There are only so many ways you can point a camera at a lathe. Sooner or later you find yourself in front of the lens, but as I have a face best suited to modelling crash helmets, I took the TOT approach 😂. Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
@quimblyjones9767 I did not mean it like that, to cast a bad light. I like this channel, and This Old Tony is top in my list. I mean it is up there with Veritasium and Great Scott. You know the saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Takes a considerable ammount of time to make a video this detailed.. Its almost like an instructional video you might find back in the 80s or 80s... Really enjoyed it and learned quite a lot.. So cheers for that !!
What an EXCELLENT video! Fair (in assessing what a Mini can/can't do); very clear photography; good list of mods and "sensible" comments about accuracy; nice clear vocal delivery; and NO "Whatzap yerall" to start off and NO music! In other words what's not to like about this video: Brilliant stuff Sir! and many thanks for taking the time to make and post. A small point - just about the only thing you didn't say (or sorry if I missed it) was that especially in the harder materials, the whole "lightweight" build of the lathe results in a lack of rigidity (when compared to the "big, old" stuff). But the real point - typical "Yorkie to-the-point" comment - any Chinese Mini Lathe can do so much more than no lathe. Lovely stuff
Well said. My jaw is still dropped after watching this video :-) What an amazing delivery of great educational content! I haven't machined anything (yet) but even a complete noob like me could follow this and learn tons from it. You got yourself a new subscriber!
And I thought owning one of these for 4 years was a long time. What a fantastic and comprehensive review of this little machine. Makes me miss using my old one.
I think that sums it up beautifully. A mini lathe is better than no lathe at all. I ended up going down the big and old path as that ended up suiting my needs better and has become a very important part of my workshop.
@@armstronglaborde yah, nearly everything can be done on a lathe, but, if the lathe is busted and would require it to make those parts... have a spare?
A machine shop owner i know, purchased a mini lathe as a joke for one of the machinest in his shop. The machinest took it apart and reassembled it adusting tolerances and amazed the rest of the shop with how accurate parts could be made using this small lathe. This shop now owns 6 small lathes and they are daily used for machining small parts leaving the larger lathes for bigger jobs. I myself have owned my mini lathe for over 12 years and along with my old Jet-15 1/2 hp milling machine i amaze myself with what i can make. You are only held back by your imagination.
The 7x12 mini lathe although basically a lathe *kit* right out of the box and a mini mill have been a job and money saver in my auto repair shop. The time and effort as well as the minimal cost have been well worth it and would be replaced the same day if they were to become worn or broken beyond repair. Content like this that showcases the limitations and work arounds of these machines just make the investment more valuable!
@@johnnodge4327 I must have gotten a Wednesday lathe too because Ive definitely seen some monday and friday lathes on these youtube videos but man these little things are extremely handy for not much💲
First time viewer offering extreme amounts of appreciation here! I recently got mine, for much the same reasons, and have had much the same problems. Problems you have now given me potential solutions for! Thank you!
I don't often comment on TH-cam, however I'm new to this and I learned so much in a short space of time as this video is detailed, full of information delivered professionally in an easy to consume format. Fantastic work!
Hello, I'm Keith from Michigan USA. I've been watching a lot of individuals, and worked 44yrs in various machine systems, setting up, rebuilt, etc. I decided, bought new and I was able to place it in my basement. I'll let you convert it to metric. It's a 11" swing by 30" long. When I get free time, I grab coffee and head to the Basement. I primarily watch and enjoy what people make. I add positive comments for whom I watch. Take care now 🙂
What you have to realize about some of these guys is that they live in a 'machine desert'. I too live in Michigan and there's a lot of old iron around here! 😉
Thank you for the fair posting of this video. I have owned and operated a 7 x 16 LMS hi-torque mini lather for over 6 years now and honestly could not be without it. Previously, when I had my shop, owned an old South Bend 10" lathe that I used for basically everything. Initially, the small mini lathe was difficult to become acquainted with due to the small size, limited chuck and lacking of power. After a while, taking into consideration that all projects may take a bit more time, I am loving this small lathe and wish I would have had on sooner. My lathe was always in need of modifications for the first 2 years or so, but now is set to go for just about any task, including a degree wheel, fabricated from a camshaft degree wheel, installed on the back outside of the chuck, DROs, including the tailstock made from an old set of cheap calipers, QTC tool holder, additional Gibb screws, hand stoned and lapped Gibbs, 4 jaw chuck, way cover, and carriage locks, and more. It seemed every use made it necessary for another mod, but after a while no more required. The initial cost of the lathe itself is cheap, but the tooling is never ending, not to forget the custom tooling you will fabricate as radius turning, centering and others. The only Addition I would like is an RPM gauge, but not in the budget to date, so recorded RPMs with a hand held device and attached a position wheel showing estimated chuck speeds. I can hole .0005" tolerance on a good day with mine, and use the tailstock or center support for longer material projects to hold the spec. Usage is basically limitless, and dependent on your imagination. I also own a LMS hi-torque mini mill that I am lost without. That also took time to become acquainted with after missing my old Bridgeport type mill of my prior shop. For any that suffer from the lack of real-estate in your garage or shop, as I, would seriously recommend a mini lathe for your hobby projects. There will be times you cuss and hate it, but realize that can be modified for your satisfaction of end results. Remember----It was Cheap.
For a Technician, sitting at the PC warm and cosy with snow outside, this was so pleasant and informative at once, I got to say thank you. No blabla long talk, but professional thoughts. Feels so outstanding good nowadays.
I don't have a mini lathe, but I watched this from beginning to end, excellent production values and narration style. At 22:10 use of the parallels for reverse engineering the way angles is a great hack I will definitely use. Every size lathe is a project, ancient or just out of the crate. Thx for making this.
Two most important things he mentioned with parting off, cutting oil, and constant feed. Setting the cutting edge very slightly below center will help with the cut getting started, and reduce burr formation. Avoid going above center, just make large models and look at the geometry of a flat edge coming in contact with a cylindrical work piece and this advice will make perfect sense.
Don from Australia here. Thank you for your excellent video. I have had a Sieg C4 mini lathe for 4 years now and am finally starting to explore a few more improvements such as the ones you have illustrated as well as become more imaginative in the projects I take on board. My problem has been that since my retirement (in 2011) I have embarked upon myriad projects in diverse areas of endeavour. Not really a problem is it? I'm busy learning new things every day. I'm very fortunate in that the home we moved to a few years ago has a very spacious solid brick workshop with 3.3 metre ceiling. Like yours, it has no heating or cooling, but it is well insulated, and we don't have extremes of weather. In 3 days, I'm heading off to buy an old (larger) lathe from a friend who inherited machinery from his engineer father when he passed away 15 years ago. He has never used the lathe. It comes with a considerable collection of tool steel cutting bits and accessories, as well as bits and pieces of steel, brass and aluminium stock. I'm really looking forward to rejuvenating this gem and spending even more time in my shed! Subscribed.
I owned for more than 15 years a 210x400 BV20L-1 lathe (roughly 8x15). I did glance on 7x14 first but I found out I could fit the larger one in my shed (roughly 4m²). I didn't regret one second. It's way better than the minilathe, proper gearbox for drive, better finish and precision. Weight still manageable at less than 100kg (2 person can lift it). It also exist in 550mm length which is more suited for most (but wasn't possible to fit in my case). Lot of improvements possible, like changing angular bearing with tapered one (gone from 0.01mm runout to 4µ runout). Bigger chuck (125mm), VFD drive. Multifix toolpost. It's only limit was rigidity, higher grade of steel (42CD4) was possible but only close to the chuck and with minute pass. So last year as I changed house I got more room for a "real" lathe and a 50's old iron took place (360x600mm). Yes it's 10x heavier, but above 100kg it doesn't matter, toe lift, engine crane and dollies are your friend. It needed some restoration, but not so much and the experience gained with the little lathe helped a lot. So I agree with you, a smaller chinese lathe is probably the best lathe to start with, but I would not choose the minilathe when you have BV20/BV25 which are easy to get in europe (paulimot, damato). Bigger than that then it's better to go old iron, as price point of bigger chinese lathe cannot stand against it.
This is very well done and truly practical! To many are clearly bias for whatever reason but this is a simple, real use, down to earth video! There is a lot to learn here as it covers many various aspects with proper detail! I had struggled for years to buy a lathe and ended up with a small one. Turns out I didn't need anything more. When I need a larger part I use local makerspace or a friend who has larger equipment. This has only been 3xs in many years! Well done! Thank you!
Excellent video, honest and also filled with good practical tips. Owned two small lathes, missing them though, needed to move, so I sold them. Never regretted owning them.
Excellent video, very informative and interesting. I’m an ex engineer, done an apprenticeship many years ago and wanting to dip my toes back in to the toolmaking waters. Great points raised in the video, gave me plenty of food for thought, I’m hoping it won’t be too far beyond the skill level I now have as opposed to the one I think I have. I’m sure to be checking the rest on your channel. Many thanks 👍🏻
I totally agree, I see the same suggestions about avoiding the 7" mini lathes but they're a great intro into turning. I started with a 7x14 and it got me by with a few of my own fixes and upgrades. I finally moved on to a bigger lathe (because I now have the space for it), but I never had the space for anything much bigger in my old place. I think if I had to learn on my current lathe, I wouldn't have known enough to not get me in trouble. Honestly as a companion tool for welding, or if you just need an occasional spacer or bushing for automotive and motorcycle work the 7x14 is great.
Nice review! I bought an Ahhui Pan-Sino BL180 Chinese mini lathe 7 years ago, and have used it since straight out the box with no mods at all. Most of the work I do is with mild steel or EN9. I make accessories for muzzleloaders as well as mini cannons, punches and dies etc. My machine seems to be of a better quality than most I have seen on TH-cam. The only problems I have had with it, is it blows the variable speed potentiometer about once a year! It has also blown it's motherboard once, which was an expensive repair. For the price I paid for it brand new, including the repairs, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if needs be. That little machine has made me a lot of money and used within it's limits, has been an absolute pleasure to use.
I went thru the same dilemma. Old, new, heavy, light. And old won out for the purpose of providing more work in renovating and learning how my lathe worked. It does help if you want to fix up a lathe, to have a mini lathe and or mini mill. Such a well thought out piece. Thanks for taking all the time to make this. I think many will be helped making that decision. Cheers!
Well that was really interesting, wish I’d seen this earlier before making a bigger purchase. I’m really amazed at what it can do and the improvements that you have made. Well done.
First-time viewer. You did a wonderful job communicating the ins and outs of mini-lathes. Very well-spoken and easy to listen to. thanks for a great show!
I dont have a chinese mini lathe, back in the 1970's I bought a Unimat 3, which is my goto small lathe, I also (almost accidentally picked up an old 13" southbend lathe (honestly when I looked at the pictures I thought it was about a 6") this is my goto lathe for big stuff, I also have managed to collect a watchmakers lathe, a small flexispeed (smaller than the unimat) and a medium size 4-5" ancient thing the flexispeed is good for small stuff in my upstairs workshop when I dont want to go downstairs and use the unimat- its not as robust or accurate, but it does a job. all I can say is that your initial comments about which lathe to buy are spot on, get one as big as the biggest thing you need to make repeatedly (if you know how big that is) and dont just dismiss the chinese mini lathes, but do buy from a reputable source where quality control has been applied.
Dear Sir, First time viewing of your site and it was very good indeed. Have spent the last four years and a bit developing a single garage workshop. Mini lathe , mill etc doing the fettling and yours was good advice.All my stuff was from WARCO.Good company with great back up. My WM 180 is going strong as is the Milling machine.Appreciate your well executed presentation and delivery. Thank you.
Nice summary of the modifications done. I did install a drive speed reduction to mine, which also allowed the use of standard XL sized timing belts. I changed the drive ratio from the standard 1.82 to 1 to a more useful 2.5 to 1. This slowed the spindle speed a decent amount, and noticeably increased the torque available too.
The tachometer is attached to the spindle, so it will read correctly however it is driven. You make a good point I'd not considered -the drive drain will have to withstand any extra torque too! Perhaps I'll have to look at replacing those nylon change gears with metal after all... Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
@@TheRecreationalMachinist I don't know how critical your mini-lathe is to your channel and such, but if you like to live dangerously, run the current gears until they give up. Could make for a couple of really useful videos if they do go out. If they last, then you've saved a lot of money. 👍
I went old heavy. Very happy with the decision, although I had all the sliding surfaces machined and scraped a year ago. That upgrade was 12 times the cost of the original lathe purchase, and worth every penny!
Great video in every way. Just purchased an entry level Chineesiam lathe. WIth no experience it was nice to hear all the considerations you mention are exactly the same ones I was juggling for some time. Well done to you sir.
Thanks for a well done video. I bought a new, Chinese, 1440 lathe 7 years ago. It had some minor issues that I've managed to fix. Sometimes it was too big & sometimes too small. I was doing a fair # of castings. Those take up a lot of swing when mounted to a faceplate. I'd be inclined to say start with a 10" swing lathe if you can & a similar sized mill. This hobby is a really deep rabbit hole. There is always something else you think you need.
I bought a chinese lathe. A warco WM180 which is basically a rebadged lathe. Its a little work horse and can cut steel fine with decent inserts. It can make everything that I need it to and tbh im glad I didnt spend a whole lot more, because with the money I saved I was able to get a nice mill too.
11:04 omg. showing us how to read a micrometer! **thank you** when I started watchmaking school i was just handed one and expected to understand how to read-off the values. Granted, there wasn't TH-cam back then but ever since then they kinda scared me - didn't know how to read it, didn't want to damage its precision.. I feel like running off to the shops to befriend one anew...
WoW you dedication and willingness to share your experiences has spurred me on the only caveat being I do not live anywhere near a supply house for various metals and plastics and it looks like a second lathe is a must for someone of limited skills and patience like myself!!!! Excellent stuff leading the ignorant into the light!
Moving the hand wheel to the end of lead screw is how the smithy machines are set up. You can do quick moves with the normal wheel on the apron, or precise controlled moves with the hand wheel at the end attached to lead screw.
Well done . I throughly loved this for the honesty and improved mods you have made to your mini lathe. Keep going , I'll def keep watching . Kind regards phil
I too started with a minilathe, a Sieg SC2, but when I consistently made parts that challenged its work envelope I went with an old M300. Parts for Harrison lathes can be expensive, but the minilathe stepped up to remake worn out shafts for the bigger machine. I finally sold the minilathe, 5 yrs after the M300 arrived, a couple of weeks ago.
Enjoyed this one mate. I'm looking at getting one of these VEVOR mini lathes myself now so this video helps no end. I see u have a few videos on upgrades over the years too which helps a lot as well. The lathe I was looking at was an 1100W motor with 750mm btwn centres but like u showed here that doesn't always mean it is with Chuck and drill parts installed .. The lathe I'm looking at is about 1200 Euros but when I see a video like this it makes me think of getting one of these 7x14" models. I want to be able to machine small parts for other machines tbf and I'm not trying to build a rocket ship to take me to Moon so one like this would be awesome to have in my small garage shop.. This and a couple other videos I watched this morning have pushed me to buy one of these lathes now. Thanks for all the information. It's helped me a lot pal. Obviously upgrades will come in the future but for now I'm going to buy the lathe and get cracking.. Take it easy mate.. Salute from Dublin..
Well done, Thank you. When I got started in this hobby I had access to lots of room in an industrial building with 3 phase power, 5000# forklift etc. I also intended and in fact did do repair on large industrial machines. So I bought a 3300# 1440 lathe and a used 949, 2300# used mill. After some work the Chinese lathe was OK. The Taiwan mill was good from the start. After a 8 years, I lost access to the industrial building and finding another location didn't work out. Now I wish I had smaller machines. But not a mini lathe! Changing machine sizes brings about the problem of all the accessories that fit a given size machine. Replacing them would be very expensive. Should have thought of that 12 years ago.
I have almost the same Mini Lathe. Thank you for a very inspirational video!! I see where my winter activity is going is to be. You have done a very good job of upgrading and making this lathe of quality.
I don't have a mini lathe, but I think they are great fun. If you see the machine itself as a project, it's a promise of a lot of good times to make it better.
Excellent recap! I "accidentally" learned that I too have a large OD set of chuck jaws in the small tool box that came with my used mini lathe. For 5 years I have struggled to hold anything greater than 1.5". So many other nuggets in there too. Thank you!
The best video on the topic so far! I would give you a hundred likes & subs if possible. It´s determination which makes the difference; and how nice it is hearing someone talking about solutions and not about the shortcomings of cheap tools/machines. Think about it: Who could afford a lathe 20 yrs ago. And that in this size with those possibilities? So, this video is an inspiration. Wembley...that wasn´t a goal. 😉To become as good as you in tuning a cheap lathe is absolutely one. With love from a german lad.
Hi Mr. Recreational, First of, let me say that I've been a long time viewer(albeit never commented, so there's a first), and I must ask - if you could just invent a time machine and post this video about 5 years earlier, that would be fantastic 😁 I actually started on the very same lathe(albeit from Amadeal, so who knows, maybe it was worse), eventually upgraded to a myford ML7, downgraded to a chester 920(never again) and finally upgraded again to an Axminster SC4. For my tiny box room workshop(yes, really), it's absolutely perfect, and I'd highly recommend. With that said, I'm seriously impressed by the quality of parts that you produce on yours. I doubt my one could've even come close. Anyway, just wanted to say that your content is an absolute joy to watch(or even listen to - your voice is so calming and smooth that I'd happily listen to you read a phone book) and always makes me happy to see an upload. The mild "hand style" homage to This Old Tony is also very much appreciated, especially considering that his videos is what got me into machining in my first year of university.
It is getting to the point that young adults entering the workplace have never seen a phone book in real life. Some might have to think what the term refers to. :-) I too enjoyed the calm and very unbiased delivery. I now have a basement and will keep an eye out for a small lathe in the future. A small one is plenty because I rarely work on big things.
I bought a mini lathe a little over eight years ago. I always wanted a lager one but I thought this could tach me about machining with little risk to my wallet or person - indeed it did. by the time I sold it, four years later, I had learned lots bout machining and lathe mechanics. I replaced all the gears with metal - this taught me about lapping, broaching, boring etc and so the list goes on. I now have a 760Kg lathe in my garage and make all manner of parts for myself and others. If I had bought this beast straight away I'm sure I would be much poorer and missing the odd body part! Great video. Oh and the lathe - I sold it to a friend who now uses it to machine small custom parts for Harley Davidson motorcycles and he is astounded by how accurate it now is!
First lathe was a Emco maximat 11, it seemed somewhat light duty but got the job done. After I bought the next lathe, a Schaublin from the 60's, it changed everything! 3000 rpm makes all the difference with small parts. It weighs 3 time that of the Emco and it shows. What a machine!
Hi Mr RM, another excellent video top quality production. People who ask "what will you use it for?" simply don't understand that just owning a machine can be a project by itself proving endless hours of enjoyment and tinkering. Buy and old machine and you are likely to be in for many hours of remedial work to undo all the wear and bodges people have put on it over the decades. Interestingly the front v-way on my Harrison is not 90 (and it's not due to wear), but the back v-way is 90. Cheers
Thank you for this video. I have been wanting a lathe for years. This is really first rate advice and presented in a very clear comprehensive manner. My hobby is RC planes so all in all this has confirmed to me that a mini lathe will be the ideal choice for me. Roll on retirement and the workshop I have been waiting for all my life.
So well done, thanks for your effort! I've got one and have addressed a few of the things you showed us. I've found that I go to my 3D printer for more and more, gears, even threads!
Most everything mirrored my experience with the exception that mine was worse off to start with. I am not a professional machinist, though I did work maintenance at a large shop and repaired everything. The only two machines in the shop that I could use were the huge format flamecutter and the gear hob. Both were because I had to make them work and bring them into spec when they got hauled in, used and abused by the boss. After getting the gear hob going for a while I was the one that had to set it up and run it because of my math background. I had to make drawings for the machinists to make the blanks because even though I repaired them, I never learned to run the lathes or mills. I did exactly one part on a Leblond out of some bronze. I made a pen that replaced the torch tip on the flamecutter for calibrating the kerf and axis linearity. It was faster, cheaper, and easier to trace on paper than to keep cutting and measuring steel. It was a spring loaded papermate refill cartridge that was held together by a grub screw at the top. OD turning, drills and a hand tap.
My mini lathe story began when I ordered a Harbor Freight 7X12 (Sieg) machine. In an unexpected turn of events, I was gifted a brand new Grizzly G0765 7X14 mini lathe the day after I received the HF unit. The Grizzly had many more features than the HF, and as a result the HF sat in its crate. Being a total newbie to lathe operations, I was parting off a piece several inches from the chuck, and the stock suddenly climbed the parting tool! The machine was instantly locked up, shattering the parting tool and destroying the plastic gears in the headstock! Completely my fault! A set of metal replacement gears were ordered from Little Machine Shop and installed in the lathe, but it’s a move I’ve always regretted because of the increase in noise! If/when I have the headstock off, I’m going to put plastic back in it, but I’ve actually quit using that machine because experience has shown me that the HF is a better machine! On another note, I noticed that the apron on your lathe was green which is out of character for a white & blue lathe! What’s the deal with that? Great video!
I really like your comments on Cut Off/Groving tooling and proceedure, I just ordered a new tool and inserts... I can cut off pretty good now but the new tools will probably help.
I agree with the "buy new, buy small" when you don't know anything. I have 6 years on a PM-1030 (Chinese manufacture) lathe that was purchased new. It has also suited me well. The one serious upgrade/modification was on the motor going from a 1 HP brushed DC motor to a 2 HP brushless DC motor and controller. Aside from the added torque, it also included the ability to brake the motor. It now stops turning immediately which is quite handy when single pointing. Would I like big ol' chunk of iron, such as a Monarch? Yeah, but this one will do for another few years.
Yeah, having an old lathe as opposed to no lathe at all was my gambit so I brought a 1930 Colchester Bantam lathe to OZ when I emigrated here in 1980.......it did need a lot of work but It's still working after 40 + years.
Thank you for your honest and even entertaining review with improvement tips. I have been a fitter/turner for a great part of my working life. In the end working with a Scharmann horizontal (dia 132mm) boring bar with the same age as me. You almost rebuilt the machine! And with only a 30 year old press-drill there is not much I can do. Also my workshop is as small as the Netherlands (8 feet x 11 feet) so buying an old 500+ kg lathe is also no option. I 'm going to check the max (Chinese) table lathe which is still affordable < 1.5K€. Here we have a shop called HBM, and they have them 'physical' to get the feel of it.
Brilliantly presented. I bit the bullet and got an 8x16 mini a few months ago. I mostly make rings and for some unfathomable reason, metal scribes. A lot of this hit a note with me as I'm also in Yorkshire with an unreasonable workshop that refuses to keep winter out. My chuck currently looks like the metal bits of the Mary Rose, despite me using a scarecrow to keep the condensation ou- wait, that's birds. I also have to say as a recently employed CGI artist, cardboard aided design had me rolling. Thank you. Subbed.
My HF lathe is very capable after a few mods. Paid 400 for it and bought a kit from the mini machine shop. Still turning out good quality piece. They definitely come from the same foundry. Fount that out when I bought a 14” bed.
Thanks, this was an enjoyable video. I learned how to machine on a 1950 Monarch lathe, 20" x 96". That thing was a beast. I have since moved on to a different job and do miss machining. I will be looking at an 11" x 36" Delta Rockwell lathe next week, I am excited to turn parts again :)
Was so nice to see all... You are right... we need challenges every day and to have one in the garage not only is an excellent idea but an inspiration every morning... (When we have no "Honey Do") Thanks from the other side of the Ocean.
Excellent video and I agree with your advice. I have an old 9-inch South Bend Lathe and three of the larger Chinese 3-in-1 lathe/Mill combinations. With the South Bend Lathe I was lucky it did not have too much wear or broken parts. But it would be a problem if I had to do major repairs on it down the road. As far as the three Chinese machines go I've learned to look at them as a pre-assembled parts kit that needs to be inspected and readjusted and sometimes modified and improved. If I were to start over I definitely would go with a Chinese machine.
Great tong term review TRM! An overall good review of this type of lathe being used for 10 years, and still going strong is a motivation for me to get one, obviously the lathe when new needs lots of work to get it in a better operational condition, but if it is for making one off items or to be used as a hobby, then it is worth it IMHO. Greetings from Colombia S.A.
Well Sir, I am impressed! It's so hard to tell these days what is good or not. But you have convinced me to go for it. I am a Mechanic (35+ years), and I do have experience on lathes. That said, I was looking for the big old ones, but they are tough to find in good condition. I have no problem making parts to make one of these better. During my search here on YT for mini- lathes, all I found were AI generated ads, then I found this video! I still want a big lathe, but I also want a mini-lathe for my second shop. Oh, and if I may add an important piece of advice, one should always use an incandescent light above the chuck. LED's and florescent lights can act like a strobe light (Or a timing light in my trade), causing the chuck to appear still if both frequencies match. Happy New Year, and all the best to you and yours! And God Bless. o7
I started really really small and picked up a Unimat SL. Then I got lucky a picked up an Emco compact 5 AND a Emco compact 8. I'm currently enjoying the compact 5 of the three but happy with my current selection. I'm still on the look out for a nicely sized mill.
What a great video. I learnt machine tool handling at school (lathes, milling machines, etc) and absolutely loved working with metal achieving precision and attractive finishes. That was 54 years ago and I'd still enjoy it today, if I had them. I'm really impressed with the detail solutions that have optimised aspects step by step to make a rough tool ever better. And - I really found your narration voice a delight to listen to. Probably something to do with my Yorkshire ancestry. All the best, Rob in Switzerland
Great video Sir, very complete and covers some great information. These are great little lathes but they have their limits. If one treats them kindy they always reward with some very nice work. I have had the HF 8x12 lathe for about 15 years. I think a paid about 550.00 back then. It has paid for itself many times over and made some very nice projects over thise years and continues to do so. If anyone is thinking about a little lathe the video should help with making the decision to buy or not.
12:01 I'm looking to build small nitro enginse from scratch, of my own design, and it seems accurate enough to do exactly that. Clearances of 1-4 thou are pretty typical in these engines as there needs to be room for the lube oil to get in there between everything, account for thermal expansion, etc.
I went for a new Chinese 9x19 lathe rather than the mini lathe. More room to work than with the mini. It uses 3 different belt positions for slow, medium and fast speeds. With each lower speed you get an increase in torque, something the variable speed mini will not give you. I bought mine from a local commercial machine supplier. It was more expensive than if I could have bought a similar lathe from an online listing. Partly because the dealer only brought in machines that were of a higher quality, better finished units. With all this stuff you can get machines of a higher quality but at a higher price.
I have a "Vevor" 7 x 14 mini lathe in my Ebay Cart. Under $400 US free shipping. I appreciate all the cool fixes and improvements you made! I have been studying up on metrology in preparation to build an Epoxy Granite CNC. I am ready to scrape and measure. I have a myriad of small projects that I have been managing to use a drill press as a lathe on, the next is a telescope project or turn down some delrin to fit carbon fiber tubes. I have to make 32. So a mini lathe is on the menu.
I have a Sherline mini lathe. I really struggled with parting for the longest time. I would quickly get chatter and it would bind and stall. I eventually found some success with a fairly high feed rate and lots of lubrication. But it was obvious that it still wasn't happy and if I didn't get the feed rate just right it would chatter or stall outright. Just recently I finally had a eureka moment. I took extra time to ensure the height of the tip of my parting tool was exactly centered with the axis of the lathe and WOW what a difference! Parting is a breeze now!
A good observation about spindle speeds for the lathe and the mill as well. You will find that a spindle speed of 500/600 rpm will suffice for most work on a bench lathe. So much so that that is where the machine runs 80% of the time if running high speed steel or cemented carbide tools. The cemented carbide tools have the advantage over insert tools on a small machine in that they may be ground to a sharp edge on a bench grinder with an Aluminum oxide (green) wheel. Cheers from NC/USA
This Old Tony? 😁
There are only so many ways you can point a camera at a lathe. Sooner or later you find yourself in front of the lens, but as I have a face best suited to modelling crash helmets, I took the TOT approach 😂. Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
Discount This Old Tony.😂
@@TheRecreationalMachinist Haha! You're awesome! That's why I'm subscribed! Keep up the good work! Fran from living hell, Argentina 😁
@@iNDREI_Rothat was rude dude.
@quimblyjones9767
I did not mean it like that, to cast a bad light.
I like this channel, and This Old Tony is top in my list.
I mean it is up there with Veritasium and Great Scott.
You know the saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Takes a considerable ammount of time to make a video this detailed.. Its almost like an instructional video you might find back in the 80s or 80s... Really enjoyed it and learned quite a lot.. So cheers for that !!
This video is shockingly well made!
Having used my 7x14 mini-lathe for the past 12 years myself, I'd call this the most honest mini-lathe review to date. Good job. Ciao, Marco.
What an EXCELLENT video! Fair (in assessing what a Mini can/can't do); very clear photography; good list of mods and "sensible" comments about accuracy; nice clear vocal delivery; and NO "Whatzap yerall" to start off and NO music! In other words what's not to like about this video: Brilliant stuff Sir! and many thanks for taking the time to make and post. A small point - just about the only thing you didn't say (or sorry if I missed it) was that especially in the harder materials, the whole "lightweight" build of the lathe results in a lack of rigidity (when compared to the "big, old" stuff). But the real point - typical "Yorkie to-the-point" comment - any Chinese Mini Lathe can do so much more than no lathe. Lovely stuff
I can't say it much better so I'll just say hi for the algo. Loved the attitude!
Yep brilliant. Thanks.
Yeah this is up there with the old "how to properly use a hand file" instructional video from the 50s.
Well said. My jaw is still dropped after watching this video :-) What an amazing delivery of great educational content! I haven't machined anything (yet) but even a complete noob like me could follow this and learn tons from it. You got yourself a new subscriber!
Do people find you unbearable to be around?
And I thought owning one of these for 4 years was a long time. What a fantastic and comprehensive review of this little machine. Makes me miss using my old one.
That 3hp motor mod was lit! Lol.. I get a kick out of your channel too! That hacksaw gets me every damn time😉👌
I think that sums it up beautifully. A mini lathe is better than no lathe at all.
I ended up going down the big and old path as that ended up suiting my needs better and has become a very important part of my workshop.
how bout, big, old, with available parts? better mantra?
big will do most, small will do some😂
@@felderupsome parts can be made in house if you are creative
@@armstronglaborde yah, nearly everything can be done on a lathe, but, if the lathe is busted and would require it to make those parts... have a spare?
A machine shop owner i know, purchased a mini lathe as a joke for one of the machinest in his shop. The machinest took it apart and reassembled it adusting tolerances and amazed the rest of the shop with how accurate parts could be made using this small lathe. This shop now owns 6 small lathes and they are daily used for machining small parts leaving the larger lathes for bigger jobs. I myself have owned my mini lathe for over 12 years and along with my old Jet-15 1/2 hp milling machine i amaze myself with what i can make. You are only held back by your imagination.
It took you ten years to figure all this out and you haven't gone MAD 😂. I'M impressed 👍😁
The 7x12 mini lathe although basically a lathe *kit* right out of the box and a mini mill have been a job and money saver in my auto repair shop. The time and effort as well as the minimal cost have been well worth it and would be replaced the same day if they were to become worn or broken beyond repair. Content like this that showcases the limitations and work arounds of these machines just make the investment more valuable!
Thats how I described mine, although mine was actually pretty good compared to others I've seen.
@@johnnodge4327 I must have gotten a Wednesday lathe too because Ive definitely seen some monday and friday lathes on these youtube videos but man these little things are extremely handy for not much💲
Could you please tell us which brand was your "better than others" brand ?
@@alfredomarquez9777 grizzly. G8688
First time viewer offering extreme amounts of appreciation here! I recently got mine, for much the same reasons, and have had much the same problems. Problems you have now given me potential solutions for! Thank you!
I don't often comment on TH-cam, however I'm new to this and I learned so much in a short space of time as this video is detailed, full of information delivered professionally in an easy to consume format. Fantastic work!
Hello, I'm Keith from Michigan USA. I've been watching a lot of individuals, and worked 44yrs in various machine systems, setting up, rebuilt, etc. I decided, bought new and I was able to place it in my basement. I'll let you convert it to metric. It's a 11" swing by 30" long. When I get free time, I grab coffee and head to the Basement. I primarily watch and enjoy what people make. I add positive comments for whom I watch. Take care now 🙂
Thanks for watching. Good to have you along.
What you have to realize about some of these guys is that they live in a 'machine desert'. I too live in Michigan and there's a lot of old iron around here! 😉
Thank you for the fair posting of this video. I have owned and operated a 7 x 16 LMS hi-torque mini lather for over 6 years now and honestly could not be without it. Previously, when I had my shop, owned an old South Bend 10" lathe that I used for basically everything. Initially, the small mini lathe was difficult to become acquainted with due to the small size, limited chuck and lacking of power. After a while, taking into consideration that all projects may take a bit more time, I am loving this small lathe and wish I would have had on sooner. My lathe was always in need of modifications for the first 2 years or so, but now is set to go for just about any task, including a degree wheel, fabricated from a camshaft degree wheel, installed on the back outside of the chuck, DROs, including the tailstock made from an old set of cheap calipers, QTC tool holder, additional Gibb screws, hand stoned and lapped Gibbs, 4 jaw chuck, way cover, and carriage locks, and more. It seemed every use made it necessary for another mod, but after a while no more required. The initial cost of the lathe itself is cheap, but the tooling is never ending, not to forget the custom tooling you will fabricate as radius turning, centering and others. The only Addition I would like is an RPM gauge, but not in the budget to date, so recorded RPMs with a hand held device and attached a position wheel showing estimated chuck speeds. I can hole .0005" tolerance on a good day with mine, and use the tailstock or center support for longer material projects to hold the spec. Usage is basically limitless, and dependent on your imagination. I also own a LMS hi-torque mini mill that I am lost without. That also took time to become acquainted with after missing my old Bridgeport type mill of my prior shop. For any that suffer from the lack of real-estate in your garage or shop, as I, would seriously recommend a mini lathe for your hobby projects. There will be times you cuss and hate it, but realize that can be modified for your satisfaction of end results. Remember----It was Cheap.
"Cardboard aided design" made me smile.
For a Technician, sitting at the PC warm and cosy with snow outside, this was so pleasant and informative at once, I got to say thank you. No blabla long talk, but professional thoughts. Feels so outstanding good nowadays.
I don't have a mini lathe, but I watched this from beginning to end, excellent production values and narration style. At 22:10 use of the parallels for reverse engineering the way angles is a great hack I will definitely use. Every size lathe is a project, ancient or just out of the crate. Thx for making this.
Two most important things he mentioned with parting off, cutting oil, and constant feed. Setting the cutting edge very slightly below center will help with the cut getting started, and reduce burr formation. Avoid going above center, just make large models and look at the geometry of a flat edge coming in contact with a cylindrical work piece and this advice will make perfect sense.
Don from Australia here. Thank you for your excellent video. I have had a Sieg C4 mini lathe for 4 years now and am finally starting to explore a few more improvements such as the ones you have illustrated as well as become more imaginative in the projects I take on board. My problem has been that since my retirement (in 2011) I have embarked upon myriad projects in diverse areas of endeavour. Not really a problem is it? I'm busy learning new things every day. I'm very fortunate in that the home we moved to a few years ago has a very spacious solid brick workshop with 3.3 metre ceiling. Like yours, it has no heating or cooling, but it is well insulated, and we don't have extremes of weather. In 3 days, I'm heading off to buy an old (larger) lathe from a friend who inherited machinery from his engineer father when he passed away 15 years ago. He has never used the lathe. It comes with a considerable collection of tool steel cutting bits and accessories, as well as bits and pieces of steel, brass and aluminium stock. I'm really looking forward to rejuvenating this gem and spending even more time in my shed! Subscribed.
Thanks for dropping me a comment. Wishing you the very best with your new-to-you machine 👍
I owned for more than 15 years a 210x400 BV20L-1 lathe (roughly 8x15). I did glance on 7x14 first but I found out I could fit the larger one in my shed (roughly 4m²).
I didn't regret one second. It's way better than the minilathe, proper gearbox for drive, better finish and precision. Weight still manageable at less than 100kg (2 person can lift it).
It also exist in 550mm length which is more suited for most (but wasn't possible to fit in my case).
Lot of improvements possible, like changing angular bearing with tapered one (gone from 0.01mm runout to 4µ runout). Bigger chuck (125mm), VFD drive. Multifix toolpost.
It's only limit was rigidity, higher grade of steel (42CD4) was possible but only close to the chuck and with minute pass.
So last year as I changed house I got more room for a "real" lathe and a 50's old iron took place (360x600mm).
Yes it's 10x heavier, but above 100kg it doesn't matter, toe lift, engine crane and dollies are your friend.
It needed some restoration, but not so much and the experience gained with the little lathe helped a lot.
So I agree with you, a smaller chinese lathe is probably the best lathe to start with, but I would not choose the minilathe when you have BV20/BV25 which are easy to get in europe (paulimot, damato).
Bigger than that then it's better to go old iron, as price point of bigger chinese lathe cannot stand against it.
This is very well done and truly practical! To many are clearly bias for whatever reason but this is a simple, real use, down to earth video! There is a lot to learn here as it covers many various aspects with proper detail!
I had struggled for years to buy a lathe and ended up with a small one. Turns out I didn't need anything more. When I need a larger part I use local makerspace or a friend who has larger equipment. This has only been 3xs in many years!
Well done! Thank you!
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 🇬🇧
0:13 On a unrelated note, I have wanted a Super Seven since I was 16. That is a sick looking build.
Excellent video, honest and also filled with good practical tips.
Owned two small lathes, missing them though, needed to move, so I sold them.
Never regretted owning them.
Excellent video, very informative and interesting. I’m an ex engineer, done an apprenticeship many years ago and wanting to dip my toes back in to the toolmaking waters. Great points raised in the video, gave me plenty of food for thought, I’m hoping it won’t be too far beyond the skill level I now have as opposed to the one I think I have. I’m sure to be checking the rest on your channel. Many thanks 👍🏻
I totally agree, I see the same suggestions about avoiding the 7" mini lathes but they're a great intro into turning. I started with a 7x14 and it got me by with a few of my own fixes and upgrades. I finally moved on to a bigger lathe (because I now have the space for it), but I never had the space for anything much bigger in my old place. I think if I had to learn on my current lathe, I wouldn't have known enough to not get me in trouble. Honestly as a companion tool for welding, or if you just need an occasional spacer or bushing for automotive and motorcycle work the 7x14 is great.
Nice review! I bought an Ahhui Pan-Sino BL180 Chinese mini lathe 7 years ago, and have used it since straight out the box with no mods at all. Most of the work I do is with mild steel or EN9. I make accessories for muzzleloaders as well as mini cannons, punches and dies etc. My machine seems to be of a better quality than most I have seen on TH-cam. The only problems I have had with it, is it blows the variable speed potentiometer about once a year! It has also blown it's motherboard once, which was an expensive repair. For the price I paid for it brand new, including the repairs, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if needs be. That little machine has made me a lot of money and used within it's limits, has been an absolute pleasure to use.
Perhaps you have voltage spikes or a high temperature problem in your shop?
I went thru the same dilemma. Old, new, heavy, light. And old won out for the purpose of providing more work in renovating and learning how my lathe worked. It does help if you want to fix up a lathe, to have a mini lathe and or mini mill. Such a well thought out piece. Thanks for taking all the time to make this. I think many will be helped making that decision. Cheers!
Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
Well that was really interesting, wish I’d seen this earlier before making a bigger purchase. I’m really amazed at what it can do and the improvements that you have made. Well done.
First-time viewer. You did a wonderful job communicating the ins and outs of mini-lathes. Very well-spoken and easy to listen to. thanks for a great show!
Nice to have you along 😃
Outstanding video - content and entertainment value are both top notch! Thanks from Germany
Incredibly well made video!
Wow, I'll have to watch this several more times to absorb all the knowledge you are imparting. Awesome video. Thanks.
Very very nice job! Nice fast pace, the most important info, clearly experienced machinist--exactly what we needed! Great hobby!
Excellent video. No nonsense description on the assets and pitfalls. I am considering one of these and your video helps. Thanks for taking the time.
I dont have a chinese mini lathe, back in the 1970's I bought a Unimat 3, which is my goto small lathe, I also (almost accidentally picked up an old 13" southbend lathe (honestly when I looked at the pictures I thought it was about a 6") this is my goto lathe for big stuff, I also have managed to collect a watchmakers lathe, a small flexispeed (smaller than the unimat) and a medium size 4-5" ancient thing the flexispeed is good for small stuff in my upstairs workshop when I dont want to go downstairs and use the unimat- its not as robust or accurate, but it does a job.
all I can say is that your initial comments about which lathe to buy are spot on, get one as big as the biggest thing you need to make repeatedly (if you know how big that is) and dont just dismiss the chinese mini lathes, but do buy from a reputable source where quality control has been applied.
Dear Sir,
First time viewing of your site and it was very good indeed. Have spent the last four years and a bit developing a single garage workshop. Mini lathe , mill etc
doing the fettling and yours was good advice.All my stuff was from WARCO.Good company with great back up. My WM 180 is going strong as is the Milling machine.Appreciate your well executed presentation and delivery. Thank you.
This is the funniest video I’ve ever seen about a lathe and I’m not even interested in lathes. Loved it!
Really appreciate this, yoube got a great voice and bloody useful insights. Cheers
Nice summary of the modifications done.
I did install a drive speed reduction to mine, which also allowed the use of standard XL sized timing belts. I changed the drive ratio from the standard 1.82 to 1 to a more useful 2.5 to 1. This slowed the spindle speed a decent amount, and noticeably increased the torque available too.
Brilliant. Now I know it can be done it might move up my to-do list!
Any concern about the extra torque stripping out the gears? I suppose the tachometer still works properly?
The tachometer is attached to the spindle, so it will read correctly however it is driven. You make a good point I'd not considered -the drive drain will have to withstand any extra torque too! Perhaps I'll have to look at replacing those nylon change gears with metal after all... Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
@@TheRecreationalMachinist I don't know how critical your mini-lathe is to your channel and such, but if you like to live dangerously, run the current gears until they give up. Could make for a couple of really useful videos if they do go out. If they last, then you've saved a lot of money. 👍
sorry im new and looking into getting a chinese mini lathe. What does increasing the torque do? Does that mean it will cut into the metal better?
I went old heavy. Very happy with the decision, although I had all the sliding surfaces machined and scraped a year ago. That upgrade was 12 times the cost of the original lathe purchase, and worth every penny!
Was it easy enough to find someone to do that work for you?
@@Rich10000 No. It wasn't easy. There are only a few places that do this in the states.
What a brilliant video, no back round music to distract from what you want to here, well done.
Great video in every way. Just purchased an entry level Chineesiam lathe. WIth no experience it was nice to hear all the considerations you mention are exactly the same ones I was juggling for some time. Well done to you sir.
Your channel desrves way more views. Great work.
Thanks for a well done video. I bought a new, Chinese, 1440 lathe 7 years ago. It had some minor issues that I've managed to fix. Sometimes it was too big & sometimes too small. I was doing a fair # of castings. Those take up a lot of swing when mounted to a faceplate. I'd be inclined to say start with a 10" swing lathe if you can & a similar sized mill. This hobby is a really deep rabbit hole. There is always something else you think you need.
I bought a chinese lathe. A warco WM180 which is basically a rebadged lathe. Its a little work horse and can cut steel fine with decent inserts. It can make everything that I need it to and tbh im glad I didnt spend a whole lot more, because with the money I saved I was able to get a nice mill too.
11:04 omg. showing us how to read a micrometer! **thank you** when I started watchmaking school i was just handed one and expected to understand how to read-off the values. Granted, there wasn't TH-cam back then but ever since then they kinda scared me - didn't know how to read it, didn't want to damage its precision.. I feel like running off to the shops to befriend one anew...
WoW you dedication and willingness to share your experiences has spurred me on the only caveat being I do not live anywhere near a supply house for various metals and plastics and it looks like a second lathe is a must for someone of limited skills and patience like myself!!!! Excellent stuff leading the ignorant into the light!
Moving the hand wheel to the end of lead screw is how the smithy machines are set up. You can do quick moves with the normal wheel on the apron, or precise controlled moves with the hand wheel at the end attached to lead screw.
Well done . I throughly loved this for the honesty and improved mods you have made to your mini lathe. Keep going , I'll def keep watching . Kind regards phil
Comfortably down-to-Earth, and informative. You need to make more videos!
This has been one of the ,most informative and instructive videos of its type that I have watched. Well done!
I too started with a minilathe, a Sieg SC2, but when I consistently made parts that challenged its work envelope I went with an old M300. Parts for Harrison lathes can be expensive, but the minilathe stepped up to remake worn out shafts for the bigger machine. I finally sold the minilathe, 5 yrs after the M300 arrived, a couple of weeks ago.
Enjoyed this one mate. I'm looking at getting one of these VEVOR mini lathes myself now so this video helps no end. I see u have a few videos on upgrades over the years too which helps a lot as well.
The lathe I was looking at was an 1100W motor with 750mm btwn centres but like u showed here that doesn't always mean it is with Chuck and drill parts installed .. The lathe I'm looking at is about 1200 Euros but when I see a video like this it makes me think of getting one of these 7x14" models. I want to be able to machine small parts for other machines tbf and I'm not trying to build a rocket ship to take me to Moon so one like this would be awesome to have in my small garage shop..
This and a couple other videos I watched this morning have pushed me to buy one of these lathes now.
Thanks for all the information. It's helped me a lot pal. Obviously upgrades will come in the future but for now I'm going to buy the lathe and get cracking.. Take it easy mate.. Salute from Dublin..
What an outstanding video. I can't imagine how much effort it took to make it. Fantastic job.
Thanks for your kind words!
Well done, Thank you.
When I got started in this hobby I had access to lots of room in an industrial building with 3 phase power, 5000# forklift etc. I also intended and in fact did do repair on large industrial machines. So I bought a 3300# 1440 lathe and a used 949, 2300# used mill. After some work the Chinese lathe was OK. The Taiwan mill was good from the start. After a 8 years, I lost access to the industrial building and finding another location didn't work out. Now I wish I had smaller machines. But not a mini lathe! Changing machine sizes brings about the problem of all the accessories that fit a given size machine. Replacing them would be very expensive. Should have thought of that 12 years ago.
I have almost the same Mini Lathe. Thank you for a very inspirational video!! I see where my winter activity is going is to be. You have done a very good job of upgrading and making this lathe of quality.
25:00 That is exactly the problem I have as well and wondered why that happens.
I don't have a mini lathe, but I think they are great fun. If you see the machine itself as a project, it's a promise of a lot of good times to make it better.
Great video and great heating solution for the larger tools and the cupboard. I'm sure TOT will be flattered with the style!
Excellent recap! I "accidentally" learned that I too have a large OD set of chuck jaws in the small tool box that came with my used mini lathe. For 5 years I have struggled to hold anything greater than 1.5". So many other nuggets in there too.
Thank you!
I must say, I took SO much useful info from this. Especially the suggestion to use aluminum cutting inserts, game changer for me.
Clear, concise, nuanced and with humour. What else would you expect from a Yorkshireman?
Another subscriber gained 🙂
Good speaker that doesn't bore you to death 👍
The best video on the topic so far! I would give you a hundred likes & subs if possible.
It´s determination which makes the difference; and how nice it is hearing someone talking about solutions and not about the shortcomings of cheap tools/machines.
Think about it: Who could afford a lathe 20 yrs ago. And that in this size with those possibilities? So, this video is an inspiration.
Wembley...that wasn´t a goal. 😉To become as good as you in tuning a cheap lathe is absolutely one.
With love from a german lad.
Hi Mr. Recreational,
First of, let me say that I've been a long time viewer(albeit never commented, so there's a first), and I must ask - if you could just invent a time machine and post this video about 5 years earlier, that would be fantastic 😁
I actually started on the very same lathe(albeit from Amadeal, so who knows, maybe it was worse), eventually upgraded to a myford ML7, downgraded to a chester 920(never again) and finally upgraded again to an Axminster SC4. For my tiny box room workshop(yes, really), it's absolutely perfect, and I'd highly recommend. With that said, I'm seriously impressed by the quality of parts that you produce on yours. I doubt my one could've even come close.
Anyway, just wanted to say that your content is an absolute joy to watch(or even listen to - your voice is so calming and smooth that I'd happily listen to you read a phone book) and always makes me happy to see an upload. The mild "hand style" homage to This Old Tony is also very much appreciated, especially considering that his videos is what got me into machining in my first year of university.
Great to have you along for the ride. Thanks for watching, and taking the time to comment 👍 🇬🇧
It is getting to the point that young adults entering the workplace have never seen a phone book in real life. Some might have to think what the term refers to. :-)
I too enjoyed the calm and very unbiased delivery. I now have a basement and will keep an eye out for a small lathe in the future. A small one is plenty because I rarely work on big things.
I bought a mini lathe a little over eight years ago. I always wanted a lager one but I thought this could tach me about machining with little risk to my wallet or person - indeed it did. by the time I sold it, four years later, I had learned lots bout machining and lathe mechanics. I replaced all the gears with metal - this taught me about lapping, broaching, boring etc and so the list goes on. I now have a 760Kg lathe in my garage and make all manner of parts for myself and others. If I had bought this beast straight away I'm sure I would be much poorer and missing the odd body part! Great video. Oh and the lathe - I sold it to a friend who now uses it to machine small custom parts for Harley Davidson motorcycles and he is astounded by how accurate it now is!
First lathe was a Emco maximat 11, it seemed somewhat light duty but got the job done. After I bought the next lathe, a Schaublin from the 60's, it changed everything! 3000 rpm makes all the difference with small parts. It weighs 3 time that of the Emco and it shows. What a machine!
Hi Mr RM, another excellent video top quality production. People who ask "what will you use it for?" simply don't understand that just owning a machine can be a project by itself proving endless hours of enjoyment and tinkering. Buy and old machine and you are likely to be in for many hours of remedial work to undo all the wear and bodges people have put on it over the decades. Interestingly the front v-way on my Harrison is not 90 (and it's not due to wear), but the back v-way is 90. Cheers
Thanks for watching Paul 👍 🇬🇧
Thank you for this video. I have been wanting a lathe for years. This is really first rate advice and presented in a very clear comprehensive manner. My hobby is RC planes so all in all this has confirmed to me that a mini lathe will be the ideal choice for me. Roll on retirement and the workshop I have been waiting for all my life.
Dam... great vid, comprehensive, detailed, loved the mods, well done, narration & editing perfect... i am a fan !!
So well done, thanks for your effort! I've got one and have addressed a few of the things you showed us. I've found that I go to my 3D printer for more and more, gears, even threads!
Most everything mirrored my experience with the exception that mine was worse off to start with. I am not a professional machinist, though I did work maintenance at a large shop and repaired everything. The only two machines in the shop that I could use were the huge format flamecutter and the gear hob. Both were because I had to make them work and bring them into spec when they got hauled in, used and abused by the boss. After getting the gear hob going for a while I was the one that had to set it up and run it because of my math background. I had to make drawings for the machinists to make the blanks because even though I repaired them, I never learned to run the lathes or mills. I did exactly one part on a Leblond out of some bronze. I made a pen that replaced the torch tip on the flamecutter for calibrating the kerf and axis linearity. It was faster, cheaper, and easier to trace on paper than to keep cutting and measuring steel. It was a spring loaded papermate refill cartridge that was held together by a grub screw at the top. OD turning, drills and a hand tap.
My mini lathe story began when I ordered a Harbor Freight 7X12 (Sieg) machine. In an unexpected turn of events, I was gifted a brand new Grizzly G0765 7X14 mini lathe the day after I received the HF unit. The Grizzly had many more features than the HF, and as a result the HF sat in its crate. Being a total newbie to lathe operations, I was parting off a piece several inches from the chuck, and the stock suddenly climbed the parting tool! The machine was instantly locked up, shattering the parting tool and destroying the plastic gears in the headstock! Completely my fault! A set of metal replacement gears were ordered from Little Machine Shop and installed in the lathe, but it’s a move I’ve always regretted because of the increase in noise! If/when I have the headstock off, I’m going to put plastic back in it, but I’ve actually quit using that machine because experience has shown me that the HF is a better machine! On another note, I noticed that the apron on your lathe was green which is out of character for a white & blue lathe! What’s the deal with that? Great video!
I really like your comments on Cut Off/Groving tooling and proceedure, I just ordered a new tool and inserts... I can cut off pretty good now but the new tools will probably help.
I agree with the "buy new, buy small" when you don't know anything. I have 6 years on a PM-1030 (Chinese manufacture) lathe that was purchased new. It has also suited me well. The one serious upgrade/modification was on the motor going from a 1 HP brushed DC motor to a 2 HP brushless DC motor and controller. Aside from the added torque, it also included the ability to brake the motor. It now stops turning immediately which is quite handy when single pointing. Would I like big ol' chunk of iron, such as a Monarch? Yeah, but this one will do for another few years.
Yeah, having an old lathe as opposed to no lathe at all was my gambit so I brought a 1930 Colchester Bantam lathe to OZ when I emigrated here in 1980.......it did need a lot of work but It's still working after 40 + years.
Thank you Sean Bean for this video. I’m currently in the process of replacing the tapered roller bearings in my Chinesium mini lathe.
Thank you for your honest and even entertaining review with improvement tips. I have been a fitter/turner for a great part of my working life. In the end working with a Scharmann horizontal (dia 132mm) boring bar with the same age as me. You almost rebuilt the machine! And with only a 30 year old press-drill there is not much I can do. Also my workshop is as small as the Netherlands (8 feet x 11 feet) so buying an old 500+ kg lathe is also no option. I 'm going to check the max (Chinese) table lathe which is still affordable < 1.5K€. Here we have a shop called HBM, and they have them 'physical' to get the feel of it.
Great summary and great tipps. Thank you.
Brilliantly presented. I bit the bullet and got an 8x16 mini a few months ago. I mostly make rings and for some unfathomable reason, metal scribes. A lot of this hit a note with me as I'm also in Yorkshire with an unreasonable workshop that refuses to keep winter out. My chuck currently looks like the metal bits of the Mary Rose, despite me using a scarecrow to keep the condensation ou- wait, that's birds. I also have to say as a recently employed CGI artist, cardboard aided design had me rolling. Thank you. Subbed.
Great to have you along. Thanks for the comment 👍 🇬🇧
My HF lathe is very capable after a few mods. Paid 400 for it and bought a kit from the mini machine shop. Still turning out good quality piece. They definitely come from the same foundry. Fount that out when I bought a 14” bed.
Thanks, this was an enjoyable video. I learned how to machine on a 1950 Monarch lathe, 20" x 96". That thing was a beast. I have since moved on to a different job and do miss machining. I will be looking at an 11" x 36" Delta Rockwell lathe next week, I am excited to turn parts again :)
That was unexpectedly neat and informative. Excellent presentation. Thanks!
Was so nice to see all... You are right... we need challenges every day and to have one in the garage not only is an excellent idea but an inspiration every morning... (When we have no "Honey Do") Thanks from the other side of the Ocean.
Excellent video and I agree with your advice.
I have an old 9-inch South Bend Lathe and three of the larger Chinese 3-in-1 lathe/Mill combinations. With the South Bend Lathe I was lucky it did not have too much wear or broken parts. But it would be a problem if I had to do major repairs on it down the road. As far as the three Chinese machines go I've learned to look at them as a pre-assembled parts kit that needs to be inspected and readjusted and sometimes modified and improved. If I were to start over I definitely would go with a Chinese machine.
How do you feel about the three in one machines? Does it get too crowded in there?
THE BEST video on the chinese mini lathe. I think im going to have to purchase one now!
Great tong term review TRM! An overall good review of this type of lathe being used for 10 years, and still going strong is a motivation for me to get one, obviously the lathe when new needs lots of work to get it in a better operational condition, but if it is for making one off items or to be used as a hobby, then it is worth it IMHO. Greetings from Colombia S.A.
Well Sir, I am impressed! It's so hard to tell these days what is good or not. But you have convinced me to go for it. I am a Mechanic (35+ years), and I do have experience on lathes. That said, I was looking for the big old ones, but they are tough to find in good condition. I have no problem making parts to make one of these better. During my search here on YT for mini- lathes, all I found were AI generated ads, then I found this video! I still want a big lathe, but I also want a mini-lathe for my second shop. Oh, and if I may add an important piece of advice, one should always use an incandescent light above the chuck. LED's and florescent lights can act like a strobe light (Or a timing light in my trade), causing the chuck to appear still if both frequencies match.
Happy New Year, and all the best to you and yours! And God Bless. o7
I started really really small and picked up a Unimat SL. Then I got lucky a picked up an Emco compact 5 AND a Emco compact 8. I'm currently enjoying the compact 5 of the three but happy with my current selection. I'm still on the look out for a nicely sized mill.
What a great video. I learnt machine tool handling at school (lathes, milling machines, etc) and absolutely loved working with metal achieving precision and attractive finishes. That was 54 years ago and I'd still enjoy it today, if I had them. I'm really impressed with the detail solutions that have optimised aspects step by step to make a rough tool ever better. And - I really found your narration voice a delight to listen to. Probably something to do with my Yorkshire ancestry. All the best, Rob in Switzerland
Thankyou for your kind words. It's good to have you along!
Great video Sir, very complete and covers some great information. These are great little lathes but they have their limits. If one treats them kindy they always reward with some very nice work.
I have had the HF 8x12 lathe for about 15 years. I think a paid about 550.00 back then. It has paid for itself many times over and made some very nice projects over thise years and continues to do so.
If anyone is thinking about a little lathe the video should help with making the decision to buy or not.
12:01 I'm looking to build small nitro enginse from scratch, of my own design, and it seems accurate enough to do exactly that. Clearances of 1-4 thou are pretty typical in these engines as there needs to be room for the lube oil to get in there between everything, account for thermal expansion, etc.
I went for a new Chinese 9x19 lathe rather than the mini lathe. More room to work than with the mini. It uses 3 different belt positions for slow, medium and fast speeds. With each lower speed you get an increase in torque, something the variable speed mini will not give you. I bought mine from a local commercial machine supplier. It was more expensive than if I could have bought a similar lathe from an online listing. Partly because the dealer only brought in machines that were of a higher quality, better finished units. With all this stuff you can get machines of a higher quality but at a higher price.
This is an incredibly useful, informative and well-presented video. Well done!
"sintered floor sweeping" really got me 😂😂😂
I have a "Vevor" 7 x 14 mini lathe in my Ebay Cart. Under $400 US free shipping. I appreciate all the cool fixes and improvements you made! I have been studying up on metrology in preparation to build an Epoxy Granite CNC. I am ready to scrape and measure. I have a myriad of small projects that I have been managing to use a drill press as a lathe on, the next is a telescope project or turn down some delrin to fit carbon fiber tubes. I have to make 32. So a mini lathe is on the menu.
I took a similar path to selecting my mill and my lathe. The el cheapo Chinese equipment works quite well enough for my purposes. No regrets.
I have a Sherline mini lathe. I really struggled with parting for the longest time. I would quickly get chatter and it would bind and stall. I eventually found some success with a fairly high feed rate and lots of lubrication. But it was obvious that it still wasn't happy and if I didn't get the feed rate just right it would chatter or stall outright. Just recently I finally had a eureka moment. I took extra time to ensure the height of the tip of my parting tool was exactly centered with the axis of the lathe and WOW what a difference! Parting is a breeze now!
Outstanding information and video, thank you. I’ve been looking at this type of mini lathe for years. You’ve helped me tremendously.
A good observation about spindle speeds for the lathe and the mill as well. You will find that a spindle speed of 500/600 rpm will suffice for most work on a bench lathe. So much so that that is where the machine runs 80% of the time if running high speed steel or cemented carbide tools. The cemented carbide tools have the advantage over insert tools on a small machine in that they may be ground to a sharp edge on a bench grinder with an Aluminum oxide (green) wheel.
Cheers from NC/USA