SE WI | hf213 - 3/8/2013 20:10
check out "tubalcain" on youtube..I think he is a retired shop teacher, he really has some great videos, and seems to be a pretty sharp cookie ! he has a LOT of basic and useful methods.
I am in a machining class right now at the local tech college. Our teacher shows us a Tubalcain video for just about anything we learn. Hmm...why did I pay $450 when Tubalcain is free and he does the teaching at my school???
As for advice on buying used, I think you have that covered. You can see wear on the beds on the really worn out models. The other way is to put the head in the most traveled area and try an lift it up and down. As for lead screws, they will always show some movement. We have a brand new Bridgeport and you can move the bed by hand a couple thousand. We have Nardini and one other brand lathes at school and you can feel the movement in the lead screws on those. They are pretty worn, but good enough for kids trying to learn on them. I would say once a night somebody crashes into the headstock.
Actually school just scrapped 6 of the lathes. They never even offered them to people that wanted them. They replaced them with a bunch of stupid CNC lathes because "that is the future." I don't see that as true when you are making one of a kind parts in a repair environment.
Edited by sflem849 3/9/2013 07:26
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Metal lathe for beginners
