Is this lathe a good fit for a cnc retro?
I really like a lot of the features of the lathe, but it's a little more than I was looking to spend. But, I don't want to grow out of this lathe anytime soon.
Is there a better lathe with similar features that won't hit my wallet as hard? Not opposed to old iron, but buying another person's problems scares me.
I was looking for the G0602 and G9249. HF also has similar lathes, that I could get delivered to their store with the possible 20% coupon. So HF might be a good option also. However, my experience is that the HF lathes need a little more love than Grizzly.
Obviously, I'm comparing apples to oranges to kumquats.
Ideally, I'd like to get lathe that will be moderately easy to cnc. I would like spindle through-hole better than an inch. Ideally, 1.5-2 inches.
Most work won't be in that size, but I will be looking at doing some barrel work etc. In truth, most work will be a lot smaller. In the range of .125"-.75" diameter, I will probably buy a 5c chuck to make life easier in that regards. I don't believe that I will be doing a lot of automated production work, so I don't think that I will need a bar feeder type setup.
i.e. I can take the time to dial in the 4jaw for spot on, if i need to.
Does anyone have any experience in what the run-out/accuracy will be on this lathe? I'm hoping that it's larger size and mass will make for a solid platform. But, I might also be trying to kill a gnat with a sledge hammer.
I'd like a variable speed, but I don't believe that is a requirement with cnc. I'm just not looking forward to changing belts etc.
I'd like to keep with a 110/220 single phase type motor. I don't want to deal with a phase converter etc. But if the another lathe is a good fit, I may swallow my discomforts.
Size isn't a huge constraint. The garage is full, but I'm planning on a larger shop next year. In the mean time, I guess I can stack more stuff on top of more stuff.
I will probably drive up to grizzly and put my hands on the lathes.
I'm sure I have other comments, I'd just like to get a little more feed back. I've never owned a machine if this size before. I currently have a mini-mill, x3, minilathe7x12 and an old craftsman 10x36 that has seen better days. I'm looking for something with a little better fit/finish that doesn't take all day to whittle down the part.
((Picked the craftsman for free, up in hopes of using it for a cnc platform. It's missing a lot of parts and I need a lathe to fix the lathe.... The Irony.))
Thanks,