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Posted by Peter James on March 30, 2008, 6:38 am
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I would like to buy a small lathe. I want to try and make, in
particular, a stationary steam engine. I came across this lathe from an
enthusiasts site, and wondered what the very experienced modellers on
this NG thought of it.
http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm
The price is about right for me. I'm not sure about accuracy and
tolerances. I have had a little experience of operating a lathe many
years ago and it's something I would like to do.
Can anyone advise me. If this is not worth the money, what alternatives
could anyone recomend, or point me to a site where advise is availalbe.
Thank you.
Peter
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Posted by Bob Minchin on March 30, 2008, 7:29 am
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Peter James wrote:
> I would like to buy a small lathe. I want to try and make, in
> particular, a stationary steam engine. I came across this lathe from an
> enthusiasts site, and wondered what the very experienced modellers on
> this NG thought of it.
> http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm
>
> The price is about right for me. I'm not sure about accuracy and
> tolerances. I have had a little experience of operating a lathe many
> years ago and it's something I would like to do.
>
> Can anyone advise me. If this is not worth the money, what alternatives
> could anyone recomend, or point me to a site where advise is availalbe.
>
> Thank you.
> Peter
With no speed changing belts or back gear, this machine is totally
dependent on the performance of the electronic speed control. I'm
doubtful if it will produce enough power at low spindle speeds for screw
cutting.
It might just do some jobs OK but but I think I would be frustrated by
its lack of versatility. It is very cheap though.
I would strongly suggest you try one first. My guess is that it would
have low resale value if you subsequently found it was not man enough
for your needs.
Have a look at what you might pick up used on Ebay if budgets are tight.
Bob
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Posted by Peter Fairbrother on March 30, 2008, 11:16 am
Please log in for more thread options Bob Minchin wrote:
> Peter James wrote:
>> I would like to buy a small lathe. I want to try and make, in
>> particular, a stationary steam engine. I came across this lathe from an
>> enthusiasts site, and wondered what the very experienced modellers on
>> this NG thought of it.
>> http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm
>>
>> The price is about right for me. I'm not sure about accuracy and
>> tolerances. I have had a little experience of operating a lathe many
>> years ago and it's something I would like to do.
>>
>> Can anyone advise me. If this is not worth the money, what alternatives
>> could anyone recomend, or point me to a site where advise is availalbe.
>>
>> Thank you.
>> Peter
> With no speed changing belts or back gear, this machine is totally
> dependent on the performance of the electronic speed control. I'm
> doubtful if it will produce enough power at low spindle speeds for screw
> cutting.
Not a problem - I have one and it's fine. Though I mostly turn by hand
when cutting threads anyway.
The times when I wish it had more power are when I'm doing things which
are really to big or too hard for such a small lathe, like parting 90 mm
cast iron or 50 mm inconel. Both of which I have done, but wouldn't want
to do again.
> It might just do some jobs OK but but I think I would be frustrated by
> its lack of versatility. It is very cheap though.
> I would strongly suggest you try one first. My guess is that it would
> have low resale value if you subsequently found it was not man enough
> for your needs.
Curiously, very few of these are available second hand. I don't know why.
You will need to strip and clean it before use, almost a complete
rebuild, and quite a lot of "fettling" is involved. I don't know the
up-to-date models, but a lever tailstock and a carriage lock are
must-haves, and a steady of some kind, preferably fixed, is almost as
essential.
The Sieg C3 is probably slightly better made than the Chester Conquest
(they are basically the same lathe), especially if the price is the
same. Avoid chinese circuit boards though.
-- Peter Fairbrother
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Posted by bugbear on March 31, 2008, 5:01 am
Please log in for more thread options Peter Fairbrother wrote:
> Bob Minchin wrote:
>> Peter James wrote:
>>> I would like to buy a small lathe. I want to try and make, in
>>> Peter
>> With no speed changing belts or back gear, this machine is totally
>> dependent on the performance of the electronic speed control. I'm
>> doubtful if it will produce enough power at low spindle speeds for
>> screw cutting.
>
> Not a problem - I have one and it's fine. Though I mostly turn by hand
> when cutting threads anyway.
>
> The times when I wish it had more power are when I'm doing things which
> are really to big or too hard for such a small lathe, like parting 90 mm
> cast iron or 50 mm inconel. Both of which I have done, but wouldn't want
> to do again.
Yes, I'd have though a "mandrel handle" would be a fine auxilliary
attachment for such a lathe, if one is trying (as per normal ME
practice) to take a tool far beyond anything its maker
ever thought of.
http://home.comcast.net/~glyford/lathe/mandrel.htm
BugBear
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Posted by lemel_man on March 30, 2008, 7:53 am
Please log in for more thread options Peter James wrote:
> I would like to buy a small lathe. I want to try and make, in
> particular, a stationary steam engine. I came across this lathe from an
> enthusiasts site, and wondered what the very experienced modellers on
> this NG thought of it.
> http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm
>
> The price is about right for me. I'm not sure about accuracy and
> tolerances. I have had a little experience of operating a lathe many
> years ago and it's something I would like to do.
>
> Can anyone advise me. If this is not worth the money, what alternatives
> could anyone recomend, or point me to a site where advise is availalbe.
>
> Thank you.
> Peter
A close friend, and expert model engineer, purchased one for his 10 year
old grandson a few years back. He added a quick-change toolpost
and modified it a little by altering the tailstock clamp bolt into a
more conventional lever. With grandpa's tuition the 10 year old built a
Stuart Turner 10V which was awarded the Junior Gold Medal at the 2003
ME Exhibition.
You can interpret it how you like, but I'm certain that the lathe
wouldn't have been purchased for his grandson if he'd had any doubts as
to its usefulness. I'm afraid I can't ask him - he died a couple of
years ago.
--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
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> particular, a stationary steam engine. I came across this lathe from an
> enthusiasts site, and wondered what the very experienced modellers on
> this NG thought of it.
> http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm
>
> The price is about right for me. I'm not sure about accuracy and
> tolerances. I have had a little experience of operating a lathe many
> years ago and it's something I would like to do.
>
> Can anyone advise me. If this is not worth the money, what alternatives
> could anyone recomend, or point me to a site where advise is availalbe.
>
> Thank you.
> Peter