Thinking about buying a lathe

[P7hk9]

What about tailstock offset? I want to be able to turn a taper. One of the machines I looked at only offset 1/2 inch. Is that enough?

I'd personally avoid a tailstock offset because the live/dead centers cannot be aligned with the rotational axis of the part. When a lathe center is inserted into a properly centerdrilled hole, the center should provide a full 360 degrees of support. When the center is offset, it's only touching the hole on two sides because now the aspect of the center to the hole is an elipse. This will deform the hole and allow the part to move/vibrate more readily. However, I know that machine tool accessories can be VERY expensive, and if all you can afford is a tailstock taper, you can work with it. You just have to be more careful than you would with a standard taper attachment.

1/2" of taper per side should be fine for a lathe with 24~32" long bed. Just remember, moving the tailstock 1/2" changes the diameter by a full inch. Don't ask how I know :P

While on the subject of tailstock taper and gunsmithing in general, when turning a barrel on a lathe, always remember to make brass caps for both ends of the barrel and put the center holes in the brass. You don't want to see what a hardened center will do to the crown of your rifling.

[wa3ra]

I like the Grizzly stuff, except for that jump from 70 rpm up to 200...


The best thing about having the mill AND the lathe is that when a part breaks, you can usually make your own replacement.