mill or lathe?

[mog5858]

i am looking for everone 2 cens hear. i am trying to deside between a lathe and a knee mill. the lathe size is about 12"x 36" gear head. the mill i am looking at is a 8 speed belt drive. 26"x6" with a 1 1/2 ph motor. i have a good old drill press and good welders mig and a tig. i really like make things for my shop rather than just buying them eavn if it cost the same. i have acces to a old bet lathe but is a 1h away at my buddey welding shop. not very accuret cus well he just a dum welder like me it dose not get used right very offten and it shows. i have 1 year of machinist /millright traing so i have just enuf to think that i can do something. (or be dangeris). well i hope with everyone 2 cens i will be able to buy both and not have to make the deshion.

[NC Cams]

Once you start working with a mill, you'll hardly ever use a drill press again.

Get the mill first as it is probably used more often in any number of machine shop operations over a lathe.

[mog5858]

thanks nc cams that's was the way i have bean leaning towords but i thought that i should ask some more knowabale ppl

[MrWild]

I mildly disagree with NC-Cams. You can do many milling operations with a lathe, but nearly no lathe operations with a mill. If this is for a hobby shop and a limited budget where you may not be able to afford another machine for a few years, I'd do some more consideration of what you think you will be doing in your shop. If you will be doing any sort of lathe work, then a lathe should be your first purchase and work around the lack of a mill with attachments for the lathe. If the lathe work is near non-existant, then a mill is the way to go. A lathe is more versitile, but a mill kicks ass at doing pure mill work.

[mog5858]

that's my delma i not shere what i wont to buy frist i love using a mill and doing mill work. but i am ushere of how much extra tooling is going to cost. to get the most out of it. like a good mill vice can be for 500+ just for a soild vice. i will not eavn get stred about end mills lol

[SmoothOperator]

Dont know much about Lathe! I primarily work with a Mill table. At my job, I cut out many different designs from mainly wood/Acrylic. I'm interested in the Lathe aspect of machining. But, have not yet even been in a shop with one. Reading these threads have gotten me even more curious. So, thanks folks for the insights!~

Keep On Machinin'

[mc-motorsports]

I vote for the mill. If I had to make money with just one machine, I would take a mill, preferably CNC, hands down every time.
Just my opinion.
MC

[cyclestart]

Without knowing the type of work it's a tough call. If starting a shop on a limited budget my opinion is drill press, saw, mill, lathe. More or less in that order. Mill and lathe are kind of like right hand and left hand. If you don't have both you have a disability.

Originally Posted by MrWild You can do many milling operations with a lathe, but nearly no lathe operations with a mill.

How about a 4th axis? Granted it's a poor sub for a real lathe. Anyway.....

I'm curious about that comment, and for a very practical reason. A former co-worker (he was an R&D guy) opened his own shop. The shop has a product line but he would like to take in some custom work. A very nice lathe in the shop but no mill. Last time I was there he was trying to figure out how to cut keyways. Without live tooling the only suggestion I could come up was spinning an endmilll with the chuck. A clumsy solution for larger shafts. Any ideas?

edit/ LOL just noticed how old this thread is, dragged from the crypt really. Keyway question still stands.