Emco Compact 5 lathe / mill

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Emco Compact 5 lathe / mill Vernon 09-25-2008
Posted by Vernon on September 25, 2008, 12:58 am
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While I am fascinated by machining I have neither skill nor experience
as a machinist. Therefore, I will appreciate your help.

I am considering buying an Emco Compact 5 lathe with mill as a gift
for my son. I don't know what generation the machine is. However,
this is not a CNC capable machine.

Will we regret not finding a machine that has the CNC capability? Or
is this the appropriate place to start. My son is studying chemistry
and has an inventor's genius.

Thanks,

Vernon

Posted by Winston on September 25, 2008, 1:49 am
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Vernon wrote:
(...)

> I am considering buying an Emco Compact 5 lathe with mill as a gift
> for my son.

In descending order of importance:

1) You are a good dad.

2) Please consider asking your son to attend a machining class
held at your local junior college. I attended and had a great
time learning the safe and proper way to make things using
machine tools.

3) You and your son will be very pleased to start out with a manual
lathe and mill. If you pay attention, your tools will give you
a 'gut level' feel for the variables that will result
in the most productivity and best surface finish.

4) There is always time to move on to CNC after you have made some
parts on the manual machines. Starting with CNC would cheat you
of an intuitive grasp of the subject.

5) If you are patient, you will hear advice from other members of
this group, most of which are much more qualified than me.
Don't be distressed about apparent differences in opinion.

My $.000002

--Winston

Posted by Rick Samuel on September 25, 2008, 7:40 am
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> Vernon wrote:
> (...)
>
>> I am considering buying an Emco Compact 5 lathe with mill as a gift
>> for my son.
>
> In descending order of importance:
>
> 1) You are a good dad.
>
> 2) Please consider asking your son to attend a machining class
> held at your local junior college. I attended and had a great
> time learning the safe and proper way to make things using
> machine tools.
>
> 3) You and your son will be very pleased to start out with a manual
> lathe and mill. If you pay attention, your tools will give you
> a 'gut level' feel for the variables that will result
> in the most productivity and best surface finish.
>
> 4) There is always time to move on to CNC after you have made some
> parts on the manual machines. Starting with CNC would cheat you
> of an intuitive grasp of the subject.
>
> 5) If you are patient, you will hear advice from other members of
> this group, most of which are much more qualified than me.
> Don't be distressed about apparent differences in opinion.
>
> My $.000002
>
> --Winston

CNC is not really needed, Winston is right about learning on manual
machines. CNC is great for long run/multiple parts. One part is faster on
a manual. And you develop a worth while skill.



Posted by Brian Lawson on September 25, 2008, 8:03 am
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wrote:

>Vernon wrote:
>(...)
>
>> I am considering buying an Emco Compact 5 lathe with mill as a gift
>> for my son.
>
>In descending order of importance:
>
>1) You are a good dad.
>
>2) Please consider asking your son to attend a machining class
> held at your local junior college. I attended and had a great
> time learning the safe and proper way to make things using
> machine tools.
>
>3) You and your son will be very pleased to start out with a manual
> lathe and mill. If you pay attention, your tools will give you
> a 'gut level' feel for the variables that will result
> in the most productivity and best surface finish.
>
>4) There is always time to move on to CNC after you have made some
> parts on the manual machines. Starting with CNC would cheat you
> of an intuitive grasp of the subject.
>
>5) If you are patient, you will hear advice from other members of
> this group, most of which are much more qualified than me.
> Don't be distressed about apparent differences in opinion.
>
>My $.000002
>
>--Winston


Hey Winston,

Super answer!! Wish we could all take the time to do that nice stuff.

I agree with what you say. CNC versus manual machines is the
equivalent to doing thesis work in chemistry after the junior year.
You still need to know the basics.

Now CAD-CAM, on the other hand, is a way to produce acceptable
drawings without the draftsman's full skill-set. Makes life and
learning easy.

To Vernon:

CNC is a "TOOL", and not a single self-related style. You cannot
SUCCESSFULLY do any notable CNC machining until you understand the
rest of the work being done.

The Emco line of machines is quite good. Good choice for first-timers
too. While I personally have never owned nor operated the EMCO
lathe/mill comb or any of the combo machines (except on a field-trip
to Smithy) I have read many articles, both ways, on their usefulness
in this usegroup, as everyone else here has too. The general
consensus is that if a lathe/mill combo is what you can afford or all
you have room for, go for it. But if a bit more money and a bit more
room is available, then get the two as separate tools. There are
quite affordable separate machines in the same size range as the
EMCO -5, for close to the same dollars.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

Posted by Vernon on September 25, 2008, 10:37 am
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> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >Vernon wrote:
> >(...)
>
> >> I am considering buying an Emco Compact 5 lathe with mill as a gift
> >> for my son.
>
> >In descending order of importance:
>
> >1) You are a good dad.
>
> >2) Please consider asking your son to attend a machining class
> > =A0 =A0held at your local junior college. =A0I attended and had a great
> > =A0 =A0time learning the safe and proper way to make things using
> > =A0 =A0machine tools.
>
> >3) You and your son will be very pleased to start out with a manual
> > =A0 =A0lathe and mill. If you pay attention, your tools will give you
> > =A0 =A0a 'gut level' feel for the variables that will result
> > =A0 =A0in the most productivity and best surface finish.
>
> >4) There is always time to move on to CNC after you have made some
> > =A0 =A0parts on the manual machines. Starting with CNC would cheat you
> > =A0 =A0of an intuitive grasp of the subject.
>
> >5) If you are patient, you will hear advice from other members of
> > =A0 =A0this group, most of which are much more qualified than me.
> > =A0 =A0Don't be distressed about apparent differences in opinion.
>
> >My $.000002
>
> >--Winston
>
> Hey Winston,
>
> Super answer!! =A0Wish we could all take the time to do that nice stuff.
>
> I agree with what you say. =A0CNC versus manual machines is the
> equivalent to doing thesis work in chemistry after the junior year.
> You still need to know the basics.
>
> Now CAD-CAM, on the other hand, is a way to produce acceptable
> drawings without the draftsman's full skill-set. =A0Makes life and
> learning easy.
>
> To Vernon:
>
> CNC is a "TOOL", and not a single self-related style. =A0You cannot
> SUCCESSFULLY do any notable CNC machining until you understand the
> rest of the work being done.
>
> The Emco line of machines is quite good. =A0Good choice for first-timers
> too. =A0While I personally have never owned nor operated the EMCO
> lathe/mill comb or any of the combo machines (except on a field-trip
> to Smithy) =A0I have read many articles, both ways, on their usefulness
> in this usegroup, as everyone else here has too. =A0The general
> consensus is that if a lathe/mill combo is what you can afford or all
> you have room for, go for it. =A0But if a bit more money and a bit more
> room is available, then get the two as separate tools. =A0There are
> quite affordable separate machines in the same size range as the
> EMCO -5, for close to the same dollars.
>
> Take care.
>
> Brian Lawson,
> Bothwell, Ontario.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thank you Winston, Karl and Brian. Your much appreciated advice is
logical and re-assuring.

All the best.

Vernon

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