Metal Lathe

hutchpipes · Post by **hutchpipes** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:31 am

This older remade metal lathe is on Craigslist in my area. Any advice on an older metal lathe vs a new Jet Mini?

http://asheville.craigslist.org/tls/5256403701.html

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:41 am

That model is too small for pipe making.

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:53 am

Lovely little lathe and could find many uses in a shop however it seems a little overpriced and will be too small for what you want.

WCannoy · Post by **WCannoy** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:38 am

LatakiaLover wrote:That model is too small for pipe making.

...but would look pretty sweet on display in your house!

hutchpipes · Post by **hutchpipes** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:20 am

Thanks guys! I think I'm gonna start out with the Jet Mini.

PremalChheda · Post by **PremalChheda** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:32 am

If you are going to spend $750+, hold out for a 9" model metal lathe. They do become available often.

hutchpipes · Post by **hutchpipes** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:35 am

What can I do with a metal lathe that I can't do on a wood?

sandahlpipe · Post by **sandahlpipe** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:57 am

Fine precision work is easier on a metal lathe, though with time and practice you can do just about anything on a wood lathe as well-at least what you do for typical pipes. I am still squeaking by on my 7x14 mini metal lathe and wish I had a bigger one, but I can generally handle stems on it and stummels on the wood lathe.

I think asking what you can't do on a wood lathe isn't the right question. The right question is what is more efficient to use. And a metal lathe is more efficient to use for most pipe making applications, while a wood lathe is perhaps slightly more efficient to use for turning stummels

W.Pastuch · Post by **W.Pastuch** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 10:55 am

A metal lathe has the advantage of being able to (suprizingly enough) cut metal. That translates to a lot of possible shop uses.
Also high precision on a wood lathe (as in constant diameter of turned parts, square part faces, etc.) requires a lot of experience and skill, while on a metal lathe it just requires having a working set of hands.

oklahoma red · Post by **oklahoma red** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:38 pm

W.Pastuch wrote:A metal lathe has the advantage of being able to (suprizingly enough) cut metal. That translates to a lot of possible shop uses.
Also high precision on a wood lathe (as in constant diameter of turned parts, square part faces, etc.) requires a lot of experience and skill, while on a metal lathe it just requires having a working set of hands.

Along with a working brain so that you do not mangle yourself.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 2:16 pm

oklahoma red wrote:
Along with a working brain so that you do not mangle yourself.

Ah! I always wondered why you didn't have any lathes in your shop.

oklahoma red · Post by **oklahoma red** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 2:27 pm

LatakiaLover wrote:
oklahoma red wrote:
Along with a working brain so that you do not mangle yourself.
Ah! I always wondered why you didn't have any lathes in your shop.

Ha! bold talk coming from a man with no fingers. I have 5 lathes just so you know. Now if I can just remember where I left them.............

sparkyspipes · Post by **sparkyspipes** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:33 pm

WCannoy wrote:
LatakiaLover wrote:That model is too small for pipe making.
...but would look pretty sweet on display in your house!

lol Yes it would

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 5:50 pm

Anything you can do on a wood lathe, you can do on a metal lathe. The same is not true the other way around. Makes sense really.

I have several lathes and with them not only do I make my pipes but I can also fabricate tools to make my pipes as well as many other things. Just last week I used my lathe to true up my Tormek grinding wheel, I didn't have suitable equipment to hold that wheel while I turned it, so I made the tools to do that.

wdteipen · Post by **wdteipen** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 11:53 pm

drilling and facing is better/more precise on a metal lathe. Shaping stummels is easier on a wood lathe.

oklahoma red · Post by **oklahoma red** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 12:14 am

wdteipen wrote:drilling and facing is better/more precise on a metal lathe. Shaping stummels is easier on a wood lathe.

I think there are a number of carvers that have rigged up tool rests in one form or another in order to use wood lathe tools on a metal lathe to get the best of both worlds.
I've done it on a limited basis with a bar extending out of a QC tool holder. The drawback in my opinion is freedom of movement is limited and cuts must be very light if the bar is hanging out in the breeze too far; vibration is an issue even with a fairly stout bar.

sandahlpipe · Post by **sandahlpipe** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 12:43 am

wdteipen wrote:drilling and facing is better/more precise on a metal lathe. Shaping stummels is easier on a wood lathe.

Yep. An ideal shop should have both unless you shape everything before drilling.

PremalChheda · Post by **PremalChheda** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 12:55 am

sandahlpipe wrote:
wdteipen wrote:drilling and facing is better/more precise on a metal lathe. Shaping stummels is easier on a wood lathe.
Yep. An ideal shop should have both unless you shape everything before drilling.

An ideal shop would have 6 metal lathes, a mill, and a Denzel Washington bobble head.

sandahlpipe · Post by **sandahlpipe** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 1:09 am

PremalChheda wrote:
sandahlpipe wrote:
wdteipen wrote:drilling and facing is better/more precise on a metal lathe. Shaping stummels is easier on a wood lathe.
Yep. An ideal shop should have both unless you shape everything before drilling.

An ideal shop would have 6 metal lathes, a mill, and a Denzel Washington bobble head.

No, scratch Denzel Washington and replace with George Dibos bobble head and you're set.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 2:54 am

sandahlpipe wrote:
No, scratch Denzel Washington and replace with George Dibos bobble head and you're set.

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