# Whats the Best Mini Lathe?



## dpled (Jan 9, 2005)

I am looking to buy a Mini Lathe and seeking some experienced personal views on Mini Lathes and which are good choices. Anybody have one they can share there view on?


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## Chop (Jan 10, 2005)

The best is probably the Micro Mark. The best bang for the buck is probably the Homier.

I've had a couple and they were about the same as far as quality goes. The two I've had are the Harbor Freight 7X10 and the Homier 7X12. I can tell you to stay away from the 7X10. They are actually 4 inches shorter than the 7X12 and are too short to ever bore a 2X123 body.


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## gadget_lover (Jan 12, 2005)

Chop's more experienced than I, but the HF 7x10 will do some nice work. You can NOT work on a thick 10 inch light, as the chuck takes up a few inches and the tailstock takes a few more. You can easily work on a 2AA light, and single AA without problems. You can make heads for larger lights without problems.

I'm pretty sure I bored my last 123 body long enough for two cells. The trick is to use a short collet and several boring bars of various lengths.

I'd go with a 7x12 or bigger if I had more space and was starting over. I do like the small size, variable speed control, reverse gear, reverse motor and threading capabilities of the Harbor Freight. I like way it feels like it's under my control, and I like the fact that there has been a lot of documented improvements for the various minor problems that you may encounter. 

If you catch the 7x10 on sale for $329, it's hard to beat for small work.

Daniel


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## Chop (Jan 13, 2005)

The Homier was $350, shipped. It will do everything that the HF model will, but will accommodate longer stock.

All of the mini lathes are about the same, just pick one. Even if you get the HF model, you can always up grade it later with a longer bed.

After you get your lathe, you'll probably wind up customizing it to your needs anyway. Just go to minilathe.com and check out the comparison chart.

I do have to add that there are two things that I've added to my mini lathe that I absolutely cannot do without any longer. Those are a quick change tool post and a 5" three jaw chuck.


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## PEU (Jan 13, 2005)

In my opinion, the Cummins is the best bang for the buck if you purchase the unit in USA.

This is a list I sent to a fellow CPF member who asked me what I bought after the mini-lathe (I purchased mine in China)

cummins mini lathe comes with QCTP (Quick Change Tool Post) so no need for that
Grinder (purchased locally) (to sharpen blank tools)
5 piece center drills (LMS)
Dial Indicator, Magnetic Base & Point Set (LMS)
Knurler set (LMS)
3/8" Indexable TCMM inserts (LMS)
6" digital caliper (ebay)
set of HSS drills (purchased locally)
tool blanks (purchased locally)
assorted end mills (purchased locally when needed specific size)
assorted taps (purchased locally when needed specific size) BTW, never purchased a die yet
protractor round head (measure angles at the compound)
Thread Center Gage, 60deg (LMS)
Screw Pitch Gage (purchased locally)
Spray can of oil for tapping / drilling (purchased locally)
my lathe came with a digital speed readout, you may want to add this later to yours
assorted round 6061 aluminium rods from 1/2" to 1" 
I made my bench, but you may opt for purchasing one, you should have the lathe bottom at the same heigh as your belly button, if not your back will hurt (a lot!!!) 
I also subscribed to www.mini-lathe.com premium content, very good tutorials there

keep in mind that chips make a mess, so the place the minilathe in a space thats easily cleanable or vacuumed (<- is this a word?)


Well I guess thats almost all, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wow.gif I've spent a lot... good thing it wasn't all at once.


Pablo


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## wasabe64 (Jan 13, 2005)

Another vote for the Cummins lathe. Pablo's list is a good start.

The free extras that turned out to be the handiest for me were the steady rest and live centre. 

Daniel has a good point about the distance between centres - the longest piece I have been able to create on a 7x12 from solid rod stock is a 7" 3x123 body (Chop - I cheated and use a couple of MT2 shank drills to start the bore). You could pre-drill the workpiece on a large drill press, but I found that to be as much of a PITA.


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## gadget_lover (Jan 13, 2005)

Thanks for the idea Wasabe. I got some MT2 collets for Christmas (to use in my micro mill) but the same size will work in my tailstock to hold drill bits. That will make it easier to use a drill the longer pieces.

I also like the idea of an MT2 taper on some of the bigger drill bits. Hmmmm.

Great idea!

Daniel


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## gadget_lover (Jan 13, 2005)

I was curious about the cummins, so I fond their site at cumminstools. I had to search for "lathe" to find it.

$399, don't know about shipping.

If you are in central oregon, you can go to the National guard armory in Roseburg on Saturday, Jan 15 and Sun the 16th, where they are having a cummins tool sale. The lathe is listed in their ad at 399, as is the mini mill.

Daniel


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## PEU (Jan 13, 2005)

I guess this thread can be pinned by the moderators on top of the forum, since the question pops every now and then.

my 2 cents (of peso)


Pablo


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## Chop (Jan 13, 2005)

The cummins looks nice, but you are paying an extra $100; however you do get the steady rests.

The tool post on that lathe looks like a standard tool post in the picture though.

I too bought a grinder for sharpening tools, but quickly found that I am more into getting to the finished product than that process itself. What I mean is that sharpening tools and then having to recenter them is a big PITA. You have to use shims to get the tool bit to the right height and you have to do this every time you sharpen the tool bit.

I've gone to indexable tooling for turning and boring. It's definitely the way to go.

What is also odd is that I never use the steady rests. With the 5" chuck I can get a very good grab on 1" and larger stock.

My vote still goes to the Homier. At $300 plus shipping, that leaves money for a quick change tool post and a decent set of indexable tooling.


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## PEU (Jan 13, 2005)

Chop: In the yahoo 7x12Minilathe group, all the cummins owners tell that the unit comes standard with a QCTP, but it is not pictured in the site.

For the extra $100 you get:

a MT2 center
following and stready rest
set of tools
QCTP !!!
Face plate


In my lathe I use the steady rest every time I need to part rods for working. 
The QCTP is the 1st thing you NEED to purchase.

The 5" chuck may be my next purchase /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif time will tell.


Pablo


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## unnerv (Jan 13, 2005)

I have the homier and been very satisfied with mine. I just checked homier's site and it does not look like they are carrying it. All I could find was the mill and lathe accessory kit.


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## jeepinpaul (Jan 14, 2005)

I really suggest you look at lathes which are larger than you think you need. There is a good chance you might out-grow a mini-lathe and you will kick yourself for not getting something larger. I have seen the Micro-mark and it is pretty nice!


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## Chop (Jan 15, 2005)

Pablo,

With the 5" chuck, you can fit so much of the stock into the chuck (or even through it) that I don't need to use the rest for parting.

If you get the larger chuck, I think you'll find it well worth the investment.

I've actually looked at larger lathes and have decided to stick with the mini lathe. Flashlights and small stuff are all that I work on and have no need for a larger lathe. I'm sticking with the smaller lathe because I believe it's easier to work with in that speed changes are just a dial turn away and changing gears are a snap for threading. It's also my understanding that larger lathes usually don't have a reverse.

The micro mark is nice, but it isn't larger. It's just a little longer and A LOT more expensive. Besides, you can always add the longer bed way later, if it turns out that you need it.


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## gadget_lover (Jan 15, 2005)

I'll be going to the Cummins tool sale at Roseburg Oregon today, and I'll let you know how the 7x12 looks in real life. I'll let you know if it uses the HF style multi tool turret tool post or a real quick change tool post.

Maybe they will have a nice 5 inch chuck????

Several people have mentioned that you'll outgrow the HF 7x10, but I've seen posts from people (who must have more space than I) kept their old one when they upgraded. They said it was nice having two lathes so they could do multiple steps
(Turning, threading then more turning or threading) without losing the settings for compound angle, gear's etc.

And then there's lucky folks Like Unerv, who has a really nice 7x12 AND a massive machine shop sized lathe to back it up.


Daniel


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## ElektroLumens (Jan 15, 2005)

I have a Harbor Freight mini lathe. I purchased it knowing nothing about lathes or machining. I only just recently started using it seriously. To me it is okay for making heat sinks, lathing out flashlight heads like a Mag head, to modify it, and other small jobs. To me, the small size has a lot of limitations. I'm working with 2" to 3" aluminum bar stock, and this lathe just seems too small for this size material. It will work, though. 

I added the quick change tool holder. I think this is indispensible. Not only is it quick and easy to change a tool bit, but it is super easy to adjust the correct height of the cutter. No shims needed.

I also have started using indexable cutters. This is also the way to go.

I am still learning how to do machining. I love it. It's a blast.

I have a 12X36 lathe coming on Monday, that I purchased from Grizzly. It costs about $2,200 including the stand. Weights about 1,000 pounds. This is definately not a mini lathe. I'm sure, however, that I will still have small jobs that actually will be more suitable for a mini lathe. I'm following this thread, as I intend to purchase another small mini lathe.

Wayne


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## gadget_lover (Jan 16, 2005)

I looked at the 7x12 cummins today. It really had 12 inches bethween the chuck and the end of the tailstock. It came with gears for metric and imperial threads. It was quite similar in every other way to the harbor freight 7x10, except that the electronic controls went from zero to 2500 (or was that 2200) instead of from 200 to 2400. That might be nice for threading.

The tool post is the same as the harbor freight unit, a tolholder that can hold 4 tools at once and rotated to put each in position.

I may move up to one someday.

Daniel


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## PEU (Jan 16, 2005)

does it came with a QCTP as many told me in the 7x12minilathe group?


Pablo


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## gadget_lover (Jan 17, 2005)

No, Pablo, the tool post looked just like the one you get with the harbor freight 7x10. That's the one with a flat plate on the top and bottom so you can mount up to 4 tools at once. Just rotate it and the next one is lined up. The down side
is that you have sharp tools sticking out every 90 degrees and some will interfere with travel in various directions.

It's NOT a quick change post.

The backplate they provide appears to be about 6 inches in diameter. The included backplate, steadyrest and basic tool bits make it almost as cost effective as the 7x10. I got my 7x10 for around $350 without paying for shipping, so maybe that's the catch. Maybe they make it up in shipping.

Daniel


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## Chop (Jan 17, 2005)

All of the mini lathes are about the same. I'd shoot for the one that has the options that I know I needed. Other than that, I'd go with the one that had the best price, unless cost is no object, then I'd go for the micro mark.

What ever you get, you can always add and upgrade. You might wind up spending more money in the end, but getting there is pretty fun. The Little Machine Shop carries longer bedways, inch thread conversions for the screws, DROs, etc.

Of all of the options available, I find myself using the same things over and over again. The quick change tool post, 5" three jaw chuck, live and dead centers, and my indexable tooling.

I know that I am not as learned as many here on CPF, but I've never had the occasion to use a steady rest or back plate, but I concentrate on smaller, E series type lights.


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