Thread: Need Info On Using A Lathe

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I have been offered a free lathe, all I have to do is haul it away. It is the one we have at our marina, and it is humungous. It came off of a battleship, and they had to use a big forklift to even get it into our building. Our guys want to use that room for tool storage, and want it gone.

I know this thing is a really expensive unit, and also that it weighs a couple of tons (it's all cast iron) and comes with lots of attachments. I also have access to a big trailer to haul it, and a fork lift to move it. But the problem is, I have never used one, and although I sort of understand the concept, frankly don't know if I NEED one.

So, let me ask you lathe users out there..........is this something I need to do fabrication? What all can you do on these things?


Don

lol, you need it!!! After you use it a few times you will wonder how the heck you ever got along without it. Lots of good books on the fundamentals and advanced operations.

A lathe is a very useful tool,generally speaking though you don't usually need a very large one.From the sound of it this is huge.Fortunately machining was once my trade so I use the one at work a lot for my rod projects.I find that between a lathe and a Mill I can pretty much make most things for my truck.Depending on your interest level I would advise a course at a community college as they can also be quite dangerous for those unaccustomed to using one.If I was able to get a cheap or free one I personally would probably take it depending on its size though.

Our old Service Manager told me one time this is not the kind of lathe you turn on and walk away from. He said if the piece ever came loose it would go through the concrete block wall next to it. The power is 220V single phase,and it is about 7 or 8 feet long.

Another concern I have is that someone posted on here one time about a guy they knew who died because his clothing got caught in a lathe and it snapped his neck. My kid would be using this too, and I'm not sure I want to expose him to more danger than he faces with all the other tools he uses at the shop.

It is so tempting though, because of the possibilities with one of this quality. And,,,,,,,,,,,,IT"S FREE.

Don

Heck, walking across the street is dangerous...........

I'd get it before they decide to sell it or just throw it away.

Don
If you don't get it you'll be sorry later. When I was building my 38 I bought a small lathe and a small mill. I still have themmm and you can make most any brackets with them. I made my custom air cleaner for the 38 using both of them. GO FOR IT

well i did know a guy that did get killed useing a lathe. part came loose. my lathe is a 14 swing that is how big of a piec it will turn round the bed is about 4 feet i have run much bigger lathe but it will do many things and with a face plate you can use it like a mill. i have a mill and a lathe and you can make many things find some old machine books. i never run mine at full speed no need to if you have the rigth tool steel or carbide send a photo i like old lathe this is my second one. i have had .had a hendley the one i have now is a carroll jamson yes you can get hurt or killed . but you can get killed driving a car you need to respect the tool

I'll snap a picture of it Monday at work. It's really much bigger than I would ever need, but the price is right, and I would never outgrow it.

Thanks for all the input, guys.

Don

I'm in the same boat as you we just got a huge lathe too
and would like to find some one close to get us started.
I got some books that were recommended here coming from eBay-
basic info
search eBay How to run a lathe books we paid <$20
.
We have ours bolted to the frame in a moving van (temperary I hope)
I think our lathe will be a good tool to have once we figure it out

I like that saying Pat Mc "respect the tool"

have fun with yours
hank

Be a nice addition to your garage, one thing you can do to stop unsupervised or unauthorised people from using it is to put a keylock into the electrical circuit. That is a cheap piece of mind solution. Do as the others suggest take some time to go to community colledge to learn some turning skills,as they will teach you spindle speeds, set up and working centers, tool centers and counterbalancing. There are quite a few machining operations you can do on a lathe. Then there are all the accesories like 3 and 4 jaw chucks ceters and steadys. They get to be good fun to operate after a while. Oh and the big thing on the turning or any other engineering coarse for that matter is that they teach SAFETY.

I will tell you to get it, sell it, and use that money to buy yourself something nice. The problem you'll have is the size. It's really too big to be useful for turning anything under a couple of inches in diameter and you'll find it just taking up space in the shop.
I have a 9x14 Smithy and I have turned everything from 3/32 to 6" in diameter on it. I run production with it on diameters from 1/8th to 1 1/2" every day and, even when fabbing parts for the cars, I find I very rarely go over 2".
If you think you have a real need for a lathe or mill use this one to step down to something manageable.
Mark

There are outfits that will move machinery.

It could be very much worth the money.

Not to mention you could sell the lathe and buy a smaller one with the $$.

Many home shop machinists are looking for larger lathes and many of them have the space for it.

Be sure you get all the accessories that go with it.
Many times the accessory costs will exceed the cost of the lathe.

You have hit my real concern, that this thing is just too big for anything I would ever do on it. I forgot my camera today, but I just measured it. The length is 7 and 1/2 feet, and I think you could turn driveshafts with it. Seriously, this was on a WWII Battleship, and is built like one.

I hate to pass up something free, but sometimes these things can complicate your life, and I try to keep my life as simple as possible. I would have to load, haul, and unload it, and it would take up space I don't have to spare in the shop.

Not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I appreciate all the comebacks.

Don

I know that the thought of getting a lathe for nothing is very enticing, but
from experience I know tht having to big a lathe is almost as bad a not having one at all. I have two small lathes a 14x48 and a 12x36 and I have been able to make everything I have needed over the years. My brother was given an a big old Leblond that weighed in a 5300#. Let me tell you that moving that sucker was life threatening as well as expensive. It was great for doing a driveshaft, but it was also quite cumbersome for doing all of the little pieces we constantly need in our hobby, besides the fact it took up alot of room.
Pesonally, I would probably pass on it because you will quickly find that the hassle is much bigger than the reward. Harbor Freight has a great deal on a small 12x 36 for $1800.

John