I need another lathe..

All discussion about lathes including but not limited to: South Bend, Hardinge, Logan, Monarch, Clausing and other HSM lathes, including imports

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lakeside53
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Location: Woodinville, WA

I need another lathe..

Post by lakeside53 »

have 2 Emco V10P lathes with milling attachments... (short version - I bought one for "parts" but it was almost never used... so it was restored... and I haven't been able to part with it...;))

I LOVE my Emco's (even with their stupid 19mm compound to center height), but... I really want a lathe with a larger through-spindle capacity. I'm limited to just over 3/4 right now and I'm aways having to work around it. One of them will likely go to help pay for another.

What's out there the has decent performance and a decent spindle capacity....?? 12-14 inch etc.. I'm not a big fan of cheap chinese/taiwan... and know little about the logan, colchester, hardinge, south Bend blah blah blah except their names... Sure, I'd like a 10EE, but...
Jose Rivera
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Lathe

Post by Jose Rivera »

I think that in order to buy something built well one would have to stick to older machine (pre-Asian crap, including Taiwan).

As for Asian made machine I think that Taiwan makes better machines. (Jets)

I had a nightmarish experience with a G4000 Grizzly.

I dumped it and bought one like the one you have, an Emco Maximat V10P mentor. Would never change unless is a 10EE or a Grazziano, but Monarch or anything requiring 440V is out of the ball park on cost and power consumption for home use.

I found this guys here in California http://www.sterlingmachinery.com/
Are there any similar in Washington?
There are no problems, only solutions.
--------------
Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
lakeside53
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Location: Woodinville, WA

Post by lakeside53 »

Power isn't a problem for me.. I have 2 200 amp panels. 440 is just a surplus transformer away from 220, and the usual rotary conveter and/or vfd etcs etc..

The machinery guys are all gone around here... if I know what I wanted I could start looking.

A friend of mine has a Hardinge HLV something or other.. toolroom lathe. very nice... not particularly big in the spindle dept, and expensive.

I thought that cnc lathes would be rapidly displacing manual, but if they are I'm not sure where they are all going! I see a few, but not the quanity I'd have expected.

BTW.. just browsed that machinery link - great info.... Sure wish I had a local place to check out... I won't buy "unseen"...
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Mark Hockett
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Post by Mark Hockett »

Andy,
There are some very nice Taiwan and Korean made lathes out there. Most of the new Taiwan and Korean imports will have the modern features not found on many of the older US made lathes like cam lock tail stocks and large spindle bores.
Here are some of the good ones.

This is a copy of the Clausing Cholchester,
http://www.americanmachinetools.com/ame ... lathes.htm

These are sold under the South Bend name but made in Taiwan,
http://www.southbendlathe.com/1440-1660evslathes.htm

http://www.southbendlathe.com/1340-1440 ... lathes.htm

This is the Taiwan made one I have and is sold under the Turn Pro name through Enco and sold under the Birmingham name by machinetoolonline,
http://www.combitech.com.tw/luxmatter/lux1340g.htm

http://www.machinetoolonline.com/Birminghamlux1340.html

I'm not sure where the new Clausings are made but I am pretty sure its Taiwan or Korea,
http://www.clausing-industrial.com/Prod ... r/15gh.htm

This is a Taiwan made lathe,
http://www.acergroup.com/laths.htm

And if I get a new BP size milling machine it will be from the same company as it has electronic variable speed built into it,
http://www.acergroup.com/em-3vs.htm

Here's more,

http://www.summitmt.com/products/14series.shtml

http://www.emachinetool.com/new/catalog ... ductID=892

There are many very high quality Asian import lathes out there, unfortunately the only import lathes we seem to here about are from Grizzly or Harbor Freight.

Now here is the problem with most of those lathes, they are very expensive. For the cost of most of those lathes with the options you would want, such as a taper attachment and DRO, it would be about the same price as a new Haas TL-1. The Haas would give you the ability to turn radii and tapers, without the need for additional accessories like a taper attachment or radius cutter and it has a built in DRO. It also doesn't care if you want to use it in metric or inch machining, where most lathes will only do one or the other well. The Haas is also single phase so the electrical hook up is very simple, no need for an additional converter or transformer.
You have been to my shop and seen the Haas but you really should come back over and play on it for a couple of hours before making a decision on a lathe. With the Haas you would able to do more than you could on your other lathes and it is just as accurate as a 10EE, so you could sell off your other lathes. The Haas also has a 2.3" spindle bore where a 10EE or Hardinge is going to be much smaller.

The local guy to call for used machinery is Brian Dennis at Capital Equipment in Puyallup,
http://www.capitalequipmentinc.com/
Mark Hockett
lakeside53
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Post by lakeside53 »

Sell off BOTH my EMCO's???? :shock: :shock:


Thanks Mark.... Damn Haas. Last time I saw yours I couldn't sleep for a week... :cry: I will come over and play...

I think you're right... I'm buried in old iron that needs work, so unless a real nice whatever turns up, maybe I need to think 'haas like'...
Last edited by lakeside53 on Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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GlennW
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Post by GlennW »

Hello Mark,

How is the Turn Pro/Birmingham working out for you?

I briefly looked at them in 14/40 when lathe shopping a couple of years ago and opted for something else.
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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Mark Hockett
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Location: Clinton WA.

Post by Mark Hockett »

Glenn,
The lathe was purchased new in 1996 and has worked very well in a home shop environment when new and now in a job shop for the last four years. The only problem I have had with it was the bolt that holds the driven V belt pulley on loosened up, I just tightened it and all was well. I got the lathe with a DRO when new and added the taper attachment a couple of years later. I ordered the taper attachment directly from the main parts supplier in Southern Ca and bypassed Enco. The parts for this lathe are very reasonably priced and readily available, I think I paid a little over $500 for the taper attachment at the time. I really wanted the American Turnmaster lathe because it has a higher spindle speed, 2500 vs 2000 on the Lux, and a much heavier tail stock, but it was twice the money without the DRO.
Mark Hockett
bollie7
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Post by bollie7 »

Any one have an idea of the price of one of the Haas TL1 machines mentioned? The Haas site doesn't have prices.

bollie7
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Mark Hockett
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Post by Mark Hockett »

Haas is one of the few manufacturers that have their prices listed online. Here is a link to the cost,
http://www.haascnc.com/LATHE_PRICE_TL.a ... eTreePrice

They also have a build a quote page so you can add the options you want,
http://www.haascnc.com/hasslefree_quote ... Model=TL-1

All of the options that are installed by inputing a code are available for 200 hours so you can try them before you buy them, options like rigid tapping, user defined macros and spindle orientation. There are a ton of options but many are not needed for a home shop. One thing to note is drilling is done from the tool post, so there is CNC control during that operation, and the tails stock is mostly used only to turn between centers. So many people might not even need a tail stock, mine has only been used a handful of times. For the prototype or home shop an Aloris tool post is recommended and not the automatic turret. With the Aloris you can program up to 50 tools. In a home shop if you want do a production job and don't have the automatic tool turret a gang tool system works very well,
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gang-tool-adapter-f ... ltDomain_0

If you have never seen a TL-1 in action there is a video on this page just scroll down to the link " View the Toolroom Lathe video "
http://www.haascnc.com/details_LATHE.as ... eTreeModel

One other thing is options like chucks, work lights and tool posts can be purchased at sources like Enco or MSC much cheaper than getting them from Haas. Also when I purchased my lathe from them they gave me a $500 tool allowance for Valenite so that got me started with some nice tool holders and inserts. I think Haas will give that deal to just about anyone who asks for it.
Mark Hockett
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GlennW
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Post by GlennW »

Mark,

Thanks for the report!
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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thedieter
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Post by thedieter »

Haas TL-1 = $25,000

Hardly fits into my concept of a hobby lathe. Seems more like a full production capability. I guess if one's hobby is making set-ups and then watching it run, it would be OK.

Best regards, Jack
bollie7
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Location: NSW Australia

Post by bollie7 »

Mark
thanks for the detailed info. I checked the price link yesterday before I posted, but for me it doesn't show any prices. It just says "contact dealer" I won't do that as I'm not looking at buying one (unless I win the lottery).
That price, (thanks Jack) and I'm assuming its for a basic set up, seems quite reasonable for what you get. Here in Aus its about $50K AUD for a basic, manual Colchester. So If I had the money and was in the market I would be having a serious look at the Haas machine. (too bad the handwheels are the wrong way around for me)
regards
bollie7
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