Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Lathe question

You can build a house with a 12 oz hammer and screwdrivers too but not the right tools for the job.

Dennis,
I understand your concern. The Emco Maximat Super 11 is an incredible lathe in a class of it's own. It's hard to believe, trust me, I was a non-believer too. Other lathes in this category can't come close to matching the Emco quality. That doesn't mean I can use it to turn telephone poles or inconel. For my purposes (threading muzzles and other small jobs) it's perfect.

To answer other questions...

I pick it up on June 17th and transport it home from Mass.

The stand is a Emco factory option and is made completely of steel.

I plan to rent an open Uhaul trailer and strap it down after I've wrapped it in a tarp and secured the tarp with industrial strength plastic wrap and waterproof T-Rex tape. Hopefully it doesn't all unravel while I'm barrelling down the interstate.

A couple of my first projects will be to make inboard and outboard spiders so I can indicate barrels on both ends of the headstock.

Here are a few examples from a local gunsmith who's helping me get set up.

Good luck with your lathe, Dinny! I am sure it will be great.

A huge lathe does not make a great machinist but a great machinist can make a small lathe great!

That's small.... back in '74 or '75 while closing down the Martin Marietta plant in Torrance, CA we moved one that had a 120" swing and over 90' between centers. That's when machines were big and heavy and nearly bombproof.

Phil

If we're getting off subject this far (nothing new for this site), I worked at the dock in Portland for a while when they were installing the new dry dock at Swan Island. In one of the machine shops they had a couple of the lathes that they used to turn the gun barrels for the 16" guns on the WWII battleships...
Then I worked at Oregon Steel installing some new equipment over there and the rolling lines were powered by some huge DC motors for rolling forward an back to create sheet steel from huge bars. The DC motors still had the labels on them from the submarines they were used on for drive motors. They still ran like a Singer sewing machine...

The Emcos are very good just not capable of taking big cuts. I guess i would have to try before saying more. I had a 12x36 for my first lathe.probably weighed 800#. I upgraded to a Nardini 14-40 and Mori Seki 16-40.i can't believe how handicapped i was with the 12 inche.

Helped my neighbor move this 1943 Springfield 16" x 56" Gear Head Lathe

I have two lathes. A Smithy 14x40 and a Bolton BT1030a benchtop lathe. Apparently the Bolton is made in China then imported here by Bolton who then accurizes it and replaces what they deem needing replaced. That little lathe has been fantastic and holds tolerance like a toolroom lathe. The 3 jaw chuck has .0003 run out over 6 inches and it'll remove some material as well. I've used it for barrel work many times but usually dedicate it to smaller parts and fixtures.

First let me say I am not a machinist. I like to mess around with machine tools and have been fortunate enough to acquire a few. I try to hold tolerances within 1/8”. I bought this lathe for $500 from a guy who wanted it out of his shop. He threw in a Buffalo #22 drill press. He was a well driller and used it to face off flanges welded to steel pipe. The flanges get distorted and won’t seal. He could turn a 21’ joint of 16” pipe.

It needs a lot work which I hope to complete some day. I have used it to modify some brake rotors and turn other non-critical, large diameter projects. The length is not really an advantage to me other than a sturdy shelf in the shop.

When I get it all restored I plan to start making pocket watches. Should be a good market for them.

What do those more experienced think of Logan and South Bend lathes? I have a Logan 825 and I like the way it is laid out but it won’t take very deep cuts. Or maybe I just don’t know how to operate it.

There is a site called Home Shop Machinist for those of us who aren't professionals but like to tinker with machine tools where guys can discuss their tools, buying, selling, repairing, and working with them... Great site and a lot of really helpful folks over there.

I found Les Brook's article on cutting the threads and chamber for a #2 contour barrel on a cheap Chinese 7x12 mini-lathe. I am not sure if still available from Les but he was selling a zip-drive with lots of stock making instructions and it was part of the deal.

It is not the lathe, it is the guy running it...

I'm no machinist but here is my opinion...a Logan 825 is a 10 inch? About the same as a light 10" South Bend. Assuming quite a bit of wear...a little here, a little there...is a lot everywhere. If you want to hog steel off with heavy cuts...you gotta do some stuff not in any book. Slow down! Ignore feeds and speeds in the 'book'. Razor sharp tool HSS or cobalt (skip carbide on old slow machines), mounted with max rigidity. Did I mention rigidity? I made home built overkill tool holders for most situations. Tighten the hell out of your gibs. Don't be afraid to lock your carriage when you can. Lacking that, use auto feed when you can't lock the carriage. And as important as anything...cutting fluid, a subject unto itself. I much lament the demise of white lead and linseed oil. The experts claim Moly EP is the next best thing...meh, maybe. I am making some very heavy square thread cuts on alloy drill stem steel right now. Getting by with sheep tallow thinned with black pipe thread oil. I am using a well worn SB 13X60 on the original cast iron base, maybe 1200 pounds?
A machinist would laugh at me, but my level of confidence reached a milestone when I started using a power cross feed with a parting tool. Little steps in the learning curve.

This proving the maxim - It is not the lathe, it is the guy running it!

Way Off topic, but I thought I would mention a recent learning experience, maybe you can benefit from too. I had to drill a big sheet of an unknown AR type steel for a rock crushing outfit down the road. That stuff destroyed every drill bit I had (customer insisted the holes must not be flame cut) including a high dollar cobalt spotting drill. I called an old millwright friend, he advised to NOT pilot drill clear thru, build a dam with ductseal, fill it with plain old turpentine and drill it at a speed and down pressure to give 2 continuous curls. Worked like magic...I got 4 holes before I had to sharpen the drill.
If I ever have to drill a Krag again, I will try turpentine.

OK, but can't the same guy run a better lathe even better?

Perhaps, but sometimes we use what we can afford or fit into our shop....

Sheister and flintlocke, I very much appreciate your comments. I have been heading in the direction you suggested but hesitated because all the books say otherwise. Time spent sharpening cutters seems to be well spent. I have fabricated different devices to help sharpen the cutters and kinda came up with my own angles. Varying depth of cut, feed and speeds to see what works. I have heard about building a dam and filling it with cutting oil of some kind. I have a Buffalo 22 drill press with automatic feed but haven’t used it for any bigger jobs yet. Thanks for your advice and encouragement.

Missed a chance to bid on a really nice Clausing 1440 Engine Lathe at auction last week. It was a machine from a local high school that didn't look as if it had been used much at all. Was watching, but waiting until auction day to throw in a bid and then forgot. Later found out it went for $850. Won't find another like that one again, not for awhile anyway.


Phil