Lathe advice

>>1186698
>~150mm+ max diameter lathe
you want to machine 6" diameter materials?

>I need to be able to cut metals as hard as 1545 steel and stainless
you may have to do many passes with tiny infeeds but you can really cut anything with any lathe with the right bits

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>>1186698
>It needs to be accurate and relatively inexpensive

>I need to be able to cut metals as hard as 1545 steel and stainless.

>I feel as if the best option is to buy something that's 20-50 years old but not too worn and clean it up

Yep that's the way to go. Lots of machinists don't really know how to use computers though, you might find better deals by word of mouth, i.e., call up a small machine shop and ask if they have any old manual lathes taking up space or if they know someone wanting to get rid of one.

Small shops sell old manuals to make room, that's how I got this Pratt & Whitney 16" x 54"

Also don't be afraid to look at government auctions and auctions put up by businesses looking to offload their old shit.

Now, if you find one you want to look at you need to know how to tell if it's not too beat up.

One thing to keep in mind though, they probably require 3-phase power and 220volt or 440v.

Most people don't have 3-phase power ran into their garage so a phase converter unit will be required ($$$$).

I can't find the video I'm looking for, but put an indicator on the ways and push on stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-94Oh2VgQo

run an indicator on the spindle nose too, should be less than half a thousandth of an inch 0.0005" runout on the spindle nose

File: indicator on a random POS in a 3jaw.webm (2MB, 640x360px) Image search: [Google]

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>>1187040
here's a random POS in a 3-jaw showing like 15 thousandths of runout

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>>1186698
For cutting hardened steel you will want carbide or ceramic or diamond inserts for an insert holder.

Pic related are a fairly new ceramic used for cutting hardened stuff and one yellow coated carbide insert for general work.

ceramic and diamond inserts can easily run you $20/piece for a triangular shaped one with 3 usable points.

For work that isn't extremely hard use cheaper carbide inserts or high speed steel toolbits or inserts.

>>1186698
last but not least, find a used machinery store--they're usually small shops and don't advertise much because again, computer illiterate old people/machinists.

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>>1187052

File: Bridgeport trailer rear.jpg (3MB, 4128x2322px) Image search: [Google]

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>>1187040
I agree on used industrial tools. You get much more for your money. You can rent trailers if you don't have one, and you don't have to pay a rigger which can save you hundreds of dollars.

You need to spend a LOT of time in forums like Practical Machinist. There is NO substitute for relentless, fierce study.

VFDs are cheaper than RPCs and give you variable speed control. See the Practical Machinist forum and get good at Google. I mean spend many hours reading. You'll thank me later.

My method is the only example I've seen of how to move lathes and mills in a way that decisively prevents tipping so I post it a lot. Even my pro machinistbros are impressed and copied it. It works with low clearances, it's cheap, and all you need is heavy industrial casters (buy used at liquidation and estate sales) and some 4" channel or similar and angle sufficient to clear a pallet jack if you want to be able to maneuver and lift machines that way.

Pic is Bridgeport on machinisbros trailer (which he custom built and is tough as fuck, don't do this with a cheap shit chain store mower trailer).

Angle goes under mill or lathe base. Quality allthread holds machine to angle (or channel) which protrudes from the base such that I place the green outriggers over holes in the angle or channel then raise the machine by tightening the nuts. It's EASY to lift any machine this way and extremely controllable. Last move was a ~3500lb lathe but I didn't get pics of that.

Google "moving a Bridgeport" for other examples but remember this works fine with any machine.

File: grinder move.jpg (502KB, 2048x1392px) Image search: [Google]

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T&C grinder shows hardware better.

>>1187072
what material is the allthread?

cold rolled? tool steel? stress proof something or another?

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>>1187074
I avoid cheap soft (and sometimes poorly machined) allthread and go for Grade 5 or better. I get mine from my local industrial hydraulic shop since they sell hardware reasonably.

The good stuff is a lot nicer to run nuts down. You could use the crappy variety but the price isn't much different. Neither is gonna snap in this use but I keep all my parts together as a kit for convenience and prefer everything go smoothly when we're on the road.

If you have milling machine access or are neat with a torch you can cut slots in your kit parts instead of holes for slightly quicker alignment. What to do for a given machine will be obvious. We bring cordless and corded drills and use machinist center drill bits to start the holes we drill at the auction site.

There's not really a limit to how heavy you can go if you use the right sized metal and wheels. I have a pair of stub axles cut from a 14-bolt GM rear axle I use for a slip axle setup when winching containers into places the delivery truck won't go and that would work fine for much heavier machinery.

You can also make pipe skids. Pic had to come off a bros borrowed trailer which had a rotten deck, move across a questionable wooden floor, then be placed on a well-supported area. Wheels would have punched through the trailer and gotten stuck so I drilled the orange channels then bolted them to the lathe after removing the leveling feet. We tack welded the channel to the pipe on the outboard sides after lowering the lathe onto the pipe. Lifting and lowering were mostly by forklift jack and Simplex jack (both bought stoopidly cheap, the normally 1300 dollar Simplex was 80 bux at an auction, know thy gear to get deals). The gray galvanized pipe was as wide as we could fit through a hole cut in the wall and ensured what could have been a dangerous move (lathes are tippy as fuck) went safely and smoothly. It was tedious but the time didn't cost us anything. Pipes under pipes make turning easy.

>>1187047
Ebay is great for inserts and tooling. My professional machinistbro gets nearly all his inserts via Ebay and saves mad money.

Found this example of a cheap to fab toe jack for those who don't have a forklift jack.

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/toe-jack-down-dirty-but-works-like-charm-lifting-lathe-39474

There are other examples on the web. If you make one, make two instead. You'll thank me later.

>>1187149
Nice toe jack fab:

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=91558