10 Years of Mini Lathe Ownership: Pros, Cons, Modifications and Improvements
The ubiquitous Chinese Mini Lathe comes in for a lot of flak. Some of it is justified, some of it really isn’t.
It’s a simple case of horses for courses. Whilst there are very many instances where a small cheap machine is completely unsuitable, I maintain there is definitely a place in the world for the mini lathe.
Over half an hour, I’ll explain what you get for your money, the pros and cons of ownership, some limitations and practicalities then cover some modifications and improvements from the perspective of a user who has enjoyed using a 7 x14 mini lathe for a decade.
I’m channelling @ThisOldTony a bit on this one, as I’ve more words than I’ve got video to say them over. I’ve included some crummy old archive stills and video I’ve dug up from the depths of my phone, that were never intended for public consumption.
Approximate imperial sizes are shown. They're not intended to be direct equivalents, but are there to give the non-metric viewer a rough feel for what I'm discussing.
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00:00 ~ CHAPTER ONE - CHOOSING A LATHE -
01:14 ~ 1a Buy Big?
02:08 ~ 1b Buy Old?
02:35 ~ CHAPTER TWO - MINI LATHE GUIDED TOUR -
02:46 ~ 2a How Big is Mini?
03:32 ~ 2b More Similarities Than Differences
03:49 ~ 2c Chuck Sizes
04:04 ~ 2d Headstock and Tailstock
04:28 ~ 2e Motors and Drives
05:12 ~ 2f Change Gear Considerations
05:39 ~ 2g But What Will it Cut?
06:01 ~ 2h An Example Project
06:40 ~ 2i Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
08:25 ~ 2j High Speed Steel is Your Friend
08:47 ~ 2k To Carbide or Not to Carbide
09:25 ~ 2l Mini Lathe Accuracy
09:57 ~ 2m Starting to Taper Off
12:37 ~ CHAPTER THREE - CHANGES AND MODIFICATIONS -
12:53 ~ 3a Assorted Simple Improvements
16:32 ~ 3b Saddle Strip Upgrade
17:50 ~ 3c Compound Slide Modification
20:24 ~ 3d Adding a Carriage DRO
21:25 ~ 3e Tailstock Rebuild
23:38 ~ 3f Cross Slide Improvements
24:07 ~ CHAPTER FOUR - STILL TO COME -
24:24 ~ 4a Trade Speed for Torque?
24:39 ~ 4b Saddle Twist
25:17 ~ 4c Facing Cuts Could (Sometimes) be Better
25:48 ~ 4d Screwcutting Gearbox Weakness
26:00 ~ 4e Headstock Bearings
26:28 ~ 4f Coarse Handwheel Saddle Traverse
27:17 ~ 4g Keeping Rust at Bay (off on a tangent!)
28:01 ~ CHAPTER FIVE - IN CONCLUSION -
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Manually subtitled for accuracy -click the CC box.
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With Thanks:
Thanks to Stewart for the RC plane footage, and for opening my eyes to the possibility that a lathe can be as much at home in the garden shed as an industrial unit or factory. Without that little push, I may have missed out on many years of hobby machining.
Thanks to Ben for the Striker material. A seriously quick car!
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Links:
Link to my video which describes in a little more detail the changes I made to allow the cross slide to move back an additional 15mm, and how I incorporated a modified dial that makes it easy to read to 1/100th of a millimetre.
• Mini Lathe Cross Slide...
Note this isn’t a step by step guide, but it should give useful pointers to the home machinist who would like to try something similar.
Links to Brain’s Workshop where details of the brass saddle plate modification can be found:
briansworkshop.weebly.com/uplo...
briansworkshop.weebly.com/lath...
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For the material I couldn't capture myself, my thanks goes to the following:
Clip from ‘Transporting an Old Very Heavy Smart & Brown Lathe’ used with kind permission from Keith Appleton • TRANSPORTING AN OLD VE...
Patrick Stirling for his amazing free custom promo DaVinci Resolve plugin:
• A New FREE RESOLVE PRE...
Monarch lathe still:
www.rawpixel.com/image/3322909
Motor and pulley still:
pixabay.com/photos/lost-place...
Machinist running an old lathe video:
pixabay.com/videos/engineerin...
Icons by @Guapoo from www.reshot.com/
Stills used to illustrate compound rotation modification from ArcEuroTrade strip down guide here:
www.arceurotrade.co.uk/machin...
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Shot: HC-X920 1920x1080 50P AVCHD
Edit: Davinci Resolve 18.1.4
Mic: NT1-A
This Old Tony? 😁
There are only so many ways you can point a camera at a lathe. Sooner or later you find yourself in front of the lens, but as I have a face best suited to modelling crash helmets, I took the TOT approach 😂. Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
Discount This Old Tony.😂
@@TheRecreationalMachinist Haha! You're awesome! That's why I'm subscribed! Keep up the good work! Fran from living hell, Argentina 😁
@@iNDREI_Rothat was rude dude.
@quimblyjones9767 I did not mean it like that, to cast a bad light. I like this channel, and This Old Tony is top in my list. I mean it is up there with Veritasium and Great Scott. You know the saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Having used my 7x14 mini-lathe for the past 12 years myself, I'd call this the most honest mini-lathe review to date. Good job. Ciao, Marco.
Takes a considerable ammount of time to make a video this detailed.. Its almost like an instructional video you might find back in the 80s or 80s... Really enjoyed it and learned quite a lot.. So cheers for that !!
What an EXCELLENT video! Fair (in assessing what a Mini can/can't do); very clear photography; good list of mods and "sensible" comments about accuracy; nice clear vocal delivery; and NO "Whatzap yerall" to start off and NO music! In other words what's not to like about this video: Brilliant stuff Sir! and many thanks for taking the time to make and post. A small point - just about the only thing you didn't say (or sorry if I missed it) was that especially in the harder materials, the whole "lightweight" build of the lathe results in a lack of rigidity (when compared to the "big, old" stuff). But the real point - typical "Yorkie to-the-point" comment - any Chinese Mini Lathe can do so much more than no lathe. Lovely stuff
I can't say it much better so I'll just say hi for the algo. Loved the attitude!
Yep brilliant. Thanks.
Yeah this is up there with the old "how to properly use a hand file" instructional video from the 50s.
Well said. My jaw is still dropped after watching this video :-) What an amazing delivery of great educational content! I haven't machined anything (yet) but even a complete noob like me could follow this and learn tons from it. You got yourself a new subscriber!
Do people find you unbearable to be around?
"Cardboard aided design" made me smile.
It took you ten years to figure all this out and you haven't gone MAD 😂. I'M impressed 👍😁
And I thought owning one of these for 4 years was a long time. What a fantastic and comprehensive review of this little machine. Makes me miss using my old one.
That 3hp motor mod was lit! Lol.. I get a kick out of your channel too! That hacksaw gets me every damn time😉👌
I think that sums it up beautifully. A mini lathe is better than no lathe at all. I ended up going down the big and old path as that ended up suiting my needs better and has become a very important part of my workshop.
how bout, big, old, with available parts? better mantra?
big will do most, small will do some😂
@@felderupsome parts can be made in house if you are creative
@@armstronglaborde yah, nearly everything can be done on a lathe, but, if the lathe is busted and would require it to make those parts... have a spare?
First time viewer offering extreme amounts of appreciation here! I recently got mine, for much the same reasons, and have had much the same problems. Problems you have now given me potential solutions for! Thank you!
Hello, I'm Keith from Michigan USA. I've been watching a lot of individuals, and worked 44yrs in various machine systems, setting up, rebuilt, etc. I decided, bought new and I was able to place it in my basement. I'll let you convert it to metric. It's a 11" swing by 30" long. When I get free time, I grab coffee and head to the Basement. I primarily watch and enjoy what people make. I add positive comments for whom I watch. Take care now 🙂
Thanks for watching. Good to have you along.
What you have to realize about some of these guys is that they live in a 'machine desert'. I too live in Michigan and there's a lot of old iron around here! 😉
The 7x12 mini lathe although basically a lathe *kit* right out of the box and a mini mill have been a job and money saver in my auto repair shop. The time and effort as well as the minimal cost have been well worth it and would be replaced the same day if they were to become worn or broken beyond repair. Content like this that showcases the limitations and work arounds of these machines just make the investment more valuable!
Thats how I described mine, although mine was actually pretty good compared to others I've seen.
@@johnnodge4327 I must have gotten a Wednesday lathe too because Ive definitely seen some monday and friday lathes on these youtube videos but man these little things are extremely handy for not much💲
Could you please tell us which brand was your "better than others" brand ?
@@alfredomarquez9777 grizzly. G8688
"sintered floor sweeping" really got me 😂😂😂
I bought my mini from harbor freight about five years ago after seeing this channel. Followed a lot of your recommendations. Took about the first year just “repairing” making the lath better. Getting all my tools sorted. The changing for the tool holder was the most useful thing I have done. All in all it’s a pretty neat little useful tool to have. There is still a couple more mods I plan on doing. I figure maybe in a year or so I’m going to look for a older used slightly bigger machine. I will prob never get rid of my mini though. It comes in handy more than one would imagine. And it’s more capable than most think.
Thank you for the fair posting of this video. I have owned and operated a 7 x 16 LMS hi-torque mini lather for over 6 years now and honestly could not be without it. Previously, when I had my shop, owned an old South Bend 10" lathe that I used for basically everything. Initially, the small mini lathe was difficult to become acquainted with due to the small size, limited chuck and lacking of power. After a while, taking into consideration that all projects may take a bit more time, I am loving this small lathe and wish I would have had on sooner. My lathe was always in need of modifications for the first 2 years or so, but now is set to go for just about any task, including a degree wheel, fabricated from a camshaft degree wheel, installed on the back outside of the chuck, DROs, including the tailstock made from an old set of cheap calipers, QTC tool holder, additional Gibb screws, hand stoned and lapped Gibbs, 4 jaw chuck, way cover, and carriage locks, and more. It seemed every use made it necessary for another mod, but after a while no more required. The initial cost of the lathe itself is cheap, but the tooling is never ending, not to forget the custom tooling you will fabricate as radius turning, centering and others. The only Addition I would like is an RPM gauge, but not in the budget to date, so recorded RPMs with a hand held device and attached a position wheel showing estimated chuck speeds. I can hole .0005" tolerance on a good day with mine, and use the tailstock or center support for longer material projects to hold the spec. Usage is basically limitless, and dependent on your imagination. I also own a LMS hi-torque mini mill that I am lost without. That also took time to become acquainted with after missing my old Bridgeport type mill of my prior shop. For any that suffer from the lack of real-estate in your garage or shop, as I, would seriously recommend a mini lathe for your hobby projects. There will be times you cuss and hate it, but realize that can be modified for your satisfaction of end results. Remember----It was Cheap.
This has been one of the ,most informative and instructive videos of its type that I have watched. Well done!
Excellent video. No nonsense description on the assets and pitfalls. I am considering one of these and your video helps. Thanks for taking the time.
Cardboard Aided Design. Had a good chuckle at that 😁
I have almost the same Mini Lathe. Thank you for a very inspirational video!! I see where my winter activity is going is to be. You have done a very good job of upgrading and making this lathe of quality.
Nicely done sir! Digging the homage to This Old Tony!
This is a breath of (Much Needed) fresh Air! My 2 pennies below, Feel free to skip :) I used to run a workshop with 7 lathes, Many from the WW2 era. The lightest one was a Schaublin 102 at ~400 Kilos including the base, and the biggest one was ~2000 Kilos. The smallest one physically was an "Akebono" brand, I found out much later it was once installed in a Japanese Submarine! Although the thing was tiny, It weighed close to a 600 kilos, Including a proper full-box cast iron Base, a giant 1/2 HP 3-phase motor and off-board(?!) gearbox. The most modern and versatile one was a german Weiler lathe with a turret tailstock and several lever operated slides for various custom-jobs. Although nothing close to a CNC operated machine, This one had the option to do almost any job quickly with an assortment of chucks, jigs and fixtures. Although very fascinating and a real treat if this were a museum, the workshop was a nightmare to operate due to the lack of inter-operability between these machines of various era's. Operators had to be re-trained, Parts had to be re-made, etc. I finally sold the entire setup (Mostly for Scrap value) in Feb 2021, a Month before the COVID lockdown was enforced. Do I miss the machines? Yes. Will I buy them again? Hell no! Time for a modern, Precise, locally manufactured, cheap lathe (Whenever that happens, Sigh!)
Very very nice job! Nice fast pace, the most important info, clearly experienced machinist--exactly what we needed! Great hobby!
Comfortably down-to-Earth, and informative. You need to make more videos!
For a Technician, sitting at the PC warm and cosy with snow outside, this was so pleasant and informative at once, I got to say thank you. No blabla long talk, but professional thoughts. Feels so outstanding good nowadays.
What a brilliant video, no back round music to distract from what you want to here, well done.
An outstanding presentation on the pros and cons of a mini lathe. Any potential buyer would do well to watch your video and get an honest appraisal of what is both possible and realistic. The modifications were well thought out and it was very helpful to see them. Thank you!
Well done . I throughly loved this for the honesty and improved mods you have made to your mini lathe. Keep going , I'll def keep watching . Kind regards phil
Thank you for this video. I have been wanting a lathe for years. This is really first rate advice and presented in a very clear comprehensive manner. My hobby is RC planes so all in all this has confirmed to me that a mini lathe will be the ideal choice for me. Roll on retirement and the workshop I have been waiting for all my life.
Great video in every way. Just purchased an entry level Chineesiam lathe. WIth no experience it was nice to hear all the considerations you mention are exactly the same ones I was juggling for some time. Well done to you sir.
I totally agree, I see the same suggestions about avoiding the 7" mini lathes but they're a great intro into turning. I started with a 7x14 and it got me by with a few of my own fixes and upgrades. I finally moved on to a bigger lathe (because I now have the space for it), but I never had the space for anything much bigger in my old place. I think if I had to learn on my current lathe, I wouldn't have known enough to not get me in trouble. Honestly as a companion tool for welding, or if you just need an occasional spacer or bushing for automotive and motorcycle work the 7x14 is great.
I owned for more than 15 years a 210x400 BV20L-1 lathe (roughly 8x15). I did glance on 7x14 first but I found out I could fit the larger one in my shed (roughly 4m²). I didn't regret one second. It's way better than the minilathe, proper gearbox for drive, better finish and precision. Weight still manageable at less than 100kg (2 person can lift it). It also exist in 550mm length which is more suited for most (but wasn't possible to fit in my case). Lot of improvements possible, like changing angular bearing with tapered one (gone from 0.01mm runout to 4µ runout). Bigger chuck (125mm), VFD drive. Multifix toolpost. It's only limit was rigidity, higher grade of steel (42CD4) was possible but only close to the chuck and with minute pass. So last year as I changed house I got more room for a "real" lathe and a 50's old iron took place (360x600mm). Yes it's 10x heavier, but above 100kg it doesn't matter, toe lift, engine crane and dollies are your friend. It needed some restoration, but not so much and the experience gained with the little lathe helped a lot. So I agree with you, a smaller chinese lathe is probably the best lathe to start with, but I would not choose the minilathe when you have BV20/BV25 which are easy to get in europe (paulimot, damato). Bigger than that then it's better to go old iron, as price point of bigger chinese lathe cannot stand against it.
Always enjoy your videos, nice to see you again. Your DRO is a fantastic idea and at the top of my to do list.
Absolutely outstanding video. Extremely well done. First in a long while that I watched to the end. Glad to have found your channel.
Thanks for a well done video. I bought a new, Chinese, 1440 lathe 7 years ago. It had some minor issues that I've managed to fix. Sometimes it was too big & sometimes too small. I was doing a fair # of castings. Those take up a lot of swing when mounted to a faceplate. I'd be inclined to say start with a 10" swing lathe if you can & a similar sized mill. This hobby is a really deep rabbit hole. There is always something else you think you need.
Excellent video, very informative and interesting. I’m an ex engineer, done an apprenticeship many years ago and wanting to dip my toes back in to the toolmaking waters. Great points raised in the video, gave me plenty of food for thought, I’m hoping it won’t be too far beyond the skill level I now have as opposed to the one I think I have. I’m sure to be checking the rest on your channel. Many thanks 👍🏻
Dear Sir, First time viewing of your site and it was very good indeed. Have spent the last four years and a bit developing a single garage workshop. Mini lathe , mill etc doing the fettling and yours was good advice.All my stuff was from WARCO.Good company with great back up. My WM 180 is going strong as is the Milling machine.Appreciate your well executed presentation and delivery. Thank you.
Outstanding information and video, thank you. I’ve been looking at this type of mini lathe for years. You’ve helped me tremendously.
This is an incredibly useful, informative and well-presented video. Well done!
Good speaker that doesn't bore you to death 👍
Well thought out and presented, must have taken a good chunk of the 10 yrs to put that together in such a succinct manner. Lots of good advice for novices and even old (very) lifetime engineers like me can learn a thing or two, the MGM parting bits are news to me that I need to investigate. Many happy hours at wobbly grinders, screwing your eyes up to make HSS bits does pay off in the end. The only thing missing for toe dippers might be the big old / smal new discussion is the 3 phase / 1 phase / VFD discussion but that probably warrants a video on it's own. Your videos are always worth the wait, well done and thank you.
Really great overview, thank you for taking the time to post it.
Absolutely love the mods and presentation! Subscribed.
I dont have a chinese mini lathe, back in the 1970's I bought a Unimat 3, which is my goto small lathe, I also (almost accidentally picked up an old 13" southbend lathe (honestly when I looked at the pictures I thought it was about a 6") this is my goto lathe for big stuff, I also have managed to collect a watchmakers lathe, a small flexispeed (smaller than the unimat) and a medium size 4-5" ancient thing the flexispeed is good for small stuff in my upstairs workshop when I dont want to go downstairs and use the unimat- its not as robust or accurate, but it does a job. all I can say is that your initial comments about which lathe to buy are spot on, get one as big as the biggest thing you need to make repeatedly (if you know how big that is) and dont just dismiss the chinese mini lathes, but do buy from a reputable source where quality control has been applied.
This was far more interesting than it seemed! Well done
Great tong term review TRM! An overall good review of this type of lathe being used for 10 years, and still going strong is a motivation for me to get one, obviously the lathe when new needs lots of work to get it in a better operational condition, but if it is for making one off items or to be used as a hobby, then it is worth it IMHO. Greetings from Colombia S.A.
Nice review! I bought an Ahhui Pan-Sino BL180 Chinese mini lathe 7 years ago, and have used it since straight out the box with no mods at all. Most of the work I do is with mild steel or EN9. I make accessories for muzzleloaders as well as mini cannons, punches and dies etc. My machine seems to be of a better quality than most I have seen on KZhead. The only problems I have had with it, is it blows the variable speed potentiometer about once a year! It has also blown it's motherboard once, which was an expensive repair. For the price I paid for it brand new, including the repairs, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if needs be. That little machine has made me a lot of money and used within it's limits, has been an absolute pleasure to use.
Perhaps you have voltage spikes or a high temperature problem in your shop?
This was very well done, gave me a lot of information. Thank you for honest no BS review.
Such a delightful and loaded-with-info vid...thanks from Germany for sharing!
Well done, very eye opening video for a beginner to view before spending their money, good information delivered in a gentle manner.
Phenomenal video and great tips on making improvements. I look forward to getting my first lathe someday soon!
Dam... great vid, comprehensive, detailed, loved the mods, well done, narration & editing perfect... i am a fan !!
Really enjoyed the video and its editing. Great work!
THE BEST video on the chinese mini lathe. I think im going to have to purchase one now!
WoW you dedication and willingness to share your experiences has spurred me on the only caveat being I do not live anywhere near a supply house for various metals and plastics and it looks like a second lathe is a must for someone of limited skills and patience like myself!!!! Excellent stuff leading the ignorant into the light!
Excellent recap! I "accidentally" learned that I too have a large OD set of chuck jaws in the small tool box that came with my used mini lathe. For 5 years I have struggled to hold anything greater than 1.5". So many other nuggets in there too. Thank you!
Great video and great heating solution for the larger tools and the cupboard. I'm sure TOT will be flattered with the style!
This was incredibly useful and encouraging. Thank you. I love your channel. Keep up the good work 👍 🍻
I went thru the same dilemma. Old, new, heavy, light. And old won out for the purpose of providing more work in renovating and learning how my lathe worked. It does help if you want to fix up a lathe, to have a mini lathe and or mini mill. Such a well thought out piece. Thanks for taking all the time to make this. I think many will be helped making that decision. Cheers!
Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
If you’re going to replace the bearings for either tapered rollers or angular contact then you’ll need to make the end bearing (furthest away from the chuck) a reasonable sliding fit on the spindle so you can set it up properly. I highly recommend watching Steve Summers video on the topic, when I did mine I first made up an aluminium lapping block before I took the lathe apart & just hand lapped it sitting at my bench with the black diamond lapping paste, it really didn’t take that long. I then reassembled the lathe, minus the change gears, to make the correct size spacers (I went for taper rollers with metal shields, so I had to change the spacers, but that’s all that needs changing, if you were using angular contact then you would need the same size spacers that you’ve already got but you’d want them in metal rather than plastic, so you could even do this step before taking it completely apart). I’d personally recommend a taper roller at least on the chuck end, but either way they need adjusting properly when they’re on & for this the bearing needs to slide on the shaft. Not a loose fit, but it does need to move. At least angular contacts are pre-greased & sealed, that’s a drawback with the tapered rollers, but I fitted oil-ways in mine with a couple of holes drilled in the headstock, short lengths of copper pipe & oil cups. Here’s a link to Steve’s video… kzhead.info/sun/o8txcs2PZ4anqqc/bejne.htmlsi=MMRupfxREqaml-pv
Thanks for the heads up. I'll take a look before I may a start 👍 🇬🇧
I don't have a mini lathe, but I watched this from beginning to end, excellent production values and narration style. At 22:10 use of the parallels for reverse engineering the way angles is a great hack I will definitely use. Every size lathe is a project, ancient or just out of the crate. Thx for making this.
I bought a chinese lathe. A warco WM180 which is basically a rebadged lathe. Its a little work horse and can cut steel fine with decent inserts. It can make everything that I need it to and tbh im glad I didnt spend a whole lot more, because with the money I saved I was able to get a nice mill too.
I must say, I took SO much useful info from this. Especially the suggestion to use aluminum cutting inserts, game changer for me.
Brilliant review, very informative for me as I'm considering getting a small lathe, complete lathe novice apart from what i remember from my school days in metal work classes. Thanks again👍
Thank you Sean Bean for this video. I’m currently in the process of replacing the tapered roller bearings in my Chinesium mini lathe.
Thank you so much!! Fantastic video, my man!
This is very well done and truly practical! To many are clearly bias for whatever reason but this is a simple, real use, down to earth video! There is a lot to learn here as it covers many various aspects with proper detail! I had struggled for years to buy a lathe and ended up with a small one. Turns out I didn't need anything more. When I need a larger part I use local makerspace or a friend who has larger equipment. This has only been 3xs in many years! Well done! Thank you!
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 🇬🇧
Seen many tutorial and guidance videos, your videos are fantastic. Well done.
I have a "Vevor" 7 x 14 mini lathe in my Ebay Cart. Under $400 US free shipping. I appreciate all the cool fixes and improvements you made! I have been studying up on metrology in preparation to build an Epoxy Granite CNC. I am ready to scrape and measure. I have a myriad of small projects that I have been managing to use a drill press as a lathe on, the next is a telescope project or turn down some delrin to fit carbon fiber tubes. I have to make 32. So a mini lathe is on the menu.
The best video on the topic so far! I would give you a hundred likes & subs if possible. It´s determination which makes the difference; and how nice it is hearing someone talking about solutions and not about the shortcomings of cheap tools/machines. Think about it: Who could afford a lathe 20 yrs ago. And that in this size with those possibilities? So, this video is an inspiration. Wembley...that wasn´t a goal. 😉To become as good as you in tuning a cheap lathe is absolutely one. With love from a german lad.
I’ve had my lathe about 5 years now, I use it often for my business rebuilding vintage magnetos. I’ve fitted the QCTP, tailstock DRO, I even bought a DRO for the main travel similar to your design (they’re 3D printed & sold on eBay). I also fitted taper roller bearings to the headstock. Your problem with the carriage twisting is due to your modification for the slide adjustment. You need to add some strips front & rear in where the slide goes along the edges of the bed. I used ground flat stock & drilled & tapped some adjustment screw holes (dimples to match in the flat stock) so they act like gibs in there. It’s fiddly but it certainly makes a difference. Those original strips were supposed to sit at a slight angle & take up the movement in both directions, your modification (which is similar to what I did) sits flat so only holds it down, doesn’t stop the twist. There’s probably a better way, but I needed my machine so used what I had at the time. Anyway, mine’s been great, but I’ve yet to put a cover on the back of the apron (yes it’s a problem, but I get by) & I’ve got a 2-axis magnetic tape readout (from a Chinese website for around £50) to act as a DRO which I REALLY need to get on & fit, I just haven’t had the time. I won’t bother with the leadscrew cover, I just don’t think it’s necessary, a nice touch though.
I have a Sherline mini lathe. I really struggled with parting for the longest time. I would quickly get chatter and it would bind and stall. I eventually found some success with a fairly high feed rate and lots of lubrication. But it was obvious that it still wasn't happy and if I didn't get the feed rate just right it would chatter or stall outright. Just recently I finally had a eureka moment. I took extra time to ensure the height of the tip of my parting tool was exactly centered with the axis of the lathe and WOW what a difference! Parting is a breeze now!
What a great video. I learnt machine tool handling at school (lathes, milling machines, etc) and absolutely loved working with metal achieving precision and attractive finishes. That was 54 years ago and I'd still enjoy it today, if I had them. I'm really impressed with the detail solutions that have optimised aspects step by step to make a rough tool ever better. And - I really found your narration voice a delight to listen to. Probably something to do with my Yorkshire ancestry. All the best, Rob in Switzerland
Thankyou for your kind words. It's good to have you along!
Excellent points made on this lathe, I've owned one for a similar amount of time,.... it's certainly better than no lathe, I've made and repaired many things with it over the years. Done a few of the same mods, always looking to do more.
Really appreciate this, yoube got a great voice and bloody useful insights. Cheers
Most everything mirrored my experience with the exception that mine was worse off to start with. I am not a professional machinist, though I did work maintenance at a large shop and repaired everything. The only two machines in the shop that I could use were the huge format flamecutter and the gear hob. Both were because I had to make them work and bring them into spec when they got hauled in, used and abused by the boss. After getting the gear hob going for a while I was the one that had to set it up and run it because of my math background. I had to make drawings for the machinists to make the blanks because even though I repaired them, I never learned to run the lathes or mills. I did exactly one part on a Leblond out of some bronze. I made a pen that replaced the torch tip on the flamecutter for calibrating the kerf and axis linearity. It was faster, cheaper, and easier to trace on paper than to keep cutting and measuring steel. It was a spring loaded papermate refill cartridge that was held together by a grub screw at the top. OD turning, drills and a hand tap.
Nice to see a balanced review 😀
Nice summary of the modifications done. I did install a drive speed reduction to mine, which also allowed the use of standard XL sized timing belts. I changed the drive ratio from the standard 1.82 to 1 to a more useful 2.5 to 1. This slowed the spindle speed a decent amount, and noticeably increased the torque available too.
Brilliant. Now I know it can be done it might move up my to-do list!
Any concern about the extra torque stripping out the gears? I suppose the tachometer still works properly?
The tachometer is attached to the spindle, so it will read correctly however it is driven. You make a good point I'd not considered -the drive drain will have to withstand any extra torque too! Perhaps I'll have to look at replacing those nylon change gears with metal after all... Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧
@@TheRecreationalMachinist I don't know how critical your mini-lathe is to your channel and such, but if you like to live dangerously, run the current gears until they give up. Could make for a couple of really useful videos if they do go out. If they last, then you've saved a lot of money. 👍
sorry im new and looking into getting a chinese mini lathe. What does increasing the torque do? Does that mean it will cut into the metal better?
Incredibly well made video!
My mini lathe story began when I ordered a Harbor Freight 7X12 (Sieg) machine. In an unexpected turn of events, I was gifted a brand new Grizzly G0765 7X14 mini lathe the day after I received the HF unit. The Grizzly had many more features than the HF, and as a result the HF sat in its crate. Being a total newbie to lathe operations, I was parting off a piece several inches from the chuck, and the stock suddenly climbed the parting tool! The machine was instantly locked up, shattering the parting tool and destroying the plastic gears in the headstock! Completely my fault! A set of metal replacement gears were ordered from Little Machine Shop and installed in the lathe, but it’s a move I’ve always regretted because of the increase in noise! If/when I have the headstock off, I’m going to put plastic back in it, but I’ve actually quit using that machine because experience has shown me that the HF is a better machine! On another note, I noticed that the apron on your lathe was green which is out of character for a white & blue lathe! What’s the deal with that? Great video!
This is the funniest video I’ve ever seen about a lathe and I’m not even interested in lathes. Loved it!
Was so nice to see all... You are right... we need challenges every day and to have one in the garage not only is an excellent idea but an inspiration every morning... (When we have no "Honey Do") Thanks from the other side of the Ocean.
Great video Sir, very complete and covers some great information. These are great little lathes but they have their limits. If one treats them kindy they always reward with some very nice work. I have had the HF 8x12 lathe for about 15 years. I think a paid about 550.00 back then. It has paid for itself many times over and made some very nice projects over thise years and continues to do so. If anyone is thinking about a little lathe the video should help with making the decision to buy or not.
I went for a new Chinese 9x19 lathe rather than the mini lathe. More room to work than with the mini. It uses 3 different belt positions for slow, medium and fast speeds. With each lower speed you get an increase in torque, something the variable speed mini will not give you. I bought mine from a local commercial machine supplier. It was more expensive than if I could have bought a similar lathe from an online listing. Partly because the dealer only brought in machines that were of a higher quality, better finished units. With all this stuff you can get machines of a higher quality but at a higher price.
This video is shockingly well made!
I went old heavy. Very happy with the decision, although I had all the sliding surfaces machined and scraped a year ago. That upgrade was 12 times the cost of the original lathe purchase, and worth every penny!
Was it easy enough to find someone to do that work for you?
@@Rich10000 No. It wasn't easy. There are only a few places that do this in the states.
First lathe was a Emco maximat 11, it seemed somewhat light duty but got the job done. After I bought the next lathe, a Schaublin from the 60's, it changed everything! 3000 rpm makes all the difference with small parts. It weighs 3 time that of the Emco and it shows. What a machine!
I'm also planning to buy a lathe machine for my research and development projects, your video helped me to Target those areas that I've to think more deeply about, I'll watch more videos like this to gain knowledge....
I bought a mini lathe a little over eight years ago. I always wanted a lager one but I thought this could tach me about machining with little risk to my wallet or person - indeed it did. by the time I sold it, four years later, I had learned lots bout machining and lathe mechanics. I replaced all the gears with metal - this taught me about lapping, broaching, boring etc and so the list goes on. I now have a 760Kg lathe in my garage and make all manner of parts for myself and others. If I had bought this beast straight away I'm sure I would be much poorer and missing the odd body part! Great video. Oh and the lathe - I sold it to a friend who now uses it to machine small custom parts for Harley Davidson motorcycles and he is astounded by how accurate it now is!
Had a 2nd hand Warco version of your lathe for around 2 years now. Got it for learning, enjoying it, and pleased to see I'm on a similar upgrade path of yours. One thing - mounted my lathe on piece of 15mm steel plate (offcut from engineering firm). The extra weight and stability helps a lot - cuts now just a bit deeper and gets an improved finish (sounds better too!). Would like to see how you get on with the sealed taper bearings.
What a good video, I’m a super happy owner of the same “amadeal” Chinese lathe and I just had so much fun and experience by setting to run to my taste. I think is great experience for novices like me. The one thing that I would like to improve is the tail stock and would love to get better understanding on your one
Great video, thanks for posting. I'm going to try the cutoff tool you recommended with my old Atlas lathe.
You are an excellent instructor! Ever think about making instructional videos? You are captivating while adding a little bit of humor. I look forward to watching your work and learning from it.
Enjoyed this one mate. I'm looking at getting one of these VEVOR mini lathes myself now so this video helps no end. I see u have a few videos on upgrades over the years too which helps a lot as well. The lathe I was looking at was an 1100W motor with 750mm btwn centres but like u showed here that doesn't always mean it is with Chuck and drill parts installed .. The lathe I'm looking at is about 1200 Euros but when I see a video like this it makes me think of getting one of these 7x14" models. I want to be able to machine small parts for other machines tbf and I'm not trying to build a rocket ship to take me to Moon so one like this would be awesome to have in my small garage shop.. This and a couple other videos I watched this morning have pushed me to buy one of these lathes now. Thanks for all the information. It's helped me a lot pal. Obviously upgrades will come in the future but for now I'm going to buy the lathe and get cracking.. Take it easy mate.. Salute from Dublin..
I use a mini lathe at my favorite maker space. Mini Machine Shop brand and there's a same brand mill there too. My biggest issues are other users not knowing how to maintain or align tools. I made an hourglass because of someone. I am one of the people there with just as much ability to fix the tools as I can use them. I do a lot of it. But metal turning is worth it. I can't turn wood into engines. The wedge for the compound slide is so finicky to set. I spent 30 minute fiddling with it to find the lightest point without play.
A lot of great information and tips here. Thank you. 🍻
Two minutes in and I like you already - Subscribed.
I too started with a minilathe, a Sieg SC2, but when I consistently made parts that challenged its work envelope I went with an old M300. Parts for Harrison lathes can be expensive, but the minilathe stepped up to remake worn out shafts for the bigger machine. I finally sold the minilathe, 5 yrs after the M300 arrived, a couple of weeks ago.
I started really really small and picked up a Unimat SL. Then I got lucky a picked up an Emco compact 5 AND a Emco compact 8. I'm currently enjoying the compact 5 of the three but happy with my current selection. I'm still on the look out for a nicely sized mill.
I don't have a mini lathe, but I think they are great fun. If you see the machine itself as a project, it's a promise of a lot of good times to make it better.
Fantastic video and information. .! Great share of experience..., thank you.
Great video! I have had a Mini Lathe for 2 years. Unfortunately, nothing has changed in terms of quality. I have the same problems. But with a little time and love you can definitely achieve something.