Mini Lathe

[JamesF]

I have a similar machine that I picked up a couple of years ago. Mostly so far I've used it for turning parts for telescopes.



James

[VANDEEN]

As someone said earlier, a lathe opens up a whole range of solutions to problems, I hope you spent the last three years collecting bits of scrap?

My mate is always asking me to keep my eyes open for bits of bar stock for him.

Be aware though it leads to more, between the Lathe, pillar drill, automatic hacksaw, milling machine, welding gear, work benches, compressor & general tools he now only has room in his double garage for his motorbike!

[Hogarth]

James, it looks like yours is the same as mine, a Sieg C3, only the earlier model. How do you find it?

Lathe, pillar drill, automatic hacksaw, milling machine, welding gear, work benches, compressor & general tools...

I actually have my eye on a pillar drill now, so it looks like I'm going to be working my way along that list.

[Haydnexport]

are there any handy parts you can machine for a homebrewer ?

[JamesF]

James, it looks like yours is the same as mine, a Sieg C3, only the earlier model. How do you find it?

It's basically the same as a C3, yes. There are at least five suppliers in the UK selling what is pretty much the same lathe with different branding and slightly different features. I got mine via ebay from a chap who was fairly local who had only bought it (also from ebay) a couple of months before. I'd not bid on it the first time because it was miles away He only wanted it for one small job. Apparently before then it had been crated up since new for years.

It's not without its little irritations though most aren't hard to fix with a little care and adjustment. If I'd known at the time that I'd want it I'd perhaps been better off persuading my dad to let me have his Boxford instead of selling it though.

Overall I'm happy with it, though I might well consider buying something a bit more robust at some point in the future if I use it more.

I found this book very useful. It covers a fair bit of stuff that's useful to check or can be profitably modified:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-lathe-Work ... 1854862545

James

[JamesF]

are there any handy parts you can machine for a homebrewer ?

If you're happy using brass then it's not too hard to make fittings and suchlike. Though an experienced machinist probably wouldn't consider it a major deal, I find stainless a nightmare to work with so I tend not to bother.

James

[Hogarth]

Thanks James -- I've ordered a copy of the Fenner book. Looks very handy.

Funnily enough my father also had a Boxford, and once offered it to me. But then he had a change of heart. It was old and noisy and imperial, and there was play in every gear. So he said, go and buy yourself a nice little modern lathe from China and learn on that. So I did.

Mind you, the Boxford's still sitting in his garage, so maybe I'll stake a claim to it anyway.

[minesapint]

You will never regret buying a lathe.
I was fortunate enough to be able to get a Myford about thirty five years ago.
I have made allsorts on it from small clock gears to 16 inch wooden porthole surrounds, all using homemade accessories built on the lathe itself.
My best brewing use for it was to knurl the rollers of a pasta mill to make my own grain mill.

The book that I would recommend you to get is called The Amateurs Lathe by L. H. Sparey.
First published in 1948 tells you in easy to understand language about choosing a lathe, installing, accessories measuring and setting up unusual jobs and tool selection and sharpening.
Excellent old book, have a look on ebay or the second hand internet book site called Abebooks Uk. I think it might still be in print still, possibly updated a bit.

Keep an eye on it if it is kept in an unheated shed or garage in the Winter. I have to keep painting gear box oil on the slides and any other bare metal surfaces. On top of this I wrap oily rags to keep the rust at bay.
You just have to work in the shed for about ten minutes and the humidity from your breath condenses on the chilled metal of the lathe. A big potential to rust up your nice shiny machine.
Once the weather warms up you can leave the rags off until the Autumn arrives, then you will one day find loads of condensation ready to attack your lathe.
Just keep a watch on the situation.

Congratulations on your purchase.

Cheers.

[JamesF]

I have Sparey's book. I'm fairly sure I bought it new from Amazon. Some of it is rather dated now, but it's certainly not without its uses considering it was written almost seventy years ago.

James

[Hogarth]

Thanks Minesapint. My lathe's going to live in a damp garden shed, so yes, I dismantled it and greased it to buggery. Don't want it to suffer the same fate as my grain mill.