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Craig: I guess my biggest problem is not having hands on experience with the new mini lathes. I do not mind paying the price for a sd400 Prazi if it is that much better than the others. Maybe the sd 300 would be strong enough to turn 2" & under 420 ss inserts, but I doubt it. Lingering questions.... 1) I'm guesiong that the chinese lathes are good enough to hold +/- .0005 on a .5 to 2" diameter x 1" Long. so why pay $3500. for the Prazi, when for $1200 - $1500. you can have the lathe with all accessories? 2) If this is the case is the lathemaster 8 x 14 the one to have or is it just a smaller 9x20? (I'm not impresed with the jet 9x20) 3)Is the Micro Mark as good as it looks or are there electrical problems with the variable speed as in others? 4) Are the older atlas or south bend lathes better or worse at holding tolerances than the chinese? I appreciate all the help I can get. The problem is if I ask a dealer these questions they always try to build up thier product and downgrade the others.

The raised land on my spindle plate measures 2.154 rather than 2.165 as given on the mini-lathe site. Sure enough, the recess in the chuck measures 2.165. In order to mount my 3 jaw chuck I first snug the nuts slightly, put a rod in the chuck, and use an indicator on the rod. I rotate the chuck so the high point is up and tap the chuck on the top with a block of wood; this is not a well controlled process so it typically takes several minutes to get TIR between 1 and 2 mils, when I tighten the nuts. Is there a better way to center the chuck? Is the mis-match between the land and the recess common? I expected the chuck to center itself on the spindle land but this mis-match apparently precludes that. John

I know this has been asked, but I coudln't find any answers when I searched... What's the largest diameter one can turn with an 7x12? I have a project where I need to turn a 6" piece of alum but not sure if a 7x12 can do it. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Just wondering why nobody ever posts any messages in this group. Ryan The Sign Guy

Ok people I have some questions about small mills from HF: Does anyone out there have any experience with the Micro-mill HF is selling now? ($279 in the local store.) As I see it it has 2 plus's, a small footprint and only weighs about 100 lbs. One giant question, is it as prone to broken gears as the mini-mill apparently is? 2nd question is: Is it sufficently rigid/powerful to mill steel? Yeah I know this is a lathe list not a mill list but there is so much unreasoned prejudice (on the subject of mills) over on the other lathe list that thought I would throw it out here and see what is said. Regards Bob

Some of this message may be off topic since it concerns the new Homier 12 Speed Drill Mill. If so, I'm sorry and I won't do it again. The mini lathe availablity is in the following paragraph. For any who may be interested, I went to the Homier show in Bessemer, Alabama this morning (2-4-03) and they had 5 of the originial 7x12 mini lathes (one box was open and the way wipers etc., were on it), two mini mills and two $199.99 Drill Mills as of 11AM. The $599 mill drill sold before I got there at 9:45AM. The sale starts at 10 supposedly but folks were already leaving with their arms full when I arrived at 9:45AM. There was only one $199 Drill Mill when I left since I bought one. I already have both their mini mill and mini lathe via mail order. Other than a $100 dust collector and a few piddly odds and ends, the balance of the show was pretty slim. The savings on shipping is huge. Since I haven't seen any other descriptions of the Drill Mill #3989 (3/4 HP Drilling and Tapping Machine), I'll post what I have measured so far for any who are interested. This appears to be the same as the 12 speed Drill Mill Harbor Freight sells. Except it is a peculiar shade of red-orange. The paint really looks more like some kind of painted on filler glop and is cracked in places. It could really use a nice new overcoat of (fill in your favorite color here) paint. Particulars: -No vise -MT2 spindle -5/8" drill chuck -Milling Table is 6" x 16 1/2" -Travel is ~ 4 1/4" x 9" (the 4 1/4" is an estimate of where it would hit the column if it were installed. -The backlash checked 0.008" on the x axis and 0.011" on the y. -The handwheels are pitifully marked with stick on paper labels showing 1-4 with no zero and ten minor divisions. I measured 4mm travel per turn for each axis. -Motor is 3/4HP UL Listed. I haven't gotten the head out of the box far enough to read the motor label yet. But the UL sticker is on the top side and the literature says it is 3/4 HP. -The manual stinks. No specs at all. The table movement is far smoother than either the mini mill or mini lathe. I bought it to do a CNC conversion when time permits. I'm intending to try it with the existing lead screw first with perhaps a mod to adjustable nuts to get the backlash down a little first. For $216 out the door it's a much less scary thing to try if I should attempt ball screws later. Plus I'll have the mini mill to work on it with. Mike Nash

Good Afternoon All: Finally got most kinks out of my alignment problems with replacement parts from Homier. Headstock, saddle, cross-slide and compound assemblies were replaced. Accuracy is dramatically improved, although new problem is headstock is 0.015" lower than the tailstock. What would be the preferred method of correction? Should I shim the headstock, and if so, is there a difference in brass vs. steel shims? Or, should the tailstock base be carefully cut down? Replacement of the parts has improved accuracy greatly, but due to this height difference, I get a slight chatter and taper 0.0055" on a 9.5" length of stock. I attribute the chatter to the height difference as the tool advances toward the headstock. If you advise that shimming the headstock is the preferred method, I would also consider upgrading the spindle bearing to ABEC-3 units, in contemplation of eventually using a 4 or 5" 4-jaw chuck on this lathe. Have any of you changed these bearings? If so, any notable difference in how the lathe sounds/operates? Any suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Nick

I realize a new lathe needs to be adjusted and tweaked but yall are getting into milling and shimming a new lathe to get it to line up right. Is this typical for these Asian lathes. If I couldnt get one to adjust right I would send it back for another lathe or for a refund. I dont want to have to buy a milling machine to start taking metal off of a brand new lathe.

Hi, I am debating on which lathe to buy the 7x12 or 9x20 and was wondering what the largest cap. that a 4 jaw chuck will hold in either of these 2 lathes? I think that the 7x will be large enough though I will have to purchase the 4 jaw for it. Also what is the largest recommended size chuck for the 7x? Is the speedway as good a lathe as say the Grizzly or HF? Thanks for any info, cfshouse

If anyone is interested, Homier will be in Burlington, NC Jan.30-Feb 2 at the National Guard Armory ( I think thats where.) Matt

Hi gang! I've been playing,er, working with the lathe and learning a lot....now fer some info. 1- What type of tool is best for what job? considerations: cost, main material is plastic (PVC), some metal involved to keep if interesting. is there a general purpose tool for most use? HSS or carbide....pre-made or grind my own? 2-Is there a way to hold square or odd pieces in a 3-jaw chuck? 3- Is there a good book to learn these things from...i.e. 'Metal Lathes for dummies" 4- Suggestion for a good 1st time real project, thats easy! Thanks , Matt

Does anyone know if the 4-jaw chuck from HF..priced at $49.99... fits the Speedway 7x12 from Homier? Believe it or not, the local HF store has them...yes them, several in stock! And the faceplate. Gonna go spend some money!!!!! Matt, kf4zgz

What are the first two accessories I should get now that I have a lathe. I'm on a quest today. Off to see the wizard...no , off to find a mt2 arbor for a Jacobs chuck. Matt, kf4zgz

Hi everyone. I am a new member and this is my first posting on this site. I have been bitten by the lathe bug and Im thinking of buying a Homier (Speedway) 7X12. I figure since most of you do mods and upgrading to your lathes than I should start out with the cheap one and add, as I need, the accessories and modifications. Does this seem like the right road to take or should I spend a couple of more hundred dollars for one of the other ones. The only thing keeping me from ordering is, I cant make up my mind which one to get. Jack

What have the members here found to be a good working height for the mini-lathes (bed height) ? I'm considering using the lower half of a roll-away tool box, or something similar. Any comments? Dean

Hi all, Here is a sketch of what I need to make (> 20 pieces). http://www.narwani.org/neil/stuff/ME02-perspective.jpg The unit will be used for gauges for my, and a friend's car. This will be my *excuse* for purchasing a lathe, and other appropriate tools. Wondering if someone can assist my letting me know if I'm on the right track. The Plan: ========= BEZEL: Only aesthetic part. I'm using 2.25" ID, 1.75" ID for the ring, as I can get tubing with these dimensions from places like McMaster. I'd need to cut thin slices (about 3/8" thick) from the tube to make a ring, then use a lathe to cut back a part of the inside to ~ 2" ID. BODY: I'll use 2" OD, 1.9" ID tubing here, cut to a length of approx 2". Only lathe work here is the threads. I can make the tabs by using a fiberglass cutoff-wheel or other saw. BACK COVER: I'll use sheet-metal for this, but not sure what's the best process to cut clean consistent circles. My Questions: ============= - Is the cut on the inside of the bezel easy with a lathe? I'm still not sure if the cutting tools will get in there easily. - Are internal threads easy to cut with a lathe? - Can I do the bezel w/o damage or marks to the outside surface? - What's a good way to cut thin, clean slices of the rings? I'd like to avoid manual polishing/cleaning as much as possible. Is there some way I can cut it on a lathe so any marks are circular (so it looks more like a pattern)? - Alternate option is to not use threads, and instead let the body slide snugly into the bezel. Then I'd use a small set-screw going vertically from the bottom of the bezel to hold the body on. - Any easier way to attach the cover to the body? I don't mind welding (to avoid cutting the tabs), but not sure how to do this w/o a tig welder, and that's way to expensive for me now. I'm trying to make this a science rather than an art, so I get consistent repeatable results. So I don't mind making jigs where necessary. Any other info towards these goals is much appreciated. Thanks much, -Neil.

I'll admit that I'm a new member here, though I've been watching the list for a while. A few weeks ago an Atlas 6x18 *followed* me home, in exchange for a minimal fee. My intent was to get back into some small machining, and making small parts to repair some of the vintage woodworking equipment I have. As luck would have it the 6x18 is in need of several parts. The dilema I face is whether to wait out the parts on eBay, or procede with a 7x purchase. In the meantime I've given considerable thought to a 7x. I've done a fair amount of research and have spent hours over on Frank's web site. I was all set to call Homier and order a 7x12, when comments appeared regarding the MicroMark 7x14. This brings me to my primary question. Are there enough advantages to the 7x14 MicroMark to justify buying it? The cam-lock tailstock is a nice feature, but a *suitable substitute* can be made. I guess the thing that caught my eye was the *True-Inch* measurements. Is this worth the extra $250 over similar 7x12s? Any idea if an aftermarket *True-Inch* product is in the works or available now? I would be greatful for any user comments on the MicroMark 7x14. Thanks, and I hope to be a valued contributor in the near future. Dean

OK the wife TOLD me to go get a lathe!!!! I see HF's 7x10 is down to $329.00. 7x10, 7x12 they both are big enough for what I want.I have been to mini_lathe.com but can't make up my mind. Any thoughts on which one to chose if it was you and why? Thanks, Tim

Hii Friends, My name is Frank and I m realy happy to join this group which i feel is of great importance to me.Workin in this field for almost 6 years , I hop[e i can contribute as well. Well friends , at present I m looking for a fixture for boring of jaws for different diameters (ID as well as OD). presently i m carrying out this by holding different sizes of packing rings for different dia.can anybody suggest some better idea for carrying out this operations? Regards, Frank --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now

Hello, I am considering purchasing a second larger lathe. My first being a Sherline. I am considering the lathe from Samuel Machinery and thought I would ask the group about the lathes and company before I part with hard earned dollars. I am looking at the BV20 and BV25. But might go with smaller CH-350 since were I live is not permement and I may move in the next 3-5 years. If someone has these products and wishes to e-mail me off list. Or point me to another groups to ask my quests that would be great. Thanks