Do I need a lathe?

krazykongo · 03-01-2008

Hi everybody

I joined this forum today and this is my first post.

The reason I am here is that Im looking to buy a lathe to be able to do some projects with my hobby. My hobby is yoyoing and i guess youd be thinking what id need a lathe for. Well, id need a lathe to modify yoyos to make them play differently or just for aesthetics. Here are some pics of modification other people have done:

this is what a typical yoyo's guts would look like

these are the types of mods that can be done

you can see the recessed ring grooves that have been machined

and here is another mod that chops down the width of the yoyo

original

modified (chopped)

Ok, after looking at those photos, would anyboddy be able to help me in finding a suitable lathe.

The yoyos are typically made of aluminium, some are plastic, some are titanium (although very very rare).

They vary in size but wouldnt surpass 70mm x 70mm x 70mm.

I wouldnt want to spend the least possible. Ive seen some mini metal lathes ranging from £160 to £300 and this would be acceptable but i would rather spend less than more.

How accurate would these lathes be? Would i be able to do two identical mods to each half of the yoyo?

What other stuff would i need to buy besides the lathe and cutting tools?

Any help would be much appreciated.

thanks
Kong

**Bunkerbarge** · 03-01-2008

Hi Kong and a warm welcome to the forum.

Lathes have been talked about a few times on here so I would start by putting lathe into the search box and reading through the past threads.

As for what you need, my own is a Chester machine, as per this link, http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm but the particular lathe is sold through about 5-6 differrent outlets in the UK with differrent paint jobs and accessories. Some are slightly cheaper at different times but usually it depends on the accesories you want with it. Have a look at Warco and Machine Mart as other suppliers of the same machine.

As for capabilities this particular lathe will do exactly what you want of it exept for maybe cutting titanium. You might need to get hold of some special tool bits for that material but for hard plastics and aluminium you should be OK.

Check these sites out as well:

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe...x12/update.htm

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...s/brand/clarke

http://www.7xlathes.com/7x-tooling.htm

**GEEDUBBYA** · 03-01-2008

Howdy Kong,

Well, I have been a machinist all my adult life and had 2 grandfathers and 3 uncles who were also machinists so i have been around machiningequipment for all of my life and in answer to your question, I would say "YES" you do need a lathe.
Now, for your next question...a cheap inexpensive lathe. My first thought was to look on Ebay (however i am in the United States and the shipping might be abit much for you if you are in the UK, however, here is the link to the results I got while looking for "mini lathe" under the "all categories" in ebay:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...ATHE&category0=

I know there is a UK Ebay and that might be a route to look into.
Personally all my experience has been with large industrial type lathes, milling machines etc.. so i cant really tell you what type of mini lathe would be good...simply cause i have no experience with the smaller ones.
My only advice would be get one that can be used for many things, I know that there are many times i have used lathes for repairing things in and around the house. And if you are mechanically inclined, machining is a useful and marketable skill, meaning that you could possibly even make some money with whatever you invest in through oddjobs for other people or through manufacturing of "custom yo-yo's" in your case.
Just remember, you get what you pay for. And even though this will be primarily for your own enjoyment, there are ways to get returns on your investment.
As for tooling, the required bits would be determined by what material you are machining. And i would look to industrial supply companies for reccomendations on the tooling to suit your specific needs, again, you get what you pay for and cutting bits can be expensive.
And as always, take all safety precautions when working with any power equipment, I have seen guys i work with hurt pretty bad by lathes, milling machines drill presses etc. Remember: no loose clothes, no rings or jewelry, wear safety glasses/goggles, always be sure the material being cut is secured in the head of the lathe etc. And never...never ever....leave the lathe head "chuck wrench" in the chuck. Inadvertantly turning on the lathe with the wrench in the chuck head will send the wrench flying at incredible speeds and it will break things...you included lol.

Have a good day,

Greg aka GEEDUBBYA (GW)

alan2525 · 03-01-2008

Firstly YES you do need a lathe, making swarf is very rewarding - bear in mind when purchasing a Lathe the cost of all the additional items and tools required, micrometers, vernier gauges, lathe tooling, additional chucks, quick change tool posts, bench grinder for making lathe tools...etc etc...

I purchased a little Taig Lathe from Peatol (http://peatol.com/), it's a very small lathe but for small precise work it's absolutely ideal. I'm currently making a sturdy hardwood draw unit for mounting it on. The above link that Bunker gave to the chinese import 7 x 12 type of lathe will be ideal to for modifying yoyo's!

krazykongo · 03-01-2008

thanks for the prompt replies guys!

ive had a little read around and had a look for some mini lathes. here are a few i found:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...17&src=froogle

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...sfile=1&jump=0

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/cobra_lathe.htm

http://www.osbornsmodels.com/830-00-...n-1-3429-p.asp

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/en-gb/dept_251.html

any opinions on the above and recommendations are welcome.

i would prefer to invest a bit more money on something that will last longer, better build quality, increased applications and increased tooling compatibility. although, i would be looking to spend no more than £300.

how much floorspace would you need to setup the work area for a mini lathe?

**Bunkerbarge** · 03-01-2008

For what you want to do and within the budget you have set the Chinese lathe of the 7x12 size will be about what you are after.

This can be mounted on a workbench and will need very little room around it. You will need somewhere to store your tools and materials and maybe one or two accessories but you don't need a lot of space. Here's a shot of my own set up with a Chester 7x12 Conquest lathe.

All the above links are to manufacturers that do the same lathe and being Chinese requires a bit of thought. I would strongly recommend that you strip it down to it's very basic components first, clean up all the bits, thoroughly grease the metal work and gears and reassemble, carefully adjusting all the various tolerances and clearances. If you do this the lathe will last you a long time. If you don't it will probably become unreliable and inacurate. These lathes are ssupposed to be ready from the crate but invariably they are not set up very carefully and quite often not very well lubricated.

jspitza · 03-01-2008

Cool pic, Bunkerbarge. We should start a thread for studio-workspace pics

**Bunkerbarge** · 03-01-2008

jspitza have a look at this thread!

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4771&highlight=workbench+competit ion%23

**Bluewavestudios** · 03-01-2008

Richard,

I can only agree with Jspitza,

Love your workbench !! have a had a browse on that link too, somehow I missed that one originally but yours looks the be the sort of place I would be most comfy in and at home doing my hobby !! A real credit to you !!

Regards......Mark

kevingambrell · 04-01-2008

HI
On the point of small machines give some thought to a second hand Myford ML7. Cost wise i picked my second one up for around 800 GBP. The big advantage in my eyes is the quality of build and the fact that should you wish to sell the Myford on a few years down the line you wont loose much if any money.

Part of your question was about achieving the same accuracy on both halfs of the yoyo. Well thats down to you and not the machine. THe machine should be able to work to a half thou (.0005 of an inch) in the size of machine your looking at. Its up to you to keep both halfs of the job the same. Just look at he machine and make sure your not going to be chasing backlash on the dials.

Cheers Kevin