Subject: New Lathe

From: Tony Midea <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 06:16:54 -0800

Your opinions please:
I have a lathe that I purchased from ENCO 9x20" ( no flames please):-)a 
few years back. Believe it or not it has served me well. It has run well 
with no  problems to speak of my indicating tools even tell me it has 
good accuracy(BTW they are mitutoyo). However sometime in 1997 I would 
like to up grade to a 12-14" swing. I have about $ 2500.00 - 2800.00 to 
spend. I really don't want to go back to Enco. I would probably just keep 
the one I have and save the $$ if that was my only option. I need your 
guys help. Is there a brand that I should look at? I am a hobbiest and 
this lathe will probably  be used on the weekends. I want to make and 
intelligent decision and I have seen many brands discussed on this ng.

OR am I better off to just buy used? Or should I save for another 2 years 
and get in the $4000-5000 range.
The brands of lower end  in most catalogs I see look like the same ones 
enco sells with just different names.

Thanks for all your help.
Tony

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From: "PyroWare" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 09:17:37 -0600

Tony, since you are now an experienced lathe hand, I really think you will
do well shopping for a used Western machine.  It's a lot of fun, and if
you are in it for the fun, not $$, you can take your time.  Who knows, you
might stumble upon a real gem.

Be sure your new lathe accepts 5C collets... there are so many wonderful
tools, jigs, and accessories for 5C collets that I almost hate using a 3
jaw chuck rather than collets.  It's nice being able to slap some stock in
a collet and know it will run darn near dead true.

Watch for 3 vs 1 phase motors.  3 phase tools run sweet with true 3 phase
power, though, and a rotary convertor in your attic might be a nice
investment.  When I want to do some work, I throw a big GE switch box
which starts my phase convertor in my attic and provides juice to a
3-phase "station" of receptacles in my shop.  The only noise is a nice,
smooth hum.  Motors start, stop, and reverse instantly with no start
capacitors or clutches to break or wear out.

Kurt Bjorn

> Tony Midea <[email-masked]> wrote in article
<[email-masked]>...

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From: Paul Pierce <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 19:35:18 -0700

Tony Midea wrote:
> few years back. Believe it or not it has served me well. It has run well.......

Wonderful.

> ...... I really don't want to go back to Enco. I would probably just keep
> the one I have and save the $$ if that was my only option. ....

Why not?  

It is very Interesting.  Like day and night.  
Must be something you are not saying to us.

I cannot give much of an opinion.  I looked at the 9" Enco but opted for
a 
12X36 gearhead Enco and have been happy.  I can only compare with my 
former 10" Logan that came out of a WW2 plant.  Apparently the former 
operator liked to run the chuck into the compound.  The only other lathe
I
had used was a 13" SB in shop class.  That sort of sold me on the 12"
rather than a 9".

I made a collet adapter and bought a 3", 4-jaw, 5C mounting Sherline
chuck 
for small stuff.  Got a partial set of collets at a sale.

-- 
Paul in AJ AZ  NRA Endowment Member

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