Ian
Notorious member
It's a toy, but it will have to do for now.
Ordered a Grizzly 7x14 benchtop mini-lathe today, WOOHOO! http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-X...765?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
I know it's small, has plastic change gears that are a really pain to set up, and has a small spindle bore, but I studied all the minis up to 10x22 and all of them above this one had one thing or another about them that was a show-stopper for my purposes. The final straw was this one has the largest steady rest at 2" capacity (makes no sense that the others were 1.25" and 1.75") and the fact that the carriage and spindle are both powered both directions and with a non-threaded spindle I can cut LH or RH threads away from the chuck, a method that has always made the most sense to me. The cross slide and compound are nicer and have more travel than some of the larger mini-lathes and the tailstock has a cam lock (great when you're drilling holes) and is much bigger and more stiff than even the 10x22.
I picked up a few accessories too, still need a Jacobs chuck for the tailstock, 4-jaw chuck, face plate clamps, dogs, and some carbide insert threading tools...and a QCTP with boring bar, tool holder, and cut off tool holder, but I'm going to get it set up, cleaned up, lubricated, adjusted, bearings run in etc. before getting crazy with accessory purchases.
Oh, and Brad, I got to waive the liftgate fee....because BOBCAT w/fork plate attachment
Ordered a Grizzly 7x14 benchtop mini-lathe today, WOOHOO! http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-X...765?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
I know it's small, has plastic change gears that are a really pain to set up, and has a small spindle bore, but I studied all the minis up to 10x22 and all of them above this one had one thing or another about them that was a show-stopper for my purposes. The final straw was this one has the largest steady rest at 2" capacity (makes no sense that the others were 1.25" and 1.75") and the fact that the carriage and spindle are both powered both directions and with a non-threaded spindle I can cut LH or RH threads away from the chuck, a method that has always made the most sense to me. The cross slide and compound are nicer and have more travel than some of the larger mini-lathes and the tailstock has a cam lock (great when you're drilling holes) and is much bigger and more stiff than even the 10x22.
I picked up a few accessories too, still need a Jacobs chuck for the tailstock, 4-jaw chuck, face plate clamps, dogs, and some carbide insert threading tools...and a QCTP with boring bar, tool holder, and cut off tool holder, but I'm going to get it set up, cleaned up, lubricated, adjusted, bearings run in etc. before getting crazy with accessory purchases.
Oh, and Brad, I got to waive the liftgate fee....because BOBCAT w/fork plate attachment