[hndswthtshdws]

I read Mdls as models. He has a "floor" lathe and mill and wants to add bench top models to the arsenal.

I don't understand why. A big machine can do everything a small machine can. Maybe you just need to buy a smaller chuck. Mount it to an arbor and clamp the arbor with your main chuck for your few one-off parts.

If you still want benchtop models you need to answer one very important question right off the bat. Are you willing to completely tune up and rebuild asian machinery or do you want a quality product out of the box?

[Winnfield]

I read Mdls as models. He has a "floor" lathe and mill and wants to add bench top models to the arsenal.

I don't understand why. A big machine can do everything a small machine can. Maybe you just need to buy a smaller chuck. Mount it to an arbor and clamp the arbor with your main chuck for your few one-off parts.

If you still want benchtop models you need to answer one very important question right off the bat. Are you willing to completely tune up and rebuild asian machinery or do you want a quality product out of the box?

Small parts are easier and faster on small machines with higher spindle speeds.

If you need a Taig size lathe, I'd head over to eBay and get an Emco Compact 5 or a Prazi. Those are awesome little machines and you can modify them to suit your needs.

[wizard]

I read Mdls as models. He has a "floor" lathe and mill and wants to add bench top models to the arsenal.

Could be, I was having a very hard time following what was being said in the post.

I don't understand why. A big machine can do everything a small machine can. Maybe you just need to buy a smaller chuck. Mount it to an arbor and clamp the arbor with your main chuck for your few one-off parts.

I'm seeing a lot of posts in this forum where it is apparent that the people reading them expect you to read their minds. It isn't really true that a large machine can do everything a small one can, at least not with the ease that a small machine can. The problem is, without giving us a clue as to what his problem parts are we really can't help him. Think about it are we talking a ten inch bench top lathe or a watchmakers lathe. These are entirely different classes of machines. Or is something in between a better fit we don't know based on the info offered.

If you still want benchtop models you need to answer one very important question right off the bat. Are you willing to completely tune up and rebuild asian machinery or do you want a quality product out of the box?

I'd think it would be better to give us a clue as to why his big machine couldn't handle the work. Was the part to tiny? Spindle speed too slow for the part? Would a machine with a collet closer be a better choice

There are legitimate reasons to want a smaller lathe, but nothing was offered up as an example of what his issue was. By the way there are Asian machines out there that are good quality but they aren't cheap. Here is one company making HLV and other Hardinge knock offs: cyclematic toolroom lathe Precision lathe small lathe ???? ???? ???? ???? ????.