Mini Lathes and or Mills?

[Mquiroz]

just curious if anybody out there has one they use for their builds and what type it is etc.. I want to get one, but have no clue where to start or what type to purchase. I know they are a good size investment, but if I can do what I want to do with it, it will be worth it. Tired of cleaning up seam lines on simple parts that I could turn on a lathe or mill. Anyway, hope to hear from some of you. Thanks in advance. Matt-

[mike@af]

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=523275

[MPWR]

Mini machine tools can be absolutely terrific for modeling. Startup cost is very expensive (it would be difficult to get a decent mini lathe and mill for under $1000 USD), but their usefulness is limited only by your skill and imagination. Some examples (all in 1/24)-

Scratchbuilt alternator




Intake plenums




Ferrari shifter gate and pedals


Brake rotor and beer can


I highly recommend Sherline tools and accessories, as they are as close to perfect for modeling as anything made. You can get a small Sherline lathe and a vertical milling column that will give you all the utility of a small mini mill in addition to the lathe without having to buy a separate lathe and mill (this is the setup that I have now). There's alot to learn (and as mentioned it's expensive to get started), but it can give a vast new dimension to your modeling.

[gionc]

Don't believe him: Andy could able to do those stuff also with a manual drill

[Mquiroz]

Thanks for the info guys. I have some $$ to play with so we'll see how things go. I'm retired and have a ton of time on my hands, which is nice in regards to my model building hobby. I see these turned shock towers, pulleys etc, and just want to be able to make that stuff myself rather than pay stupid amounts of cash for 3 or 4 of them in a plastic baggie. I have some friends who build armor and I can think of a few things I could turn in regards to that subject. Thanks again for the info. Matt-

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by gionc

Don't believe him: Andy could able to do those stuff also with a manual drill

Nah, I've tried that- it's much harder.

Matt-

If you're looking for a good source of info on beginning mini machining, this book is an excellent resource. (You can get it on amazon too.) Lots of good info and inspiration, and it gives a very realistic understanding of getting into mini (or full scale) machining.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[mikemechanic]

My wife just bought me a Taig lathe for my birthday last month. So far so good. Here is a link http://www.taigtools.com/mlathe.html Great little tool and not alot of money although it does have a few limitations.
I think that what we really need here is a few good tutorials (how-to's) from guys like MPWR and robrex and a few others on making some of the cool stuff they make. I would absolutely love to see some in progress pics of these items on the lathe and mill. Finding sites on the net with pictures of this stuff in action is very hard to come by.

Mike.

[Mquiroz]

I got a copy of the book ordered. Now it is a mater of choosing a machine. Is the extra $$ needed for a mill worth the investment? I'd like to make parts simular to the ones above. Is a mill neccessary for this? I have a ton of stuff I'd like to make for my 1/12 bikes and I'm not sure I'd need a mill or not. Yeah, I'm new to this. The idea about the "how to" article/thread would be killer and I bet there would be alot of interest. Anyway, thanks for all the info tus far. Matt-

[white97ex]

that beer can is too cool

[gionc]

Matt: I done a mistake from my start in machining: (well I'm at start point also now ROFL) I bought a mill some month before the lathe: it was unused, I become to use it after lathe's purchasing...

So no dubt, if you are USA based choose in the Sherline procducts, and you'll be happy soon.

[MPWR]

A mill is definately necessary. Of the parts I show above, only the beer can (and the brass pulley on the alternator) can be made using a lathe alone. The plenums, pedals and shifter gate were made using only a mill, and the alternator and brake rotor required lathe, mill and rotary table. In full size machine shops, the lathe is really considered a supliment to the mill, and is generally used about half as much as the mill. In automotive modeling I use them probably closer to 50/50, but I only rarely make anything on the lathe that doesn't also get milled, too. On the other hand it's not uncommon for me to make something on the mill that doesn't get put on the lathe at all.

I started out opposite from Gio- I got my lathe first. I had it at least a year before I got the accesories to convert it to a mill also. I hardly touched it- there just wasn't that much I could make with it, and I was kicking myself for buying this expensive bench ornament. So I threw some more money at it (about $200-$300 for the milling accesories), and suddenly it was usefull. Only then did machined parts start appearing on my models. Finally last year I got a rotary table, and I use it all now 3x as much as I did before. A lathe, mill and rotary table is a truely potent combination- with them you can make anything (including more lathes, mills and rotary tables).

On Sherline tools it's nice that getting a lathe and some components to convert it to a mill is a real option- it easily saves $500 or so to start with. You can then upgrade to a full mill later if you choose. In making parts for modeling I really haven't had the need to upgrade. A separate mill would save me some time and a little effort, but it would give me almost nothing in additional capabilities (that I would use). There's nothing in 1/24 (or even 1/12) that I haven't been able to do with this setup. I might be hard pressed to build a small working steam engine (which many people do on Sherline and larger tools), but I haven't tried- I've been too busy having fun making really tiny stuff.

As for How-to's, I try sometimes to show some steps in making parts, but it doesn't lend itself well to How-to's; nearly everything I make is different from stuff I've made before, and therefore made in different ways. It's also obnoxiously difficult to photograph. But if you follow my threads (particularly the Mythos), you may learn something. I'll keep trying to include more and more machining steps in my threads.

Originally Posted by white97ex

that beer can is too cool

Cheers!

[p9o1r1sche]

Sherline isnt the only one out there. Try mini-lathe.com and mini-mill.com for lots of info to get started. I have one of these Chinese mini lathes and mini mills.

[Mquiroz]

The info continues to come in and I thank you all for that. I looked at the Sherline goodies last night for a good 2 hours. There is so much to choose from. I think after reading your input on the use of the lathe vs. mill and vice versa, I'm more inclined to go with a combo set up and a rotary table rather than having two seperate tools. I can think of a few items that I would need the lathe for..ie. gun barrels for tanks, tow bars etc. Things are falling together now. Thanks again for all of the help and info guys. Much appreciated. Matt-