Author Topic: Advice on small lathes  (Read 15459 times)

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #45 on: February 16, 2019, 03:24:05 AM »
Good input Dave. The only thing I'd add to that, when it comes to reading, is to read as much as you can on this forum. I learned early on, when I started my journey several years ago, that there is a complete machining education buried in these pages. Find build threads that use the equipment you're looking at and give therm a thorough read. That's what I did.

Jim
Sherline 4400 Lathe
Sherline 5400 Mill
"You can do small things on big machines, but you can do small things on small machines".

Offline nats

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #46 on: February 16, 2019, 10:20:22 AM »
Hello everyone !

I didn't want to start a rumble, I must say all your advice are helpful, I see some of them useful in the short term, and other in the long term.
I realize that a Taig is not a Schaublin 70/102 but I also realize that I'll not need that schaublin for what I want to do at least at start.

Thanks a lot to all of you really, because it helps to have a lot of advice, and thanks for your last post Dave it gives a good idea of what can be done !

In the same idea I found that channel yesterday evening while youtubing in bed: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHn1eQLofbEeOczp7qCsBw (I don't know if working with clothe on the lathe bed is the best idea in the world...) it also gives a good idea of what sherline/taig can do and what are their limits (and also how to correct some problems !)

So now I'm convinced that Taig/Sherline is certainly what I need for a start and as all of you said it's not a loss because either i'll resell it or keep it for small work later :)

I keep this thread as a reference because you indeed find a lot of "Cazeneuve/Mori Seiki or die" on the interweb and this one can help for a beginner.
So Taig it'll be (I'll also learn how to assemble it)

Look at the book link I'll certainly get some :)

PS:
The reason I'm interested in micro ICE is because I needed a reason to learn machining (and especially using lathe) because I have an ongoing project of different kind of motor. Initially I wanted to be able to machine a Macor block to make a tiny Ionic Thruster. But I think I'll keep doing the two now/

Offline steamer

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #47 on: February 16, 2019, 11:21:57 AM »
Hello everyone !

I didn't want to start a rumble, I must say all your advice are helpful, I see some of them useful in the short term, and other in the long term.
I realize that a Taig is not a Schaublin 70/102 but I also realize that I'll not need that schaublin for what I want to do at least at start.

Thanks a lot to all of you really, because it helps to have a lot of advice, and thanks for your last post Dave it gives a good idea of what can be done !

In the same idea I found that channel yesterday evening while youtubing in bed: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHn1eQLofbEeOczp7qCsBw (I don't know if working with clothe on the lathe bed is the best idea in the world...) it also gives a good idea of what sherline/taig can do and what are their limits (and also how to correct some problems !)

So now I'm convinced that Taig/Sherline is certainly what I need for a start and as all of you said it's not a loss because either i'll resell it or keep it for small work later :)

I keep this thread as a reference because you indeed find a lot of "Cazeneuve/Mori Seiki or die" on the interweb and this one can help for a beginner.
So Taig it'll be (I'll also learn how to assemble it)

Look at the book link I'll certainly get some :)

PS:
The reason I'm interested in micro ICE is because I needed a reason to learn machining (and especially using lathe) because I have an ongoing project of different kind of motor. Initially I wanted to be able to machine a Macor block to make a tiny Ionic Thruster. But I think I'll keep doing the two now/


Good!   Im just glad all this didn't turn you off.  If you need any help putting the taig together, please feel free to reach out to the team here, and we'll help with advice.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline Roger B

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #48 on: February 16, 2019, 03:14:03 PM »
"Initially I wanted to be able to machine a Macor block to make a tiny Ionic Thruster." Interesting  :thinking: What sort of voltage are you thinking of using? (my day job is with Megavoltage industrial electron accelerators)
Best regards

Roger

Offline nats

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #49 on: February 17, 2019, 06:09:33 PM »
I found some paper with micro thruster at few hundred Volt, I'll try to work on that (few mm thruster opening).
I never worked with plasma so a lot to learn in the way, the first one being able to work on prototype to test :)

Offline nats

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #50 on: March 10, 2019, 05:36:32 PM »
Hello guys !
So finally some news I just received my Lathe and I'm making some stand for it :)
But as usual you search for something and end with something different, I got a proxxon PD250E in the end because I had a good deal for a new one
and it's "ready" out of the box :)
I also got some raw material to work on, I'll post the first test :))

Offline gerritv

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #51 on: March 10, 2019, 06:08:58 PM »
Congratulations. That looks very capable. And lots of attachments available.

Gerrit
Don't confuse activity with progress

Offline sorveltaja

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #52 on: March 10, 2019, 06:56:22 PM »
Nats, congratulations. I have a similar model, PD210, although it's 20 years old. Still in working condition, but I haven't enough room to use it at the moment.

Looking forward for your future projects.   

Online Kim

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #53 on: March 10, 2019, 09:31:30 PM »
Looks like a great machine, Nats!  Be sure and let us know how the first swarf goes :)   :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #54 on: March 10, 2019, 10:54:22 PM »
Congrats Nats. New machines are always fun, and I wish you many hours/years of productive use from it.

Bill

Offline steamer

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #55 on: March 10, 2019, 10:55:36 PM »
Congratulations!
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline nats

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #56 on: May 06, 2019, 11:03:25 PM »
Hello,

I'm sorry to have been away for so long but I had a lot of work. Anyway I continued my adventure in the mechanical engineering world :)
I did some test and got few interesting results (just lathing no motor for now).
I got a good deal for a set of Horn Supermini (Tool holder + 30 differents tools !), I had to make a toolpost for it because the proxxon toolpost is for 8mm tool only !
It was the first things I ever made on a big mill (in the hackerspace), so the toolpost is not totally clean but level and surfaces are ok :)
I'll redo it later to learn more about working with exact measure and dimensions.

I post few pictures here.

On a side note I think I'll try to get also a small bench mill because I feel like I need it for almost 90% of what I want to do, it spread like a virus :D

Offline Mcgyver

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #57 on: May 06, 2019, 11:50:03 PM »

Hello everyone !

Whats need go to do with anything? :)  If it was just about need I'd be able to fit two cars in the garage and not have sprawled over two rooms in the basement

congrats on the lathe, have fun with it.

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #58 on: May 07, 2019, 11:53:10 AM »
Fine toolholder - should serve you nicely  :ThumbsUp:

Offline nats

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Re: Advice on small lathes
« Reply #59 on: July 24, 2019, 07:51:58 AM »
Hello,

I'm happy I made my two first real projects using my small lathe recently. They have nothing to do with motor (one could in fact). But I needed simple things to learn.

The first project is a tool to assemble some small part, I needed a way to hold M2.5 nut in a really tight space, and the second is a fire piston, I'll redo the piston because
I want it to be adjusted as fit as possible, it could be a good exercise :)

I do have few questions, someone knows a milling attachment that could go on a proxxon PD250E ? Because I milled the first tool slowly by placing the tool in the toolpost and a mill in the lathe chuck and I adjusted the height with sheets of metal.

I have a problem with the drilling chuck, when holding a drill bit > 6mm the chuck start to turning around his CM1.... (I cleaned everything before inserting the cone) Maybe adding some loctite on it could help but I want to be sure.

And the last, I need to find small carbide toolholder because I still can't part piece on the lathe the HSS part tool provided seems to have a lot of trouble going through and I think it's a challenge for the lathe stiffness. I saw some video of "Adventures with a very small lathe" and he has some tooling for that.

Anyway thanks a lot and have a nice day :)

(next project, threading something with my micro tooling :))

 

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