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Guys can anyone point me in the right direction as my 14 year old wants a lathe, he is the army cadets and wants to be an engineer .
He is just learning how to weld ( arc ) and is mad keen on making stuff
I have had a look at the Chinese imports but i am not real keen on the quality.
My question is are these things ok i should i spend the extra on a 2nd hand Hercus?
Thanks.
I'm glad my first lathe was a cheap new Asian, because I made learner's mistakes and a couple of crashes on it. I'd have hated to do it to a nice Hercus. It wasn't too bad a lathe, anyway.
Jordan
I have a friend who is a engineer and has been his whole life. He bought a Grizzly (Tiawan made) small lathe and calls it a Cadillac compared to others he has used over many year.
I know Grizzly isn't available in Oz but the same/similar model should be. BTW, Cadillac is America's top luxury car.
I would highly recommend a lathe, small enough not to cause too much personal harm when abused. Something like an used EMCO Unimat (it is only about 10kg without accessories). There is also a Taiwanese copy of the Unimat.
Once your 14 Y.O. got the feel for turning and wants to upgrade, you can always sell such small lathe without loosing too much, if well looked after often without loosing anything at all.
If you feel that is too small a lathe to start out with, have a good look at the Chinese SIEG minilathe Microlathe C1 or the Minilathe C3. But if you go any larger, I would personally be worried about the safety of an unsupervised 14YO, but it depends on your particular circumstances.
You can see pics and weight/sizes and indicative prices here:
www.minitech.com.au, look at products - lathers.
You can find the machines cheaper on eBay, but remember some basic tooling can quickly double the machine price. Chris
At 14 I spent a lot of time on the lathes at school and once shown how to use them properly never had any safty issues. Kids learn fast if instruced properly. I have an MC1100 that I bought new ex showroom stock. It does a lot of work as just another tool in my furniture business. Its not too powerful but can still handle some larger pieces. Paid $250, bargan.
I think he's talking about a metal lathe, not a wood lathe CH. Wood lathes are generally a lot simpler and hence harder to make a damaging mistake on (a damaging mistake to the lathe that is).
Of course I'm biased, however I strongly recommend your son acquire a Hercus 9" AR lathe. Why?
Although not of modern design, the design is time tested with thousands made right here in Australia.
Many thousand more were manufactured under the Southbend name. New parts are not readily available, but are procurable if you ask around, this Forum for example. There's every chance you won't need spare parts anyway.
The quality is first class, especially in the machined surfaces. The castings are a little rough, but that's only cosmetic and can be enhanced with a little filler and new paint. Hate to think what's under castings from China.
Buying a used Hercus and "doing it up" if it needs it, will give your son a project he will remember for life, and give him the perfect opportunity to fully understand how lathes work. It's a good size and was used exclusively in Tech schools many years ago.
Bitza500, on this Forum, is a good source to start with for a lathe, or I can help out, with many other members, on the technical stuff.
Good luck,
Ken
I beg your pardon, didn't read the fine print but it was the same in metalwork at school, many an enjoyable hour on the metal lathe, again all in the instruction. It does depend somewhat on the skills of the individual. Some have it some don't old or young:U
Thanks for the feedback....
He has said he wants a Hercus but i will keep an eye on the 2nd hand Microlathe,s as well.
Hopefully i will be able to pick something up with tools.
If he looses interest it will stay in my shed for me to play with.:)
A Hercus is good lathe. I have had mine for around 30 years. My son was using long before he was 14!
However, there is something else to consider, a small lathe is portable and can be used on a kitchen table - not so easy with a Hercus.
When he leaves home he will find it difficult to take a Hercus with him.
There is currently a very good deal on offer from Taig Australia Taig Micro Lathe Package Kit [1019] - $329.00 : Taig Australia, Lathes, Milling Machines and Accessories
You don't say what he hopes to make with a lathe but that will also be a factor.
Cheers,
Findlay.