I've been getting into wood working for the past couple of years. I enjoy it. I made a few projects and have a number of unfinished item that I'm sure I'll never get back to. However, I seem to like working with metal more. It's just a hobby so a fancy mill is probably out of my league but I am looking at some used tools in my area.

Is there any advantage to getting a combo lathe/mill or is it better to get separate pieces? Can I add a vertical spindle to any lathe to make it a combo? I think I'd get more use out of a lathe than a mill.

I'm talking bench top stuff, not $40k tools.

A combo machine is pretty limited to stock size. I have a Bridgeport knee mill and 10" clausing lathe, about 3300 lbs of iron between the two and it takes up some space. I use my mill considerably more than the lathe but most will tell you a lathe is more versatile. A mill is a great addition to a welder for drilling accurate holes need in fabrication.

Tooling will eat your lunch on these machines. I have about 6 grand between my machines and limited tooling.

With your location, you should be able to find plenty of old American machines cheap and plentiful. I had a hard time finding my equipment in Texas for a reasonable cost.
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Thanks. A local fellow is selling a MicroLux 7x16 lathe for $650 with some minor tooling. I may go look at it.

That's a severe virus that can empty your bank account and fill you basement or garage with all sorts of stuff.
I have a 5000 sq/ft building and sometimes it's not enough.

quote:

Originally posted by shiftyvtec:
Tooling will eat your lunch on these machines. I have about 6 grand between my machines and limited tooling.

This. Before you jump in with both feet, just off the top of my head, here are a few things to consider cost-wise...

Lathe:
3 jaw chuck
4 jaw chuck
Face plate & dogs
Live center
5C Collets if you have/want a collet closer
A good tool post with holders (I prefer KDK)
Drill chuck & various drills (Morse taper shank)
Turning tools & boring bars

Mill:
A GOOD vise
A dividing head or indexing collet-closer, depending on what you want to do
A set of R8 collets
Drill chuck with R8 shank
Boring head, depending on what you want to do
Many end mills & a fly cutter or two
A set of clamps & T-nuts

I haven't even included measuring tools.
A lot of times the tooling is as much of an investment as the machine. Though you may find some used machines that include some of the above.

BTW, I'm not a fan of combo machines. They don't really seem to do either function well.

If you pull the trigger on a lathe. Don't forget a bench grinder and some high speed steel (hss) blanks to practice your grinding skills. I am a novice and tried the easy route and went directly to carbide brazed cutting tools (against contrary advice) I'm now seeing the value of grinding your own from hss. For a lighter duty lathe, your results will typically be better as well and cutting surfaces can be tailored to your material. It's not difficult to get decent at grinding and its considerably cheaper.

It’s a deep, deep well my friend ... exponentially worse than guitars

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SIGnified,

Mark - you are right, metal work can be a very interesting and rewarding pastime.

The multipurpose tools have rather limited application. The lathe/mill is just such a machine. They are, as noted above, a compromise. With some hunting you can probably find everything you need in good used condition.

Given the choice, I would suggest you find a mentor that can help you learn about the machines you want to use. My shop has a metal lathe, Bridgeport mill, drill press and 1” belt sander. That is a good start that will let you do a lot of things.

Sources for used equipment where I have had success - auctions, flea markets, classified ads, Facebook marketplace and retired machinists.

As a teacher of this stuff, I would suggest learning everything you can on manual equipment. Save the computer controlled things until later.

Thanks. That's what I wanted to know. I assumed that a combo would be a compromise but I didn't want to make an uniformed decision.

I second the advice to purchase good used equipment. You may have to hunt for a bit, but you will be better off in the long term. When I first got my equipment, I purchased bulk lots of tooling on eBay and got some stuff from shops that were closing. It kept my cost way down and I have a good selection of quality tools.

I've dipped my tootsies into the same pool, Mark.

As much as I'd like to have a full sized lathe and a honkin' great Bridgeport mill, the space, power and funding just isn't there. So, here's what I've wound up with:



I bought the 7x12 mini-lathe new from Grizzly on sale, around $550 and another $200 or so for basic tooling.

I found the mill (also a Grizzly) on Craigslist for about $400 under new cost but WITH a crapload of tooling. Full set of R8 collets, full set of 2 flute and 4 flute mills, a handful of HSS mills, dial indicator and magnetic stand and a small milling vise.

I've added a few odds and ends like a live center for the lathe and a rotary table for the mill, a machinist's clamp set that fits the slots on the mill and a coolant/lube fogger.

Sure, I'm limited to physically small pieces and I can't take big hogging passes on material, but I'm having a blast learning how to use it all.

My latest project: 2x72 belt grinder.

Another idea for a source - check the local schools and let them know that you are interested in their used shop equipment. Some schools have closed their shop programs, others have “upgraded” to small, table top CNC machines. In any case they may be storing stuff that they would be happy to be rid of.

A few years back I was at a craft show being held in a private, residential high school. I had some free time so I wandered around thinking “they must have a shop around here somewhere”. Found it. Old department head (now retired) used to buy surplus equipment at state sales that were only open to other public service institutions. I tracked down one of the teachers and asked about this dusty old stuff. He explained the source. I asked if they might be for sale. He said to make an offer to the school board for the unused lathes and associated equipment. I did so. 3 lathes and a good selection of related parts. May have come to 2,000 lbs total. Paid about .50/lb

Use Craiglist and save some money there. You can find nice 9 or 10k South Bend lathe with tooling within a couple thousand. At least in my area. Try to get one with a taper attachment.

Also you'll need some metal of course. Go to onlinemetals.com. They sell scraps of various sizes there which you can practice on.

quote:

Originally posted by Captain Morgan:
... Also you'll need some metal of course. Go to onlinemetals.com. They sell scraps of various sizes there which you can practice on.

I'll compare pieces with the local steel shops to see what a good deal. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I found the mill (also a Grizzly) on Craigslist for about $400 under new cost but WITH a crapload of tooling. Full set of R8 collets, full set of 2 flute and 4 flute mills, a handful of HSS mills, dial indicator and magnetic stand and a small milling vise.

I've got that same Grizzly mill/drill (G0758). It is great for an amateur like me and smaller projects. I've made some mods from a Grizzly Google Group list, such as a locking mechanism for the top of the drawbar so I can change collets without unscrewing the top cover.
 

With some of the machining you guys have. I'd form 1'ed a can for every single gun!

Theres some good advice here.

Ill throw in some as well.

Buying the equipment is the easy part. Learning how to use it is the hard part. Machinery in a home garage tends to go largely unused, because noone likes bad results. Bad results are a certainty without knowing the minutia of detail that gets one good results. A good machinist spends many years of 8hr days learning the minutia of detail.

Brush up on algebra, geometry and trig. Youll need to be able to calculate chip load, surface speed, feed speeds.

Get a seperate mill and lathe.
A 3 in 1 makes for a useable lathe and a decent drill press. Its a horrid mill due to the lack of rigidity in the milling head, and height of the worktable over the bedways. All that height=arm=a chatter monster.

Buy hss blanks and a bench grinder first. Thos can be bought right now, and you can start educating yourself right now via google and youtube.
Most people, the very moment they see whats involved in tool-grinding, immediately decide to just buy insert tooling. This is one of the biggest reasons the machinery goes unused due to poor results.
Unless you put in the work to learn tool geometry, by grinding your own, you'll not be a good judge of which insert tooling is good for which job.

Don't buy assloads of expensive tooling right off the bat. Its a hobby, so you have time to buy the shit you need, as you need it. Youll waste less money buying shit you dont need.

Start with videos like this one:
https://youtu.be/bvJhRtRR7rk

And every video ever posted by youtuber tubalcain.

https://www.youtube.com/playli...t=PLBC69869E8CB708F2

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

I've made some mods from a Grizzly Google Group list
 

You have a link to that list?

Also,

When you buy your first milling machine, you'll also be buying (or even better, have included with the machine) your first milling vise,

Once you know the size of your vise, more specifically the stud size for your vise handle,

PM me with your shipping address and the size.

Ill send you a speed handle at no charge, made in my own shop. I keep a couple hundred in stock of in the sizes most common in home shop size vises.

Btw: that Grizzly G0704 in PHPauls pic is a nifty little mill. Its the one i usually recommend for friends who want a small, light compact mill that can still actually mill metal.

@ Ken226: Conveniently enough, the stud on my little vise was the same as a 3/8 drive socket, so I sacrificed a spare deep socket and made a speed handle for it.