Cheap Small Lathe

[steven newcombe]

I am currently collecting bits and pieces to build a medium-sized steel/ali CNC router and I was considering buying a cheap, small lathe so that I could fabricate some of the parts I will need. I have wanted a lathe for some time now and this is the perfect excuse. Any thoughts on H & F's AL-30? or is there some thing better for <$800. Second hand would be OK but they are few and far between here.

[LeeWay]

I guess those are Aussie bucks, so looks okay. I have the same machine basically and I like it alot. I have it cnc'ed now and it's even better. At this point, I wasn't going to put any more money into it, because it preforms well enough, however I will change the screws on the cross slide to a zero backlash acme rod. In manual mod though, backlash is easy to account for.
Mine came from Cummins. It's actally my second. The first was from Northern Tool and my FIL had to have it.

[steven newcombe]

Thanks Lee, yes they are Aussie bucks A$729 = US$687

[jallitt]

FYI that's a rebadged Sieg C2 lathe. I have a Hafco AL60M which is really a Sieg C6 with milling head (which is the column and spindle from a Sieg X2 mill).

You might be able to find someone with a cheaper price for the C2 (or you could even import one direct from China) but HAFCO have been selling Sieg for a while and they probably make sure everything is electrically and mechanically sound before shipping the lathe to you.

There are smaller lathes from Sieg - the C1 and C0 but the C2 is a good size. The C0 is way too small unless you're making scale model parts - I just CNC'd a C0... to make scale model parts.

[steven newcombe]

Thanks jallitt. I ended up buying a H&F AL50GB lathe. All seems to be OK. It is the same as the Grizzly 9x20 lathe (as well as all the other Chinese clones).

[Gregted]

Hi all,
Thinking about an AL-60m lathe milling combo and was wondering about your thoughts as a first lathe/mill.

[Gregted]

Just found another milling/lathe combo that looks better and cheaper than the AL-60M.

It is an AL-280P Lathe Mill Drill Combo.

The link is Machineryhouse L159 if link doesn't work.

L159 | AL-280P Lathe Mill Drill Combination | machineryhouse.com.au

[RCaffin]

Originally Posted by Gregted Just found another milling/lathe combo that looks better and cheaper than the AL-60M.The link is Machineryhouse L159 if link doesn't work.

Those who buy cheap from the hares get cheap.
You Get What You Pay For.
OK for light hobbies I guess.

Cheers

[Gregted]

Originally Posted by RCaffin Those who buy cheap from the hares get cheap. You Get What You Pay For. OK for light hobbies I guess. Cheers

Yeah, It would be good to be able to afford a $10,000 lathe but no rich rellys or lotto wins yet. Unless you want to contribute to my funds and start me off on the right foot I will have to settle for something in this price range.

There is no doubt truth in the saying get the biggest you can afford and this will be it for now. I think it is limited in some areas but having never owned a lathe, I hope it will be a good introduction to what a lathe can do.

BTW thanks for your input. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Greg

[steven newcombe]

Hi Greg, It's been a while since I first posted this thread and since then I've upgraded from the H&F AL50GB lathe to a larger and more sturdy 300mm x 900mm S/H lathe.

Regarding buying a lathe/mill combo, I thought about going down that path too but decided against it because it would require pulling setups to pieces evey time you wanted to switch between the lathe and the mill. Also, 2-in-1 machines are inevitable a compromise. I'd recommend that you steer clear of 2-in1 machines, you would be better off saving a bit more and getting a small mill and a lathe.

Alternatives to what you may have looked at include:

Lathe (generic 9 x20 lathe)
My AL50 required a fair bit of work out of the box to achieve adequate rigidity... see my thread here on this lathe.

H&F have them as do many other suppliers in Oz.

Mini Mill, anyone of the X2 minimill clones is a good starting point for light milling work. Sold by H&F, Titan and Ozmestore.

Good luck with the purchase!

P.S. also check out this thead, more food for thought.

[Gregted]

Thanks Steve,

I checked out those threads and they made for some informative reading.

I don't really need a mill, but was looking at the AL 60 anyway and thought as I was buying my first lathe, I might as well get one with the added option of a mill/drill.

When you said that i will have to disassemble the combo to lathe or mill does that mean that the mill doesn't stay assembled through all operations?

The AL60 is $1290 and the mill head is a further $560 so I don't need to buy the mill head straight up but in your opinion is this still not a good lathe to learn on?

I was under the impression that a larger lathe just has a longer bed, larger distance from the headstock to the bed, and maybe a more powerful motor but there is obviously more to it than that.

Thanks for your input sofar.

Greg

[steven newcombe]

Hi Greg, the bare AL-60 is $1290 + GST = $1419.

Regarding tearing down setups, my understanding is that with combo machines, the work is fastened to the lathe carriage when using the mill, and therefore when switching from the mill to lathe, the setup on the carriage must be taken down in order to use the carrriage for the lathe tools. I'm no expert but others could provide their advice on this one. The mill attachment from the AL-60 looks to have the same head as the X2.

Regarding whether the AL-60 will meet your needs, it depends on what you intend to do with it (size of the work and the required rigidity/accuracy). The more expensive and larger lathes generally tend to have improved rigidity that improves accuracy, all other things equal. The larger machines can also produce larger work and tend to be more powerful. However, the smaller machines tend to spin a bit faster and maybe more suitable for smaller work.

In the end, either lathe will probably be OK to start off with and you can always sell it if you decide to upgrade later on. I sold my AL50 for a VERY good price 3 years after I bought it (it was in good nick and well maintained) so there appears to be a good demand for used small lathes in good condition.