Choices in Mini Lathes

[sileighty_guru]

I didn't want to thread jack the one going in the other section!

For a while now I have been looking into a mini lather for a standalone tip station, I know that all the Chinese ones are made in the same plant but what about the Grizzly's? Harbor freight 7x12 is $600 factor in a 20% coupon and its at roughly $500 after tax. Yes I do know that I will need a back support for the joint end on any of these! With Grizzly either a 7x12 or 7x14 there isn't a huge cost increase compared to the harbor freight? Does anyone know if Grizzly's are much better? Anyone have one?

I like the 7x14 Grizzly and thought that I could just get an extra bed to attach in the back and utilize the steady rest or tailstock that is included? But they don't have the beds listed in the parts section as available maybe a Chinese bed will work fine? How are the spindles/chucks on the harbor freights?

Harbor Freight 7x12...$600 - 20% (coupon) $480+Tax ($504)

Grizzly 7x12...$574 Shipped

Grizzly 7x14...$674 Shipped

 

[rhncue]

I didn't want to thread jack the one going in the other section!

For a while now I have been looking into a mini lather for a standalone tip station, I know that all the Chinese ones are made in the same plant but what about the Grizzly's? Harbor freight 7x12 is $600 factor in a 20% coupon and its at roughly $500 after tax. Yes I do know that I will need a back support for the joint end on any of these! With Grizzly either a 7x12 or 7x14 there isn't a huge cost increase compared to the harbor freight? Does anyone know if Grizzly's are much better? Anyone have one?

I like the 7x14 Grizzly and thought that I could just get an extra bed to attach in the back and utilize the steady rest or tailstock that is included? But they don't have the beds listed in the parts section as available maybe a Chinese bed will work fine? How are the spindles/chucks on the harbor freights?

Harbor Freight 7x12...$600 - 20% (coupon) $480+Tax ($504)

Grizzly 7x12...$574 Shipped

Grizzly 7x14...$674 Shipped

I'm pretty sure they are all made in the same plant in China. I've never owned a Grizzly so I can only comment on the differences from their looks. I've got two of the h/f lathes one of which I bought used about 25 years ago and am very happy with their performance. The chucks are very accurate.

I don't see where you could go wrong with any of the above. You can get extra beds or any needed parts or accessories from:

http://littlemachineshop.com/info/minilathe.php

Dick

 

[Newsheriffintwn]

I didn't want to thread jack the one going in the other section!

For a while now I have been looking into a mini lather for a standalone tip station, I know that all the Chinese ones are made in the same plant but what about the Grizzly's? Harbor freight 7x12 is $600 factor in a 20% coupon and its at roughly $500 after tax. Yes I do know that I will need a back support for the joint end on any of these! With Grizzly either a 7x12 or 7x14 there isn't a huge cost increase compared to the harbor freight? Does anyone know if Grizzly's are much better? Anyone have one?

I like the 7x14 Grizzly and thought that I could just get an extra bed to attach in the back and utilize the steady rest or tailstock that is included? But they don't have the beds listed in the parts section as available maybe a Chinese bed will work fine? How are the spindles/chucks on the harbor freights?

Harbor Freight 7x12...$600 - 20% (coupon) $480+Tax ($504)

Grizzly 7x12...$574 Shipped

Grizzly 7x14...$674 Shipped

Go with the Grizzly 0765 (7X14). You will appreciate the couple extra inches of room as well as the lever tailstock. Having to tighten and loosen that nut is a pain on the other tailstocks. I have one and really like it. I use mine for making joints, threading ferrules and a multitude of other things. Before buying mine I did a lot of research (google and youtube). I wanted something that would work for what I needed it for but also you didn't need a cherry picker to move. Any questions PM me

 

[JC]

Too bad there isn't a lathe that size with a larger headstock bore. That would be the nuts for the small cue builder for live threading. Threading wood doesn't require a 40 inch lathe.

JC

 

[William]

I actually have the Grizzly 7 x 12 and felt like it was a little better than the Harbor Freight one. There was something that stood out at the time, but do not remember now. I bought it six months ago and just put it together about a week or two before the expo. I also have a bed extension and I switched it all over to the longer bed. After doing all this, it is not going to work for what I wanted to do with it. I needed to thread it with it and it really does not thread well IMO. I have used it for cleaning shafts and it works well for that.

Grizzly will sell you an extra bed for either one and they were not bad, although the lead time was in the two month period when I called about them. I bought the bed extension from little machine shop and even painted it to match the Grizzly.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-x-12-Mini-Metal-Lathe/G8688?utm_campaign=zPage

\http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5000&category=1687114045

 

[sileighty_guru]

I actually have the Grizzly 7 x 12 and felt like it was a little better than the Harbor Freight one. There was something that stood out at the time, but do not remember now. I bought it six months ago and just put it together about a week or two before the expo. I also have a bed extension and I switched it all over to the longer bed. After doing all this, it is not going to work for what I wanted to do with it. I needed to thread it with it and it really does not thread well IMO. I have used it for cleaning shafts and it works well for that.

Grizzly will sell you an extra bed for either one and they were not bad, although the lead time was in the two month period when I called about them. I bought the bed extension from little machine shop and even painted it to match the Grizzly.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-x-12-Mini-Metal-Lathe/G8688?utm_campaign=zPage

\http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5000&category=1687114045

Thanks everyone! Yes I was looking at that same extension kit from lms, leaning towards the 7x14 and a rear bed.

 

[pdcue]

I actually have the Grizzly 7 x 12 and felt like it was a little better than the Harbor Freight one. There was something that stood out at the time, but do not remember now. I bought it six months ago and just put it together about a week or two before the expo. I also have a bed extension and I switched it all over to the longer bed. After doing all this, it is not going to work for what I wanted to do with it. I needed to thread it with it and it really does not thread well IMO. I have used it for cleaning shafts and it works well for that.

Grizzly will sell you an extra bed for either one and they were not bad, although the lead time was in the two month period when I called about them. I bought the bed extension from little machine shop and even painted it to match the Grizzly.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-x-12-Mini-Metal-Lathe/G8688?utm_campaign=zPage

\http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5000&category=1687114045

The grizzly's green - as the famous rhncue said -
they are made in the same factory.

As for threading - it ain't the lathe - IMHO

Dale

 

[William]

The grizzly's green - as the famous rhncue said -
they are made in the same factory.

As for threading - it ain't the lathe - IMHO

Dale

No your right about the treading part. I had hoped, but it was a long shot.

And I would agree, they are made in the same factory, but that really does not mean much. There are several lathes, cars, etc. made in the same factories, but not to the same requirements or specifications. Grizzly pays for this to be done and holds them to these specs, where Birmingham and some other brands from the same factory, pay for tighter specs and X amount more work and of course different paint.

 

[William]

Thanks everyone! Yes I was looking at that same extension kit from lms, leaning towards the 7x14 and a rear bed.

Well if you decided to try the one I have and want to go cheap, I would make you a great deal on them. Since it did not do what I needed, I am over it.

 

[pdcue]

No your right about the treading part. I had hoped, but it was a long shot.

And I would agree, they are made in the same factory, but that really does not mean much. There are several lathes, cars, etc. made in the same factories, but not to the same requirements or specifications. Grizzly pays for this to be done and holds them to these specs, where Birmingham and some other brands from the same factory, pay for tighter specs and X amount more work and of course different paint.

Not according to the owner of Little Machine Shop.

Dale

 

[pdcue]

No your right about the treading part. I had hoped, but it was a long shot.

And I would agree, they are made in the same factory, but that really does not mean much. There are several lathes, cars, etc. made in the same factories, but not to the same requirements or specifications. Grizzly pays for this to be done and holds them to these specs, where Birmingham and some other brands from the same factory, pay for tighter specs and X amount more work and of course different paint.

To clarify:

If you are encountering problems threading - the problem is not in the lathe.

Dale

 

[William]

Not according to the owner of Little Machine Shop.

Dale

never mind...

 

[William]

To clarify:

If you are encountering problems threading - the problem is not in the lathe.

Dale

never mind..

 

[LGSM3]

To clarify:

If you are encountering problems threading - the problem is not in the lathe.

Dale

lol, so I saw this earlier and had a suspicion you would be back to "clarify"

The problem with your cheap shot is that your challenging someone who knows more about threading wood on a lathe than 99.9999% of people on earth. Someone who holds tolerances far beyond what is considered acceptable in cue making.

Literally lmfao!

 

[pdcue]

lol, so I saw this earlier and had a suspicion you would be back to "clarify"

The problem with your cheap shot is that your challenging someone who knows more about threading wood on a lathe than 99.9999% of people on earth. Someone who holds tolerances far beyond what is considered acceptable in cue making.

Literally lmfao!

Well golly gee - I didn't know he was the wood threading genius of all time, but he didn't say
wood threads - he just said threading, now didn't he?

The little China lathes thread ok.

Someday I will explain to you the folly of obsessing about 4th decimal place precision in WOOD...

and plastic - like everybody who does machine work already understands.

But thanks for taking time out from hanging to stop by.

Dale

 

[LGSM3]

Well golly gee - I didn't know he was the wood threading genius of all time, but he didn't say
wood threads - he just said threading, now didn't he?

The little China lathes thread ok.

Someday I will explain to you the folly of obsessing about 4th decimal place precision in WOOD...

and plastic - like everybody who does machine work already understands.

But thanks for taking time out from hanging to stop by.

Dale

Dale

We're not exactly hanging out on a forum whos users commonly thread inconel so what in the hell would he be talking about? Regardless of the above backpeddling. My point quite simply is that your just an asshole. Your first post made a passive aggressive cheap shot. It obviously went over his head as he's a good dude not expecting cheap shots. When you noticed it went over his head you made a conscious effort to come back and make it more clear. You were looking for shit all along. Now to maintain any sort of argument about your statements, you will have to continue to with more shit. Or you could just say sorry.

 

[sileighty_guru]

Sorry I asked guys!

Once again the main reason I don't ask questions/post my work on here.....

It seems that once a thread gets past post #5 it's fair game and everyone seems to forget what the OP was asking for

For those that offered "input" thank you... it's all I was really asking for was peoples opinions on the 3 lathe options. There should be no wrong answer for opinions, I could care less who is a better threader with what equipment, as I am not going to be doing anything but front end shaft work with it (as stated in the first post).

You can do what ever you want now to the thread blow it up for all I care... I am tired of hoping that my notification of a post is actually about my thread, only to find out it is a bunch of griping and people measuring their whatnot's.

Back into my hole now.

 

[LGSM3]

Sorry I asked guys!

Once again the main reason I don't ask questions/post my work on here.....

It seems that once a thread gets past post #5 it's fair game and everyone seems to forget what the OP was asking for

For those that offered "input" thank you... it's all I was really asking for was peoples opinions on the 3 lathe options. There should be no wrong answer for opinions, I could care less who is a better threader with what equipment, as I am not going to be doing anything but front end shaft work with it (as stated in the first post).

You can do what ever you want now to the thread blow it up for all I care... I am tired of hoping that my notification of a post is actually about my thread, only to find out it is a bunch of griping and people measuring their whatnot's.

Back into my hole now.

well, im certainly sorry too and for you. This thread is a good example of why real/competent cue makers don't frequent or post here. A guy "William" whom has tremendous experience, knowledge and aptitude gives honest answers and cheap shots come flying from a guy who's cue building knowledge consist of what his buddies told him or what he's read on AZ billiards.

 

[Kim Bye]

If you go one step up from the mini lathes, to something like the Grizzly 8x16 or 10x22, you get a more stable lathe and they work fine for threading. I have a Optimum lathe, wich is about the same as the 10x22 from Grizzly and it's very nice for small stuff. I have a QCTP and DRO on it and I have just ordered a 4" 6 jaw chuck for it. I need to make a system for supporting shafts better, but right now I have just machined a delrin insert and placed in back of the spindle and I use collets to make the shafts run nice and straight.
Pretty good lathe for the price and it's so nice to not have to fuss around with bits of paper to center things, like I have to do in the Deluxe cue smith lathe. It makes stuff like trimming break tips flush to the ferrule and hogging of a piece of G10 a breeze

 

[Tommy-D]

If any of the machines in question are set up properly,and the operator does his job,any of the Sieg mini lathes should thread just fine.

There are adjustments that can be made to the leadscrew/end brackets and the half-nuts that can certainly affect threading if not dealt with.

The Sieg C3 that LMS offers would be a damn nice machine for the price,but by the time you add shipping it might not be your best option.

If someone chooses Grizzly,rest assured you will have no issues getting help and replacement parts if needed,same goes for LMS.

I'm gonna probably buy the Harbor Freight before long,but only because I have a printed coupon that will put one in my hands for under 500.00 tax and all just over an hour from home. Other than the change gears,I already have an on-hand replacement for every other part. Tommy D.