Subject: Re: Central Machinery Mini-Lathe

From: "j.battista" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 1996 11:18:28 -0400

If its the 7x10 i bought one about 6 months ago on sale for 499.
I sent it back because with a live center in the tailstock it looked
like you could only turn about stock about 6 inches long and i
thought that would be too limiting. with a dead center it may be 7x71/2
but i could not see any way you could turn somting 10 inches long.

joe

---

From: "Kay R. Fisher" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 1996 10:40:36 -0400

...
> Harbor Freight tools sells alot of machines made by Central Machinery. I
> think it is a Chinese company.
> In particular, I was interested in the mini-lathe they have for $750.
> 
> I have never used a lathe before, so I wanted to know if this is a
> decent machine to start out with.
> 
> I'm mainly interested in using the lathe to make knurled screws and
> nuts. I collect old telegraph equipment, and items I find are frequently
> missing these parts.
> 
> The lathe must be pretty popular, as it is currently on back-order.
> 
> Any info would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks

I don't know about Central Machinery but I have a 7x10 Mini-lathe that
Harbor Freight and ENCO sell.  ENCO's price is $939.00 and Harbor Freights
price is $489.99  As far as I can tell they are exactly the same.
Mine is for sale for $400.00 but I'm in Massachusetts and really don't
want to ship it.

I think it would be very good for making knurled screws and nuts because
even tho small it is good and solid (all steel not aluminum like a sherline)
and the variable speed DC motor can slow up nicely for screw cutting.
Of course if you were going to truly spend a lot of time making screws
of various pitch then you would want a lathe with a quick change gear box
but we're also talking more money here.

Bye
Kay R. Fisher

---

From: Gordon French <[email-masked]>
Date: 6 Jun 1996 20:48:25 GMT

I use this little lathe for steam fitings, for which it seems ideally 
suited.  Another friend has one and can't get the tailstock to line up 
with the headstock.  Yet another friend has one and he likes his too.  
The biggest single disadvantage that I see is that when doing interruped 
cuts, the electronic control begins to hunt.  While non-destructive, it 
it very disconcerting.