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WANTED - Machine tools for small hobby shop

K

kelly skarra

New Member
Looking for machine tools to start up a small hobby shop. I require a smaller engine lathe and prefer a knee mill to go with it. I will entertain anything new or used. I have done a little research and am shying away from any of the Busy Bee products offered. I'm very interested in Precision Matthews equipment and am also curious if anyone has imported these products into Canada.
Any help will greatly be appreciated!!
Thank you.
 
Thank you very much for the reply "kylemp". I'm very interested in the lathe and have contacted the seller already...and will hopefully purchase this unit. The mill I'm not too interested in, mainly due to the location...that and I'm trying to stay with single phase machines so I don't have to run a phase converter.
Thanks again for your help
 
I saw that lathe ad too. I hadn't realized Thomas Skinner sold lighter machines, I don't think they do anymore? If I read the plate correct it said 2007 which is not that old if it had light use. I would inquire about parts availability. I'm going through some 'fun' right now myself on my Taiwan King 14x40 1998 vintage. Some parts are still available but only through machine supply companies with overseas connections. If parts are no longer made this leaves you fewer options - possibly cannibalize & modify from other comparable Asian lathes.

Re PM, maybe John.C will see this post but he brought in a PM mill a while back & shipping/customs was quite painless. The 2 Taiwan lathes are these ones & get pretty good reviews. His other models are Chinese, not a bad thing at all. But not unlike other models out there although I hear Matt upgrades things that you may not see in lookalikes.
http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM1340T.html
http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM-1440GTLathe.html

Depending on your budget, Modern offers 14x40's & has used ones too as another data point.
 
The lathe looks like a good deal... very similar to the Grizzily G0709 Gunsmith lathe... My First mill came from Vancouver. Tailgate delivery was under $400... The same guy has a brand new mill for sale. Kelly if you are interested in a 10X54 mill with DRO I can hook you up... Delivery should be under $600 for the extra weight (it's 3 phase but a VFD can be had for under $300 to run it)
 
Kelly, if you know this already then disregard. But delve into the spindle taper especially on the older industrial machines that come up. The spindle can greatly influence cost/availability of tooling. Many hobby level / light industrial duty are R8. Not that its better, just likely a bit more common to what you might be buying for accessories (drill chucks, end mill holders, boring heads, facing heads, collets, tapping head...). The bigger machines might be CATxxx. I cant speak to cost & availability of those, but just try to avoid something too obscure especially older gen metric. It would be good if you had a buddy with experience to accompany you to check out machine to measure travel, wear, alignment, gearing, motor controls etc. Also check your headroom because some garage ceilings are amazingly close to the reach of these bigger machines.
 
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