Small yet Robust machine recommendations.

Hello, I am saving for a small mill and lathe. The parts I want to make are @ largest 3" OD - 6061 and some .25"OD X 2" long Stainless turned parts.

The main issue is that i'm signed into a year lease at my next APT. And, it's on the 3rd floor.

I need machines robust enough to attack 3" OD 6061 yet light enough for two strong men to carry them up two flights of stairs.

Also, noise is important, the quieter the better.

I'm also not sure weather to run CNC or Manual. If I can get more beef for less money with manual, I will go that rout to get things started.

I've been looking into Sherlines however their lathe needs an entire riser kit to turn parts 3" OD and it just doesn't feel like it will be robust enough in my opinion.

I want to run small production on some products i've designed and been outsourcing manufacturing on.

Any and all advise welcome. BTW, I posted this on Practical last night and they banned me forever for it. I think because I posted it in the wrong spot. That place is lame.

Thanks for the help!!!!!

I saw you received the customary friendly reception on another forum.You will find this place a lot more amenable to your request.I can't offer any specific advice with your quest,but somebody will doubtless be along soon.

In the class of hobbyist/enthusiast , the short answer is, without seeing drawings, the Sherlines are surprisingly able. The next small step up in quality and rigidity is Taig. For their size and cost Sherline and Taig are good value for money.
The next step up in size is the Chinese Sieg mills and lathes. They are bigger but definitely less accurate than the previous two. You will be told they can be improved with work on your part. this is true, but is a project unto itself, which it sounds like you are not looking for. Take note of their weight, especially in an apartment with people below.

If the above machines are not accurate enough for you then you are looking at the next class of machines, toolroom and watchmakers stuff ( Shaublin and Hardinge) . Multiply Sherline and Taig costs by 10X for used machines.

If you are doing something that other have done before the forums for those niches may have others who have machined them parts before and can advise from experience.

Thanks for the help! I will look into those different classes of machines and compare. Since it is an apartment on the 3rd floor, sherline just might be the only solution for now. Myles.

You shouldn't have any trouble carrying a Taig mill upstairs. It comes apart into 2 pieces, the column and the base, and neither weighs more than 40 lbs. The lathe won't be a problem either. The chucks are about 3/1/2" diameter, so the 3" material isn't a problem once you figure out a way to hold onto it. But the chuck jaws will extend too far out if you simply chuck it up, so you'll either need to make an adapter with a smaller diameter that will screw onto the bigger piece, or strap it down to the mill bed and carve enough off one end to fit it in the jaws with enough room for the rotary table or lathe spindle to turn. Riser blocks are another alternative.

Wow Taig is quite impressive for the price too. And it seems very robust! I'll continue to research. Thanks for the guidance!

Join some groups dedicated to specific machines to see if they can do what you want.

You can check out axyzmachines.com looks like they have a fairly good bench top cnc

We have a new machine that might suit your needs! We will be on kickstarter 1st Nov

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...20-cnc-machine