Metal Lathe… How to get and start using?
I'm an electrical engineering major that wants to learn how to work with metal because it will be useful to make enclosures and misc other stuff for projects.
What do I look for when buying a small metal lathe to learn on?
Is something like the below amazon item ok to learn on?
http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-G8688-12-22-Metal-Lathe/dp/B0000DCZ7D/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1270439257&sr=8-5
i checked out the link and from what the customer review said, looks like customer support from gizzley is good. that’s the first thing i’d look for
You can take a class , a basic machine shop class will get you familiar or just read some old books on them then play with it . you can cut wood with it the cutting bits may be slightly different but the metal bits will cut just fine for learning and besides the wood is much cheaper to scrounge or buy
You need a break & shear to make enclosures.
As for as a lathe, you need size diameter and lenght of the metal you would be turning, would you be turning threads, and the type of chuck tou need(3 jaw , 4 jaw, or collet).
Grizzly is good, but if you want a bigger lathe, look for good use equipment.
Interesting
A metal lathe is a remarkable piece of equipment and with various attachments a person can make just about anything they can think of. I like the lathe you put up as an example because it allows you to cut threads, something a lot of the so called desktop lathes aren’t equipped to do. Before you commit to this one check HarborFreight.com and Northerntool.com to see if the prices are competitive. I’m kind of a lathe fanatic myself starting with my senior year in high school 41 years ago. It’s one machine that you can always learn something new on and they are just plain fun to work with.