# Vertical or horizontal lathe?



## saabluster (Mar 14, 2008)

I'm looking into getting a lathe and have noticed most the modders on here seem to have horizontal lathes. Looking on Practical Machinist people seem to prefer the vertical variety. Is there a good reason why one would want one over the other for flashlights? Thanks! I'm a bit overwhelmed with all there is to learn right now.


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## PhotonFanatic (Mar 14, 2008)

If you are talking a manual lathe, and not a CNC machine, I think you will find most lathes are horizontal.

There are vertical machining centers that can do just about anything, but they are CNC controlled and cost tens of thousands more than a good quality lathe does.


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## Rothrandir (Mar 14, 2008)

What you are probably seeing over there is what Photon described, a Vertical Machining Center (VMC), or "mill" if you prefer. Completely different animal.

Vertical Turning Centers (VTC) do exist, but they're not nearly as common as the horizontal ("regular"?) variety, and are primarily for large diameter parts. (typically 18" diameter or more)


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## precisionworks (Mar 14, 2008)

> Looking on Practical Machinist people seem to prefer the vertical variety.


I was surprised to read your comment ... my post count on the PM board is over 3000, and vertical lathes are not often discussed.

As PhotonFanatic & Rothrandir said, you may be talking about a VMC, like this popular model from Haas:








Nice machines for a production shop, but the $150k price tag is up there. There are also machines called a vertical turning lathe, like this one from Fuji, high priced as well:







From what you've said, I believe you're talking about a vertical milling machine, like a Bridgeport, versus a horizontal mill. In that machine, the vertical mill is the machine seen in every machine shop in the world, big shops & tiny shops both. Horizontal mills went out of popular use at the time that Bridgeport introduced their vertical model.


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## gadget_lover (Mar 14, 2008)

I asked a similar question a while back. My idea was that it seemed that it would be practical to create an adapter for a drill press that would allow it to be used as a lathe.

The horizontal lathe has several advantages. It allows you to access the tailstock easily to feed the ram. The chips fall away from the rotating parts, like the live center. Long stock can extend through the headstock and be easily supported.

A vertical lathe with a 5 foot bed would be hard to work. Imagine the cross slide handwheels being above your head. The bed would have to be even thicker, since the bed would not be supported as easily as the horizontal model.

Daniel


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## saabluster (Mar 15, 2008)

Rothrandir said:


> What you are probably seeing over there is what Photon described, a Vertical Machining Center (VMC), or "mill" if you prefer. Completely different animal.
> 
> Vertical Turning Centers (VTC) do exist, but they're not nearly as common as the horizontal ("regular"?) variety, and are primarily for large diameter parts. (typically 18" diameter or more)


Yes I was referring to a "mill". I just haven't figured out the difference between that and a lathe. I'll do more research. Sorry for running so quickly to the forum to ask what must seem like a silly question to the professionals here. I just signed up over there at PM and got VERY intimidated just trying to find simple info. I just freaked out a little bit thats all. Thanks for the responses everyone.


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## KC2IXE (Mar 15, 2008)

Just to confuse you, there ARE Vertical lathes. Rare. They are usually used to turn VERY large diameter, short pieces. For instance, let's say you regularly (production) had to turn and face a 15 ft diameter, 6 inch thick flywheel. That is the usual place where a vertical lathe is used. They usually don't even have a chuck, but a large faceplate mounted at floor level, so you can slide the work on, and bolt it down

Like I said, a specialty item. 

Another rare one - there were some small (10 inch class) Southbends that were made to mount vertically - the use? On submarines - it's where they had the space


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## precisionworks (Mar 15, 2008)

> I just haven't figured out the difference between that and a lathe.


Everybody starts at that level, although many of the PM members have been at this for some time.

Sometimes an operation (op) can be done on either the lathe or the mill - boring being one example. Lathes excel at all classes of round work, and sometimes nonround work if a round feature (like a bored hole or a turned diameter) needs to be added or modified. The size of the workpiece is limited to the swing of the machine, so a 10" lathe can machine up to a 10" diameter part.

Mills can handle larger parts, limited by their table size. For face milling larger flat parts, precision drilling or tapping, cutting slots & keyways, making a square or hex end on a round shaft, etc., the mill is king.

For most metalwork you'll want both.

The best $8 you can spend is for the old book by South Bend, How To Run A Lathe:

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1596

At least a million people have bought & read that text, and continue to do so today. It's a great place to start.


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## saabluster (Mar 16, 2008)

precisionworks said:


> The best $8 you can spend is for the old book by South Bend, How To Run A Lathe:
> 
> http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1596
> 
> At least a million people have bought & read that text, and continue to do so today. It's a great place to start.


 
Thanks a lot for the link. I will check it out.


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## kromeke (Mar 19, 2008)

*quick difference between a mill and lathe*

The lathe holds the workpiece and revolves it while the stationary* cutting tool removes material. 

The mill holds the workpiece still* and a revolving cutter removes material.

*in reality, both the cutting tool (on the lathe) and the workpiece (on the mill) move around, but just to define the cut shape. 

A spindle on a mill revolves a cutting tool. The spindle on the lathe revolves a workpiece which is being cut. They both come in horizontal and vertical varieties. Manual lathes are almost always horizontal. Vertical milling machines are most common in the "Bridgeport" size class and under, but there are a lot of older horizontal mills that are small.


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## saabluster (Mar 26, 2008)

Here is the lathe I'm looking at getting. Does this look OK?


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## PhotonFanatic (Mar 26, 2008)

If you are going to use this only for small projects, it might be OK, but I have reservations about the weight--less than 100 pounds seems pretty lightweight to me (no pun intended).


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## PEU (Mar 26, 2008)

saabluster said:


> Here is the lathe I'm looking at getting. Does this look OK?



I have the exact same model, purchased it 4 years ago. It does the job and it will let you do a lot of stuff, I still do my prototypes in it, as Fred said, its not too heavy, so work accordingly.

1st suggestion: purchase a QCTP (quick change tool post) even before any tool, why? because if you start purchasing tools you will end with no money for the QTCP  
Be prepared to spend as much in tools as the whole lathe cost (or more)


Pablo


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## A123Powered (Apr 15, 2008)

I was just reading a positive review of that lathe recently (I have been considering buying one).

Here is the review:
http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Reviews/Big_dog/bigdog2.htm


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## saabluster (Apr 15, 2008)

A123Powered said:


> I was just reading a positive review of that lathe recently (I have been considering buying one).
> 
> Here is the review:
> http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Reviews/Big_dog/bigdog2.htm



I read that same article. Thats why I'm even considering buying it.


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