# Does anyone on this forum own a 12x16 metal lathe from Taiwan?



## deleted_user (Jan 27, 2022)

In my research of Taiwanese manufacturers I discovered something I did not realise even existed. The 12x16 metal lathe. 

Until now I'd only thought that 10" lathes in the 18-22" length existed in this footprint... and I've often considered purchasing a 10x18 or 10x22 but just can never bring myself to pull the trigger on one because of the throw limitations and weight. 

A 12x16" lathe I could actually squeeze into my tiny basement shop. My question is, are they too light, are they as well made as a 12x36 lathe? Does anyone here have experience with one of this size of lathe?

Why do people think that busybee does not offer this size lathe?


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## whydontu (Jan 27, 2022)

do you have a link for an example?


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## deleted_user (Jan 27, 2022)

whydontu said:


> do you have a link for an example?


Model : LD-1216GH

They offer this is other lengths as well obviously LD-1224GH / LD-1236GH / LD-1336GH / LD-1340GH









						1224GH - LIANG DEI ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
					






					www.liang-dei.com.tw


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## Gearhead88 (Jan 27, 2022)

The 13 - 24 would be a good size for what i do


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## Chip Maker (Jan 27, 2022)

I have a 12-24 Jet. I haven't yet used it (haven't had a reason to) and have just recently put it in place and hooked up power. Weighs 500 lbs


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## deleted_user (Jan 27, 2022)

Chip Maker said:


> I have a 12-24 Jet. I haven't yet used it (haven't had a reason to) and have just recently put it in place and hooked up power. Weighs 500 lbs


Interesting... the net shipping weight of the shorter lathe is ~580. My 12x37 is 910 lbs.

May I ask when and where you got your Jet lathe?


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## whydontu (Jan 27, 2022)

I’d smash the piggy bank immediately if I could find a new 12x16 or 12x24 that meets my desires
gear head
gearbox for longitudinal feed / threading
power cross feed
separate threading and power feed drive shafts
D1 spindle would be nice but not mandatory

Grizzly made exactly this, but discontinued them just before my piggy bank was full.

Basically I want a shorter 12x36. Precision Matthews 1127 gets close, but has variable speed and I would much prefer hardware speed control.


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## phaxtris (Jan 27, 2022)

12x16, that's an interesting size. I would wonder how useable it would be, by the time you have a chuck, and a tail stock with something in it....ie live center, what are you left with ? 10 inches ?


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## deleted_user (Jan 27, 2022)

whydontu said:


> I’d smash the piggy bank immediately if I could find a new 12x16 or 12x24 that meets my desires
> gear head
> gearbox for longitudinal feed / threading
> power cross feed
> ...


These may meet your needs then. I really want to find an owner of one to ask some questions... 

What I like as well is that these lathes use the D1-4 camlock chuck


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## deleted_user (Jan 27, 2022)

phaxtris said:


> 12x16, that's an interesting size. I would wonder how useable it would be, by the time you have a chuck, and a tail stock with something in it....ie live center, what are you left with ? 10 inches ?


this is exactly why I want to find an owner.... to ask just such questions.

but for me I'd have a back up lathe so it would be less of an issue... and I'd go with ER40 collet chuck which projects less than 2 inches or so for most of what I'd want to do at home.


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## PeterT (Jan 27, 2022)

Interesting. Didn't know they were even available like that. 20 kg difference to get another 8" on the 24" model. Just an extra chunk of bed casting. But maybe your constraint is length not weight?

I've haven't looked up the import definition of 'between centers' for so long I wonder what the dimension corresponds to? For example if vendors wanted to to brochure maximize the nominal dimension:  MT center in the spindle seat (no chuck, very little stick-out) and MT center in tailstock quill (barrel fully retracted & TS slid to bed end). If that yields net 406mm (16") between centers, man that is short for a lathe that swing. You probably considered but TS chuck + typical drill tooling + TS quill action gobbles precious little room too.


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## deleted_user (Jan 27, 2022)

PeterT said:


> Interesting. Didn't know they were even available like that. 20 kg difference to get another 8" on the 24" model. Just an extra chunk of bed casting. But maybe your constraint is length not weight?
> 
> I've haven't looked up the import definition of 'between centers' for so long I wonder what the dimension corresponds to? For example if vendors wanted to to brochure maximize the nominal dimension:  MT center in the spindle seat (no chuck, very little stick-out) and MT center in tailstock quill (barrel fully retracted & TS slid to bed end). If that yields net 406mm (16") between centers, man that is short for a lathe that swing. You probably considered but TS chuck + typical drill tooling + TS quill action gobbles precious little room too.



I've contacted two Taiwanese "manufacturers" to try to ascertain far more detailed information as well as a user manual. Once I have established some communication with them I'll try to get an exact figure and perhaps a CAD drawing if possible.

My own issue is the physical length. I previously had a 12x37 lathe and a CT129N mill side by side in my basement. It took every inch of space leaving little room for anything else. Those are now at brothers. In theory I could put a larger lathe in my basement if I wanted nothing else. 

I currently have a 14x17 wood lathe I could replace with a metal lathe...  I have 39" length in the space occupied by this wood lathe


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## Chip Maker (Jan 28, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> Interesting... the net shipping weight of the shorter lathe is ~580. My 12x37 is 910 lbs.
> 
> May I ask when and where you got your Jet lathe?


This won't be much help as I bought it used about a year ago locally. I actually posted it in a thread here titled barn finds. Jet just rebranded generic Taiwanese lathes. I would guess it was built late '70's-mid '80's. The owners manual actually had another brand on it! As for the weight difference, mine may not have included the motor weight.


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## deleted_user (Jan 28, 2022)

Chip Maker said:


> This won't be much help as I bought it used about a year ago locally. I actually posted it in a thread here titled barn finds. Jet just rebranded generic Taiwanese lathes. I would guess it was built late '70's-mid '80's. The owners manual actually had another brand on it! As for the weight difference, mine may not have included the motor weight.


yeah that is what I'd thought... I've been watching lathe products for decades and haven't seen that size offered in Canada that I recall.

L


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## deleted_user (Jan 28, 2022)

PeterT said:


> Interesting. Didn't know they were even available like that. 20 kg difference to get another 8" on the 24" model. Just an extra chunk of bed casting. But maybe your constraint is length not weight?
> 
> I've haven't looked up the import definition of 'between centers' for so long I wonder what the dimension corresponds to? For example if vendors wanted to to brochure maximize the nominal dimension:  MT center in the spindle seat (no chuck, very little stick-out) and MT center in tailstock quill (barrel fully retracted & TS slid to bed end). If that yields net 406mm (16") between centers, man that is short for a lathe that swing. You probably considered but TS chuck + typical drill tooling + TS quill action gobbles precious little room too.



I you remember correctly. MT center in the spindle seat (no chuck, very little stick-out) and MT center in tailstock quill (barrel fully retracted & TS slid to bed end).

Despite the limited distance between the spindles, the 1216GH's overall length of ~45" wont fit in the 39" space of my 14x17 wood lathe. Others may be less inclined to buy a 1216 and instead likely opt for a 12x24 which comes in at just under 53" long overall. But that is only about 10" shorter than my 12x37 lathe I had in this space previously. I could live with 1216 if I carefully selected my chucks and tooling. 

From Darling Machine Tools:


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## deleted_user (Jan 28, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> I you remember correctly. MT center in the spindle seat (no chuck, very little stick-out) and MT center in tailstock quill (barrel fully retracted & TS slid to bed end).
> 
> Despite the limited distance between the spindles, the 1216GH's overall length of ~45" wont fit in the 39" space of my 14x17 wood lathe. Others may be less inclined to buy a 1216 and instead likely opt for a 12x24 which comes in at just under 53" long overall. But that is only about 10" shorter than my 12x37 lathe I had in this space previously. I could live with 1216 if I carefully selected my chucks and tooling.
> 
> ...



I think I may be able to manage turning one of my 6" diameter by 12" etching press cylinders (LOA ~15.0" long) on this lathe.

I may be able to mount a 6" diameter by ~12.5" long steel pipe on a chuck, face the end, turn a finished surface 1.5" long on the pipe's interior, score an alignment mark at the inside end of the pipe to align the keyless hub to, chamfer both the inside and outside edge.  Then flip the pipe around and repeat the process.

Then I mount the steel pipe on a 1" diameter precision ground shaft using keyless hubs that I have previously machined to match the turned dimension on the pipe interior. By using alignment marks on the pipe interior and the hubs I can mount and dismount the pipe to the hubs and still maintain decent concentricity. Now that the 6" pipe is mounted to the shaft I can turn the pipe exterior to dimension by turning between centers with a faceplate and dog.

my 18" and 24" press rollers are another matter. But I can machine all the keyless hubs on a 1216


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## PeterT (Jan 28, 2022)

And by the mighty powers of cut & paste guestimation, it would look something like this with ER-40 plate & TS chuck


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## deleted_user (Jan 28, 2022)

PeterT said:


> And by the mighty powers of cut & paste guestimation, it would look something like this with ER-40 plate & TS chuck


piss me off. I was just working on an actual cad sketch and you beat me to it.


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## PeterT (Jan 28, 2022)

Can you make a basement wall go away to accommodate or is it more about threading the bed around corners & such?

Pre garage & pre kids my lathe was downstairs. I paid movers. Even so, late night machining motor hum, brief light dimmer whenever machine was started, swarf chips finding their way upstairs, occasional fragrance of Eau-Du-Cutting oil.... It was pushing the patience of upper management but desperate times called for desperate measures. Thankfully I have detached sanctuary space now, but I can empathize the situation.


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## deleted_user (Jan 28, 2022)

PeterT said:


> And by the mighty powers of cut & paste guestimation, it would look something like this with ER-40 plate & TS chuck


FWIW this lathe is available with a 5C collet closer that I believe decreases the projection from the spindle more than the ER40 chuck option


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## DPittman (Jan 28, 2022)

PeterT said:


> And by the mighty powers of cut & paste guestimation, it would look something like this with ER-40 plate & TS chuck


I'm always impressed Peter by your ability to whip up relevant and helpful graphics, charts, pictures, videos etc at short notice.


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## PeterT (Jan 28, 2022)

And you typically need accommodation space on LH of headstock for lever action if thats the kind I'm thinking of


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## PeterT (Jan 28, 2022)

DPittman said:


> I'm always impressed Peter by your ability to whip up relevant and helpful graphics, charts, pictures, videos etc at short notice.


haha thx. Snagit & Excel are all I have handy while chained to my desk but sometimes i does in a pinch to get the point across


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## deleted_user (Jan 28, 2022)

PeterT said:


> Can you make a basement wall go away to accommodate or is it more about threading the bed around corners & such?
> 
> Pre garage & pre kids my lathe was downstairs. I paid movers. Even so, late night machining motor hum, brief light dimmer whenever machine was started, swarf chips finding their way upstairs, occasional fragrance of Eau-Du-Cutting oil.... It was pushing the patience of upper management but desperate times called for desperate measures. Thankfully I have detached sanctuary space now, but I can empathize the situation.


Access is relatively easy. I live in a townhouse that the foundation level is at grade. But the foundation living area is small because the garage takes a large chunk of the footprint.

I cannot alter anything further. I already condensed the laundry area, stacked my washer/dryer, moved the laundry tub and water heater to make room for the extra refrigerator and the chest freezer.

Much of the remaining area is taken up by powder room, hallway, stairs to 1st floor. Packed into the space is the laundry, washtub, furnace, water heater, 36" wider glass door refrigerator, a chest freezer and an 8' long x 36" hydroponic grow area for leafy salad greens.

So all that I have left for a workspace is an area 132.5" x 28".

Previously when we were forced to move our major machines to my home I could only fit the 12x37 lathe, the 7x20 mill and a tool storage shelf under the lathe in this space. In order to fit that in I had to remove my dust collector, workbenches, an engraving station, wood lathe, drill press, band saw and storage.

The trouble is, I'd like a metal lathe in my own shop, but choices are very limited.

I have learned to deal with space constraints over the years. As I start giving the 1216 more serious consideration I narrow the options to keep the install compact. I'd not actually use a 5C collet closer, because of the bulky lever.

I'd opt to machine a 5C to MT5 adapter and drawbar with a narrow handwheel. With this option I'd add less than 1.2" to the spindle projection.  I'm happy to sacrifice speed in order to maximize the available working envelope.

10" lathe options are not nearly as nice, I couldn't use 5C collets with a drawbar on those so I'd have to install 5C chuck and lose a huge chunk of real estate making the 10x18 lathe potentially have even less working area.


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## deleted_user (Jan 29, 2022)

ICYMI people, it is the Spring Festival this coming Tuesday Feb. 1st... aka Chinese New Year or lunar new year. So I get to wait an entire week before I get any further replies from manufacturers. 

I am not an exceptionally patient person, and am annoyed that one contact who replied to me end of their day Friday failed to send the password for their pdf catalogs. Who password protects their product catalogs any then posts them for download anyways?

One thing I know, if you plan to order a container load of stuff from overseas, you may as well go all in and try to get every tool you really ever wanted.


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