Here you go guys. A couple of older pictures of my 1974 Clausing 5900 series 12X24 lathe and my 1956 Bridgeport J-Head mill.

Tim: Your lathe is real nice....well taken care of. Wish it was mine. I know a guy that has a Clausing lathe. I will take a photo of it if I can. It is older looking. Needs somes clean-up and repair. Capt,n

Had a 1962 4900 series 10X24 lathe also. Sold it a while after I got this one. This one has variable hydraulic speed control. That is the only reason I moved up. Belt changes were a pain at times. Best thing about Clausing and Bridgeport machines is parts are still available for them. Very few changes to the mill over the last 50 years or so. Parts interchange.

Thanks Capt,n. I try to maintain my machines with TLC. I love the old machines. Spent years trying to get all the original attachments for the lathe. Have all I need now. Nothing made like them anymore. In the USA. The mill for its age is as good as new too. Came from a model shop and has been rescraped to new condition. I have since added a VFD drive to change speeds from zero on up by pressing a button.

Handiest attachment and best timesaver I ever got for my mill was the X Y digital readout, no more counting turns..
Less than $1000, it's now over 10 years old and still perfect....0005 resolution, metric and inch readout, and fine and coarse and radius and diameter on the readouts...I would be lost without it...

That is on my wish or want list. Building a new house and shop now so that will be a while.

For anyone viewing this thread check out littlemachineshop.com.I went there and looked at there reference section wich has a breakdown of all features and tech data from the mini lathes from china.they all come ffrom the same factory it says on there site.It also has user guides and all replacable and new parts and accessaries for all the lathes.there is also a learning center and they tell you step by step how to use or tool about anything on your lathe and about using all the tools youll use.a lot of questions can be answered there as mine where.im down to chosing the lathe i want now.

Volfy: I read that lathe comparison data on post 17. After a lot of checking I find the 8x12 talked adout in the the comparo... is not near the lathe the 9x20 Lathe is. The 8x12 may have more cross travel....but the 9x20 can turn bigger dia stock. It is worth reading data...but may be miss-leading in some ways. I will check more yet to find out for sure. best Regards Capt,n[:-]

captinjohn, every one of these 7x, 8x and 9x have their pluses and minuses. You just have to decide which fits your requirements best. For example, if you need to cut left-handed threads frequently, 7x is a better bet. Neither 8x or 9x come stock with a reverse tumbler gear for the feed screw. OTOH, if you need the extra inches (for gunsmithing say), 9x is obviously the choice. Keep in mind, though, a lathe should really be qualified by the chuck size, not the swing-over-bed. There are a few folks who put a 5" chuck on their 7x - not for the faint of heart IMHO - but they can hold just about any workpiece a 9x with a 5" chuck can. Between centers isn't much of a concern for RC stuff, since most engine work don't involve anything longer than 10".

I ruled out 7x from the start, because of the size issue and the fact that you pretty much have to rebuild the darn thing to get any sort of precision out of it. Between the 8x and 9x is a tougher choice. I went with the 8x because even though the "spec" reads smaller (8x14 vs. 9x20), it is actually substantially beefier than the 9x. The 8x14 weighs more than the 9x20. The ways are induction hardened and physically wider and the prizms larger than the 9x. The 5" 3jaw and a 5" 4jaw I have for it are plenty big enough, though I've been keeping an eye out for 6" or 6-1/4" 6jaw chucks on Ebay. The lead screw on the 9x is of a somewhat small diameter and very fine pitched. Some owners have reported problems with that.

Again, those are just my thoughts. The 7x and 9x are much more popular and so enjoy better aftermarket support. In the end, any of these will be a good starter lathe. I'm already looking ahead at 12x36 and 13x40.[>:]

The first lathe I owned was a 7X14 from Micromark. Went through a bunch of crap to line it up to where it turned fine parts. Mostly because it was on a bench and not mounted to a concrete floor. That kind of machine is nice for small stuff but you need to take lite cuts or you will twist the bed and or tool post and your parts will not be concentric or true. Bought the Clausing to have access to more tooling ,cheaper, and the value will hold. Besides the fact that sometimes I turn bigger parts too. Bigger and stiffer and I can take a healthy cut and not distort the machine or the work piece. Again space issues will dictate what you buy. If you buy the small machine you need to take the same time and care setting it up as you would a large lathe. When taking cuts go lite and slow and you can make anything you want or need.

Tim

Tim, that is what I am quickly finding out, and I just got into this machining thing. I benefitted from having a good friend who's a serious home machinist. I took his advice of leveling the surface of a good solid workbench before bolting the lathe down on the tabletop. I then checked for any remaining warpage by lightly turning a long drill rod with a sharp bit. Mine turned out better than my 0.001" mic can measure, so no fine adjustment was necessary. It really emphasized that there is no substitute for cast iron, which made me glad I went with the 8x14. It is ready to go right out of the box and a lot of cast iron for the money.

Right now I'm working out of my garage, so the 8x14 will be it. Once I get my workshop built this winter, I'm getting larger machines. Still, it's a good exercise to cut my teeth (maybe literally!) with the small machine. They aren't as intimidating for a rank beginner and, missing features found on larger machines, simpler to operate.

BTW, it's funning seeing your little quickie 500s sitting around the big ol' BP.

Volfy: I got in touch with a different tec at HF. This one I talked with, more or less verified what you guys said about the 8x12(14) so I ordered it. It has a satisfaction deal where as if you are not satisfied...you can return it free. Sounds good to me. Thanks Capt,n

Volfy, You can have a perfectly level bench but you still need to level the lathe to the bench. Left to right and front to back and shim as needed. Also check that the tailstock is true or you will turn a taper and not know it. Easy way is to turn a test bar between centers. Turn a bar and leave a collar each end of equal size. Now go to one end and take a very light cut. Leave the dials and settings alone and move the saddle to the other collar and take the same light cut. Now mic the collars. If they are the same size you are running true and your tailstock is perfect. If not you need to adjust the tailstock one way or the other to compensate for the taper and take another light cut. Keep doing this until you are true or so close you can't adjust it anymore. You won't be turning between centers for a hub but when you drill a hole to thread your hub it will be off and your hub and prop won't run true. Hope this might help. Once you set up your machine you will be fine and your work will improve too. All you need to do is check it once in a while unless you move something. Then you need to do these things again. Actually the BP isn't all that big for its 2100 pounds just very rigid. Amazing that the thing is 50 years old and way better of a machine than some of the imports ever could be. Most copied machine I know of.

Tim

Tim, thanks for the detailed explanation. I did something similar. The workbench has a 1-1/2" laminated hardwood top and rated for 1200lbs load. It doesn't seem to even notice the 245lbs lathe. I checked the bedways for level and they were good. I didn't use collars and took the light cut directly on the drill rod. Next time I will use collars and maybe better resolution mics.

captin, good for you! After you had a chance to look at it, let us know how you like it.

Volfy, I read your post again and if you are out .001 on say a 10 inch bar then you are running a taper of .0001 per inch. Say your hub is 2 inches long you are out a mere .0002 over the length of the hub. Very acceptable and really excellent results. Another way I double check my machine and work is to use a V block and an indicator. I set the V block on my mill under the quill which has an indicator in it. Put the hub in the V block and raise the knee until the indicator makes contact with the hub. Now slowly rotate the hub and watch the needle for movement. Don't loose sleep if you were out a couple tenths on the mic reading and double that on the indicator reading. Remember your useless math classes from years back? [X(] Now we get to use it! Remember you are getting TIR or total indicated runout here. Meaning your actual runout is really half the reading on the indicator. Where did you get the laminated top? I am building a new house now which means I get to setup a new shop. Yep bigger too!! Anyway, I am looking for material that will be good and solid for a new workbench and assembly bench. By the way there are many good web sites that deal with machining. Here are a couple:

www.practicalmachinist.com
www.metalillness.com
www.metalworking.com

There are aslo Yahoo groups you can look to as well as two very good machining magazines I subscribe to. Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop. Village Press publishes them bi-monthly. I get a kick out of the metalillness name as it describes the "disease" some of us have!

Tim

Tim, I found a great heavy duty bench top thru my local "Granite Kitchen Counter Top" store. Not a granite top but the old counter top they were replacing. These old tops are almost 2" thick, heavy and straight. I found couple that were just over 6' long. The best part is they are FREE.

For what it's worth, I use a drip pan for a car, about 3ft x 2ft under my small lathes to catch oil drips and such, It makes cleanup eaiser. If you decided to use liquid coolant, just add a drain and you have pan to catch it. Just use a small bit of RTV under the feet of the lathe for gaskets.

If you can get some old kitchen cabinet bases with drawers, they make a good workbench base. For a top, you can pick up a cheap solid core door, and if you are lucky, one that hasn't been drilled yet. They make a great workbench top. I lay down some 1/4" oiled masiionite over it and it will take quite a beating. Nice and stiff, and resist warping. Just make sure you seal it with a good outdoor varnish on all sides to start. I also like to lag a 2x4 to the wall and use that for the back support of the bench. It allows some serious work if you add a vise. No movement at all.

Don

I have not got my Lathe yet, but I think I may be able to get a welded up stand/bench from my son-in-law. He can get stuff like that from the toss out area where he works. May have to modify it some-what. I like the Idea of a drip pan or steel top. Also I think I will attach it to wall and floor with very big screws. Just saw a add in a small paper FOR SALE....Metal Lathe.. Atlas by Clausing with bench 6x18 with milling atachment and extras $375. I called but it was SOLD I bet it was worth it. Capt,n

Capt'n, A steel bench is always better. While you are making it, make some sort of leveling system. If the legs are square tubing, you can just weld a slug of steel on the bottom, then drill and tap for adjustable feet. 5/16" thread at a minimum.

For leveling the lathe, you would level the bench first, the set the lathe on it and check the feet to make sure they are in full contact with the top. You want a no rock condition. If there is a bit of daylight under one of the screw holes, you will introduce a warp in the bed when you tighten things down. A small lathe like the 8x doesn't have to be exactly level, but it won't like a twist in the bed. You can either shim up the mounting area untill all four points are tight, or you could use some epoxy putty and "bed" the feet. Just put a flat of mixed putty under each bolt area and position the lathe. No bolts yet. Once the epoxy has set, you can then drill out and in the holes and then bolt down the lathe. We used to use cement when we did the big machines. Once you have a good solid bed for the lathe to set on, you can level the whole bed, or if it isn't way off, just start using it. The reason for leveling a lathe is to make sure there is no twist in the bed of the lathe. On the big ones, even as stout as they are, it is easy to twist the beds with an uneven floor. Keeping everything straight is the goal and the easist way to accomplish this is to use a level as this gives a very accurate reverence line.

You will enjoy the lathe, it is a tool I use most often. Humm, I still need to finish my collet chuck back plate. Started it months back and it is still not finished. Then on the the P&W Wasp Jr engine I wan't to build.

Don

Tim, the 1-1/2" laminated hardwood top came with the workbench, which I bought [link=http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200322005_200322005]here[/link]. I replaced the threaded casters with adjustable machine mounts.

When I get around to furnishing my workshop, I plan to make 1-1/2" benchtops by gluing 3/4" MDF on top of 3/4" plywood. The MDF makes a nice smooth worksurface, and the plywood will provide good load handing. Home Depot has this [link=http://homedepot.bighammersoftware.com/ProductInfo.aspx?cid=834245&pid=a46c77d2-f870-47e8-8fe0-0a1d1c1c4084]3/4" AraucoPly[/link] that I've found to be excellent material for benchtops. It's nearly the quality of hardwood ply but at regular pine plywood prices.

Solid Core door panels used to make great benchtops, but these days you need to be careful about buying them. Not all "solid cores" are made the same. There is lumber core, which is what they used to sell in the old days, with softwood (usually pine) sadwiched between hardwood (Luan, Birch, etc.) sheets. Then there is "fiber core", which has MDF for the core. There is even one with polyurethane foam filled energy-efficient "solid core" doors, which would be my choice for actually using as doors, but they make poor benchtops.

I am about to purchase some Lahe tools for my 8x12/14 lathe. I will post some photos below. If anyone can give me some good ideas...please do. Thanks Capt,n

Get some plain old HSS tool bits and learn how to grind them. IMHO, they give a better finish on most metals compaired to Carbide. Espically on small lathes. Of course, I havnen't taken the time to setup corectly for Carbide. I know they like faster cutting speeds and deeper cuts. Production cuts. For most of the work we'll do on small items like engine parts, a properly ground HSS tool bit will give much better performance. Where you need a Carbide took, you realy need it. Few and far inbetween though for light work. One thing you will have trouble doing is dusting off a thousands with a carbide bit. Easy with a HSS though.

Get a good cut off tool, again HSS, and read up on setting it up. Nothing like ripping a piece of work out of the chuck to wish you had set up the tool correctly. It's not hard, but it's one of those things that thre is the right way, and anything else just won't work.

A good QCTP is great, but nothing like an old lantern post with a rocker for getting into the hard places. Like most things each has it's place.

Don

Can most of the small Lathes be adapted to use the post/rocker holder? Thanks Capt,n

I bought a rocker post for mine. Thats what I used in high school many many years back. I would've had to make a new piece for it. A machinist buddy talked me into buying the series 100 quick change tool post. Was easy to adapt. Glad I did it. I might make the part later on for practice sake.
Edwin

Been reading this with interest!

Campgems, how do you get that old fashioned lantern post attached onto a 9x20? Need a special base or something?

I am fixing to cut down the flywheel of a B&S 34cc conversion shortly. I will use my regular QCTP for that. But I like learning about all other options.