>From: Keith Kaplan <keithka@microsoft.com>
>
>I'm thinking about buying my first metal lathe sometime soon, so I went
>to my local (Seattle area) Enco and looked around.
Keith,
First step is to locate someone with a whole bunch of back issues
of "The Home Shop Machinist". Read the letters to the editors about
peoples comments.
Typically most come to the conclusion that the Enco machines are
"a starting point", i.e. they will need work and adjustments quite
often to get them working properly. Since I was starting out "fresh"
that left me a little shy on what to buy.
After a couple of years of hunting I found a good used 13" swing
LeBlond. Short bed on my machine. 1950's vintage. Speed range is
25 to 500 rpm, Inch threading. Paid $1500 for it, but it came
with an aloris tool post, and about a dozen fixtures (that would
cost around $800) new. Bottom line, old reliable machine that
cuts wonderfully. LeBlond is near impossible to destroy (I've
tried some really dumb things).
I get the impression that the Seattle area is a good haven for
HSM (Home Shop Machinist).
If you have access to USENET, check out "rec.crafts.metalworking"
and look for their FAQ. LOTS of good information.
Sincerely,
Tom Walter
Austin, TX.
P.S. I am still learning HOW to machine things... nice change of
pace after sitting behind a workstation all day. ;-)
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