have the chance to buy a used jet lathe. only thing is it has been stored outside for a little while and the machined surfaces has surface rust on them. question is will that clean up or should i keep saving for a new one. its going to be cheap, like 500 or so cheap but no warranties on it.
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Gunsmithing buying a used lathe
- Thread starter fast freddy
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Re: buying a used lathe
How bad is the rust on the parts? If it is just very light surface rust, the lathe is probably still usable. If it's anything more than superficial, then I wouldn't even bother.
How bad is the rust on the parts? If it is just very light surface rust, the lathe is probably still usable. If it's anything more than superficial, then I wouldn't even bother.
Re: buying a used lathe
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DebosDave</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Run, that is worth scrap iron </div></div>
AAAHHhhhhhh...run from it
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DebosDave</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Run, that is worth scrap iron </div></div>
AAAHHhhhhhh...run from it
Re: buying a used lathe
Sad to see things like that. Especially when there are so many out there who want/could use something like that. Even though it may not be the best thing out there, it is a start for so many.
Those ways, I believe, are replaceable. IF YOU CAN FIND REPLACEMENTS, that is. Everything else needs to be gone over. An innumerable amount of hours would be required to just get it up and running. Then and only then, the degree to repeatability, not to mention the degree of precision to begin with, would be suspect.
Boat anchors, manhole covers, and possibly (just possibly) spare drive gears is about all that's good for now.
My opinion, anyways.
Sad to see things like that. Especially when there are so many out there who want/could use something like that. Even though it may not be the best thing out there, it is a start for so many.
Those ways, I believe, are replaceable. IF YOU CAN FIND REPLACEMENTS, that is. Everything else needs to be gone over. An innumerable amount of hours would be required to just get it up and running. Then and only then, the degree to repeatability, not to mention the degree of precision to begin with, would be suspect.
Boat anchors, manhole covers, and possibly (just possibly) spare drive gears is about all that's good for now.
My opinion, anyways.
Re: buying a used lathe
If rust is the only problem, I would do it for a gunsmithing lathe.
Scape the rust.
Rebuilding the lathe will be fun.
If rust is the only problem, I would do it for a gunsmithing lathe.
Scape the rust.
Rebuilding the lathe will be fun.
Re: buying a used lathe
Most of the ways are hardened, and unless you have flaky, pitted rusting, they should clean up fine. Our lathe was frozen to a trailer for 3 months after being moved cross country. We did out best to clean off any road salt, but rust still showed. Aerokroil, steel wool, and a lot of elbow grease and she cleaned up fine. The thing is you'll have to go through the gear box, and all the bearings. Any moisture in the bearing oil resevoirs and you'll burn out the bearings in short order. At $500 its not bad, considering what retail is on a lathe, but be prepared for a lot of work.
Most of the ways are hardened, and unless you have flaky, pitted rusting, they should clean up fine. Our lathe was frozen to a trailer for 3 months after being moved cross country. We did out best to clean off any road salt, but rust still showed. Aerokroil, steel wool, and a lot of elbow grease and she cleaned up fine. The thing is you'll have to go through the gear box, and all the bearings. Any moisture in the bearing oil resevoirs and you'll burn out the bearings in short order. At $500 its not bad, considering what retail is on a lathe, but be prepared for a lot of work.
Re: buying a used lathe
Ok, I'll clarify my position:
My concerns are this, I don't see a tailstock, I don't see a tool post. Rust appears to be considerable. There is what looks to be water in the chip tray. Is there water in the gear boxes at all? Is there rust or moisture in the motor?
I don't know exactly where you are at in Florida, but I would personally scour craigslist in your area to find a more suitable starter lathe. Sure cheap is good, but when you buy that lathe, you bought yourself a project, with many unknowns. I guess it depends on what you want to spend your time and money on... rebuilding a cheap to start with lathe, or buying tooling and learning to turn things.
Dave
Ok, I'll clarify my position:
My concerns are this, I don't see a tailstock, I don't see a tool post. Rust appears to be considerable. There is what looks to be water in the chip tray. Is there water in the gear boxes at all? Is there rust or moisture in the motor?
I don't know exactly where you are at in Florida, but I would personally scour craigslist in your area to find a more suitable starter lathe. Sure cheap is good, but when you buy that lathe, you bought yourself a project, with many unknowns. I guess it depends on what you want to spend your time and money on... rebuilding a cheap to start with lathe, or buying tooling and learning to turn things.
Dave
Re: buying a used lathe
Look around. I was able to find a 60's model Clausing for less than $1000. It came with tooling and had been rebuilt. They are out there... I found mine in a machine shop off in a corner.
Look around. I was able to find a 60's model Clausing for less than $1000. It came with tooling and had been rebuilt. They are out there... I found mine in a machine shop off in a corner.
Re: buying a used lathe
No chuck either, that's going to set you back some $$$. I've rebuilt lathe that were in worse condition, but the missing parts are going to cost you a lot of $$$. You could get a better lathe with all its parts intact for less than you'd tie up in that rust bucket. Bought a recently rebuilt 24" Logan awhile back for $1000 and it had a spare 4-jaw chuck also. Machine shops are closing up by the dozen right now, poke around Craigslist and something better will pop up in your area.
No chuck either, that's going to set you back some $$$. I've rebuilt lathe that were in worse condition, but the missing parts are going to cost you a lot of $$$. You could get a better lathe with all its parts intact for less than you'd tie up in that rust bucket. Bought a recently rebuilt 24" Logan awhile back for $1000 and it had a spare 4-jaw chuck also. Machine shops are closing up by the dozen right now, poke around Craigslist and something better will pop up in your area.
Re: buying a used lathe
Bottom line is metal working equipment is expensive. You can buy a fixer upper and spend endless hours rebuilding it, which will cost more than you think along with a few choice words. Or you can buy a very good used machine with most of what you need to get started. As mentioned before, there are many great deals out there if you are willing to wait. Spend some time looking at all the different one and see the different ways to do the work you plan to do. This will keep you from buying the wrong one. Buy the most you can afford, cry one time, and be happy ever after. You can also check eBay . Best of luck.
Bottom line is metal working equipment is expensive. You can buy a fixer upper and spend endless hours rebuilding it, which will cost more than you think along with a few choice words. Or you can buy a very good used machine with most of what you need to get started. As mentioned before, there are many great deals out there if you are willing to wait. Spend some time looking at all the different one and see the different ways to do the work you plan to do. This will keep you from buying the wrong one. Buy the most you can afford, cry one time, and be happy ever after. You can also check eBay . Best of luck.
Re: buying a used lathe
Looks pretty rough. Sometimes the rust will wipe off easily but that looks embedded. 500 seems steep to me for a machine in that cond, I would go for it if you could pick it up at or near scrap value. If no tail stock forget it too much$$$ and hard to find. Looks like a lot of the govt surplus I see.
Looks pretty rough. Sometimes the rust will wipe off easily but that looks embedded. 500 seems steep to me for a machine in that cond, I would go for it if you could pick it up at or near scrap value. If no tail stock forget it too much$$$ and hard to find. Looks like a lot of the govt surplus I see.
Re: buying a used lathe
13" South Bend Lathe, Hard Bed, Taper, D1-4 Camlock
On E-Gay for 2,750.00
13" South Bend Lathe, Hard Bed, Taper, D1-4 Camlock
On E-Gay for 2,750.00
Re: buying a used lathe
I agree that this would be a big fixer upper project. I might be siding towards fixing it up if it was a real quality lathe to begin with like a Clausing or Leblond.
Final accuracy would be my concern.
I agree that this would be a big fixer upper project. I might be siding towards fixing it up if it was a real quality lathe to begin with like a Clausing or Leblond.
Final accuracy would be my concern.
Re: buying a used lathe
It's probably worth $300 from a scrap dealer. That's a heck of a project to start with, it's a chinese lathe (I think, new Jet lathes are Chinese anyway) and you have no accessories like a steady rest, tail stock, chuck or a tool post. Man that could be a lot of work and a lot of money.
I searched and searched and ended up trading a K31 Swiss and a pretty nice AR I had built for a Harrison M250 which is ugly as it can be but the ways are perfect and it cuts beautifully. I also traded a very nice AR that I bult for an old Tree knee mill that had been in the repair shop at a mask making plant, complete with retro-fitted 2 axis CNC. The hour meter on the mil reads 999. In fact I got another South Bend 9b that I didn't keep for an AR in trade too. Don't discount the awesome trading power of a good rifle.
Check out Search Tempest, it's what I used to find the mill. It will search all of Craig's list in a given area around you, I had it set to 250 miles and found the mill in Indy.
http://www.searchtempest.com/
It's probably worth $300 from a scrap dealer. That's a heck of a project to start with, it's a chinese lathe (I think, new Jet lathes are Chinese anyway) and you have no accessories like a steady rest, tail stock, chuck or a tool post. Man that could be a lot of work and a lot of money.
I searched and searched and ended up trading a K31 Swiss and a pretty nice AR I had built for a Harrison M250 which is ugly as it can be but the ways are perfect and it cuts beautifully. I also traded a very nice AR that I bult for an old Tree knee mill that had been in the repair shop at a mask making plant, complete with retro-fitted 2 axis CNC. The hour meter on the mil reads 999. In fact I got another South Bend 9b that I didn't keep for an AR in trade too. Don't discount the awesome trading power of a good rifle.
Check out Search Tempest, it's what I used to find the mill. It will search all of Craig's list in a given area around you, I had it set to 250 miles and found the mill in Indy.
http://www.searchtempest.com/
