Good morning all. I have been having a browse around these excellent forums before framing my question(s) here to help me buy a new mini lathe.
I am a very soon to be retired mechanical engineer (former time served fitter/turner, a long time ago). And I am going to catch up on a few neglected projects. Amongst them a couple of motorcycles.
I am assembling a new collection of hand and powered tools to assist in my newly rekindled hobby. Things like, bench, vice, hand tools, micrometers, bench grinder are all well in hand.
Now I come to the mini lathe (and soon, a compact pillar drill).
My requirements are fairly straight forward. I want to make things like wheel spindles, steering stems etc. Typically up to 30mm diameter, less than 300mm long.
Then a few bits more ambitious that require a boring bar to bore up to about 55mm, not too deep, managable dimensions. Typical tolerances, +/- 0.05mm. I am quite happy to polish out the last thou or so for things like wheel bearing fits etc…But I need a swing ideally of 240mm minimum above the bed to mount a face plate to hold items to be bored. That's a tall order in the machines aimed at the occaisonal hobbyist market. The second stumbling block is I would prefer if the head stock bore would pass a 30mm diameter. Again, it seems not posssible. 20mm seems typical.
Otherwise, the typical 350/400mm between centres bed, 500/600kw mini lathe seems OK. I will mostly machine aluminium alloys, 6061, 6082 a bit of 7075 for spindles. Some minor carbon/stainless steel parts on occaision.
The regular names croping up here, Amadeal, Chester, Warco, SPG Tools and a couple of others all seem to do very similar kit. I guess the main differentiator is price. Maybe that reflects quality to an extent? I'm not sure.
I also notice some issues mentioned with the Chinese speed control boards, being replaced with a UK unit. Quite happy to do stuff like that.
Sorry, for the long post. What would be the best machine(s) to broadly fit those needs in the present market? Preferably<£1000.
Thanks.
FB.