# Lathe Definitions/Recommendations - Sticky Thread?



## Mednanu (Mar 15, 2004)

Hey Roth,

Just a thought here, but you guys are probably going to get sick of us lathe-newbies asking the same simple questions about lathes over and over. Perhaps, a sticky thread could be setup that would list definitions of basic (and even advanced) lathe types, terminology and parts along with what they do at the top of the Machining forum ?

Something like.......

*Automatic feed* - allows you to perform x,y,z on your lathe, etc, etc.
*Some other feature name* - allows one to thread and tap parts w/o taps or dies......blah, blah, blah.

All those things that us newbies don't even know to ask about (because we don't yet know they exist), but would save people lots of $$$ and frustration when they go to buy their first lathe. This way we could compile our list of 'Must Have' features for our purposes, and not end up buying a lathe, only to have one of the resident pros say to us, "you mean you forgot to get a lathe that can do x,y,z !!? ".

You guys have so much knowledge regarding this stuff that you could probably steer us in the right direction, or at least be able to let us know the 'lay of the land' with regards to what's out there when it comes to lathes, features and functions. Maybe list a few generally good lathes in a few different price ranges (sort of like a Consumer Reports lathe class comparison ).

This would probably even be helpful for the seasoned lathe veterans who might not have a certain part/attachment, and also didn't know that one existed for their particular purpose. It would be like a repository of basic terms, knowledge and features that could assist newbie and pro alike when purchasing lathes or attachments.

Just a thought though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/santa.gif


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## Rothrandir (Mar 15, 2004)

i do like the idea of having sticky posts containing information to various lathe operations, material sources, mill operations, etc etc etc.

the problem is, that we can't have 15 sticky threads at the top of the page /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

i origionally wanted to write some posts up pertaining to how-to's and stuff like that, but i tried, and i just suck at it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

if people are willing to write up posts with information like you suggest, maybe i could make a sticky thread with links to the various other threads?

mcgizmo's materials sourcing database
tvodrd's cr2 from scratch
cheif wiggums tool best buys
cheif's keylux tutorial
etc etc etc

then other people could write some posts which i could include in the sticky thread.

i think i like that idea...


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## Mednanu (Mar 15, 2004)

How bout something like a "Lathe-central" or "Lathe-411" sticky thread ?
It could act as a sort of 'hub' for all-things-lathe and a simple list of links to the other main threads could be posted/updated within it ? Almost like a table of contents for this whole sub-forum.

ie -

>>> Lathe definitions link
>>> Lathe recomendations link
>>> How-to link
>>> What NOT to buy link
>>> Materials / Properties link
>>> Popular Projects link ( and by the way tvodrd's how to on a CR2 was nothing short of spectacular ), etc. etc.

That way there won't be a mess of sticky threads at the top of the machining forum - just one that acts as a sort of nexus for common stops within the thread.


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## Rothrandir (Mar 15, 2004)

yup, that's exactly what i'm talking about /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## Rothrandir (Mar 15, 2004)

ok, how's this?

i'm probably forgetting something(s).

comments, suggestions, whatever reguarding that thread can be discussed here /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


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## Mednanu (Mar 15, 2004)

That would pretty much do the trick !

The only thing we need now is some benevolent soul to create a list of lathe-specific features and definitions for us lathe plebes <-- sounds like a sort of rash you get from latheing too much  ). That way we'll be able to guage what exactly we'd need to buy, given our particlar needs, and be able to steer clear of features we may never use. It would also allow us to make sure to include other features that would be pivotal to our needs and purposes.


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## ABTOMAT (Mar 15, 2004)

There are many, many, many machining/metalworking websites out there, although I can't remember the URLs off the top of my head. Lots of information. Some devoted to general info, some to specific models or brands. Lots of discussion boards, too. And good books, like "How to Run a Lathe" and "Getting the Most From Your Lathe".

Try the rec.crafts.metalworking newsgroup for lots of guys ready to answer questions.

As varied the knowledge is on most boards like this one, I find you get the best returns from groups with whatever your looking for as its main topic.


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