My South Bend had 6" chucks. Other than the small spindle bore it was a good lathe.Thanks for the quick reply David! ok I will keep looking, I'm guessing it would require a 6" chuck too hold the 5" stock?
If this is your first lathe, take some time to think about what your needs are, space for the lathe, tooling can be another concern. Keep posting to this thread, the wealth of knowledge and depth of help here is really great.i was thinking 2k for an 8" lathe but I may have to increase that if i'm gonna go for a 10", i'm going to have to give it some more thought.
That's awesome! do you design your own reels? What size stock are you starting with?I make centerpin reels and use a 12x36 lathe and feel it's barely adequate for the job! Once I move my shop I will be buying a 14x40. Buy the biggest lathe (within reason) you can the first time if possible.
Good points, I wouldn't have thought there were this many reel makers around!I won't pee on little lathes. They have their purpose and many can do great work if you respect their limits. But when you push the swing limits, bigger is always better.
It's easy to assume that a lathe will turn parts as big as the lathes swing. But actually doing it will make your head swing instead. Getting a cutting tool in place at the diameter you want to turn will be a huge endeavor and will compromise rigidity.
Buy what you can afford and then upgrade later. Upgrading isn't a huge loss. If you think about the interim usage and reduced resale price as rent, it's cheap rent. It's also a very cheap education.
At least one of our regular members (@eotrfish) makes drop dead gorgeous reels.
I think you will find several pleasant surprises among the members here..... Even I manage to learn something new each day here, even if most of the lessons involve a bandage just ahead of the learning curve.Good points, I wouldn't have thought there were this many reel makers around!
That brings me to the Lathe/mill combo machine, it seems to check alot of boxes for me, I don't have alot of space and it looks very space efficient, it also looks alot more cost efficient than 2 separate machines although at the cost of convenience I'm sure. 1"1/8 spindle bore which seems like it would be large enough to be useful, and 110v so I can just plug into an existing outlet (I don't have a big shop with 220v) although they are only 3/4 hp so possibly underpowered? I dunno ,do you think a machine like this would be up to the task for a hobbyist?I think you will find several pleasant surprises among the members here..... Even I manage to learn something new each day here, even if most of the lessons involve a bandage just ahead of the learning curve.
If a large percentage of your work is going to be 5", you'll want to consider a lathe that will accommodate a chuck large enough that the jaws aren't protruding from the body if at all possible from a safety standpoint.
Maybe take a 5"disc of some sort and go visit a local lathe dealer and dry run your "stock" on a few different sizes, and see what feels like the right fit size-wise. Then you can take your search into the used market. While you're at the store, toss that little disc onto a couple mill tables, you're going to want one of those soon too.![]()
I dunno ,do you think a machine like this would be up to the task for a hobbyist?
Thanks Susquatch, I'm in Whistler BCA combo machine is always a it of a compromise and not many members have one. There are a few here who do though. Also, several of my close friends have combo machines and they love them.
I think it all depends on how amenable you are to the compromises and what your expectations are.
I would think that reel making demands a bit of precision to be both smooth, efficient, and beautiful. But I also think these qualities are mostly in the hands of the maker and less limited by the maker's machines. A good careful methodical knowledgeable machinist can make beautiful things on a less than perfect lathe, and almost anybody can butcher things on a precision lathe.
I like the suggestion to go and visit a few shops or vendors and test fit your parts to get a sense of how you might proceed and what you might need.
Where are you located anyway?
.