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Mini metalworking lathe - I could have a good use ocasionally

bigHUN

Member
I have many hobbies and I am moding tweaking changing these all the time. And btw all these my toys are in metric.
I got really tired of running to friends machines shops (across Toronto to West end) and they got also tired of me :) I believe.
I have a mini mill for a decade also a nice 3d printer (resin) for my quick ideas, but still missing a small size lathe.
My idea is that I would need a spindle bore at least 20-25mm, able to cut/recut/modify metric thread pitch and occasionally I may need in inches as well.
These my preferences already excluding the BusyBee, King, PrincessAuto and similar mini machines. Ordering from EU or from anywhere across the border really doesn't make a business case for me if I would use it only occasionally, let say ones a month or so.
I have seen locally only the Vevor and some other-similar Chinese made amazon sales...uhm...that means no support for spare parts, and I would need to do elbow greasing hundreds of hours to make those precise enough for my liking.
I like the idea of the Taig mini lathe, but the bore size, also where could I get one in Canada?
 

Tom Kitta

Ultra Member
Vevor is a supplier of same stuff as BB but at fraction of the price. All parts are identical for these machines.

Since you are in ON I would suggest getting a used machine in good condition. In ON you can get these for really cheap. How big can you go? Is it for apartment or do you have a garage?

How "precise" do you need the machine to be? There are not too many precise small machines - and once you go up bigger (in new) the price can be quite high.

Tiag machines are micro lathes / mills. I.e. there are smaller (a lot) then what you get from Vevor.
 

bigHUN

Member
I like and I am using Amazon every day, but for larger items it is only good for a one month return policy, but to get any tech/customer support for the "item" that is a real nightmare.
 

Tom Kitta

Ultra Member
I like and I am using Amazon every day, but for larger items it is only good for a one month return policy, but to get any tech/customer support for the "item" that is a real nightmare.

Do not expect support from any seller on Amazon or from places like BB - most of them anyways. Certainly no one will help you AFAIK with an issue.

I would rather go with much cheaper https://www.vevor.ca/metal-lathe-c_...iable-speed-2250-rpm-650w-110v-p_010276902500

Once its in stock - or with standard 7x14 for like 760.

OR buy used or new used machine - lots of choices. LOTS.
 

jcdammeyer

John
Premium Member
Most of the 7x12's are inch and have a 3/4" spindle bore. This one is a bit bigger on the bore size and appears to have metric dials.

If course you have several options regardless of the lathe you buy.
1. Fit a DRO and use it instead of the dials.
2. Fit Motors and use Either MACH or LinuxCNC or one of the other COTS units with METRIC as the display mode.
 

bigHUN

Member
Back in time I programmed CNC 5 axis machining centers, lathes, EDM's, but at this time I am not looking for any production parts.
Small improvements only and custom parts for my airguns, archery, drones, bikes...
I know if I get any tabletop lathe, but especially that Vevor, I will take it apart to bits and pieces and re-tune the dimensions and alignments...
The 8" sold out, two weeks ago they had couple units.
It looks like me better hurry up before the containers stop coming ;\
 

jcdammeyer

John
Premium Member
If you want to spend the money these are really nice.
A friend, Jack Churchwood, now passed, had one he sold to someone up island.
This one you would not have to take apart and retune.
 

VicHobbyGuy

Ultra Member
My idea is that I would need a spindle bore at least 20-25mm,
The 7x lathes have a spindle bore of 20mm, as @jcdammeyer mentioned. So that may eliminate the 7x class if your requirement is a larger spindle bore. All the 7x lathes are made either by Sieg or RealBull. My Vevor 7x14 is a RealBull, but most of the other common 7x lathes (HarborFreight, LittleMachineShop, Micromark, etc.) are made by Sieg. The Vevor 7x14 has a 100mm (a.k.a. 4 inch) spindle flange and comes with a 4" chuck. Most (all?) of the Sieg 7x machines come with an 80 mm flange and a 3" chuck.


able to cut/recut/modify metric thread pitch and occasionally I may need in inches as well.
I'm much less experienced than you, but I've found it pretty easy to move back and forth between metric and inch with digital micrometer and caliper. All the 7 x lathes can cut metric and inch threads, but most (all?) sold in N. America have inch main leadscrews, so metric threading is more awkward. My Vevor has M10x1 cross slide and compound leadscrews, the Sieg Microlux (Micromark) has 3/8-20 screws in those positions. Strangely (?) the Vevor dials are graduated in inches even though the screws are metric.
I like the idea of the Taig mini lathe, but the bore size, also where could I get one in Canada?
LeeValley sold Taigs for a while; no longer. Taig lists a distributor/dealer in Kitchener ON on their website. If you are looking for lathes that small, you could add Sherline and (used?) Unimat to your list. If yo firm up your spindle bore requirement, you'll narrow the choices. Also what's your budget?
 

bigHUN

Member
The budget ... I don't really like the idea spending a thousand $ for a tabletop lathe that I need to fix first. Alignment and locking issues comes to my mind as a first step.
 

jcdammeyer

John
Premium Member
The budget ... I don't really like the idea spending a thousand $ for a tabletop lathe that I need to fix first. Alignment and locking issues comes to my mind as a first step.
Something else to keep in mind. It might have changed but the last time I looked the chucks are fastened to a plate with 3 screws. Changing from a 3-jaw to a 4-jaw or some sort of collet holder is, I'm told, a pain.
 

VicHobbyGuy

Ultra Member
The budget ... I don't really like the idea spending a thousand $ for a tabletop lathe that I need to fix first. Alignment and locking issues comes to my mind as a first step.
You can spend more , or less. I don't understand if you are saying you'd rather pay more for something bigger and better (Precision Matthews?), or if you are just unhappy with the price/quality parameters of what's available. I paid $500 CAD including delivery for my Vevor 7x14 a few months ago (from walmart.ca) but that price was a bit unusual, I think. $700 seems to be the going rate nowadays. But I already had a 7x14 which I'd done work on, so I wasn't worried about the quality problems I was certain to find. Fixing and improving the lathe was part of the fun and learning experience for me.
If you want a machine that works perfectly 'right out of the box', I suggest avoiding ALL the cheaper lathes in the 7x, 8x and 9x category.
 

VicHobbyGuy

Ultra Member
Something else to keep in mind. It might have changed but the last time I looked the chucks are fastened to a plate with 3 screws. Changing from a 3-jaw to a 4-jaw or some sort of collet holder is, I'm told, a pain.
It takes about 60-90 seconds; I can handle that. And there are no worries about running the spindle in reverse and unscrewing the chuck!
It helps if your fingers aren't 'chubby'. :)
I often switch between chucks (3-jaw, 4-jaw) and ER32 collet faceplate on my 7x.
 

jcdammeyer

John
Premium Member
It takes about 60-90 seconds; I can handle that. And there are no worries about running the spindle in reverse and unscrewing the chuck!
It helps if your fingers aren't 'chubby'. :)
I often switch between chucks (3-jaw, 4-jaw) and ER32 collet faceplate on my 7x.
Yeah and I have a threaded chuck so I can't really run in reverse. OTOH, I have 5C collets that came with the lathe and have also bought hex and square ones. Really like the collets and my huge faceplate which I also had to buy.
 

Tom Kitta

Ultra Member
Back in time I programmed CNC 5 axis machining centers, lathes, EDM's, but at this time I am not looking for any production parts.
Small improvements only and custom parts for my airguns, archery, drones, bikes...
I know if I get any tabletop lathe, but especially that Vevor, I will take it apart to bits and pieces and re-tune the dimensions and alignments...
The 8" sold out, two weeks ago they had couple units.
It looks like me better hurry up before the containers stop coming ;\

Well, at least with the 7" machines there are 1000s of pp that tuned them up to be quite precise so you can watch videos of exactly what needs to be done to make them much more precise. It sort of depends on what you want to do - do not expect machines that compete on price to be precise. They can be a bit more "nicer" then really cheap ones but you need to spend $$$ on expensive stuff to see it up a notch.

For small things such as airgun parts etc. out of the box 7" should be fine, same with 8". Unless you get defective unit (happens).

People do replace bearings on the 7" and some other stuff and get nice and tight machine - I think a lot of people treat it as a hobby - like how much I can push this cheap Chinese "junk" - look I can do better then X US made vintage lathe - who knew!

I do have a feeling (I am not sure whatever right or wrong) that 8" machines are in a touch better class then the 7" - I did hear they have better motor.
 

bigHUN

Member
I see two options in front of me.
Vevor ( a generic machinery seller) delivering to my door, or these guys somewhere in Toronto/Scarborough doing a same sort of generic machinery sales out of a warehouse, but at least some convenience I can go there for pickup.
asc365.com
 

trlvn

Ultra Member
I see two options in front of me.
Vevor ( a generic machinery seller) delivering to my door, or these guys somewhere in Toronto/Scarborough doing a same sort of generic machinery sales out of a warehouse, but at least some convenience I can go there for pickup.
asc365.com

Note that some or all of asc365 lathes do NOT include a 4-jaw chuck, steady rest or follow rest. I believe they offer the 4-jaw separately but I don't know if they can supply the steadies. Given that they offer a tonne of unrelated products, I would assume they know zero about metalworking. I wouldn't be comfortable buying from them.

Craig
 

bigHUN

Member
....Given that they offer a tonne of unrelated products, I would assume they know zero about metalworking. I wouldn't be comfortable buying from them.

Craig
I am not comfortable with neither Vevor or asc365, both selling pretty much just everything=whatever, almost like amazon :)
Not many other choices, only what I can do is sit back and fish.
 
I've posted this before a lot of machines are coming from the same source, just different options by the end suppliers which effects the final cost.

My advice is pick something that falls into that light commercial, heavy hobbyist machine. The lighter duty machine and smaller machines that sometime take short cuts in construction, which increases the chance of lack precision.
 

VicHobbyGuy

Ultra Member
I see two options in front of me.
Vevor ( a generic machinery seller) delivering to my door, or these guys somewhere in Toronto/Scarborough doing a same sort of generic machinery sales out of a warehouse, but at least some convenience I can go there for pickup.
asc365.com
Which lathes are you looking at? Those prices at asc365 look 'over the top' to me.

For example, the 7x14 listed at asc365 (out of stock now) at $1179 is identical to the Vevor I bought at walmart.ca for $500(delivered) except that it has a brushless motor. It's a RealBull lathe, same as the Vevor-branded ones. That $500 Vevor is now $700 at walmart.ca - I think mine was a listing error, but they kept their side of the bargain. :)

BTW, if you buy a Sieg lathe and want to get follow rest, etc later, it's pretty easy (though very expensive). Specific accessories like rests for the RealBull lathes (Vevor and others) are harder to find.
Things like chucks, toolposts, etc are available for all those lathes and fit them all. (I'm talking about the 7x machines; I don't know about the 8x...Somebody on the Facebook 7x group bought an 8x and had to do a lot of work to fit a standard quick change toolpost)
 
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