Thread: Metal lathe.

Originally Posted by Dave J

With saying about out growing it and upgrading I totally agree, this is why I try to steer people strait to something like a AL336 size lathe. I stepped up from a Hercus and have had mine (Toolex brand) for 10 years and it's done everything a normal home shop would need in my opinion. I know you where short on space, but if you have the room nobody will look back with the slightly bigger lathe.
It's just seems a waist of money to buy a $2200 lathe (plus a $200 chuck on top) then to sell it at a loss latter to buy a $3000 lathe. It saves a lot of money just to buy the little bigger lathe to start with and you get all the extra features like you stated with the camlock spindle etc.

Dave

one of the advantages of the AL250g to my mind is that it was a lot more affordable for a teenager to buy than the AL336. However, it has one advantage over the AL320G that I bought and that is it supports 16 mm tooling like the AL336 whereas the AL320g uses 12mm tooling. The AL320G is certainly beefy enough to use 16mm tooling but I think you would need to shave a bit off the bottom of the tool post to get down to centre height.

i do agree though. The AL336 is really where one should start and the reason why I settled on the AL320G was I could not fit the AL336 into my shed. Having said that, the AL320g is an affordable compromise. It has a 38mm spindle like the AL336 and cuts imperial threads but you have to muck about with change wheels to thread which you don't have to do on the 250G. I make some really simple parts all of the time and production time is 50% faster than on my previous lathe. It also comes with a 4 jaw chuck which helps to close the gap on price. I will say as a newcomer and self taught, with the bigger lathe, I am much more conscious of how much damage it could do to me so I am very slow and deliberate with my movements for safety.

Any opinions expressed here are personal and based on member's experience, but we all have 'different' experiences, many with the same machines. Most here will defend or criticise choices such as geared heads or belt drives, camlock or threaded spindles, quick change boxes or separate gears, large or small, Chinese or other with great fervour, no one item is better than the other - it’s all a matter of personal choice. Personally I like belts, threaded spindles and Q/C gearboxes, but I’m not saying my choices are the best, they simply suit my needs (now). Whatever lathe you decide on, it is a learning tool and will help you decide what will best suit your requirements in the future. Hopefully your first lathe will be your last, but I doubt it, most here have owned more than one.

Okay, I have narrowed it down to two lathes, the SC3 and the AL-320g. The majore ishews I have with the SC3 is the fact I don't like cheap china (not dissing china just for this sort of thing) electronics in these sorts of things and I don't like the fact that you will not be able to take as much off, any opinions on this? Also (I need to look into this more) I will need an engine crane to move a bigger lathe, how much of a pain is this? I am leaning too the bigger lathe and I know I will never grow out of it (if I do I will need a much bigger shed).

Read this; https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/al...ghlight=al320g There are other related threads on this forum, type al320g into the search facility.
I have an AL320G and have ongoing related problems with the starter capacitor. It is a heavy lathe and each time I need to work on the electrics I have to support a beam in the rafters and lift the lathe with a block and tackle off it with my wife standing by with a dolly to slip under it so I can move the blasted thing to get at the motor. Putting it back is a reverse of the procedure. Not happy Hafco.

I had an AL320G and had no problems with it apart from a leaking gasket under the gearbox top cover (which was replaced on-site under warranty). I ran 16mm tooling with no problems and had no issues with the motor.

Having said that, this is a budget lathe as is any lathe in this price range, so you need to insist on inspecting the lathe prior to taking delivery and don't expect perfection, but it should be a good workable lathe.

There are a lot of 320G owners out there so you should be able to get plenty of help if you do run into problems.

Originally Posted by Alaks McGREGORE

I am leaning too the bigger lathe and I know I will never grow out of it (if I do I will need a much bigger shed).

Dude, at 13 you should expect and hope to grow out of things. I would be looking for something that suits your needs now and for the next 2 or 3 years, rather than trying to buy a lathe for life. You can't possibly do that with zero experience. Machines are like women - you need to try a few out before you know which one to keep. (Am I allowed to say that in 2013?)

[QUOTE=Bryan;1659670Machines are like women - you need to try a few out before you know which one to keep. (Am I allowed to say that in 2013?) [/QUOTE]
Lol, got a kick out of that. And it is probably just fine to say as long as it's not to wife or girlfriend, you only ever make that mistake once, lol.

Originally Posted by Bryan

Machines are like women - you need to try a few out before you know which one to keep. (Am I allowed to say that in 2013?)

Hmmmm. Scratches head. Wonder if there's a reason I have 4 lathes, then?

Anyway the belt vs gear head is not worth spending a lot of time on. GH is definitely better as long as it's built properly & robust. Not convinced the cheaper Chinese lathes are, personally. Power cross feed as well as long feed, definitely. Bigger spindle bore, definitely a plus.

As for 12mm vs 16mm tooling, who cares. I use 12mm tooling quite happily on my Chipmaster and I can't say I've ever found it to be an issue.

The Hafco lathes are probably ok if, as already stated, inspected for defects early.

PDW

Originally Posted by PDW

Hmmmm. Scratches head. Wonder if there's a reason I have 4 lathes, then?

Anyway the belt vs gear head is not worth spending a lot of time on. GH is definitely better as long as it's built properly & robust. Not convinced the cheaper Chinese lathes are, personally. Power cross feed as well as long feed, definitely. Bigger spindle bore, definitely a plus.

As for 12mm vs 16mm tooling, who cares. I use 12mm tooling quite happily on my Chipmaster and I can't say I've ever found it to be an issue.

The Hafco lathes are probably ok if, as already stated, inspected for defects early.

PDW

LoL, lets not start comparing our love lives to our tuning stuff, unless you buy your woman.

The first thing I would do when I get a new lathe would be to whip out the old oil and put in new oil, but since the SC3 that I am also looking at does not need oil (correct me if I am wrong, I am frequently wrong about this stuff) then that takes care of one thing but you would need to do other things as well and I would not mined doing that. (love mechanics)
Is there a thread about what to do as soon as you get a metal lathe here? Like a start to finish guide?

I have 2 metal lathes and married my high school sweetheart.....oops.

There is a thread by steamwhisperer called "should have known" or something to that effect. On phone so no link sorry.

Cheers,
Ew

Can’t decide between an AL-320 and an SC3, doesn’t anybody else think this is a little strange. A lathe with a 3” chuck or a lathe with a 6” chuck, a lathe with a 180mm SOB or 320mm SOB - 44kgs or 280kgs. I’m a little suspicious.

Originally Posted by th62

Can’t decide between an AL-320 and an SC3, doesn’t anybody else think this is a little strange. A lathe with a 3” chuck or a lathe with a 6” chuck, a lathe with a 180mm SOB or 320mm SOB - 44kgs or 280kgs. I’m a little suspicious.

Yes, doesn't seem to Add up, does it ??

Originally Posted by th62

Can’t decide between an AL-320 and an SC3, doesn’t anybody else think this is a little strange.

The kids 13 years old. Cut him some slack.

Phil.

Yes Auskart, you heard him, cut the kid some slack. He's only 13?