29 replies to this topic

[havlicek]

This looks like another product made by the folks who make the little belt sander.  About the same price, same DC power and for some reason also intriguing.  Probably not as useful for slots...or maybe?  Anyway, I'm a little more wary of just how useful a lathe like this could be than a belt sander.  Still, for turning little stuff out of plastic, or just screwing-around as a way to relax...maybe.

 

https://homieholdsho...KvaiEJkflUvvw8g

[Don Weaver]

Couldn't do much turning without a tool post holder/cross slide.  Looks more like a wood lathe.

 

Don

[havlicek]

Couldn't do much turning without a tool post holder/cross slide.  Looks more like a wood lathe.

 

Don

 

Hi Don,

     It is a "wood lathe" and there is a toolpost and even itty bitty tools.  I imagine it could be useful for turning small parts out of plastic...wheel inserts and such, but more likely than not just something to pass the time on a rainy day.

[mreibman]

I believe those are usually marketed as bead lathes. They typically run anywhere from $30-$100 depending on source.

Useful as a sander or polisher, but you're not turning anything on them with precision.

[bradblohm]

Silicone coated foam tires...

[havlicek]

I believe those are usually marketed as bead lathes. They typically run anywhere from $30-$100 depending on source.

Useful as a sander or polisher, but you're not turning anything on them with precision.

 

Well, an awful lot of things are turned on wood lathes using just a tool rest (*instead of the tool post on metal lathes),profile gauges, calipers etc.  The work done on those type lathes, and with very "imprecise" arrangements ranges in size from way-smaller than ball point pens to large tree trunks.  For more precise work (*and again, not on metal), I would be more concerned about headstock to tailstock alignment, but it seems as though that could be tweaked if necessary looking at the machine.

Just thinking about Brad's post above, I do think that it wouldn't be that difficult to adapt it for that (and maybe other) uses.

[mreibman]

Just an example, https://www.amazon.c...d/dp/B074PRFLML

Your mileage may vary.

Cheap Chinese product. Low price. Low quality.

Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick any two.

I have a unit that purports to be a 6 in 1 lathe tool... All I can really use it for us sanding.

[havlicek]

Even better! 

[Dave Crevie]

Hold everything. How is that a CNC machine?

[MSwiss]

Yes, I also saw the CNC claim, in the advertisement, for one of these small tools and just smiled.

[MSwiss]

Here, I ran into the video on FB, again.

 

Complete CNC machining center processing with high precision and full use of materials.

[Dave Crevie]

removed

[havlicek]

Hold everything. How is that a CNC machine?

 

I have the same reaction every time I see a fast food burger commercial and they make it look like the glorious creation of a James Beard Award-winning chef! 

[Dave Crevie]

I tried to post the promo video for the new 7-axis machining center the company I retired from just bought. It wouldn't

load, but I will go over to visit and will take some video while I'm there. A 7-axis does milling and turning. 5 axis for

milling, two for turning. The machine was over a million bucks, and they have two more, larger units ordered. Glad I

don't have to deal with that monster, 5 axis is all I can handle.   

[Dave Crevie]

Every issue of my city's public library booklet has a new surprise. They have a Tek-Play day scheduled for

5 to 7 year olds.(with parent) During the activity "you will design a project at the Imagination Station, then

watch as it is created in a 3-D printer." How soon do they start programming the three-axis routers? If I can

deduce properly using the descriptions for the other classes, kids should be completely CAD literate by age

10. If the big conglomerates that are importing from China at continually increasing prices don't take note,

they are going to miss the boat. As for that "manual CNC" machine, it requires skill and manual dexterity.

Where are the kids going to learn that?  Slot racing maybe?

[Alchemist]

 

Brad said:  

Silicone coated foam tires...

I've been considering converting this "device" (or something similar)  to true/cut down my tires.

 

Still looking though.

 

That is good of you to share this John.

 

Thank you.

 

Ernie

[havlicek]

I figure someone might have a use for it Ernie, so who knows!? 

[Dave Crevie]

Ernie: What were you thinking to use to true the tires?

[Alchemist]

Hi Dave,

 

 

 

Ernie: What were you thinking to use to true the tires?

 

I need to decide which machine would be best for me to convert and then actually have it in hand.

 

 

This was one of the other machines I was considering - it has a more powerful motor:   

 

110V 220W Pearl Drilling Holing Machine Stepless Jewelry Driller Punch Tool

 

 

 

Ernie

[Dan Miller]

For about $400 you can get a Unimat 3 in good condition. Why mess with junk when you can have a decent small lathe that really works? I have a bunch of Unimat 3's and think they are just fine.

[Martin]

If I did not have this old drill press laid on it side, I would buy one.

By the way I pulled this small drill press out of a job site dumpster after some one over stressed the casting. I welded it back together and have use it for decades.I use for all kinds of cleaning and polishing operations.

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[Martin]

.......and then there is is this opp, which I have since made a tool post adapter for the mini lathe.

 

So maybe that lathe that John shared could be made to do a good few jobs, and for $40

It comes down to the run-out in the chuck for tire truing, but it will work for a lot of the other stuff.

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[MattD]

 

I got this from Bangood a couple years ago.    It was less than $30 with free shipping.    I run it from my Minicraft adjustable power supply.   It isn't real powerful, but it is fine for coating sponge tires as Brad mentioned above.    I had a setup I made from an old Erector set but when this was cheap I thought it would be a better option and I could put the Erector set gizmo back in the box.    It does fine, but I can chuck an axle in my  cordless drill and coat tires good enough for the low speed racing we do on my little track.  I can do 4 tires at one time.

[Dave Crevie]

What has gone unconsidered is that drill chucks are not all that true for center. Unless, of course, you use a high quality

keyless chuck for use for jig boring or CNC machines. That would more than triple the investment you have in the machine.

There are plenty of very good tire machines on the market, if that is all you want to do. These would be good for polishing

axles and piano wire, but you can do that in a Dremel. But I guess my biggest concerns are if the headstock is square to the

bed, and if the tailstock is on center with the spindle. Any error there makes the machine useless for any type of turning other

than as a wood lathe. I would say that that is what it was intended for, but why would you use a drill chuck to hold square wood

stock? I'm really puzzled as to what the designer planned to use the machine for. It isn't that far off the drills we use to put flushing

holes into die sinking EDM electrodes. But there is no adjustable table. So I am at a loss.  

[havlicek]

Hi Dave,
 

 

 

What has gone unconsidered is that drill chucks are not all that true for center.

 

I don't know at all that the concentricity of drill chucks has not been considered here.  I certainly am aware of that, but don't see it as necessarily being a consideration for whatever something like this might be used for.  Comparisons between a $40 micro wood lathe and much larger/heavier/more costly machines seem silly to me.  Machines like this are cheap enough to at least consider for some things related to slot cars, and even their inherent inaccuracy may be besides the point.  Even folks with those larger/more accurate machines might use something like this for something.  Writing them off as a waste is purely subjective, and doesn't take into account what others *might* use them for, even if you or I wouldn't.