Which Lathe Should I Buy?

[kidd]

Hello all. I am on the market for a metal lathe to use for pipe making. I have been scouring posts about which one is the most versital. So far I still don't know which one to get. I am looking for a used one. There are several for sale in my area. South bend, jet, atlas, dayton...etc. I would like to use it for everything. Any thoughts?
Thank you,
Jon

 

[pstlpkr]

Welcome Jon.

It might be useful to describe your particular requirements for a lathe.

While I can't advise you (lack of experience), there are many on here that can.

How much space do you have?

Floor mounted or bench mounted, etc.?

Price range?

That may help.
::

 

[pitchfork]

Kidd, the Pipe Makers' Forum is your best bet. Did you search there? I'm sure the question has been asked before.
http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/index.php
On lathes:
http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=5778&start=0
http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2815
http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=6174

 

[ejames]

Buy the biggest you can afford. The smaller lathes are fine for small work but the chucks are small (3") and most only give you a 7" swing. I have a Grizzly 7X12. It's a great little machine for what I do.I don't know if a chuck big enough for pipe drilling etc. can be put on it,but I really don't need a bigger one.I do my drilling in my drill press. Unless the lathe comes with a lot of tooling,be prepared to spend several hundred $$ on tooling.

 

[kidd]

Thank you guys.
Well i have seen in my area on craigslist several metal lathes in my price range. I think with the space I have a 10" atlas would be alright. I will probably put it on one of those new kreg workbenches with locking casters so i can float it where i want it. I really want to buy american. I am trying to do that a lot more these days. I can also use it for a little gunsmithing thats why I lean toward a larger lathe. I would like to use it for everything associated with pipe making. I am going to build a slack sander next and then set up a buffing station. I would like to spend around $500 but can go more if needed. I have seen some negative post's about atlas lathes. They seem to be more prevelant so if you guys think they are ok I will trust that.

 

[kidd]

Also do you guys think that a 6" atlas would be large enough? I see those come up now and again too.

 

[ejames]

I'm assuming that 6" refers to the lathes swing? If so that only gives you 3" from the centerline of the chuck to the nearest point on the ways(bed)if I understand the term swing correctly. If you want to drill pipes in the lathe that may not be big enough.

 

[kidd]

You know your right that would be too close. I should probably lean towards no less than a 10". What do you think?

 

[igloo]

Find a used equipment dealer or machine supply house and see what you come up with . I wonder if anyone has made a pipe useing a mill ?

 

[ejames]

A 10" would be better I believe. Gives you more room for drilling and any turning you want to do on a pipe and you can still do the smaller work on it.

 

[lonestar]

Bare minimum, get a 9" swing. Anything smaller is going to make pipemaking difficult. Anything larger will come in handy some time down the road. Buying American is great, but realize there is no such thing as a new american lathe. They are all built somewhere else now.

You can make anything work. Like Ejames mentioned, even a small 6 or 7" swing will let you make stems, but drilling will need to be done another way.

I have a Jet 920 and its as small as I would ever want to work with. They are a great buy if you can find a good used one.

 

[kidd]

I saw a 9x20 pop up on craigslist for $500 but it was only up for a few hours then it was gone.

I would rather have an antique/vintage lathe anyway. My last lathe was a delta/rockwell from 1948. I loved it. Well thank you guys. I will keep looking.

 

[jogrefoln]

I have been researching this as well, Kidd. I would like to know what you finally end up with. there always seems to be something on CL for around $4-700. Some good info here to get started with. Thanks for asking this question.

 

[kidd]

ok. I am looking at a 1930's atlas right now. Just not sure if I want to buy it. I think South Bend would be #1 and then Atlas #2. You are going to pay more for a South Bend. I have seen several nice ones for over $1,000. My goal is to spend less than that.

 

[kidd]

Well I made a deal on a 10" Atlas. I am the 3rd owner and the 2nd owner used it only once. It has been well taken care of and comes with all the accessories. I made this deal at $450 which is very good. I am still setting up my shop so I will show you guys some progress. I bought 3 electric motors the other day for $20. I will use them for grinding, buffing and sanding.
*EDIT* - Fixed your image -Jason

 

[kidd]

http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/r...g.html?&_suid=1365469090685002257315467184523

 

[kidd]

[url=http://s1108.photobucket.com/u...g.html?&_suid=1365469090685002257315467184523 ]atlas lathe[/url]

 

[kidd]

well it took a while. I usually come across good ones it just takes time. That stool in front of the lathe is all stainless steel. I paid $1.00 for it at a yard sale. I was really happy with that one! I love bartering with people.

 

[guhrillastile]

I read your post previously but didn't comment. I am shy to say too much as ill make a fool of myself given my unusual methodology.
Just my philosophy, its the tooling. Obviously a sloppy bed or chuck you have to fiddle with each time cam be detrimental to actually enjoying doing work. But the tools make all the difference in the world to me. Cheapie, or worn teeth repurposed can lose temper quick if abused by previously owners. Were all cheap by nature but make sure you start off right and the teeth are good and sharp and the seats are solid. Doesn't look like your going to have any of those issues given its condition from pics. I make pipes, tampers, and knives too but am hesitant to call myself a "pipemaker" or any kind of artisan. Its kind of a mixed bag for how my place is configured at any given time of year so I can appreciate the caster set up. Also often grossly overlooked is the convenience of cleaning or recovering a dropped piece without having to play spider monkey. I am not a role model or pro like others sure to comment but I agree you did good to go with a larger throat allowing longer stummel choices if desired. I also agree on the score for the price. Look forward to seeing more pics. Congrats.

 

[kidd]

Thanks. The lathe was well taken care of. I The bed is nice and I have all the change gears and accessories. I am going to try to make some tampers too even knives. I made a carving knife once from a broken saw blade and some scrap walnut. I enjoyed making it. If I can find a pic I will post it. Yes casters are a must. I put them on the lathe base. I am also going to get a Kreg workbench with wheels and replace the monster I have now. I refinish furniture too and that takes up a lot of space so I am going to keep everything in my shop mobile.