Thread: Lathe accessorys?

Hello everyone

OK so I'm thinking about getting a lathe....
Nothing special just a harbor freight 10 in X 18 in

I'm just going to be using it for little stuff and I don't want to spend to much until i know if I like using a lathe or not...

I have used lathes before but never a small one like this...

Now the real question is ....
What type of chuck.....
What tools....

Like I mentioned .... I don't need top of the line stuff but was wondering if anyone has any cheaper solutions and maby anything you think I should stay away from

Other than HF tools in general...lol

I've been drooling over the thought of having a small lathe ever since I quit working as a gunsmith some 32+ years ago.

HF lathes, like most of the low cost small lathes from the far east, should be thought of as temporarly assembled kits, to be taken apart, cleaned up, fitted, re-lubed, adjusted and reassembled.

As for accessories, once you have the basics like a face plate w/dogs, live center, drill chuck for the tail stock and a 3 jaw self centering/4 jaw adustable chuck, you have most of what you need. There are loads of other things that might be great or neccessary like collets and such, but only if you really really need them!

My money would go into HSS cutting tools, a grinder with the proper white wheel for grinding HSS, a diamond file or two to finish hone the cutters you make and leave the high cost carbide cutters alone. Carbide is great, but those little lathes cannot take advantage of them... but hey, I've not worked in a machine shop for many years... I'm sure things have changed, but personally, I would stick with HSS and teach myself how to grind cutters on a 6" or 8" 2 wheel grinder WITH the proper white wheel for HSS. Don't even try using the bog standard grey wheels that come with most grinders.

A fancy toolpost is pretty common, but I lived with the standard 4 sided tool holder and just used tool steel blanks and shims to set the tool height... It works just fine.

If you have used larger, quality lathes before... remember, you can always turn small jobs on larger lathes, but never larger than the maximum capacity.

Anything else.... buy it if you can't borrow it or you know you are going to need it time and time again.

Finally, remember, the cheapest way to buy tools, or razors, or hones, is to buy your last one first! ADAMHIKT


Regards

Christian

I believe you meant the Wood Lathe:
5-speed-bench-top-wood-lathe

A good wood turning chuck and live center:
wood-turning/lathe-chucks
and some decent High Speed steel turning tools

~Richard

Honestly I would look on Craigslist first

You can get a way better lather for way less money and often get many accessories tossed in

I scored an older Craftsman with tons of tools and accessories for $100 and there were several others in ther at the time



Just a thought

Yah I looked on Craigslist but no such luck....and I'll keep checking but I'm in the middle of nowhere iowa lol

The 10" x 18" description threw me off.... local slang refers to wood lathes in this size as woodturning Mini Lathes. Inch x Inch around here is typically used for metalturning lathes... Sorry!

I agree on going the used market... even if you have to drive a ways to pick one up. If you're not looking to turn hugh bowls, the mini lathes are quite adequate, even the HF one, I would think.

I have two Nova Chucks for my lathe and I'm happy with them. Oneway make some nice stuff, but I found it expensive and went with Nova chucks and a Nova lathe (not the DVR) instead.

As Richard said, a basic set of HSS chisels and a grinder with a white wheel to sharpen should be good. A new or used lathe should come with a face plate and a live center, and a used lathe might even have the drill chuck for the tailstock, not to mention the turning chisels are often thrown in too.

Sorry for my going off in the wrong direction....

Regards

Kaptain "I appear to be tangentally challenged" Zero

Come to Calif with a lift gate truck and some strong friends,am selling all my lathes
You will never be able to do any gunsmithing work with a HF lathe.