[MFchief]

Got an email today, the new 8L lathe is for sale now. Base p[rice $6500 with packages going to $10000.

Terry

[Spinnetti]

That one caught me by surprise. Looks nice, but suspiciously like some of the existing chinese stuff. Couldn't quite bring myself to spend on the bigger one for the limited needs I have, but this might be just the ticket if the details are good.

There are NO pictures of the construction and details of this thing. Are there any out there? Looks like its NOT purpose designed like the bigger one, but just a mini-lathe in an enclosure?

I don't see a collet closer or bar puller even as options - critical for actually making a bunch of little parts.

[soofle616]

The price and size of this thing definitely have my mind going. Problem is getting past the idea of a rapid turn in my mill though. Most of the same capabilities, much less money, way less space to store it when not in use. If I were in the market for a proper lathe though, the 8l would definitely win over the 15.

[MFchief]

I saw somewhere on the website that they have an automatic 5C collet closer "coming soon".

I like a lot of thing about it, but the max work length seems awfully short, even for a mini lathe. I suppose most CNC lathe work isn't done on long shafts and such, but I wish they had pushed it out to 20" or so.

Terry

[shred]

I saw somewhere on the website that they have an automatic 5C collet closer "coming soon".

I like a lot of thing about it, but the max work length seems awfully short, even for a mini lathe. I suppose most CNC lathe work isn't done on long shafts and such, but I wish they had pushed it out to 20" or so.

Terry

It has about the same length the SL15 has, although I agree for a toolpost lathe that's aimed at hobby work, some more length would be nice.

Adding a 5C air-closer is calling up Dunham and figuring out how to bolt it to the back of the spindle.. The air-closer code is already in PP for the SL15. Without a bar puller, all it does is speed up manual stock changes which might not be all that important to many customers..

[soofle616]

It has about the same length the SL15 has, although I agree for a toolpost lathe that's aimed at hobby work, some more length would be nice.

Adding a 5C air-closer is calling up Dunham and figuring out how to bolt it to the back of the spindle.. The air-closer code is already in PP for the SL15. Without a bar puller, all it does is speed up manual stock changes which might not be all that important to many customers..

I'm no lathe guy, but I've seen a bar puller made from nothing more than a toolholder and a piece of appropriately shaped material. The arrangement requires that a small groove be cut in the stock after parting off the last piece. The "puller" then hooks into the groove and pulls the material to advance it. It's not terribly precise but following the pulling with a facing operation to clean off the groove gives you a precise 0 to start the next cycle.

[shred]

I'm no lathe guy, but I've seen a bar puller made from nothing more than a toolholder and a piece of appropriately shaped material. The arrangement requires that a small groove be cut in the stock after parting off the last piece. The "puller" then hooks into the groove and pulls the material to advance it. It's not terribly precise but following the pulling with a facing operation to clean off the groove gives you a precise 0 to start the next cycle.

Yeah, there's lots of ways to pull stock, but with the 8N, unless you make up a gang tool block, you'd have to remove the tool in the toolpost to install the puller, do the pull, remove the puller, install the tool for the first op into the toolpost and then start.

Somebody will do that work no doubt, but a lot of the customers are just going to drive the first tool to Z-zero and pull the stock up to it manually or use one of the sliding-gauge things.

I see most people using this mostly for one-offs and small batches where changing tools and resetting stock isn't a big deal.

[MichaelHenry]

It has a 1-1/2 HP motor, which substantially more than the mini-lathes that I've seen.