niels Abildgaard on 09/05/2019 16:53:57

I also did it on a 210 size that I threw out

Edited By Niels Abildgaard on 09/05/2019 16:58:56

Edited By Niels Abildgaard on 09/05/2019 16:59:49

Edited By Niels Abildgaard on 09/05/2019 17:01:26

Edited By Niels Abildgaard on 09/05/2019 17:02:39

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Fitting roller bearings to a mini-lathe increases the space by a useful few mm.

Curiously it also decreases the unsupported overhang…

Neil

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

For most of the 1970s I worked on a broad range of lathes from smallish Boxfords to big Binns & Berrys, and owned a Unimat 3 and a Myford Speed 10 for decades each before buying my current Chinese lathe, Warco WM250V.

There are niggles – and I've never known a machine without any – but I'm very happy with its capabilities and they exceed the Speed 10's in every respect. OK, so it's a larger machine, but it's also relatively more rigid in a number of respects, particularly when working with the vertical slide. It's run in nicely so that it's smooth and quiet in operation, and I've never had any trace of electrical or electronic trouble with it. Any issues have been of my own making, and I've been able to fix all of them completely so far.

I find it a joy to use.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

It is unlikely that any lathe will be ideal for every user. You choose the machine that best suits your purpose, and your pocket. Fantastic work has been, and is still, done with ML7s, and even older, and more basic lathes.

I sold my ML7, since I wanted to pass material larger than 1/2 " through the Headstock, otherwise it did almost all that I wanted.

Even a modest machine can be modified to improve performance, or to suit a particular purpose.

(Rather than buy a very long lathe, a former employer bought two lathes and located them end to end. It was cheaper than buying a special purpose machine!

My lathe is a belt driven Far Eastern 12 x 24, now nearly 15 years old. It is not a Toolroom lathe, although it allows me to work to netter than a thou. The limitation is the operator, not the machine! I have found limitations, on odd occasions, but capable of being overcome with care and ingenuity.

It is unlikely to be in the realms of a Swift Sentinel, Dean Smith and Grace, Edgwick,or a Covmac, but I didn't pay those sort of prices, so should not expect that sort of durability or accuracy. It will still be capable of good work, long after I've gone!

As already said, you don't get a Rolls Royce for the price of a Mini.

Howard

Howard

[Blue HeelerParticipant @blueheeler]

Posted by Ron Colvin on 09/05/2019 15:11:01:

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 08/05/2019 22:05:49:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 08/05/2019 18:01:23:

Any lathe is better than no lathe, which is more than can be said of wives!

Darn right!

Lathes don't get jealous if you've got another one, or more, on the side

Lathes don't moan if you ignore them for a period

Lathes don't complain if they don't get serviced as often as they should

Lathes don't get headaches

Lathes are ready to perform immediately after power on

Lathes don't go on shopping sprees, but love it when you buy accessories

Lathes don't get pregnant

Andrew

Pregnant lathes!, so you would never have to buy another one. Pity though that they would be out of commission for 9 months.

Lathes that produce baby lathes….now that's a thought

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Jim Dobson 1 on 09/05/2019 23:35:00:

Lathes that produce baby lathes….now that's a thought

Where did you think mini-lathes came from? China?

[Blue HeelerParticipant @blueheeler]

Posted by Hopper on 09/05/2019 23:43:25:

Posted by Jim Dobson 1 on 09/05/2019 23:35:00:

Lathes that produce baby lathes….now that's a thought

Where did you think mini-lathes came from? China?

LOL

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Hopper on 09/05/2019 23:43:25:

Posted by Jim Dobson 1 on 09/05/2019 23:35:00:

Lathes that produce baby lathes….now that's a thought

Where did you think mini-lathes came from? China?

Yeah, yeah, but who's got time to wait for them to grow up?

[Blue HeelerParticipant @blueheeler]

Posted by Mick B1 on 10/05/2019 06:29:48:

Posted by Hopper on 09/05/2019 23:43:25:

Posted by Jim Dobson 1 on 09/05/2019 23:35:00:

Lathes that produce baby lathes….now that's a thought

Where did you think mini-lathes came from? China?

Yeah, yeah, but who's got time to wait for them to grow up?

LOL

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Looking at the thick layer of brown protective muck on my lathe when I first got it, it had clearly spent a lot of time under a gooseberry bush!

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

The Centre Lathe is about the only machine tool capable of reproducing itself.

That's an immaculate concept!

Howard

[Author]

Posts