‘Desktop’ lathe

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

Brian, Cant help with the choice of lathe, but FYI the normal super imposed floor loading [domestic ] is 1.5kN

[ 150 Kg ] / m².

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

In case I didnt make it clear, that is the minimum loading that a domestic floor has to be designed to withstand.

[ at least here in Scotland ] This of course only applies to "new builds " Regs elsewhere may differ..

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

Posted by John Alexander Stewart on 30/08/2015 13:04:15:

Posted by Gordon Tarling 1 on 25/08/2015 16:21:46:

The Compact 8 is just about liftable by one person, so shouldn't be a problem if you have to get it upstairs.

1) In my slightly younger years, I put an old beach towel over one shoulder, threw a Compact-8 lathe (without tailstock) over my shoulder and took it up to the attic of a house in The Netherlands that I was renting. Steep, uncarpeted stairs, easier than getting someone to help.

2) I picked up another Compact-8, well equipped, for equivalent pricing to a local supplier flogging the 7x lathes.

These lathes are really quite well made, and I enjoy using them.

3) The Sherline lathes do look interesting; maybe for an interior workshop one could get one of these?

John.

John – I had to get help to lift my Compact 8 onto its stand, but I have a back problem and daren't risk injury.

I picked up my Compact 8 for less than I paid for my previous lathe, a Hobbymat. I certainly know which one I prefer!

I have owned a Sherline, with lots of accessories, but while it's a very capable little lathe, it does have its limitations.

[paul goughParticipant @paulgough22431]

Hi Brian, Just to make sure I am not misunderstood, I want to make it clear that I was keeping all my discussion within the context of your needs, i.e. reasonably small, reasonably light weight and a somewhat portable machine. Roughly speaking 100mm centre height and around 100kg maximum. This is why I mentioned the Wabeco's, the '2000' is 70kg roughly, ( or the 4000 if you prefer prismatic beds ), with satisfactory accuracy and would hold some of its value for much longer than the much cheaper equipment. Yes they are 'eye watering' relative to the cost of other offerings and I posit them at the upper limit of anyones budget range. However if you don't want to go through a succession of purchases to get to what you want then sometimes it is more economical to go for the more expensive. I have no biases for brands or countries of origin, your required accuracy and budget are likely to be large factors in decision making as are mine. John W1 provided a long more general discussion and did show a very helpful test sheet from Boxford. It is useful to study this as it will provide a baseline from which to asses other machines, but it will probably be hard to get this sort of data from a lot of suppliers. Paul Gough.

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