Is a mini lathe a good place to start machining?
What are your goals? A mini lathe can be a good tool for some people using the correct materials, tooling, and techniques, but you will spend a lot of time overcoming the shortcomings of small cheap lathes if your goal is to machine steel or tight tolerance parts.
I really just want something I can experiment with that is not super expensive
Do you have any friends locally who are machinists? If so, I’d consider watching the used machine market, and see if they’d be willing to go with you to check out a prospective machine and make sure it isn’t worn out. You’re likely to get a lot more for your money, and if you pick a good inexpensive used machine it could very well outlast a cheap new one, while being more capable. If you can get into at least a 9x20 or so, it’s a noticeable step up from the really cheap “tabletop” machines in what it can spin and how well and quickly it’ll cut steel.
Sometimes it’s cheaper to find an acceptable mill than lathe in the hobby class size of machines, so if you’re not set on a lathe, keep mills in the running as a good tool to have around.
Whatever you buy, if it doesn’t come with tooling, expect to spend about what you spent on the machine to tool up, maybe more if it’s a larger used machine.
I agree with mRhAnKbOt on how to get an inexpensive one. In reality, you can mill on a lathe or turn on a mill if you set it up that way, but obviously it is easier to use each for what it is designed. I would pick based on what you think you’ll want to play around with more - turning or milling, knowing that you can always flip things around if you want to (with the right components).
You will outgrow a mini lath really fast. Then you got to sell it at a loss and need to find a more capable machine. I suggest you declare your maximum budget and search for the best used machine that is within your budget. A “bad” lath is very frustrating and can be dangerous too. So seeing a potential purchase demonstrated by the seller would help, or more ideally an experienced lath operator who you bring with you.
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I haven’t been able to find anything under $500 other than mini lathes
The advice to look for larger used machines is good advice. Buying a tool just because it is cheap is a false economy in the grand scheme of things. Machining isn’t a cheap endeavor and you’ll probably short-change your learning opportunity by constraining your budget to only mini-lathes. Maybe see what a class at a local tech-school costs? They’ll have proper tools and you’ll have a far better grasp of what is important after taking a class.
–Larry
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My 10x20 came from a used machine dealer that got it from a school. It cost me $600. Used machines in the ballpark of your budget can be done, but with a budget of $500, you’re not even going to get a very good mini-lathe if you buy new. I agree with what @LarryFahnoe said above.
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If you want a good basic lathe Little Machine Shop has a good option with their bench lathe. It unfortunately is not in your price range but is the minimum lathe I would recommend for someone starting out. It has power feed and cross feed and can handle a 5 inch chuck without a problem. As small machines go Little Machine Shop is really the only good option as they stock virtually every part of every machine they sell plus a large number of accessories. Most companies that sell cheap mini lathes have no spare parts or support available after the sell. As a beginner support after the sale will be very important to you. You will damage and break things as you learn and you want a machine you can get spare parts for. The 8.5x20 lathe would be my recommendation. Here is the link HiTorque 8.5x20 Bench Lathe 7500 - LittleMachineShop.com Also you should consider the cost of tooling and accessories you will want for a lathe. Likely tooling a live center and a few accessories will run you $500. The typical 7x14 and 7x16 mini-lathes can be good machines for small work if you invest $1200 to $1500 in upgrades and fixes and rebuild them from the ground up. The bench lathe in the link provided is more or less ready to produce quality work out of the box. at a cost similar to buying the mini-lathe and doing all the upgrades needed to do precision work on the little machine. If you want to do machine work as a hobby and tolerances of plus or minus .005 inches are acceptable then the mini-lathe may be an option. If you want to hold tolerances of plus or minus .001 inches or better on a consistent basis then the much better quality bench lathe is a must. The used machine market can also yield some good machines but you have to be able to evaluate them for wear and damage which can be difficult if you are new to machining. Also keep in mind most used lathes coming out of machine shops need 230 volt power where the small bench lathe only need a standard 115 volt outlet. You need to be realistic about what it cost to get into doing metal lathe work. For a basic bench-top lathe and basic tooling you are looking at $3500 to $4000 for a setup that would allow you to easily make quality parts. Another $4000 for a good mill and tooling is likely needed to get to a point where you can make most small items you will become interested in making as you learn about machining. I started out with a mini-lathe and a mini-mill because they were cheap. They caused me enormous amounts of frustration and I finally moved up to the bench-lathe above and the Little Machine Shop bench-mill with a power x-axis feed and DRO. Both of these are bolted down to Husky mobile workbenches from Home Depot so all of my tooling and accessories are stored in the workbenches below the machines. I make a pretty good living machining small parts on these machines for a variety of customers. I recently moved up to a 14x40 commercial duty lathe which allows me to make many of my parts much faster. It was however a roughly $18,000 investment including tooling. Sorry I am getting a little off subject here. I find lots of people swear by their little mini-lathes and they do have a place in the hobbyist market. These same people however have had little or no experience with any other equipment so they don’t really understand the shortcomings of the little lathes. Even the Bench Lathe and Bench Mill I have been using for the last 5 years have limitation that big heavy commercial machines do not have. They however with smaller lighter cuts and a lot of patience can do almost anything the bigger machines can do within the limits of their smaller size. The Bench-top size machines are much more precise and produce much better surface finishes than the mini-lathes and mini-mills can. I do not mean to discourage you but I can tell you that for the money the bench-top series of machines from Little Machine Shop are the best choice for a beginner. They are good enough out of the box to produce precision parts with acceptable surface finishes and will give you the best experiences that can be had from low cost equipment that you can learn on without a huge investment in commercial grade equipment. Again, the most important thing for a beginner is support after the purchase. Buy a cheap mini-lathe from any of thousands of online vendors then damage the saddle or cross-slide and the machine is toast because you can’t get spare parts. To my knowledge Little Machine Shop is the only vendor selling small lathes and mills that readily has almost every part of the machines they sell in stock and ready to ship when you break something. With most other vendors you will need to buy a second machine for spare parts or you will need to be able to make you own replacement parts. Just some things to consider that most beginners don’t consider. Little Machine Shop has financing options via Affirm that might be helpful in affording one of their better machines. They are a large company that only sells small machine shop equipment and accessories unlike most other dealers.
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The lathe that @gdgalloway recommends is like a nicer new version of the 10x20 I bought from the used machine tool dealer. It is exactly the size I was suggesting you consider your “minimum” that you should try for so you don’t get frustrated with the lack of rigidity and capacity. If you get a decent copy and take your time dialing everything in when you get it, when you need to cut a diameter to +/-.0005" for something critical you’ll be able to do it once you’ve got some experience with it (and the right tooling).
I’ve used 14x40 lathes from a number of different brands, and they’re much nicer in most every way, but like he said, way way way out of your budget. Even if you outgrow a decent 8.5x20 from LMS, it’s still going to be a good enough machine to keep around for small projects if you have the space, where a cheap mini lathe is probably going to collect dust or have to be given away (because it’ll have almost no value on the used market, even with tooling).
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A lot depends on the parts you are looking to make. For some, a mini lathe can be too big. Think watchmakers. If you are looking at parts 1" diameter or less, and more aluminum and plastic, than steel. A mini lathe might be fine. Be aware that tooling is often twice the price of the machine, but it can be built up over time. Also, most Chinese machines require some sweat equity to bring them up their full capabilities.
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I was able to pick up a “school “ lathe at a public auction for pennies on the dollar. It still had coating on it from the manufacturer so I know it wasn’t even used. Chuck was crap but the basic machine was in spec. Look at public or school auctions. For a machine like what you are looking at you won’t be bidding against the scrappers or a machinist.
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Sound advice.
One option would be to apply for jobs (with an option of apprenticing) at a machine shop and learn by watching and being around machinists at work
Another option is to take a machining class. Depending where you live there will be beginner class options. I would think you would be able to get an introductory class for $500 or less (Im not sure really?) and get a feel for most of the tools in a machine shop.
If you hit the reply button below the person post they will see that your response is directed at them.
I take it your response was directed to someone in the posting?