onetenor Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Wotcha peeps! I was thinking of getting a small lathe and saw these--https://www.banggood.com/DC-24V-Mini-Lathe-Beads-Machine-Polish-Woodworking-DIY-Tools-80-100W-p-1121255.html?rmmds=category&cur_warehouse=CN -----Is Raitool a good make? Can they handle steel and screw cutting?. With the right accessories of course. There are a number of sizes etc.if you scroll down. I would like the biggest one but I'm not sure I can afford it. Especially if it turns out to be unsuitable. Any ideas welcome. Regards John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rudd Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Errmmmm with the sort of power they list (100w) you'd be lucky to take the skin off a rice pudding.... As the owner of 3 lathes, a ' proper mini lathe ( Sieg Super C3) a Chester 9 x 20 and a Warco WM 290 clone, I can speak from experience. ( All have their respective uses.....) Save your money, either buy a second hand machine or buy new.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Tarling Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 As John says, don't waste your money. Might be OK for turning small wooden or plastic items, but definitely not metals. Get yourself a proper mini lathe from a reputable UK supplier, such as this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rudd Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Given your choice of lathe, ( and I dont mean to be disrepetful here....) it appears you have little or no experience.... As such, I' d steer younaway from second user machines and recommend a new one....Buying second hand can be fraught with all manner of issues to the unaware.... Gordon's choice is the one I'd recommend too, as I have one... And Arc are one of the best suppliers around.. I think they may gave offers on at the moment.....(early xmas pressie to onesself? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Having made the mistake of buying a low priced Chinese mini lathe i found it totally impractical. The other thing is it you have never used a lathe get some help/training it can be totally bewildering even experience in a large lathe would be benificial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 If the OP had inserted the link properly and made it clickable it would be easier to see that he is looking at a woodworking lathe, so I guess he would find it hard to turn steel in it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rudd Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Posted by Martian on 12/11/2018 15:26:23: Having made the mistake of buying a low priced Chinese mini lathe i found it totally impractical. Martian, you have had a bad experience with "a low priced Chinese mini lathe" Care to expand on that please? I find my Sieg lathe very practical, especially for making small parts where using the bigger lathes at my disposal a little cumbersome....Horses for courses.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Posted by Alan Gorham_ on 12/11/2018 15:30:34: If the OP had inserted the link properly and made it clickable it would be easier to see that he is looking at a woodworking lathe, so I guess he would find it hard to turn steel in it.... Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Yep very good. It's still a woodworking lathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Dance 1 Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Sorry it's not even a good wood work lathe. Even at the offer price it's still a waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Posted by John Rudd on 12/11/2018 16:13:53: Posted by Martian on 12/11/2018 15:26:23: Having made the mistake of buying a low priced Chinese mini lathe i found it totally impractical. Martian, you have had a bad experience with "a low priced Chinese mini lathe" Care to expand on that please? I find my Sieg lathe very practical, especially for making small parts where using the bigger lathes at my disposal a little cumbersome....Horses for courses.... Maybe its not as bad as I suggested but it is only 24w 12v so will stall if not careful chuck is not easy to centre I cannot get the cutting tools anywhere it is this one plus it could do with a speed controller and no instructions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Maybe I just do not know how to use it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Measure the cutting tool you already have Martian, and grind the bar stock you buy to your requirements These lathes work on tufnol, plastics,nylon, aluminium and most brass, which does for modellers Like you say, the feed has to be very slow, but these lathes do work Feed of course is governed by material and rpm, so one speed will not do all things But many small jobs can be completed on these machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Thank you for your very helpful advice Denis, more practise needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaL Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Posted by Martian on 12/11/2018 20:32:21: Posted by John Rudd on 12/11/2018 16:13:53: Posted by Martian on 12/11/2018 15:26:23: Having made the mistake of buying a low priced Chinese mini lathe i found it totally impractical. Martian, you have had a bad experience with "a low priced Chinese mini lathe" Care to expand on that please? I find my Sieg lathe very practical, especially for making small parts where using the bigger lathes at my disposal a little cumbersome....Horses for courses.... Maybe its not as bad as I suggested but it is only 24w 12v so will stall if not careful chuck is not easy to centre I cannot get the cutting tools anywhere it is this one plus it could do with a speed controller and no instructions Waste of space and money. I even tried a 4 jaw chuck because the 'self centering' 3 jaw chuck was so far out of true it was useless. That 'lathe' will just about turn plastic and if you spring for a live centre will just about allow you to drill a centre in ali - providing you can get the work piece centered in the chuck... really...don't waste your time or money... it will be £135 down the drain. I tried fitting a meaty brushless motor and designed and built a load-compensated speed controller for the one i had but it still couldn't cut sh1t...... used it once and now it gathers dust. there is a reason a proper 'hobby' lathe costs £500 and the plastic toy ones from China cost £135!! If you want to build the controller Martin I could probably find the arduino sketch and schematic. It uses a 3S lipo and an ESC to power the C4250-600 Turnigy brushless motor.. it works quite well at maintaining the requested revolutions.... but the lathe still cant cut for toffee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 An ornament it shall be then ,lesson learnt. P.s anybody want to buy a Chinese mini lathe Edited By Martian on 14/11/2018 12:42:34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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