First Lathe

[Malgera]

Hi,

I've been thinking of getting myself a lathe for a fair while now, and i think my impulse buying condition has got the better of me and i will get one soon.

I have no experiance with lathes, and am not completely sure of what need/want in a lathe.

I want to use it to make parts for little glow engines, steam engines and the like. I was using a drill in a vice and hand files to turn small parts and thought it would be easier with a lathe

I'm thinking of maybe one of these lathes
Lathe 1
Lathe 2

[arose62]

Do a search on here - the AL50G and GA have both been discussed, and a few folk own theme.

I have a C3 lathe from H&F which I bought with my Dad, and I'm having fun with it.

A general hint would be to have the same budget for tools, accessories, etc. as for the lathe.

Look out for the Workshop Series of books - they are aimed at the home machinist.

Also, check to see if a local TAFE runs machining classes.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Big Shed]

I have the Steelmaster lathe, the 920V variable speed model, and am very happy with it.

Love the variable speed (worth the extra) and the camlock on the tailstock, overall finish is very good and so is the backup service.

[Malgera]

Hi,

I think i have decided to get the AL-50,

but i don't know what would be better, the AL-50GA model having a Imperial Leadscrew, or the AL-50GB having a metric Leadscrew...

What would be better on your opinions? I would like to get it in the next few days...

[Retromilling]

Think about what threads you will use the most . For building new stuff you would be better off with metric because the tooling , nuts and bolts etc is cheaper and easier to buy.
If you are going to restore old stuff that uses Imperial threads then it may be worth getting an Imperial lead screw to have the imperial thread dial.

Most people will use metric threads to make new projects where possible for economy . Also working with Metric is very easy once you learn it .
It all comes down to what threads you will cut the most.

[Malgera]

this may seem silly, so its not possible to cut imperial threads with a metric lead screw?

I would have thought you could do both...hmm, I suppose i would probably be cutting metric the most, but occasionally I would come across something in imperial scale.

So I think I will be going for the Metric lead screw model, but what happens when you want/need to cut imperial threads?

[franco]

It is certainly possible to cut metric threads and imperial threads using the same lead screw. For example, I see from the specifications that the AL50GB which you mentioned can cut 11 different metric thread pitches and 27 imperial thread pitches.

When cutting metric threads on a lathe with a metric leadscrew (e.g. AL50GB) you can use the half nuts to engage the leadscrew at the start of the thread, disengage the half nuts at the end of the cut and wind the carriage back to the start of the thread manually without stopping the lathe, then engage the half nuts again for the next cut. When cutting imperial threads with a metric lead screw the half nuts must be left engaged at the end of the cut, and the lathe stopped and reversed until the carriage reaches the start of the thread, then stopped and reversed again for the next cut.

Therefore it is more convenient and usually quicker if cutting mainly metric threads to use a lathe with a with a metric leadscrew. Cutting imperial threads which finish beside a shoulder with the metric leadscrew requires some care, since you cannot disengage the half nuts to stop the carriage, but otherwise there is no problem cutting the imperial threads except the nuisance value of having to stop and reverse the lathe twice for each cut.

The reverse to the above occurs when cutting metric threads with an imperial lead screw, i.e. you can use the half nuts when cutting imperial threads, but they must be left engaged and the lathe reversed between cuts when cutting metric threads.

Frank.